SANBALLAT (Assyr. [Note: Assyrian.] Sin-ballit = ‘Sin, save the life’). The most inveterate of the opponents of Nehemiah. He was a native of Beth-horon, and apparently belonged to an old Bab. [Note: Babylonian.] family holding office under the Persian government. When Nehemiah came to Jerusalem to repair the walls, he, with his allies ( Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshem the Arabian), met him with derision; and after the work was well under way he stirred up the garrison of Samaria and planned an attack against the builders. This was prevented by the watchfulness of Nehemiah and the workmen. Several devices aimed against the life of Nehemiah were also thwarted by the sagacity of the latter. On Nehemiah’s second visit he banished from Jerusalem Manasseh (a son-in-law of Sanballat, and grandson of Eliashib ), who founded the Samaritan sect. See Nehemiah 2:10; Nehemiah 2:19; Nehemiah 4:1 ff.; Nehemiah 4:6; Nehemiah 13:28 .
J. F. McCurdy.
Complete and trustworthy, Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible is a thorough reference (5,915 entries) for all readers of the Bible. For nearly a century, lay people and scholars alike have valued the authoritative contents and the convenient format of this one-volume work.Wikipedia
Read More