Topical Encyclopedia
Tobiah is a significant figure in the Old Testament, primarily known for his opposition to Nehemiah during the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. His account is found in the Book of Nehemiah, where he is depicted as an adversary to the Jewish people returning from exile.
Background and IdentityTobiah is identified as an Ammonite official. The Ammonites were descendants of Lot, and historically, they had a contentious relationship with the Israelites. Tobiah's name, meaning "Yahweh is good," suggests a possible Israelite heritage or influence, despite his opposition to Nehemiah's mission.
Role in Nehemiah's NarrativeTobiah first appears in
Nehemiah 2:10, where he is displeased with Nehemiah's arrival in Jerusalem to seek the welfare of the Israelites: "When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very displeased that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites" (
Nehemiah 2:10). This sets the stage for his continued antagonism.
Throughout the rebuilding process, Tobiah, along with Sanballat and Geshem the Arab, attempts to thwart Nehemiah's efforts. In
Nehemiah 4:3, Tobiah mocks the builders, saying, "Even if a fox were to climb up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!" (
Nehemiah 4:3). This ridicule is part of a broader campaign to discourage and intimidate the workers.
Tobiah's opposition escalates as he conspires with others to attack Jerusalem and create confusion (
Nehemiah 4:7-8). Despite these efforts, Nehemiah remains steadfast, organizing the people to work with one hand and hold a weapon with the other (
Nehemiah 4:17).
Intrigue and InfluenceTobiah's influence extends into the Jewish community through familial and social connections.
Nehemiah 6:17-19 reveals that many in Judah were bound to him by oath because he was related to some of the nobles, and they reported his good deeds to Nehemiah while conveying Nehemiah's words back to Tobiah. This network of alliances highlights the internal challenges Nehemiah faced.
Tobiah's Occupation of the TempleOne of the most egregious actions attributed to Tobiah is his occupation of a chamber in the temple courts, facilitated by Eliashib the priest, who was related to Tobiah (
Nehemiah 13:4-5). This desecration of the temple precincts was discovered by Nehemiah upon his return to Jerusalem. Nehemiah's response was swift and decisive: "I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room" (
Nehemiah 13:8). This act underscores Nehemiah's commitment to maintaining the sanctity of the temple and the purity of worship.
Legacy and LessonsTobiah's account serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of external opposition and internal compromise. His persistent efforts to undermine Nehemiah's work highlight the challenges faced by the Jewish community in re-establishing their identity and faithfulness to God. Tobiah's alliances with influential Jewish families also illustrate the complexities of leadership and the need for vigilance in maintaining spiritual integrity.
In the broader biblical narrative, Tobiah represents the ongoing struggle between the people of God and those who oppose His purposes. His actions remind believers of the importance of steadfastness, prayer, and reliance on God in the face of adversity.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
TobiahTobijah, the Lord is good
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Tobiah(goodness of Jehovah).
- "The children of Tobiah" were a family who returned with Zerubbabel, but were unable to prove their connection with Israel -- (Ezra 2:60;Nehemiah 7:62) (B.C. before 536.)
- "Tobiah the slave, the Ammonite," played a conspicuous part in the rancorous position made by Sanballat the Moabite and his adherents to the rebuilding of Jerusalem. (B.C. 446.) The two races of Moab and Ammon found in these men fit representatives of that hereditary hatred to the Israelites which began before the entrance into Caanan, and was not extinct when the Hebrews had ceased to exist as a nation. But Tobiah, though a slave, (Nehemiah 2:10,19) --unless, this is a title of opprobrium --and an Ammonite, found means to ally himself with a priestly family, and his son Johanan married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. (Nehemiah 6:18) He himself was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, (Nehemiah 6:17) and these family relations created for him a strong faction among the Jews.
ATS Bible Dictionary
TobiahAn Ammonite prince, in league with Sanballat and the Samaritans against the pious Jews, who were rebuilding the ruined temple,Nehemiah 2:10; 4:3. His threats and treachery were employed in vain. During Nehemiah's absence, Tobiah was unlawfully established by some of the chief men of Judah, his relatives, in a fine apartment of the new temple; but was ignominiously expelled on the governor's return,Nehemiah 6:17-19; 13:1-9.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Pleasing to Jehovah, the "servant," the "Ammonite," who joined with those who opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Exile (
Nehemiah 2:10). He was a man of great influence, which he exerted in opposition to the Jews, and "sent letters" to Nehemiah "to put him in fear" (
Nehemiah 6:17-19). "Eliashib the priest" prepared for him during Nehemiah's absence "a chamber in the courts of the house of God," which on his return grieved Nehemiah sore, and therefore he "cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber" (
13:7, 8).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
TOBIAHto-bi'-a (Tobhiyah; Codex Alexandrinus Tobias; omitted in Codex Vaticanus):
(1) An Ammonite slave (King James Version, "servant"), probably of Sanballat, the governor of Samaria (Nehemiah 2:10). He was grieved exceedingly when Nehemiah came to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. In two ways he was connected by marriage with the Jews, having himself married the daughter of Shecaniah, the son of Arab, and his son Jehohanan having married the daughter of Meshullam, the son of Berechiah (Nehemiah 6:18). Because of this close connection with the Jews, the nobles of the latter corresponded by letter with him and also reported his good deeds to Nehemiah and reported Nehemiah's words to Tobiah. In consequence of the report, Tobiah sent letters to Nehemiah to put him in fear (6:17-19). Nehemiah seems to have considered him to be his chief enemy; for he put him before Sanballat in his prayers to God to remember his opponents according to their works (6:14). In 13:4 we are told that he was an ally of Eliashib, the high priest who had the oversight of the chambers of the house of God and had prepared for him as a guest chamber the room which had before been used as a storehouse for offerings of various kinds. Nehemiah, having heard during his second visit to Jerusalem of this desecration of the temple, cast out the household stuff of Tobiah and cleansed the chambers, restoring the vessels of God and the offerings as of old.
(2) The eponym of a family which returned with Zerubbabel, but could not trace its descent (Ezra 2:60Nehemiah 7:62).
R. Dick Wilson
Strong's Hebrew
3076. Yehochanan -- "the LORD has been gracious," the name of a...... 3075, 3076. Yehochanan. 3077 . "the LORD has been gracious," the name
of a number of Isr., a lso a son of
Tobiah. Transliteration
...2900. Tobiyyahu -- "Yah is my good," three Israelites, also an...
... "Yah is my good," three Israelites, also an Ammonite. Transliteration: Tobiyyahu
or Tobiyyah Phonetic Spelling: (to-bee-yaw') Short Definition:Tobiah....
Library
Heathen Plots
... "I perceived that God had not sent him," he says, "but that he pronounced this
prophecy against me: forTobiah and Sanballat had hired him....
Nehemiah, the Praying Builder
... In building the wall of Jerusalem, he met with great opposition from Sanballat and
Tobiah, who ridiculed the efforts of the people to rebuild the city's walls....
Reformation
... Through intermarriage, a friendship had been brought about between Eliashib the
high priest andTobiah the Ammonite, Israel's bitter enemy....
The Builders on the Wall
... Foremost in this evil work were certain chiefs of these tribes, Sanballat
the Horonite,Tobiah the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian....
Overcoming Great Difficulties
...Tobiah, the Ammonite, was with him, and he said, "This stone wall which they are
building"if a fox should go up on it, he would break it down!"....
The Prophet Nehemiah
... "When Sanballat the Horonite, andTobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and... Young man,
if you wish to be successful in this world, don't mind Sanballat orTobiah....
The Two Guards, Praying and Watching
...Tobiah uttered a cutting jest; but we prayed never the less, but all the more because
of his mocking taunt.... 3. NowTobiah the Ammonite was by him....
Nehemiah's Answer to a Call for Help
... The king had sent with me officers and horsemen; and when Sanballat, the Horonite,
andTobiah, the Ammonite slave, heard of it, it troubled them greatly, that...
Discouragements and Courage
... accumulations of rubbish. The second part in the trio was taken by the
enemies"Sanballat andTobiah and the rest. They laid their...
Matt. 8:11 Many
... When the Jews were rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem after the return from Babylon,
Sanballat andTobiah scoffed at them, and said, "What do these feeble Jews?...
Thesaurus
Tobiah (14 Occurrences)... a chamber in the courts of the house of God," which on his return grieved Nehemiah
sore, and therefore he "cast forth all the household stuff of
Tobiah out of
...Tobiah's (2 Occurrences)
...Tobiah's (2 Occurrences). Nehemiah 6:17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah
sent many letters untoTobiah, and the letters ofTobiah came unto them....
Tobi'ah (15 Occurrences)
Tobi'ah.Tobiah, Tobi'ah.Tobiah's .... Ezra 2:60 the children of Delaiah, the
children ofTobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two. (See RSV)...
Sanbal'lat (10 Occurrences)
... Nehemiah 2:10 And when Sanballat the Horonite, andTobiah the servant, the Ammonite,
heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, for that there was come a man to...
Sanballat (10 Occurrences)
... He is named along withTobiah, the Ammonite slave (Nehemiah 4:1), and Geshem the
Arabian (Nehemiah 6:1) as the leading opponent of the Jews at the time when...
Geshem (5 Occurrences)
... Arabs south of Palestine, one of the enemies of the Jews after the return from Babylon
(Nehemiah 2:19; 6:1, 2). He united with Sanballat andTobiah in opposing...
Eliashib (15 Occurrences)
... His indulgence ofTobiah the Ammonite provoked the indignation of Nehemiah
(13:4, 7). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ELIASHIB....
Noadiah (2 Occurrences)
... (1.) A Levite who returned from Babylon (Ezra 8:33). (2.) A false prophetess who
assistedTobiah and Sanballat against the Jews (Nehemiah 6:14)....
Tobi'ah's (1 Occurrence)
Tobi'ah's.Tobiah's, Tobi'ah's. Tobias . Multi-Version Concordance Tobi'ah's
(1 Occurrence).... (See RSV).Tobiah's, Tobi'ah's. Tobias . Reference Bible.
Displeasing (31 Occurrences)
... Nehemiah 2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite, andTobiah the servant, the Ammonite,
heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, because a man had come to seek the...
Resources
Who were Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the book of Tobit? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is a scorner in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
Bible Thesuarus
