sanballat Summary and Overview

held some place of authority in Samaria when Nehemiah went up to Jerusalem to rebuild its ruined walls. He vainly attempted to hinder this work (Neh. 2:10, 19; 4:1-12; 6). His daughter became the wife of one of the sons of Joiada, a son of the high priest, much to the grief of Nehemiah (13:28).

(strength), a Moabite of Horonaim. #Ne 2:10,13; 13:28| He held apparently some command in Samaria at the time Nehemiah was preparing to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, B.C. 445, #Ne 4:2| and from the moment of Nehemiah's arrival in Judea he set himself to oppose every measure for the welfare of Jerusalem. The only other incident in his life is his alliance with the high priest's family by the marriage of his daughter with one of the grandsons of Eliashib; but the expulsion from the priesthood of the guilty son of Joiada by Nehemiah promptly followed. Here the scriptural narrative ends.

SANBAL'LAT (a hero?), a native of Horonaim, in Moab, who sadly impeded the efforts of the Jews to rebuild the walls of the city by inciting a movement on the part of the Arabians and others who comprised the "army of Samaria," which apparently Sanballat commanded. Neh 4:2. After Nehemiah's departure he insinuated himself sufficiently with the high priest to be able to marry his daughter to the high priest's grandson. But Nehemiah, returning, promptly deposed the latter. Neh 13:28. We have no further biblical information about him. SANCTIFY is to prepare or set apart persons or things to a holy use. Ex 13:2. The term "sanctification," when applied to men, denotes the effect of God's Spirit upon the soul. It comprehends all the graces of knowledge, faith, love, repentance, humility, etc., and the exercise of them toward God and man. 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 1:2. It is a process by which the soul is cleansed from the pollution and delivered from the power of sin, and at the same time endued with those spiritual graces above named, without which there could be no taste or fitness for the joys or employments of the heavenly world. Heb 12:14. Sanctification is the fruit of union to Christ by faith, and it is in the knowledge and belief of the truth as it is in Jesus that the soul becomes the subject of the sanctifying influences of the Spirit. John 17:17. From this inward sanctification proceeds every good word and work. Tit 2:11-14. When Christ speaks of sanctifying himself, John 17:19, it is in allusion to the law which required the sacrifice to be set apart to a holy use. He separates or dedicates himself as a sacrifice to God for them.

A Moabite of Horonaim (Nehemiah 2:10; Nehemiah 2:19; Nehemiah 13:28). Seemingly he had some command over "the army of Samaria" (Nehemiah 4:2) under Artaxerxes. A perpetual opponent of Nehemiah from the time of his arrival in Judaea. (See NEHEMIAH.) Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshem the Arabian (Nehemiah 2:19; Nehemiah 4:7; Nehemiah 4:6) were in league with him. His daughter married the high-priest Eliashib's grandson, Joiada's son; therefore Nehemiah chased him from him (Nehemiah 13:28). Tobiah had formed a similar alliance with Eliashib, so that it looks as if Eliasbib concerted with the Samaritan party to thwart Nehemiah's reforming plans. Josephus' account of a Sanballat 100 years later under Alexander the Great seems unhistorical.