Opposition immediately intensifies: "Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly enraged, and he mocked the Jews." Sanballat's mocking response represents an attempt to delegitimize the restoration project through ridicule, a form of psychological pressure intended to demoralize the builders and erode community confidence in the enterprise. The intensity of his reaction—anger combined with mockery—indicates that the rapid mobilization of the community and the visible progress on the wall have genuinely threatened his position; the project is no longer merely a proposal but a tangible reality requiring active opposition. Mockery and ridicule were common ancient Near Eastern tools for delegitimizing opponents and destabilizing their morale, suggesting that Sanballat understands the psychological dimensions of resistance.

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