Midrasch zu Nechemja 4:19

“Sapping my strength,” Rabbi Tanḥum ben Rabbi Yirmeya said: There are four matters that exhaust a person’s strength, and they are: Fasting, the road, iniquity, and the kingdom of Babylon. Fasting, as it is written: “My knees are weak from fasting” (Psalms 109:24). The road, as it is written: “Along the way He has weakened my strength” (Psalms 102:24). Iniquity, as it is written: “In my iniquity, my strength has failed” (Psalms 31:11). Kingdom, as it is written: “Judah said: The strength of the bearer is failing, and the dirt is abundant; we cannot build the wall” (Nehemiah 4:4).¹⁶⁴They could not rebuild the walls of Jerusalem due to their enemies. The kingdom of Babylon is representative of oppressive enemies.
“The Lord delivered me into the hands of those against whom I cannot stand.” The Rabbis say: This is a bad wife who has a costly marriage contract.
Rav Huna said: “The man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). He rendered him a slave bound to himself. If he does not exert himself, he does not eat. That is the opinion of Rabbi Ḥanina, as Rabbi Ḥanina said: “The Lord delivered me into the hands of those against whom I cannot stand.” “Into the hands of those against whom I cannot stand”—if I do not exert myself during the day, at night, “I cannot stand.”

When Ezra came up (with) Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, || son of Jehozadak, they began to build the Temple of the Lord, as it is said, "Then rose up Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God" (Ezra 5:2). And the Samaritans came against them to fight (with) 180,000 (men). Were they Samaritans? Were they not Cutheans? But they were called Samaritans because of the city of Samaria. And further, they sought to kill Nehemiah, as it is said, "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages,… but they thought to do me mischief" (Neh. 6:2). Moreover, they made the work of the Lord to cease for two years ["Then ceased the work of the house of God, which is at Jerusalem]; and it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius, king of Persia" (Ezra 4:24).