Charles Ellicott Commentary Nehemiah 2:16

"And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work." — Nehemiah 2:16 (ASV)

The rest that did the work, that is, afterwards. The caution of this procedure is justified by subsequent events: the city teemed with elements of danger. The nobles and rulers possessed no substantial repressive authority.