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Nehemiah 3

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Rebuilding the Wall: Sheep Gate to Old Gate 1–5

1
Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Hammeah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananel. ​
2
And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri.
3
And the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the bolts thereof, and the bars thereof.
4
And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana.
5
And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their lord. ​

The Northwest Wall: Old Gate to Valley Gate 6–12

6
And the old gate repaired Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the bolts thereof, and the bars thereof.
7
And next unto them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, that appertained to the throne of the governor beyond the River. ​
8
Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, goldsmiths. And next unto him repaired Hananiah one of the perfumers, and they fortified Jerusalem even unto the broad wall. ​
9
And next unto them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem. ​
10
And next unto them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, over against his house. And next unto him repaired Hattush the son of Hashabneiah.
11
Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab, repaired another portion, and the tower of the furnaces.
12
And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, he and his daughters. ​

The Southern Wall: Valley Gate to Fountain Gate 13–14

13
The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up the doors thereof, the bolts thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits of the wall unto the dung gate. ​
14
And the dung gate repaired Malchijah the son of Rechab, the ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the bolts thereof, and the bars thereof.

Repairs along the Eastern Wall 15–27

15
And the fountain gate repaired Shallun the son of Col-hozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the bolts thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Shelah by the king’s garden, even unto the stairs that go down from the city of David. ​
16
After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and unto the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty men. ​
17
After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of half the district of Keilah, for his district.
18
After him repaired their brethren, Bavvai the son of Henadad, the ruler of half the district of Keilah.
19
And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another portion, over against the ascent to the armory at the turning of the wall.
20
After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired another portion, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. ​
21
After him repaired Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz another portion, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib.
22
And after him repaired the priests, the men of the Plain.
23
After them repaired Benjamin and Hasshub over against their house. After them repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah beside his own house. ​
24
After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another portion, from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall, and unto the corner.
25
Palal the son of Uzai repaired over against the turning of the wall, and the tower that standeth out from the upper house of the king, which is by the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh repaired. ​
26
(Now the Nethinim dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that standeth out.) ​
27
After him the Tekoites repaired another portion, over against the great tower that standeth out, and unto the wall of Ophel.

Completing the Circuit: Horse Gate to Sheep Gate 28–32

28
Above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his own house. ​
29
After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his own house. And after him repaired Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the east gate.
30
After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another portion. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber.
31
After him repaired Malchijah one of the goldsmiths unto the house of the Nethinim, and of the merchants, over against the gate of Hammiphkad, and to the ascent of the corner.
32
And between the ascent of the corner and the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Nehemiah 3

Verse 1

the sheep gate — The work opens with the high priest and closes at the same gate (v.32). 'Sanctified' is qadash, to set apart, used twice here. The gate lay beside the 'sheep market' pool of John 5:2, and the procession on the wall at the dedication comes 'even unto the sheep gate' (Neh 12:39).

Verse 5

put not their necks to the work of their Lord — The picture is a neck bent under a yoke (cf. Jer 27:8). 'Nobles' is addir, mighty ones; 'Lord' is adon, master, not the divine name. The common Tekoites repaired this section, and a second one in v.27.

Verse 7

the governor on this side the river — Pechah, a provincial governor, with eber hannahar, the region across the river, the same office Nehemiah's letters named in Neh 2:7. The Gibeonites, once made 'hewers of wood and drawers of water' (Josh 9:27), build here with the men of Mizpah.

Verse 8

goldsmiths… apothecaries — Tsaraph is a refiner of metal; raqqach a perfumer, from the root behind 'the art of the apothecary' in the holy ointment (Ex 30:25). Tradesmen who were not builders by craft took sections; goldsmiths appear again in vv.31–32, where 'Malchiah the goldsmith's son' repairs.

Verse 9

the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem — Sar is a head or chief; pelek a circuit or district, the same word for the districts of Jerusalem (v.12), Beth-haccerem (v.14), Mizpah (v.15), Bethzur (v.16) and Keilah (vv.17–18). Rephaiah is one of these district heads.

Verse 12

he and his daughters — Shallum, ruler of the other half of Jerusalem (cf. v.9), repaired with his banot, daughters. Women had long shared in sanctuary work: 'all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands' (Ex 35:25).

Verse 13

a thousand cubits on the wall — The Valley Gate is where Nehemiah went out by night (Neh 2:13); Uzziah had built a tower there (2 Chr 26:9). Hanun and the people of Zanoah, a town of Judah (Josh 15:34), rebuilt it with doors, locks and bars, and the wall to the dung gate.

Verse 15

the gate of the fountain — Ayin is a spring; Nehemiah had come to this gate in Neh 2:14. Shallun 'covered' it (talal, to roof with beams) and built the wall of the pool of Siloah, whose waters 'go softly' (Isa 8:6); Christ sent the blind man to wash there (John 9:7).

Verse 16

the sepulchres of David — This Nehemiah, son of Azbuk, ruled half of Bethzur (Josh 15:58) and is not the governor. The 'sepulchres of David' were still known in the city; Peter says 'his sepulchre is with us unto this day' (Acts 2:29). 'The mighty' is gibbor.

Verse 20

earnestly repaired — Charah means to glow or burn, a verb usually of anger; here the heat is zeal. Baruch's piece runs 'unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest', the man who began the work in v.1.

Verse 23

over against their house — Many builders took the stretch beside their own homes (vv.10, 28, 29; Meshullam by his 'chamber', v.30). Verse 23 words it two ways: Benjamin and Hashub 'over against' their house, Azariah 'by' (etsel, beside) his.

Verse 25

the court of the prison — Chatser is an enclosed yard, and mattara a guard-house. It was in the king's house, where Jeremiah was 'shut up' (Jer 32:2). Palal repaired by the 'tower which lieth out'; Pedaiah is 'the son of Parosh', a family listed in Ezra 2:3.

Verse 26

the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel — Nathin means one given, the temple servants. They lived on Ophel (Neh 11:21), the hill whose wall Jotham 'built much' on (2 Chr 27:3). The water gate here is where the people later gathered to hear the law (Neh 8:1).

Verse 28

the horse gate — Jeremiah places it in the east, 'unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east' (Jer 31:40). It lay beside the king's house: Athaliah was slain when she came 'to the entering of the horse gate by the king's house' (2 Chr 23:15). The priests each repaired opposite his own house.

Verse 32

goldsmiths and the merchants — Rakal is to travel for trade. These two trades close the circuit between 'the going up of the corner' and 'the sheep gate', where the priests began in v.1; merchants and goldsmiths also share v.31.