Nehemiah 3

Then Eliashib the high priest, the chief priest over the temple, went to work along with his fellow priests, and they rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They set it apart for God's use and put its doors in place. They kept working and setting the wall apart as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel.

1Then 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 Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel.

NoteJerusalem's wall had lain in ruins for about 140 years, since the Babylonian army destroyed the city in 586 BC; this chapter is a section-by-section record of who rebuilt which stretch. The high priest was the head of the whole priesthood and the only man permitted to enter the innermost room of the temple, and then only once a year. The Sheep Gate stood at the north-east, near the temple, and was probably where animals for sacrifice were brought into the city. To "set apart for God's use" (older versions say "sanctify") meant to mark something off by ceremony as no longer ordinary but reserved for God, priests did this to buildings and objects, not only to people. The Tower of the Hundred renders a Hebrew name whose sense is unknown; guesses include a hundred cubits high, a hundred steps, or a garrison of a hundred men.

2Next to Eliashib and his men, the men of the town of Jericho did their building. Next to them, Zaccur son of Imri did his building.

2And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri.

3The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put in its doors, its bolts, and its bars.

3But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

NoteThe bolts were pins that dropped into sockets; the bars were heavy beams laid horizontally across the closed doors on the inside, the standard way a city gate was secured at night.

4Next to them, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, made repairs. Next to him, Meshullam son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next to him, Zadok son of Baana made repairs.

4And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana.

Note"Made repairs" translates a Hebrew verb that also carries the sense of strengthening or making firm; the work was mostly rebuilding on top of the ruined courses of the old wall rather than starting from bare ground. Family lines are given because priestly and official descent determined a man's standing and duties.

5Next to them, the men of Tekoa made repairs, but their leading men would not bend their necks to the work under their lords.

5And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their LORD.

NoteTekoa was a town about ten miles south of Jerusalem. "Bend their necks to the work" is an image from farming: an ox that refuses the yoke. The last words are genuinely ambiguous in Hebrew. The word can mean "their lords" (the foremen or overseers directing the job, whom the nobles thought beneath them) or it can be read as a title for God, which is how the King James Version took it ("the work of their Lord"). The Hebrew allows either.

6The Old Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put in its doors, its bolts, and its bars.

6Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

NoteThe Hebrew name of this gate may mean "the gate of the old wall" or "the old city gate," or it may be a place name, Jeshanah, a town north of Jerusalem; translations differ.

7Next to them, repairs were made by Melatiah from Gibeon, Jadon from Meronoth, and the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, as far as the seat of the governor of the province west of the Euphrates River.

7And next unto them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, unto the throne of the governor on this side the river.

NoteGibeon and Mizpah were towns roughly six to eight miles north of Jerusalem. "The province west of the Euphrates" (older versions: "beyond the river") was the standing Persian name for the whole territory between the Euphrates and Egypt, governed from Damascus or Sidon; Judah was one small district inside it. The Hebrew of the last clause is unclear: it may mark how far along the wall these men built, or it may say that they were men under that governor's jurisdiction rather than Jerusalem's.

8Next to them, Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs. Next to him, Hananiah, the son of one of the perfume makers, made repairs. They rebuilt the defenses of Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.

8Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries, and they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall.

NoteGoldsmiths and perfume makers were organized trades, and members of a guild worked the wall as a unit, much as townspeople worked by town. Perfume makers compounded scented oils and incense, including the mixtures used in the temple. The Broad Wall was a known landmark on the west side; a stretch of wall about twenty-two feet thick, built some three centuries earlier, has been uncovered there.

9Next to them, Rephaiah son of Hur, the ruler of one half of the district of Jerusalem, made repairs.

9And next unto them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem.

NoteUnder Persian rule Judah was divided into administrative districts, each with an appointed ruler; Jerusalem's district was split into two halves with a ruler over each. The districts named through this chapter (Beth-haccherem, Mizpah, Beth-zur, Keilah) are the surrounding country towns whose people came in to work.

10Next to them, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs on the stretch across from his own house. Next to him, Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs.

10And next unto them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, even over against his house. And next unto him repaired Hattush the son of Hashabniah.

11Malchijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab repaired another section of the wall, along with the Tower of the Ovens.

11Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahathmoab, repaired the other piece, and the tower of the furnaces.

NoteThe Tower of the Ovens is named for baking ovens, suggesting the city's bakers worked in that quarter.

12Next to him, Shallum son of Hallohesh, the ruler of the other half of the district of Jerusalem, made repairs, and his daughters worked with him.

12And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters.

NoteThat a man's daughters are recorded as working on the wall is unusual in such a list; some take it to mean Shallum had no sons, others that the phrase refers to outlying villages dependent on his district, since Hebrew can call a village a town's "daughter."

13The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the people who lived in Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put in its doors, its bolts, and its bars. They also repaired a thousand cubits of the wall, up to the Dung Gate.

13The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the wall unto the dung gate.

NoteA cubit was about eighteen inches, the length of a forearm, so a thousand cubits is roughly a quarter of a mile. Zanoah was a town in the lowlands west of Jerusalem. The Dung Gate opened toward the valley where the city's refuse was carried out.

14The Dung Gate was repaired by Malchijah son of Rechab, the ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem. He rebuilt it and put in its doors, its bolts, and its bars.

14But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Bethhaccerem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

15The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Col-hozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, put a roof over it, and put in its doors, its bolts, and its bars. He also repaired the wall beside the Pool of Siloam near the king's garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David.

15But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Siloah by the king’s garden, and unto the stairs that go down from the city of David.

NoteThe Fountain Gate was named for the Gihon spring, the city's main water source, which lay just outside the wall on the east. The Pool of Siloam was the reservoir inside the city that the spring fed through a rock-cut tunnel. Roofing a gate means covering the passage between the two gate towers. The City of David is the oldest part of Jerusalem, the narrow southern ridge that David captured and made his capital, below and south of the temple.

16Past him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, the ruler of one half of the district of Beth-zur, made repairs up to the point across from the tombs of David, on to the pool that had been dug, and on to the House of the Mighty Men.

16After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Bethzur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty.

NoteThe kings of Judah were buried within the City of David, and their tomb area was still a recognized landmark. The House of the Mighty Men was probably a barracks; the name recalls the corps of elite warriors who served David.

17Next to him, the Levites, the temple workers, made repairs under Rehum son of Bani. Next to him, Hashabiah, the ruler of one half of the district of Keilah, made repairs for his own district.

17After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part.

NoteThe Levites were members of the tribe of Levi who served at the temple in supporting roles (music, gatekeeping, maintenance, assisting at sacrifices) but were not priests and could not offer the sacrifices themselves.

18Next to him, their fellow Levites made repairs under Bavai son of Henadad, the ruler of the other half of the district of Keilah.

18After him repaired their brethren, Bavai the son of Henadad, the ruler of the half part of Keilah.

19Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section, the part across from the slope up to the armory, at the place where the wall turns.

19And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another piece over against the going up to the armoury at the turning of the wall.

NoteThe armory was the store of weapons attached to the palace complex. The "turn" is a sharp angle in the line of the wall, used here as a fixed reference point that recurs in the next few verses.

20Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai worked hard and repaired another section, from the turn in the wall to the doorway of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

20After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

Note"Worked hard" renders a Hebrew word found only here in this sense; it is usually taken to mean he worked with unusual zeal, though some scholars suspect the text is damaged.

21Next to him, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the doorway of Eliashib's house to the far end of that house.

21After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Koz another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib.

22Next to him, repairs were made by the priests who lived in the country around Jerusalem.

22And after him repaired the priests, the men of the plain.

NoteThe Hebrew says these priests came from "the circle" or "the plain," a term normally used for the broad floor of the Jordan valley around Jericho, so priests who lived outside the city and came in for the work.

23Past them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs on the stretch in front of their own house. Next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his own house.

23After him repaired Benjamin and Hashub over against their house. After him repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah by his house.

24After him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah to the turn in the wall and on to the corner.

24After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another piece, from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall, even unto the corner.

25Palal son of Uzai made repairs across from the turn in the wall and across from the tower that sticks out from the king's upper palace, near the courtyard of the guard. After him came Pedaiah son of Parosh,

25Palal the son of Uzai, over against the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth out from the king’s high house, that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh.

NoteThe upper palace was the older royal residence on the eastern ridge. The courtyard of the guard was an enclosure attached to it where prisoners were held in open custody rather than in a cell; the prophet Jeremiah was confined there during the Babylonian siege.

26along with the temple servants who lived on the hill called Ophel. They made repairs up to the point across from the Water Gate on the east side, and up to the tower that sticks out.

26Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out.

NoteThe temple servants (older versions transliterate the Hebrew as "Nethinim," meaning "the given ones") were a hereditary class assigned to the heavy, menial work of the temple (hauling water, cutting wood, general labor) ranking below the Levites. Ophel is the saddle of ground between the old City of David and the temple platform. The Water Gate faced the Gihon spring.

27Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the point across from the great tower that sticks out, as far as the wall of Ophel.

27After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, over against the great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel.

28Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each one working on the stretch in front of his own house.

28From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house.

NoteThe Horse Gate lay at the north-east, between the palace and the temple, and took its name from the horses brought through it into the palace grounds.

29Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs across from his own house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the guard of the East Gate, made repairs.

29After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate.

30Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berechiah made repairs across from his own living quarters.

30After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another piece. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber.

31Next to him, Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, across from the Inspection Gate, and on to the upper room above the corner.

31After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith’s son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner.

NoteThe Hebrew name of this gate, Miphkad, comes from a verb meaning to muster, appoint or inspect; whether it was where troops were reviewed, where goods were checked, or something else is not known, so translations render it variously.

32And between the upper room above the corner and the Sheep Gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants made repairs.

32And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.

NoteGoldsmiths and merchants close the circuit where it began, at the Sheep Gate, the account has traced the whole wall round and back to its starting point.