Bible Commentaries
Nehemiah 3

Verses 1-32

Particulars respecting the Rebuilding

1. Then, etc.] For the purposes of repair the wall was parcelled out between a number of working parties consisting of various important families, the inhabitants of certain towns, and different professional and trading bodies. The description of the several sections of the wall begins near the Temple at the sheep-gate, through which the flocks used to be driven for sacrifice. The writer’s purpose in enumerating all who undertook to rebuild these sections is to put on record the names of those who devoted their labour and their substance to restoring the city which protected Jehovah’s sanctuary, and to challenge the emulation of later generations.

5. Their Lord] better, ’their lord,’ i.e. Nehemiah.

7. Unto the, etc.] RV ’which appertained to the,’ etc. Part of Mizpah was under the direct control of the Persian officer who governed the region W. of the Euphrates, whilst part was under Jewish rule (Nehemiah 3:15).

8. The son of one of the apothecaries] better, ’one of the perfumers.’ They fortified] RM ’they left,’ meaning that the builders at this point left the fortifications untouched because they were in good repair, or that they departed in their reconstruction from the existing ground-plan.

9. Of the half part] RV ’of half the district,’ the ruler of the other half being the Shallum of Nehemiah 3:12.

11. The other piece] RV ’another portion’: and so in Nehemiah 3:19-20, Nehemiah 3:21, Nehemiah 3:24, Nehemiah 3:27, Nehemiah 3:30.

14. Part of] RV ’the district of: and so in Nehemiah 3:15-16, Nehemiah 3:17, Nehemiah 3:18.

15. The pool of Siloah] i.e. the pool of Siloam. The stairs] These were steps leading to the pool, perhaps from the Temple hill: cp. Nehemiah 12:37.

16. The sepulchres of David] i.e. the tombs of David’s descendants and successors: cp. 2 Chronicles 32:33; These were near the Temple (Ezekiel 43:7-8), probably NW. of the city. The pool that was made] perhaps the pool alluded to in 2 Kings 20:20. The house of the mighty] perhaps the barracks of the soldiery.

17. In his part] RV ’for (i.e. representing) his district’ (of Keilah).

19. The armoury] the site of ’the house of the forest of Lebanon’ (1 Kings 10:17, 1 Kings 10:21; Isaiah 22:8).

22. The plain] better, ’The Plain,’ the specific name of part of the Jordan valley (Genesis 13:10).

23. After him.. After him] RV ’After them.. After them.’

26. Moreover] RV ’now,’ the v. being parenthetical. Ophel] the southern extremity of the Temple hill. The water gate] leading to the spring of Gihon in the gorge of the Kidron.

28. The horse gate] This, like the ’water gate,’ faced eastward (Jeremiah 31:40).

31. The goldsmith’s son] better, ’a member of the body of goldsmiths.’ And of the merchants] better, ’and (after him repaired) the merchants.’

32. The sheep gate] The circuit of the walls ended with the original starting-point (Nehemiah 3:11).