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Nehemiah 3
New English Translation

The Names of the Builders

3 Then Eliashib the high priest and his priestly colleagues[a] arose and built the Sheep Gate. They dedicated[b] it and erected its doors, working as far as the Tower of the Hundred[c] and[d] the Tower of Hananel. 2 The men of Jericho built adjacent to it, and Zaccur son of Imri built adjacent to them.[e]

3 The sons of Hassenaah rebuilt the Fish Gate. They laid its beams and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 4 Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakoz, worked on the section adjacent to them. Meshullam son of Berechiah the son of Meshezabel worked on the section next to them. And Zadok son of Baana worked on the section adjacent to them. 5 The men of Tekoa worked on the section adjacent to them, but their town leaders[f] would not assist[g] with the work of their master.[h]

6 Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah worked on the Jeshanah Gate.[i] They laid its beams and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 7 Adjacent to them worked Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, who were men of Gibeon and Mizpah. These towns were under the jurisdiction[j] of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. 8 Uzziel son of Harhaiah, a member of the goldsmiths’ guild, worked on the section adjacent to him. Hananiah, a member of the perfumers’ guild, worked on the section adjacent to him. They plastered[k] the city wall of Jerusalem[l] as far as the Broad Wall. 9 Rephaiah son of Hur, head of a half-district of Jerusalem, worked on the section adjacent to them. 10 Jedaiah son of Harumaph worked on the section adjacent to them opposite[m] his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah worked on the section adjacent to him. 11 Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath Moab worked on another section and the Tower of the Ovens. 12 Shallum son of Hallohesh, head of a half-district of Jerusalem, worked on the section adjacent to him, assisted by his daughters.[n]

13 Hanun and the residents of Zanoah worked on the Valley Gate. They rebuilt it and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars, in addition to working on 1,500 feet[o] of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.

14 Malkijah son of Recab, head of the district of Beth Hakkerem, worked on the Dung Gate. He rebuilt it and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars.

15 Shallun son of Col-Hozeh, head of the district of Mizpah, worked on the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it, put on its roof, and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars. In addition, he rebuilt the wall of the Pool of Siloam,[p] by the royal garden, as far as the steps that go down from the City of David. 16 Nehemiah son of Azbuk, head of a half-district of Beth Zur, worked after him as far as the tombs of David and the artificial pool and the House of the Warriors.

17 After him the Levites worked—Rehum son of Bani and[q] after him Hashabiah, head of half the district of Keilah, for his district. 18 After him their relatives[r] worked—Binnui[s] son of Henadad, head of a half-district of Keilah. 19 Adjacent to him Ezer son of Jeshua, head of Mizpah, worked on another section, opposite the ascent to the armory at the buttress. 20 After him Baruch son of Zabbai worked on another section, from the buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 After him Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, worked on another section from the door of Eliashib’s house to the end of it.[t]

22 After him the priests worked, men of the nearby district. 23 After them Benjamin and Hasshub worked opposite their house. After them Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, worked near his house. 24 After him Binnui son of Henadad worked on another section, from the house of Azariah to the buttress and the corner. 25 After him Palal son of Uzai worked[u] opposite the buttress and the tower that protrudes from the upper palace[v] of the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah son of Parosh 26 and the temple servants who were living on Ophel worked[w] up to the area opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the protruding tower. 27 After them the men of Tekoa worked on another section, from opposite the great protruding tower to the wall of Ophel.

28 Above the Horse Gate the priests worked, each in front of his house. 29 After them Zadok son of Immer worked opposite his house, and after him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, guard at the East Gate, worked. 30 After him[x] Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, worked on another section. After them Meshullam son of Berechiah worked opposite his quarters. 31 After him Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, worked as far as the house of the temple servants and the traders, opposite the Inspection Gate,[y] and up to the room above the corner. 32 And between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and traders worked.

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 3:1 tn Heb “his brothers the priests.”
  2. Nehemiah 3:1 tn Or “consecrated” (so NASB, NRSV); KJV, ASV “sanctified”; NCV “gave it to the Lord’s service.”
  3. Nehemiah 3:1 tc The MT adds קִדְּשׁוּהוּ (qiddeshuhu, “they sanctified it”). This term is repeated from the first part of the verse, probably as an intentional scribal addition to harmonize this statement with the preceding parallel statement.
  4. Nehemiah 3:1 tc The translation reads וְעַד (veʿad, “and unto”) rather than the MT reading עַד (ʿad, “unto”). The original vav (ו) was probably dropped accidentally due to haplography with the final vav on the immediately preceding word in the MT.
  5. Nehemiah 3:2 tn Heb “it.”
  6. Nehemiah 3:5 tn Heb “their nobles.”
  7. Nehemiah 3:5 tn Heb “bring their neck.”
  8. Nehemiah 3:5 tn The plural form אֲדֹנֵיהֶם (ʾadonehem, “lords”) is probably a plural of majesty referring to Nehemiah (e.g., Isa 19:4; see GKC 399 §124.i). However, some English versions take the plural to refer to the “supervisors” (NIV, NCV, TEV) and others to “their Lord” (KJV, NRSV).
  9. Nehemiah 3:6 tn Or “the Old Gate” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV, NRSV, NLT).
  10. Nehemiah 3:7 tn Heb “to the seat.”
  11. Nehemiah 3:8 tc Assuming that the MT reading וַיַּעַזְבוּ (vayyaʿazevu) is related to the root עָזַב I (“to abandon”)—which makes little sense contextually—some interpreters emend the MT to וַיַּעַזְרוּ (vayyaʿazeru, “they aided”), as suggested by the editors of BHS. However, it is better to relate this term to the root II עָזַב meaning “to restore; to repair” (BDB 738 s.v. II עָזַב) or “to plaster” (HALOT 807 s.v. II עזב qal.1). This homonymic root is rare, appearing elsewhere only in Exod 23:5 and Job 9:27, where it means “to restore; to put in order” (HALOT 807-8 s.v. II עזב qal.2). The related Mishnaic Hebrew noun מעזיבה refers to a “plastered floor.” This Hebrew root is probably related to the cognate Ugaritic, Old South Arabic and Sabean verbs that mean “to restore” and “to prepare; to lay” (see BDB 738 s.v.; HALOT 807 s.v.). Some scholars in the nineteenth century suggested that this term be nuanced “paved.” However, most modern English versions have “restored” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “rebuilt” (so NCV, CEV).
  12. Nehemiah 3:8 tn Heb “[the city wall of] Jerusalem.” The term “Jerusalem” probably functions as a metonymy of association for the city wall of Jerusalem. Accordingly, the phrase “the city wall of” has been supplied in the translation to clarify this figurative expression.
  13. Nehemiah 3:10 tc The translation reads נֶגֶד (neged, “before”) with a few medieval Hebrew mss, some mss of the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Vulgate, rather than וְנֶגֶד (veneged, “and before”) of the MT.
  14. Nehemiah 3:12 tc The reference to daughters, while not impossible, is odd in light of the cultural improbability that young women would participate in the strenuous labor of rebuilding city walls. All other such references in the Book of Nehemiah presuppose male laborers. Not surprisingly, some scholars suspect a textual problem. One medieval Hebrew ms and the Syriac Peshitta read וּבָנָיו (uvanayv, “and his sons”) rather than the MT reading וּבְנוֹתָיו (uvenotayv, “and his daughters”). Some scholars emend the MT to וּבֹנָיו (uvonayv, “and his builders”). On the other hand, the MT is clearly the more difficult reading, and so it is preferred.
  15. Nehemiah 3:13 tn Heb “1,000 cubits.” The standard cubit in the OT is assumed by most authorities to be about 18 inches (45 cm) long, so this section of the wall would be about 1,500 feet (450 m).
  16. Nehemiah 3:15 tn The Hebrew word translated “Siloam” is הַשֶּׁלַח (hashelakh, “water-channel”; cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, CEV “Shelah”). It apparently refers to the Pool of Siloam whose water supply came from the Gihon Spring via Hezekiah’s Tunnel built in 701 b.c. (cf. Isa 8:6). See BDB 1019 s.v. שִׁלֹחַ; W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 372. On the etymology of the word, which is a disputed matter, see HALOT 1517 s.v. III שֶׁלַח.
  17. Nehemiah 3:17 tc The translation reads וְעַל (veʿal, “and unto”) with several medieval Hebrew mss and some mss of LXX, rather than the MT reading עַל (ʿal, “unto”).
  18. Nehemiah 3:18 tn Heb “brothers.”
  19. Nehemiah 3:18 tc The translation reads with a few medieval Hebrew mss and the Syriac Peshitta בִּנֻּי (binnuy) rather than the MT reading בַּוַּי (bavvay).
  20. Nehemiah 3:21 tn Heb “the house of Eliashib.” This has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  21. Nehemiah 3:25 tc The MT lacks the phrase אַחֲרָיו הֶחֱזִיק (ʾakharayv hekheziq, “after him worked”). This phrase is used repeatedly in Neh 3:16-31 to introduce each worker and his location. It probably dropped out accidentally through haplography.
  22. Nehemiah 3:25 tn Heb “house of the king.”
  23. Nehemiah 3:26 tc The Hebrew text lacks the verb “worked.” It is implied, however, and has been supplied in the translation.
  24. Nehemiah 3:30 tc The translation reads אַחֲרָיו (ʾakharayv, “after him”) with the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss, rather than the reading אַחֲרֵי (ʾakhare, “after me”) of the MT. So also in v. 31.
  25. Nehemiah 3:31 tn Heb “Miphkad Gate” (so TEV; KJV similar); NRSV “Muster Gate.”
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Nehemiah 3
International Standard Version

Those who Worked on the Wall

3 So Eliashib the high priest came forward, along with his fellow priests, and reconstructed the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and installed its doors. They also consecrated the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel. 2 Men from Jericho did repairs next to him, and Imri’s son Zaccur did repairs next to them.

3 The Fish Gate was repaired by Hassenaah’s sons. They built its framework and installed its doors, including locks and security[a] bars, 4 with Uriah’s son Meremoth (who was also a grandson of Hakkoz) next to them, Berechiah’s son Meshullam (who was also a grandson of Meshezabel) next to them, and next to him Baana’s son Zadok. 5 Next to them the Tekoites worked valiantly, even though their leading officials weren’t fully dedicated[b] to the work of their lord.[c]

6 Paseah’s son Joiada and Besodeiah’s son Meshullam repaired the Old Gate. They built its framework and installed its doors, including locks and security[d] bars. 7 Next to them, Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite were working with men from Gibeon and men from Mizpah under the Trans-Euphrates[e] regional governor. 8 Nearby, Harhaiah’s son Uzziel the goldsmith was carrying on repairs, and next to him Hananiah, a perfume-maker, rebuilt Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.

9 Next to him, Hur’s son Rephaiah, ruling official for half of the Jerusalem district, did repairs. 10 Then next to them, Harumaph’s son Jedaiah did repairs opposite his house, and next to him Hashabneiah’s son Hattush carried on repairs. 11 Harim’s son Malchijah and Pahath-moab’s son Hasshub repaired another section, along with the Tower of the Ovens, 12 and next to him Hallohesh’s son Shallum, ruling official for the other[f] half of the Jerusalem district, did repairs, as did his daughters.

13 Hanun and the residents of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate, reconstructing it and installing its doors, including locks and security[g] bars. They also rebuilt 1,000 cubits[h] of the wall[i] as far as the Dung Gate. 14 Rechab’s descendant[j] Malchijah, ruling official of the Beth-haccherem district, repaired the Dung Gate, reconstructing it, installing its doors, its locks, and its security[k] bars.

15 Colhozeh’s son Shallum, ruling official of the Mizpah district, repaired the Fountain Gate, reconstructing it, installing its doors, its locks, and its security[l] bars, as well as the Pool of Shelach near the royal garden as far as the stairway that descends from the City of David.

16 Next to him Azbuk’s son Nehemiah, ruling official of half of the Beth-zur district, carried on repairs as far as the tombs of David, then to the artificial pool that had been installed there, and then as far as the military barracks.[m] 17 Next to him the descendants of Levi, led by[n] Bani’s son Rehum, carried on repairs. Next to him Hashabiah, ruling official for half of the Keilah district, did repairs for his district. 18 Next to him their brothers, led by[o] Henadad’s son Bavvai, ruling official for the other[p] half of the Keilah district, carried on repairs. 19 Next to him Jeshua’s son Ezer, ruling official of Mizpah, repaired another section near the ascent to the armory at the Angle.[q] 20 Next to him Zabbai’s son Baruch worked valiantly on another section from the angle of the wall[r] as far as the door to the house belonging to Eliashib the high priest.

21 Then next to him Uriah’s son Meremoth, grandson of Hakkoz, repaired another section from the door of Eliashib’s house as far as the rear of the property,[s] 22 Next to him the priests, men from the plain, carried on repairs. 23 Next to them Benjamin and Hasshub carried on repairs near their house, followed by Maaseiah’s son Azariah, grandson of Ananiah, who worked beside his own house. 24 Following him, Henadad’s son Binnui repaired another section from Azariah’s house to the angle of the wall,[t] and then to the corner. 25 Uzai’s son Palal carried on repairs over against the angle of the wall[u] at the tower that stands out from the king’s upper palace, which is located by the royal guard’s court. Next to him, Parosh’s son Pedaiah carried on repairs. 26 (Now the Temple Servants[v] were living on the Ophel as far as the Water Gate that faces eastward with its prominent tower.) 27 Next to Pedaiah,[w] the Tekoites repaired another section from the prominent tower as far as the wall of the Ophel.

28 The priests carried on repairs from above the Horse Gate as far as their own houses. 29 Then next to them, Immer’s son Zadok did repairs as far as his own house. Next to him, Shecaniah’s son Shemaiah, custodian of the East Gate, carried on repairs. 30 Next to him, Shelemiah’s son Hananiah and Zalaph’s sixth son Hanun repaired another section. Next to him, Berechiah’s son Meshullam carried on repairs up to his chamber. 31 Next to him, Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, carried on repairs up to the house of the Temple Servants and the merchants, up to the Muster Gate as far as the ascent to the corner. 32 Between the ascent of the corner and the Sheep Gate, the goldsmiths and merchants carried on repairs.

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 3:3 The Heb. lacks security
  2. Nehemiah 3:5 Lit. officials did not bind their necks
  3. Nehemiah 3:5 Or governor
  4. Nehemiah 3:6 The Heb. lacks security
  5. Nehemiah 3:7 Lit. from across the river
  6. Nehemiah 3:12 The Heb. lacks the other
  7. Nehemiah 3:13 The Heb. lacks security
  8. Nehemiah 3:13 I.e. about 500 yards; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  9. Nehemiah 3:13 The Heb. lacks of the wall
  10. Nehemiah 3:14 Lit. son; cf. Jer 35:19
  11. Nehemiah 3:14 The Heb. lacks security
  12. Nehemiah 3:15 The Heb. lacks security
  13. Nehemiah 3:16 Lit. the house of the mighty
  14. Nehemiah 3:17 The Heb. lacks led by
  15. Nehemiah 3:18 The Heb. lacks led by
  16. Nehemiah 3:18 The Heb. lacks the other
  17. Nehemiah 3:19 Cf. 2Chr 26:9
  18. Nehemiah 3:20 The Heb. lacks of the wall
  19. Nehemiah 3:21 Lit. the house of Eliashib
  20. Nehemiah 3:24 The Heb. lacks of the wall
  21. Nehemiah 3:25 The Heb. lacks of the wall
  22. Nehemiah 3:26 Heb. Nethinim; i.e. a division of special assistants to the descendants of Levi, originally appointed by King David; and so throughout the book; cf. Ezra 2:58; 2:70; 7:7,24; 8:17,20.
  23. Nehemiah 3:27 Lit. him
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