Nehemiah 7:1-3
New English Translation
7 When the wall had been rebuilt and I had positioned the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, 2 I then put in charge over Jerusalem my brother Hanani and Hananiah[a] the chief of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many do. 3 I[b] said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem must not be opened in the early morning,[c] until those who are standing guard close the doors and lock them.[d] Position residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their guard stations and some near their homes.”
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- Nehemiah 7:2 tn Some have suggested that “Hananiah” is another name for Hanani, Nehemiah’s brother, so that only one individual is mentioned here. However, the third person plural in v. 3 indicates two people are in view.
- Nehemiah 7:3 tc The present translation (along with most English versions) reads with the Qere, a Qumran text, and the ancient versions וָאֹמַר (vaʾomar, “and I said”) rather than the Kethib of the MT, which reads וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyoʾmer, “and he said”).
- Nehemiah 7:3 tn Heb “until the heat of the sun.” The phrase probably means that the gates were to be opened only after the day had progressed a bit, not at the first sign of morning light (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV, CEV). It is possible, however, that the Hebrew preposition עַד (ʿad), here translated as “until,” has a more rare sense of “during.” If so, this would mean that the gates were not to be left open and unattended during the hot part of the day when people typically would be at rest (cf. NLT).
- Nehemiah 7:3 tn Presumably this would mean the gates were not to be opened until later in the morning and were to remain open until evening. Some, however, have understood Nehemiah’s instructions to mean that the gates were not to be left open during the hottest part of the day, but must be shut and locked while the guards are still on duty. See J. Barr, “Hebrew עַד, especially at Job i.18 and Neh vii.3, ” JJS 27 (1982): 177-88.
Nehemiah 7:1-3
Christian Standard Bible
The Exiles Return
7 When the wall had been rebuilt and I had the doors installed,(A) the gatekeepers,(B) singers, and Levites were appointed. 2 Then I put my brother Hanani(C) in charge of Jerusalem,(D) along with Hananiah,(E) commander of the fortress,(F) because he was a faithful man who feared God(G) more than most. 3 I said to them, “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot, and let the doors be shut and securely fastened while the guards are on duty. Station the citizens of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some at their homes.”(H)
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Nehemiah 7:1-3
New International Version
7 After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers,(A) the musicians(B) and the Levites(C) were appointed. 2 I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani,(D) along with Hananiah(E) the commander of the citadel,(F) because he was a man of integrity and feared(G) God more than most people do. 3 I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.”
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