Next = at his hand. Some codices, with five early printed editions, Septuagint, and Vulgate, read "and at". goldsmiths = refiners. apothecaries = perfumers. fortified. Hebrew. Homonym, 'dzab. See note on Exodus 23:5 . read more
8. they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall—or, "double wall," extending from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits in length, formerly broken down by Joash, king of Israel [ :-], but afterwards rebuilt by Uzziah [ :-], who made it so strong that the Chaldeans, finding it difficult to demolish, had left it standing. read more
1. The workers and their work ch. 3Eliashib (Nehemiah 3:1) was evidently the grandson of Jeshua, the high priest (Nehemiah 12:10; Ezra 3:2). Construction was an act of consecration because this was a project that God had ordained.Archaeologists continue to study the exact location of the wall at many places, as well as that of towers and gates. There is debate among them regarding various sites, as well as the total extent of the wall. Those who hold to a smaller city are "minimalists," [Note:... read more
Particulars respecting the Rebuilding1. 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... read more
(8) And they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall.—The word translated “fortified” means literally left, and this yields a good sense: they left Jerusalem untouched as far as a certain portion of the wall extended which needed no restoration. The gate of Ephraim was in this (see Nehemiah 12:38-39); and it is significant that nothing is said about the rebuilding of this important gate. read more
BUILDING THE WALLSNehemiah 3:1-32THE third chapter of the Book of Nehemiah supplies a striking illustration of the constructive character of the history of the Jews in the Persian period. Nor is that all. A mechanical, Chinese industry may be found side by side with indications of moral littleness. But the activity displayed in the restoration of the city walls is more than industrious, more than productive. We must be struck with the breadth of the picture. This characteristic was manifest in... read more
CHAPTER 3 1. The builders of the sheep gate (Nehemiah 3:1-2 ) 2. The builders of the fish gate (Nehemiah 3:3-5 ) 3. The repairers of the old gate (Nehemiah 3:6-12 ) 4. The repairers of the valley gate (Nehemiah 3:13 ) 5. The repairers of the dung gate (Nehemiah 3:14 ) 6. The repairers of the gate of the fountain (Nehemiah 3:15-25 ) 7. The repairers of the water gate (Nehemiah 3:26-27 ) 8. The repairers of the horse gate (Nehemiah 3:28 ) 9. The builders of the east gate and the... read more
THE BUILDING WELL BEGUN (vv. 1-32) Eliashib the high priest is mentioned first in the building, not because he was the most devoted builder, but because of his position, for chapter 13:4 tells us that he had been allied with Tobiah, and also (ch. 13:28) that one of his sons was married to the daughter of Sanballat. Besides this, though Eliashib and his brethren built the sheepgate, it was a different man, Meremoth, who repaired the wall "from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of... read more
BUILDING THE WALLS PRAYER AND ITS ANSWER (Nehemiah 1-2:8) In this book it is to be kept in mind that the previous commissions to Zembbabel and Ezra concerned only the repair of the temple at Jerusalem, and certain internal arrangements for the moral and material well-being of the people in their home towns. The walls and gates of the city, however, were still in the ruined condition in which they were left by Nebuchadnezzar after the siege. The consequences were detrimental to the people’s... read more
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 3:1-32
2:11-7:73 REBUILDING THE CITY WALLThe plan of work followed (2:11-3:32)Rebuilding the broken-down wall was going to mean much hard work. In fact, the task was so huge that some may have said it could not be done. Therefore, before announcing his plans, Nehemiah made a secret survey himself so that he would know exactly how much work was to be done and the amount of materials that would be required (11-16). This first-hand knowledge, together with his account of how God had guided all the events... read more