Nehemiah 4:21

WORKED DAY AND NIGHT; EVEN SLEPT IN THEIR CLOTHES

"So we wrought in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. Likewise at the same time I said unto the people, Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that at night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day. So neither I nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor my men of the guard that followed me, none of us put off our clothes, everyone went with his weapon to the water."

"Half of them held the spears ... till the stars appeared" (Nehemiah 4:21). "These three verses are a summary of what was said above. Half of the servants and the guard worked in the daytime, and the other half stood guard at night."[21] Note also that the work continued without intermission throughout all the daylight hours.

"Let everyone ... lodge within Jerusalem" (Nehemiah 4:22). "This means let none return to his own village or city at night, but let all take their rest in Jerusalem."[22]

"Everyone went with his weapon to the water" (Nehemiah 4:23). All scholars speak of the damaged text in this verse. "As it stands, it is quite meaningless."[23] The footnote in our version (the ASV) reads, "The text is obscure." "Keil translated it, `Each laid his weapon at the right,' that is, when he slept, his weapon was ready at hand."[24]

Various translations are:

"None of us put off our clothes, saving that everyone put them of for washing" (KJV).

"(We) did not put off our clothes; only every man stripped himself when he was to be washed" (Douay).

"Each kept his weapon in his hand" (Moffatt).

"We all kept our weapons at hand" (Good News Bible).

"Each kept his weapon in his hand" (Revised Standard Version).

"Each kept his weapon in his right hand" (New Revised Standard Version).