Nehemiah 4:16

16. The half of my servants Nehemiah may, as governor of the people and superintendent of the work, speak here of all the people who laboured on the wall as his servants; but Nehemiah 4:23 shows that he had also his own proper servants engaged in the work. As the king of Persia had provided him with captains and horsemen, (Nehemiah 2:9,) so also had he, probably, furnished him with servants. From that time forth one half stood guard while the other half wrought in the work.

The other half of them held… the spears There is, at first sight, some confusion here. According to Nehemiah 4:17, every labourer held a missile weapon in one hand and worked with the other; and according to Nehemiah 4:18, every one had also his sword girded by his side; but according to this verse one half of the people held the weapons while the other half worked on the wall. We think that Nehemiah 4:17 is to be explained (in view of the more controlling statements of this verse and Nehemiah 4:21) as a figurative or proverbial representation of the anxious watchfulness and care of all the people to prevent surprise by the enemy.

Habergeons Corselets, or coats of mail. See note on 1 Samuel 17:5.

The rulers were behind That is, in the rear of the people, who were stationed at different places along the wall. They would naturally take this position the better to oversee and direct both the watch and the work. All the house of Judah is here used for the whole body of the people, who were composed principally of members of the tribe of Judah.