Nehemiah 3: The builders of the wall and its gates

In plain English: Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the sheep gate. They consecrated it (set it apart as holy) and set up its doors. They consecrated it as far as the tower of Hammeah (the Hebrew says: the Hundred), as far as the tower of Hananel.

The Hebrew word: "Hammeah" is Meah, which the dictionary gives as "Meah, a tower in Jerusalem". The Hebrew has the article, so it reads "the Hundred". The text does not say why the tower has that name.

Good to know: The chapter begins and ends at the sheep gate. Verse 32 says the last stretch lies "between the ascent of the corner and the sheep gate".

In plain English: Next to him the men of Jericho built. Next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.

In plain English: The sons of Hassenaah built the fish gate. They laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts and its bars.

In plain English: Next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, made repairs. Next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next to them Zadok the son of Baana made repairs.

In plain English: Next to them the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles did not put their necks to the work of their master (or: the Lord's work).

The Hebrew word: "Lord's work" is abodah (work) of adon, which the dictionary gives as "sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine)". The word adon is in this verse only in Nehemiah, and the WEB says "Lord".

What changes: With "the Lord's work" the nobles held back from the work of God. With "their master's work" they held back from the work of their own lord or overseer. The text does not say which master is meant.

In plain English: Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the old gate (or: the Gate of Jeshanah). They laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts and its bars.

The Hebrew word: "Old" is yashan, which the dictionary gives as "old". It is in this verse only in Nehemiah, and the WEB says "old". The Hebrew reads "the Gate the Jeshanah", so the word can be read as the gate's description (the old gate) or as a name, the Gate of Jeshanah.

What changes: With "old gate" the gate is named for its age. With "Jeshanah" it is named for a place. The text does not say which.

In plain English: Next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, repaired as far as the residence (or: seat) of the governor beyond the River.

In plain English: Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths, made repairs. Next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers (or: the son of the perfumers), made repairs. They fortified Jerusalem (or: left Jerusalem) as far as the wide wall.

The Hebrew word: "Fortified" is azav, which the dictionary gives as "to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit, etc.". The word is in 9 verses of Nehemiah, and the WEB says "forsake" in 5 of them, "fortify" in 2 and "left" in 1. This verse is one of the 2 that say "fortified".

What changes: With "fortified" they strengthened Jerusalem as far as the wide wall. With the word's usual meaning, to leave, the verse can say that they left that part of Jerusalem as it was, up to the wide wall. The text does not say which.

The Hebrew word: "One of the perfumers" is raqqach, which the dictionary gives as "a male perfumer". The Hebrew says "son of the perfumers", so it can mean a member of that trade or one of its sons.

In plain English: Next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs.

In plain English: Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs across from his own house. Next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah made repairs.

In plain English: Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahathmoab repaired another portion and the tower of the furnaces (or: ovens).

In plain English: Next to him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs, he and his daughters.

In plain English: Hanun and the people living in Zanoah repaired the valley gate. They built it and set up its doors, its bolts and its bars, and they repaired one thousand cubits of the wall as far as the dung gate.

Good to know: The text gives the length as "one thousand cubits". It gives no modern length, and none is added here.

In plain English: Malchijah the son of Rechab, the ruler of the district of Beth Haccherem, repaired the dung gate. He built it and set up its doors, its bolts and its bars.

In plain English: Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the spring gate. He built it, covered it, and set up its doors, its bolts and its bars. He also repaired the wall of the pool of Shelah by the king's garden, as far as the steps that go down from the city of David.

In plain English: After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of half the district of Beth Zur, made repairs as far as the place opposite the tombs of David, as far as the pool that was made, and as far as the house of the mighty men.

Good to know: A man named Nehemiah appears here, "the son of Azbuk", the ruler of half the district of Beth Zur. The "I" of the book is "Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah" (1:1). The text does not say that they are the same man.

In plain English: After him the Levites made repairs: Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him Hashabiah, the ruler of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district.

In plain English: After him their brothers made repairs: Bavvai the son of Henadad, the ruler of half the district of Keilah.

In plain English: Next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, repaired another portion, across from the ascent to the armory at the turning of the wall.

In plain English: After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly (or: zealously, with burning zeal) repaired another portion, from the turning of the wall to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

The Hebrew word: "Earnestly" is charah, which the dictionary gives as "to glow or grow warm; figuratively (usually) to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousy". The word is in 4 verses of Nehemiah, and the WEB says "earnest" in 1 of them, this one.

What changes: With "earnestly" the verse says Baruch worked with zeal. With the word's first meaning, "to glow" or "burn", the same zeal is pictured as heat. The text does not say more.

In plain English: After him Meremoth the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another portion, from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib.

In plain English: After him the priests, the men of the surrounding area, made repairs.

In plain English: After them Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs across from their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his own house.

In plain English: After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another portion, from the house of Azariah to the turning of the wall and to the corner.

In plain English: Palal the son of Uzai made repairs opposite the turning of the wall, and the tower that stands out from the upper house of the king, which is by the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs.

In plain English: (Now the temple servants were living on Ophel, as far as the place opposite the water gate toward the east, and the tower that stands out.)

The Hebrew words: "Temple servants" is nathin, which the dictionary gives as "the Nethinim, or Temple-servants (as given to that duty)"; it is also used as a name, the Nethinim. The word is in 8 verses of Nehemiah, and the WEB says "temple servants" in all 8. This is the first, and verse 31 is the second.

In plain English: After him the Tekoites repaired another portion, opposite the great tower that stands out, and as far as the wall of Ophel.

In plain English: Above the horse gate the priests made repairs, each one across from his own house.

In plain English: After them Zadok the son of Immer made repairs across from his own house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the east gate, made repairs.

In plain English: After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another portion. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah made repairs across from his room.

Good to know: Some names come up again in this chapter. Meremoth the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, is in verse 4 and verse 21. Meshullam the son of Berechiah is in verse 4 and here. Hananiah is in verse 8 (a perfumer) and here (the son of Shelemiah). Hanun is in verse 13 and here (the sixth son of Zalaph). The text does not say whether any pair is the same man, and nothing is added here.

In plain English: After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths (or: the son of the goldsmiths), made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, opposite the gate of Hammiphkad (or: the Inspection Gate) and to the ascent of the corner.

The Hebrew word: "Hammiphkad" is miphqad with the article, which the dictionary gives as "an appointment, i.e. mandate; concretely, a designated spot; specifically, a census". The gate's name can be read as the Gate of the Appointed Place, the Muster Gate or the Inspection Gate.

What changes: The WEB prints the Hebrew name, "Hammiphkad". With "Muster" or "Inspection" the gate is named for a place where people were counted or inspected. With "appointed place" it is named for a place where something was appointed. The text does not say which.

In plain English: Between the ascent of the corner and the sheep gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants made repairs.