Nehemia 2:12-16

2:12 I got up during the night, along with a few men who were with me. But I did not tell anyone what my God was putting on my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no animals with me, except for the one ¹  I was riding. 2:13 I proceeded through the Valley Gate by night, in the direction of the Well of the Dragons ²  and the Dung Gate, ³  inspecting ⁴  the walls of Jerusalem that had been breached and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. 2:14 I passed on to the Gate of the Well and the King’s Pool, where there was not enough room for my animal to pass with me. 2:15 I continued up the valley during the night, inspecting the wall. Then I turned back and came to the Valley Gate, and so returned. 2:16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had been doing, for up to this point I had not told any of the Jews or the priests or the nobles or the officials or the rest of the workers.

Nehemia 4:13-18

4:13 So I stationed people at the lower places behind the wall in the exposed places. ⁵  I stationed the people by families, with their swords, spears, and bows. 4:14 When I had made an inspection, ⁶  I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awesome Lord, ⁷  and fight on behalf of your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your families!” ⁸ 

4:15 It so happened that when our adversaries heard that we were aware of these matters, ⁹  God frustrated their intentions. Then all of us returned to the wall, each to his own work. 4:16 From that day forward, half of my men were doing the work and half of them were taking up spears, ¹⁰  shields, bows, and body armor. Now the officers were behind all the people ¹¹  of Judah 4:17 who were rebuilding the wall. ¹²  Those who were carrying loads did so ¹³  by keeping one hand on the work and the other on their weapon. 4:18 The builders to a man had their swords strapped to their sides while they were building. But the trumpeter ¹⁴  remained with me.

[2:12]  ¹ tn Heb “the animal.”

[2:13]  ² tn Or “Well of the Serpents”; or “Well of the Jackals” (cf. ASV, NIV, NLT).

[2:13]  ³ tn Or “Rubbish Gate” (so TEV); NASB “Refuse Gate”; NCV “Trash Gate”; CEV “Garbage Gate.”

[2:13]  ⁴ tc For the MT reading שֹׂבֵר (sover, “inspecting”) the LXX erroneously has שֹׁבֵר (shover, “breaking”). However, further destruction of Jerusalem’s walls was obviously not a part of Nehemiah’s purpose.

[4:13]  ⁵ tc The MT preserves the anomalous Kethib form צְחִחִיִּים (tsÿkhikhiyyim); the Qere reads צְחִיחִים (tsÿkhikhim) which is preferred (BDB 850 s.v. צָהִיחַ; HALOT 1018 s.v. *צָהִיחַ).

[4:13]  tn The meaning of the Hebrew term צְחִיחִים (tsÿkhikhim) here is uncertain. Elsewhere (Ezek 24:7, 8; 26:4, 14) it refers to a shining or glaring surface of a rock (BDB 850 s.v. צָהִיחַ; HALOT 1018 s.v. *צָהִיחַ), but here it refers to an exposed or vulnerable portion of the wall: “open positions of the wall” (HALOT 1018 s.v. 2).

[4:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “And I saw.”

[4:14]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[4:14]  ⁸ tn Heb “houses.”

[4:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “it was known to us.”

[4:16]  ¹⁰ tc The MT reads “and spears.” The conjunction should be deleted.

[4:16]  ¹¹ tn Heb “all the house.”

[4:17]  ¹² tn The first words of v. 17, “who were rebuilding the wall,” should be taken with the latter part of v. 16.

[4:17]  ¹³ tn Heb “were carrying loads.” The LXX reads ἐν ὅπλοις (en hoplois, “with weapons”).

[4:18]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the one blowing the shophar.”