Nehemia 7:1-73
Konteks7:1 When the wall had been rebuilt and I had positioned the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, 7:2 I then put in charge over Jerusalem 1 my brother Hanani and Hananiah 2 the chief of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many do. 7:3 I 3 said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem must not be opened in the early morning, 4 until those who are standing guard close the doors and lock them. 5 Position residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their guard stations and some near their homes.” 7:4 Now the city was spread out 6 and large, and there were not a lot of people in it. 7 At that time houses had not been rebuilt. 7:5 My God placed it on my heart to gather the leaders, 8 the officials, and the ordinary people so they could be enrolled on the basis of genealogy. I found the genealogical records 9 of those who had formerly returned. Here is what I found written in that record: 10
7:6 These are the people 11 of the province who returned 12 from the captivity of the exiles, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had forced into exile. 13 They returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each to his own city. 7:7 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.
The number of Israelite men 14 was as follows:
7:8 the descendants 15 of Parosh, 2,172;
7:9 the descendants of Shephatiah, 372;
7:10 the descendants of Arah, 652;
7:11 the descendants of Pahath-Moab (from the line 16 of Jeshua and Joab), 2,818;
7:12 the descendants of Elam, 1,254;
7:13 the descendants of Zattu, 845;
7:14 the descendants of Zaccai, 760;
7:15 the descendants of Binnui, 648;
7:16 the descendants of Bebai, 628;
7:17 the descendants of Azgad, 2,322;
7:18 the descendants of Adonikam, 667;
7:19 the descendants of Bigvai, 2,067;
7:20 the descendants of Adin, 655;
7:21 the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98;
7:22 the descendants of Hashum, 328;
7:23 the descendants of Bezai, 324;
7:24 the descendants of Harif, 112;
7:25 the descendants of Gibeon, 95;
7:26 The men of Bethlehem 17 and Netophah, 188;
7:27 the men of Anathoth, 128;
7:28 the men of the family 18 of Azmaveth, 42;
7:29 the men of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth, 743;
7:30 the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;
7:31 the men of Micmash, 122;
7:32 the men of Bethel 19 and Ai, 123;
7:33 the men of the other Nebo, 52;
7:34 the descendants of the other Elam, 1,254;
7:35 the descendants of Harim, 320;
7:36 the descendants of Jericho, 345;
7:37 the descendants of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721;
7:38 the descendants of Senaah, 3,930.
7:39 The priests:
the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family 20 of Jeshua), 973;
7:40 the descendants of Immer, 1,052;
7:41 the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247;
7:42 the descendants of Harim, 1,017.
7:43 The Levites:
the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel, through the line of Hodaviah), 74.
7:44 The singers:
the descendants of Asaph, 148.
7:45 The gatekeepers:
the descendants of Shallum, the descendants of Ater, the descendants of Talmon, the descendants of Akkub, the descendants of Hatita, and the descendants of Shobai, 138.
7:46 The temple servants:
the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth, 7:47 the descendants of Keros, the descendants of Sia, the descendants of Padon, 7:48 the descendants of Lebanah, the descendants of Hagabah, the descendants of Shalmai, 7:49 the descendants of Hanan, the descendants of Giddel, the descendants of Gahar, 7:50 the descendants of Reaiah, the descendants of Rezin, the descendants of Nekoda, 7:51 the descendants of Gazzam, the descendants of Uzzah, the descendants of Paseah, 7:52 the descendants of Besai, the descendants of Meunim, the descendants of Nephussim, 7:53 the descendants of Bakbuk, the descendants of Hakupha, the descendants of Harhur, 7:54 the descendants of Bazluth, the descendants of Mehida, the descendants of Harsha, 7:55 the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the descendants of Temah, 7:56 the descendants of Neziah, the descendants of Hatipha.
7:57 The descendants of the servants of Solomon:
the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Sophereth, the descendants of Perida, 7:58 the descendants of Jaala, the descendants of Darkon, the descendants of Giddel, 7:59 the descendants of Shephatiah, the descendants of Hattil, the descendants of Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and the descendants of Amon.
7:60 All the temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon, 392.
7:61 These are the ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer (although they were unable to certify 21 their family connection 22 or their ancestry, 23 as to whether they were really from Israel):
7:62 the descendants of Delaiah, the descendants of Tobiah, and the descendants of Nekoda, 642.
7:63 And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a woman from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name). 7:64 They searched for their records in the genealogical materials, but none were found. They were therefore excluded 24 from the priesthood. 7:65 The governor 25 instructed them not to eat any of the sacred food until there was a priest who could consult 26 the Urim and Thummim.
7:66 The entire group numbered 42,360, 7:67 not counting their 7,337 male and female servants. They also had 245 male and female singers. 7:68 They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 7:69 (7:68) 27 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. 7:70 Some of the family leaders 28 contributed to the work. The governor contributed to the treasury 1,000 gold drachmas, 29 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments. 7:71 Some of the family leaders gave to the project treasury 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minas. 7:72 What the rest of the people gave amounted to 20,000 gold drachmas, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priestly garments.
7:73 The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all the rest of Israel lived in their cities.
When the seventh month arrived and the Israelites 30 were settled in their cities, 31
Nehemia 3:1-32
Konteks3:1 Then Eliashib the high priest and his priestly colleagues 32 arose and built the Sheep Gate. They dedicated 33 it and erected its doors, working as far as the Tower of the Hundred 34 and 35 the Tower of Hananel. 3:2 The men of Jericho 36 built adjacent to it, and Zaccur son of Imri built adjacent to them. 37
3:3 The sons of Hassenaah rebuilt the Fish Gate. They laid its beams and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 3:4 Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakoz, worked on the section adjacent to them. Meshullam son of Berechiah the son of Meshezabel worked on the section next to them. And Zadok son of Baana worked on the section adjacent to them. 3:5 The men of Tekoa worked on the section adjacent to them, but their town leaders 38 would not assist 39 with the work of their master. 40
3:6 Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah worked on the Jeshanah Gate. 41 They laid its beams and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 3:7 Adjacent to them worked Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, who were men of Gibeon and Mizpah. These towns were under the jurisdiction 42 of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. 3:8 Uzziel son of Harhaiah, a member of the goldsmiths’ guild, worked on the section adjacent to him. Hananiah, a member of the perfumers’ guild, worked on the section adjacent to him. They plastered 43 the city wall of Jerusalem 44 as far as the Broad Wall. 3:9 Rephaiah son of Hur, head of a half-district of Jerusalem, worked on the section adjacent to them. 3:10 Jedaiah son of Harumaph worked on the section adjacent to them opposite 45 his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah worked on the section adjacent to him. 3:11 Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab worked on another section and the Tower of the Fire Pots. 3:12 Shallum son of Hallohesh, head of a half-district of Jerusalem, worked on the section adjacent to him, assisted by his daughters. 46
3:13 Hanun and the residents of Zanoah worked on the Valley Gate. They rebuilt it and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars, in addition to working on fifteen hundred feet 47 of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.
3:14 Malkijah son of Recab, head of the district of Beth Hakkerem, worked on the Dung Gate. He rebuilt it and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars.
3:15 Shallun son of Col-Hozeh, head of the district of Mizpah, worked on the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it, put on its roof, and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars. In addition, he rebuilt the wall of the Pool of Siloam, 48 by the royal garden, as far as the steps that go down from the City of David. 3:16 Nehemiah son of Azbuk, head of a half-district of Beth Zur, worked after him as far as the tombs of David and the artificial pool and the House of the Warriors.
3:17 After him the Levites worked – Rehum son of Bani and 49 after him Hashabiah, head of half the district of Keilah, for his district. 3:18 After him their relatives 50 worked – Binnui 51 son of Henadad, head of a half-district of Keilah. 3:19 Adjacent to him Ezer son of Jeshua, head of Mizpah, worked on another section, opposite the ascent to the armory at the buttress. 3:20 After him Baruch son of Zabbai worked on another section, from the buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 3:21 After him Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, worked on another section from the door of Eliashib’s house to the end of it. 52
3:22 After him the priests worked, men of the nearby district. 3:23 After them Benjamin and Hasshub worked opposite their house. After them Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, worked near his house. 3:24 After him Binnui son of Henadad worked on another section, from the house of Azariah to the buttress and the corner. 3:25 After him Palal son of Uzai worked 53 opposite the buttress and the tower that protrudes from the upper palace 54 of the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah son of Parosh 3:26 and the temple servants who were living on Ophel worked 55 up to the area opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the protruding tower. 3:27 After them the men of Tekoa worked on another section, from opposite the great protruding tower to the wall of Ophel.
3:28 Above the Horse Gate the priests worked, each in front of his house. 3:29 After them Zadok son of Immer worked opposite his house, and after him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, guard at the East Gate, worked. 3:30 After him 56 Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, worked on another section. After them Meshullam son of Berechiah worked opposite his quarters. 3:31 After him Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, worked as far as the house of the temple servants and the traders, opposite the Inspection Gate, 57 and up to the room above the corner. 3:32 And between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and traders worked.
[7:2] 1 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[7:2] 2 tn Some have suggested that “Hananiah” is another name for Hanani, Nehemiah’s brother, so that only one individual is mentioned here. However, the third person plural in v. 3 indicates two people are in view.
[7:3] 3 tc The present translation (along with most English versions) reads with the Qere, a Qumran text, and the ancient versions וָאֹמַר (va’omar, “and I said”) rather than the Kethib of the MT, which reads וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyo’mer, “and he said”).
[7:3] 4 tn Heb “until the heat of the sun.” The phrase probably means that the gates were to be opened only after the day had progressed a bit, not at the first sign of morning light (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV, CEV). It is possible, however, that the Hebrew preposition עַד (’ad), here translated as “until,” has a more rare sense of “during.” If so, this would mean that the gates were not to be left open and unattended during the hot part of the day when people typically would be at rest (cf. NLT).
[7:3] 5 tn Presumably this would mean the gates were not to be opened until later in the morning and were to remain open until evening. Some, however, have understood Nehemiah’s instructions to mean that the gates were not to be left open during the hottest part of the day, but must be shut and locked while the guards are still on duty. See J. Barr, “Hebrew עַד, especially at Job i.18 and Neh vii.3,” JJS 27 (1982): 177-88.
[7:4] 6 tn Heb “wide of two hands.”
[7:4] 7 tn Heb “the people were few in its midst.”
[7:5] 8 tn Heb “nobles”; NCV “important men.”
[7:5] 9 tn Heb “the book of genealogy.”
[7:5] 10 tn Heb “in it”; the referent (the genealogical record) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:6] 11 tn Heb “the sons of”; KJV, ASV “the children of”; NAB “the inhabitants of.”
[7:6] 12 tn Heb “who were going up.”
[7:6] 13 tc One medieval Hebrew manuscript has “to Babylon.” Cf. Ezra 2:1.
[7:7] 14 tn Heb “the men of the people of Israel.” Some English versions translate as “the people from Israel” (NCV) or “the Israelite people” (NRSV), but “men” should be retained because the following numbers presumably include only adult males.
[7:8] 15 tn Heb “the sons of.”
[7:11] 16 tn Heb “to the sons of.”
[7:26] 17 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[7:28] 18 tc The translation reads בְּנֵי (bÿne, “the sons of”) rather than the MT reading בֵית אַנְשֵׁי (’anshey vet, “men of the house of”). Cf. Ezra 2:24.
[7:32] 19 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[7:39] 20 tn Heb “to the house of.”
[7:61] 22 tn Heb “the house of their fathers.”
[7:61] 23 tn Heb “their seed.”
[7:64] 24 tn Heb “they were desecrated.”
[7:65] 25 tn The Hebrew term תִּרְשָׁתָא (tirshata’; KJV “Tirshatha”) is the official title of a Persian governor in Judea. In meaning it may be similar to “excellency” (cf. NAB). See further BDB 1077 s.v.; W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 395; HALOT 1798 s.v.
[7:69] 27 tc Most Hebrew
[7:70] 28 tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”
[7:70] 29 tn Heb “darics” (also in vv. 71, 72).
[7:73] 30 tn Heb “the sons of Israel.” So also in vv. 14, 17; 9:1.
[7:73] 31 tn The traditional understanding of the chapter and verse division here is probably incorrect. The final part of v. 73 is best understood as belonging with 8:1.
[3:1] 32 tn Heb “his brothers the priests.”
[3:1] 33 tn Or “consecrated” (so NASB, NRSV); KJV, ASV “sanctified”; NCV “gave it to the Lord’s service.”
[3:1] 34 tc The MT adds קִדְּשׁוּהוּ (qidshuhu, “they sanctified it”). This term is repeated from the first part of the verse, probably as an intentional scribal addition to harmonize this statement with the preceding parallel statement.
[3:1] 35 tc The translation reads וְעַד (vÿ’ad, “and unto”) rather than the MT reading עַד (ad, “unto”). The original vav (ו) was probably dropped accidentally due to haplography with the final vav on the immediately preceding word in the MT.
[3:2] 36 map For the location of Jericho see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.
[3:5] 38 tn Heb “their nobles.”
[3:5] 39 tn Heb “bring their neck.”
[3:5] 40 tn The plural form אֲדֹנֵיהֶם (’adonehem, “lords”) is probably a plural of majesty referring to Nehemiah (e.g., Isa 19:4; see GKC 399 §124.i). However, some English versions take the plural to refer to the “supervisors” (NIV, NCV, TEV) and others to “their Lord” (KJV, NRSV).
[3:6] 41 tn Or “the Old Gate” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV, NRSV, NLT).
[3:7] 42 tn Heb “to the seat.”
[3:8] 43 tc Assuming that the MT reading וַיַּעַזְבוּ (vayya’azvu) is related to the root עָזַב I (“to abandon”) – which makes little sense contextually – some interpreters emend the MT to וַיַּעַזְרוּ (vayya’azru, “they aided”), as suggested by the editors of BHS. However, it is better to relate this term to the root II עָזַב meaning “to restore; to repair” (BDB 738 s.v. II עָזַב) or “to plaster” (HALOT 807 s.v. II עזב qal.1). This homonymic root is rare, appearing elsewhere only in Exod 23:5 and Job 9:27, where it means “to restore; to put in order” (HALOT 807-8 s.v. II עזב qal.2). The related Mishnaic Hebrew noun מעזיבה refers to a “plastered floor.” This Hebrew root is probably related to the cognate Ugaritic, Old South Arabic and Sabean verbs that mean “to restore” and “to prepare; to lay” (see BDB 738 s.v.; HALOT 807 s.v.). Some scholars in the nineteenth century suggested that this term be nuanced “paved.” However, most modern English versions have “restored” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “rebuilt” (so NCV, CEV).
[3:8] 44 tn Heb “[the city wall of] Jerusalem.” The term “Jerusalem” probably functions as a metonymy of association for the city wall of Jerusalem. Accordingly, the phrase “the city wall of” has been supplied in the translation to clarify this figurative expression.
[3:8] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[3:10] 45 tc The translation reads נֶגֶד (neged, “before”) with a few medieval Hebrew
[3:12] 46 tc The reference to daughters, while not impossible, is odd in light of the cultural improbability that young women would participate in the strenuous labor of rebuilding city walls. All other such references in the Book of Nehemiah presuppose male laborers. Not surprisingly, some scholars suspect a textual problem. One medieval Hebrew
[3:13] 47 tn Heb “one thousand cubits.” The standard cubit in the OT is assumed by most authorities to be about eighteen inches (45 cm) long, so this section of the wall would be about fifteen hundred feet (450 m).
[3:15] 48 tn The Hebrew word translated “Siloam” is הַשֶּׁלַח (hashelakh, “water-channel”; cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, CEV “Shelah”). It apparently refers to the Pool of Siloam whose water supply came from the Gihon Spring via Hezekiah’s Tunnel built in 701
[3:17] 49 tc The translation reads וְעַל (vÿ’al, “and unto”) with several medieval Hebrew
[3:18] 51 tc The translation reads with a few medieval Hebrew
[3:21] 52 tn Heb “the house of Eliashib.” This has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[3:25] 53 tc The MT lacks the phrase אַחֲרָיו הֶחֱזִיק (’akharayv hekheziq, “after him worked”). This phrase is used repeatedly in Neh 3:16-31 to introduce each worker and his location. It probably dropped out accidentally through haplography.
[3:25] 54 tn Heb “house of the king.”
[3:26] 55 tc The Hebrew text lacks the verb “worked.” It is implied, however, and has been supplied in the translation.
[3:30] 56 tc The translation reads אַחֲרָיו (’akharayv, “after him”) with the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[3:31] 57 tn Heb “Miphkad Gate” (so TEV; KJV similar); NRSV “Muster Gate.”
