Nehemia 3:25

3:25 After him Palal son of Uzai worked ¹  opposite the buttress and the tower that protrudes from the upper palace ²  of the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah son of Parosh

Nehemia 4:15

4:15 It so happened that when our adversaries heard that we were aware of these matters, ³  God frustrated their intentions. Then all of us returned to the wall, each to his own work.

Nehemia 5:9

5:9 Then I ⁴  said, “The thing that you are doing is wrong! ⁵  Should you not conduct yourselves ⁶  in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies?

[3:25]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “house of the king.”

[4:15]  ³ tn Heb “it was known to us.”

[5:9]  ⁴ tc The translation reads with the Qere and the ancient versions וָאוֹמַר (va’omar, “and I said”) rather than the MT Kethib, וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyo’mer, “and he said”).

[5:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “not good.” The statement “The thing…is not good” is an example of tapeinosis, a figurative expression which emphasizes the intended point (“The thing…is wrong!”) by negating its opposite.

[5:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “[should you not] walk.”