Nehemia 4:13

4:13 So I stationed people at the lower places behind the wall in the exposed places. ¹  I stationed the people by families, with their swords, spears, and bows.

Nehemia 4:16

4:16 From that day forward, half of my men were doing the work and half of them were taking up spears, ²  shields, bows, and body armor. Now the officers were behind all the people ³  of Judah

[4:13]  ¹ 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).

[4:16]  ² tc The MT reads “and spears.” The conjunction should be deleted.

[4:16]  ³ tn Heb “all the house.”