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, ¹  shields, bows, and body armor. Now the officers were behind all the people ²  of Judah

Nehemia 4:23

4:23 We did not change clothes ³  – not I, nor my relatives, nor my workers, nor the watchmen who were with me. Each had his weapon, even when getting a drink of water. ⁴ 

[4:16]  ¹ tc The MT reads “and spears.” The conjunction should be deleted.

[4:16]  ² tn Heb “all the house.”

[4:23]  ³ tn Heb “strip off our garments.”

[4:23]  ⁴ tc Heb “a man, his weapon, the waters.” The MT, if in fact it is correct, is elliptical and difficult. Some scholars emend the MT reading הַמָּיִם (hammayim, “the waters”) to בִּמִנוֹ (bimino, “in his right hand”; cf. NAB, NRSV) or מִינוּ(י)הֵ (heminu, “they held on the right side”).