Nehemia 8:16

8:16 So the people went out and brought these things ¹  back and constructed temporary shelters for themselves, each on his roof and in his courtyard and in the courtyards of the temple ²  of God and in the plaza of the Water Gate and the plaza of the Ephraim Gate.

Nehemia 8:3

8:3 So he read it before the plaza in front of the Water Gate from dawn till noon ³  before the men and women and those children who could understand. ⁴  All the people were eager to hear ⁵  the book of the law.

Nehemia 8:1

8:1 all the people gathered together ⁶  in the plaza which was in front of the Water Gate. They asked ⁷  Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had commanded Israel.

Nehemia 4:13

4:13 So I stationed people at the lower places behind the wall in the exposed places. ⁸  I stationed the people by families, with their swords, spears, and bows.

[8:16]  ¹ tn The words “these things” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[8:16]  ² tn Heb “the house.”

[8:3]  ³ tn Heb “from the light till the noon of the day.”

[8:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “all who could hear with understanding.” The word “children” is understood to be implied here by a number of English versions (e.g., NAB, TEV, NLT).

[8:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “the ears of all the people were toward.”

[8:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “like one man.”

[8:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “said [to].”

[4:13]  ⁸ 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).