Nehemiah 3
Summary for Neh 3:1-32: 3:1-32 a This summary of the people who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem moves in a circle around the city, starting at the northeast corner and moving west, then south, east, and north.Summary for Neh 3:1-5: 3:1-5 b The rebuilding of the walls and gates around the northern section of the city was divided into eight work groups. 3:1 c Eliashib the high priest, the grandson of Jeshua (12:10 d), led the priests in working on the northern wall around the Temple.
• The Sheep Gate was where the people brought in their sheep on their way to sacrifice at the Temple.
• The Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel were two major military towers along the northern wall (12:39 e; Jer 31:38 f; Zech 14:10 g).
3:3 h At the Fish Gate, people sold fish from the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea.
3:4 i Meremoth: See Ezra 8:33 j.
• Meshullam had given his daughter in marriage to a son of Tobiah (Neh 6:18 k; see also 10:20 l).
3:5 m The leaders of Tekoa might have been influenced by Geshem (2:19 n), who controlled the area south of Tekoa.
Summary for Neh 3:6-8: 3:6-8 o These verses describe work done on the walls and gates on the western side of Jerusalem. Even people from outside the city and people having wealth or more delicate occupations participated. 3:6 p The Old City Gate: The oldest part of Jerusalem sat on an eastern hill that ran north to the Temple Mount.
3:7 q Gibeon and Mizpah were about six miles (10 kilometers) north of Jerusalem.
3:8 r The Broad Wall was located in the newer, western section of the city.
Summary for Neh 3:9-13: 3:9-13 s Nehemiah wisely assigned people to work near their homes both to motivate them to do good work and to save them traveling time.
3:11 t The Tower of the Ovens on the western wall of the city might have been a place to bake bread or to burnish pottery (Jer 19:1-2 u).
3:13 v Zanoah was a village about thirteen miles (21 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem.
Summary for Neh 3:14-15: 3:14-15 w These verses focus on the reconstruction of the southern tip of the city where the Hinnom Valley and Kidron Valley meet. 3:14 x The Beth-hakkerem district might have been about two miles (3.2 kilometers) south of Jerusalem (at modern Ramat Rachel) or five miles (8 kilometers) west (at modern Ain Karem).
3:15 y The Mizpah district was about six miles (10 kilometers) north of Jerusalem.
• The king’s garden was a lush area east of the pool of Siloam near where the Kidron and Hinnom Valleys meet, possibly at the King’s Pool (2:14 z).
Summary for Neh 3:16-32: 3:16-32 aa These verses describe the building of the new eastern wall. 3:16 ab The district of Beth-zur was located just north of Hebron.
• The tombs of David’s family might refer to where King David was buried (1 Kgs 2:10 ac; 11:43 ad; 2 Chr 21:20 ae; Acts 2:29 af), and the House of the Warriors might have been a tomb for David’s mighty men (2 Sam 23:8-39 ag).
3:24 ah The angle and the corner refers to an unidentified turn in the wall.
Summary for Neh 3:25-26: 3:25-26 ai The tower that projects up from the king’s upper house and the court of the guard might refer to a royal complex on the hill of Ophel, just south of the Temple area.
Summary for Neh 3:28-32: 3:28-32 aj This final group of workers connected the repairs to the Sheep Gate, where the work had started (3:1 ak).
• Horse Gate: See also 2 Chr 23:15 al; Jer 31:40 am.
• East Gate: See also 1 Chr 26:14 an, 17 ao; 2 Chr 31:14 ap; Ezek 10:19 aq; 40:21-22 ar.
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