1 And Eliashib the high priest riseth, and his brethren the priests, and they build the sheep-gate; they have sanctified it, and set up its doors, even unto the tower of Meah they have sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel;
and from beyond the gate of Ephraim, and by the old-gate, and by the fish-gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, and unto the sheep-gate -- and they have stood at the prison-gate.
Lo, days `are coming', an affirmation of Jehovah, And the city hath been built to Jehovah, From the tower of Hananeel to the gate of the corner.
Changed is all the land as a plain, From Gebo to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, And she hath been high, and hath dwelt in her place, Even from the gate of Benjamin To the place of the first gate, unto the front gate, And from the tower of Hananeel, Unto the wine-vats of the king.
And between the ascent of the corner and the sheep-gate, have the refiners and the merchants strengthened.
And `one' of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest, `is' son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite, and I cause him to flee from off me.
and there is in Jerusalem by the sheep-`gate' a pool that is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches,
After him hath Baruch son of Zabbai hastened to strengthen a second measure from the angle unto the opening of the house of Eliashib the high priest.
And it cometh to pass, when it hath been heard by Sanballat, and Tobiah, and by Geshem the Arabian, and by the rest of our enemies, that I have builded the wall, and there hath not been left in it a breach, (also, till that time the doors I had not set up in the gates,)
And it cometh to pass, when the wall hath been built, that I set up the doors, and the gatekeepers are appointed, and the singers, and the Levites,
and the priests and the Levites are cleansed, and they cleanse the people, and the gates, and the wall.
In all thy ways know thou Him, And He doth make straight thy paths.
`And the authorities have spoken unto the people, saying, Who `is' the man that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? -- let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man dedicate it.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Nehemiah 3
Commentary on Nehemiah 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
Saying and doing are often two things: many are ready to say, "Let us rise up and build,' who sit still and do nothing, like that fair-spoken son who said,"I go, Sir, but went not.' The undertakers here were none of those. As soon as they had resolved to build the wall about Jerusalem they lost no time, but set about it presently, as we find in this chapter. Let it never be said that we left that good work to be done to-morrow which we might as well have done to-day. This chapter gives an account of two things:-
Neh 3:1-32
The best way to know how to divide this chapter is to observe how the work was divided among the undertakers, that every one might know what he had to do, and mind it accordingly with a holy emulation, and desire to excel, yet without any contention, animosity, or separate interest. No strife appears among them but which should do most for the public good. Several things are observable in the account here given of the building of the wall about Jerusalem:-