Nehemiah 4:21

4:21 So we worked on, ¹  with half ²  holding spears, from dawn till dusk. ³ 

Nehemiah 4:13

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

Nehemiah 4:16

4:16 From that day forward, half of my men were doing the work and half of them were taking up spears, ⁵  shields, bows, and body armor. Now the officers were behind all the people ⁶  of Judah

¹ tn Heb “and we were doing the work.”

² tn Heb “half of them.”

³ tn Heb “from the coming up of the dawn till the coming forth of the stars.”

⁴ 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).

⁷ tc The MT reads “and spears.” The conjunction should be deleted.

⁸ tn Heb “all the house.”