Discovery BoxNehemiah 2:17
Context2:17 Then I said to them, “You see the problem that we have: Jerusalem is desolate and its gates are burned. Come on! Let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that this reproach will not continue.”
Nehemiah 3:1-16
Context3:1 Then Eliashib the high priest and his priestly colleagues 1 arose and built the Sheep Gate. They dedicated 2 it and erected its doors, working as far as the Tower of the Hundred 3 and 4 the Tower of Hananel. 3:2 The men of Jericho 5 built adjacent to it, and Zaccur son of Imri built adjacent to them. 6
3:3 The sons of Hassenaah rebuilt the Fish Gate. They laid its beams and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 3:4 Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakoz, worked on the section adjacent to them. Meshullam son of Berechiah the son of Meshezabel worked on the section next to them. And Zadok son of Baana worked on the section adjacent to them. 3:5 The men of Tekoa worked on the section adjacent to them, but their town leaders 7 would not assist 8 with the work of their master. 9
3:6 Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah worked on the Jeshanah Gate. 10 They laid its beams and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 3:7 Adjacent to them worked Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, who were men of Gibeon and Mizpah. These towns were under the jurisdiction 11 of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. 3:8 Uzziel son of Harhaiah, a member of the goldsmiths’ guild, worked on the section adjacent to him. Hananiah, a member of the perfumers’ guild, worked on the section adjacent to him. They plastered 12 the city wall of Jerusalem 13 as far as the Broad Wall. 3:9 Rephaiah son of Hur, head of a half-district of Jerusalem, worked on the section adjacent to them. 3:10 Jedaiah son of Harumaph worked on the section adjacent to them opposite 14 his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah worked on the section adjacent to him. 3:11 Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab worked on another section and the Tower of the Fire Pots. 3:12 Shallum son of Hallohesh, head of a half-district of Jerusalem, worked on the section adjacent to him, assisted by his daughters. 15
3:13 Hanun and the residents of Zanoah worked on the Valley Gate. They rebuilt it and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars, in addition to working on fifteen hundred feet 16 of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.
3:14 Malkijah son of Recab, head of the district of Beth Hakkerem, worked on the Dung Gate. He rebuilt it and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars.
3:15 Shallun son of Col-Hozeh, head of the district of Mizpah, worked on the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it, put on its roof, and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars. In addition, he rebuilt the wall of the Pool of Siloam, 17 by the royal garden, as far as the steps that go down from the City of David. 3:16 Nehemiah son of Azbuk, head of a half-district of Beth Zur, worked after him as far as the tombs of David and the artificial pool and the House of the Warriors.
Nehemiah 4:3
Context4:3 Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was close by, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!”
Nehemiah 4:6
Context4:6 So we rebuilt the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height. 18 The people were enthusiastic in their work. 19
Daniel 9:25
Context9:25 So know and understand:
From the issuing of the command 20 to restore and rebuild
Jerusalem 21 until an anointed one, a prince arrives, 22
there will be a period of seven weeks 23 and sixty-two weeks.
It will again be built, 24 with plaza and moat,
but in distressful times.
Amos 9:11-15
Context9:11 “In that day I will rebuild the collapsing hut 25 of David.
I will seal its 26 gaps,
repair its 27 ruins,
and restore it to what it was like in days gone by. 28
9:12 As a result they 29 will conquer those left in Edom 30
and all the nations subject to my rule.” 31
The Lord, who is about to do this, is speaking!
9:13 “Be sure of this, 32 the time is 33 coming,” says the Lord,
“when the plowman will catch up to the reaper 34
and the one who stomps the grapes 35 will overtake 36 the planter. 37
Juice will run down the slopes, 38
it will flow down all the hillsides. 39
9:14 I will bring back my people, Israel; 40
they will rebuild the cities lying in rubble 41 and settle down. 42
They will plant vineyards and drink the wine they produce; 43
they will grow orchards 44 and eat the fruit they produce. 45
9:15 I will plant them on their land
and they will never again be uprooted from the 46 land I have given them,”
says the Lord your God.
[3:1] 1 tn Heb “his brothers the priests.”
[3:1] 2 tn Or “consecrated” (so NASB, NRSV); KJV, ASV “sanctified”; NCV “gave it to the Lord’s service.”
[3:1] 3 tc The MT adds קִדְּשׁוּהוּ (qidshuhu, “they sanctified it”). This term is repeated from the first part of the verse, probably as an intentional scribal addition to harmonize this statement with the preceding parallel statement.
[3:1] 4 tc The translation reads וְעַד (vÿ’ad, “and unto”) rather than the MT reading עַד (ad, “unto”). The original vav (ו) was probably dropped accidentally due to haplography with the final vav on the immediately preceding word in the MT.
[3:2] 5 map For the location of Jericho see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.
[3:5] 7 tn Heb “their nobles.”
[3:5] 8 tn Heb “bring their neck.”
[3:5] 9 tn The plural form אֲדֹנֵיהֶם (’adonehem, “lords”) is probably a plural of majesty referring to Nehemiah (e.g., Isa 19:4; see GKC 399 §124.i). However, some English versions take the plural to refer to the “supervisors” (NIV, NCV, TEV) and others to “their Lord” (KJV, NRSV).
[3:6] 10 tn Or “the Old Gate” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV, NRSV, NLT).
[3:7] 11 tn Heb “to the seat.”
[3:8] 12 tc Assuming that the MT reading וַיַּעַזְבוּ (vayya’azvu) is related to the root עָזַב I (“to abandon”) – which makes little sense contextually – some interpreters emend the MT to וַיַּעַזְרוּ (vayya’azru, “they aided”), as suggested by the editors of BHS. However, it is better to relate this term to the root II עָזַב meaning “to restore; to repair” (BDB 738 s.v. II עָזַב) or “to plaster” (HALOT 807 s.v. II עזב qal.1). This homonymic root is rare, appearing elsewhere only in Exod 23:5 and Job 9:27, where it means “to restore; to put in order” (HALOT 807-8 s.v. II עזב qal.2). The related Mishnaic Hebrew noun מעזיבה refers to a “plastered floor.” This Hebrew root is probably related to the cognate Ugaritic, Old South Arabic and Sabean verbs that mean “to restore” and “to prepare; to lay” (see BDB 738 s.v.; HALOT 807 s.v.). Some scholars in the nineteenth century suggested that this term be nuanced “paved.” However, most modern English versions have “restored” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “rebuilt” (so NCV, CEV).
[3:8] 13 tn Heb “[the city wall of] Jerusalem.” The term “Jerusalem” probably functions as a metonymy of association for the city wall of Jerusalem. Accordingly, the phrase “the city wall of” has been supplied in the translation to clarify this figurative expression.
[3:10] 14 tc The translation reads נֶגֶד (neged, “before”) with a few medieval Hebrew
[3:12] 15 tc The reference to daughters, while not impossible, is odd in light of the cultural improbability that young women would participate in the strenuous labor of rebuilding city walls. All other such references in the Book of Nehemiah presuppose male laborers. Not surprisingly, some scholars suspect a textual problem. One medieval Hebrew
[3:13] 16 tn Heb “one thousand cubits.” The standard cubit in the OT is assumed by most authorities to be about eighteen inches (45 cm) long, so this section of the wall would be about fifteen hundred feet (450 m).
[3:15] 17 tn The Hebrew word translated “Siloam” is הַשֶּׁלַח (hashelakh, “water-channel”; cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, CEV “Shelah”). It apparently refers to the Pool of Siloam whose water supply came from the Gihon Spring via Hezekiah’s Tunnel built in 701
[4:6] 18 tn Heb “up to its half.”
[4:6] 19 tn Heb “the people had a heart to work.”
[9:25] 20 tn Or “decree” (NASB, NIV); or “word” (NAB, NRSV).
[9:25] 21 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[9:25] 22 tn The word “arrives” is added in the translation for clarification.
[9:25] 23 tn Heb “sevens” (also later in this line and in v. 26).
[9:25] 24 tn Heb “it will return and be built.” The expression is a verbal hendiadys.
[9:11] 25 tn The phrase translated “collapsing hut” refers to a temporary shelter (cf. NASB, NRSV “booth”) in disrepair and emphasizes the relatively weakened condition of the once powerful Davidic dynasty. Others have suggested that the term refers to Jerusalem, while still others argue that it should be repointed to read “Sukkoth,” a garrison town in Transjordan. Its reconstruction would symbolize the rebirth of the Davidic empire and its return to power (e.g., M. E. Polley, Amos and the Davidic Empire, 71-74).
[9:11] 26 tc The MT reads a third feminine plural suffix, which could refer to the two kingdoms (Judah and Israel) or, more literally, to the breaches in the walls of the cities that are mentioned in v. 4 (cf. 4:3). Some emend to third feminine singular, since the “hut” of the preceding line (a feminine singular noun) might be the antecedent. In that case, the final nun (ן) is virtually dittographic with the vav (ו) that appears at the beginning of the following word.
[9:11] 27 tc The MT reads a third masculine singular suffix, which could refer back to David. However, it is possible that an original third feminine singular suffix (יה-, yod-hey) has been misread as masculine (יו-, yod-vav). In later Hebrew script a ה (he) resembles a יו- (yod-vav) combination.
[9:11] 28 tn Heb “and I will rebuild as in days of antiquity.”
[9:12] 29 sn They probably refers to the Israelites or to the Davidic rulers of the future.
[9:12] 30 tn Heb “take possession of the remnant of Edom”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “possess the remnant of Edom.”
[9:12] 31 tn Heb “nations over whom my name is proclaimed.” The Hebrew idiom indicates ownership, sometimes as a result of conquest. See 2 Sam 12:28.
[9:13] 32 tn Heb “behold” or “look.”
[9:13] 33 tn Heb “the days are.”
[9:13] 34 sn The plowman will catch up to the reaper. Plowing occurred in October-November, and harvesting in April-May (see P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 109.) But in the future age of restored divine blessing, there will be so many crops the reapers will take all summer to harvest them, and it will be time for plowing again before the harvest is finished.
[9:13] 35 sn When the grapes had been harvested, they were placed in a press where workers would stomp on them with their feet and squeeze out the juice. For a discussion of grape harvesting technique, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 110-12.
[9:13] 36 tn The verb is omitted here in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation from the parallel line.
[9:13] 37 sn The grape harvest occurred in August-September, planting in November-December (see P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 109). But in the future age described here there will be so many grapes the workers who stomp them will still be working when the next planting season arrives.
[9:13] 38 tn Or “hills,” where the vineyards were planted.
[9:13] 39 tn Heb “and all the hills will melt.”
[9:14] 40 tn This line can also be translated “I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel” and is a common idiom (e.g., Deut 30:3; Jer 30:3; Hos 6:11; Zeph 3:20). This rendering is followed by several modern English versions (e.g., NEB, NRSV, NJPS).
[9:14] 41 tn Or “the ruined [or “desolate”] cities.”
[9:14] 42 tn Or “and live [in them].”
[9:14] 43 tn Heb “drink their wine.”
[9:14] 45 tn Heb “eat their fruit.”
[9:15] 46 tn Heb “their.” The pronoun was replaced by the English definite article in the translation for stylistic reasons.
