Nehemiah 3:1
Eliashib <0475> [Eliashib.]
Sheep Gate <06629 08179> [the sheep gate.]
This gate is supposed to have immediately communicated with the temple, and to have been called the sheep gate, because the sheep intended for sacrifice passed through it. But, after all which learned men have written on this subject, which is but of little interest, we scarcely know any thing about these gates: what they were, why called by these names, or in what part of the wall they were situated, beyond what may be learned from the parallel passages.
dedicated .... erected ......... Tower ....... Tower <06942 05975 04026> [sanctified it.]
Tower ....... Tower <04026> [the tower.]
Nehemiah 4:1--5:19
Sanballat <05571> [Sanballat.]
derided <03932> [mocked.]
<02428> [the army.]
feeble <0537> [feeble.]
left ....... offer sacrifice <05800 02076> [fortify themselves. Heb. leave to themselves. sacrifice.]
life <02421> [revive.]
Tobiah <02900> [Tobiah.]
Hear <08085> [Hear.]
despised <0939> [despised. Heb. despite. turn.]
cover ... iniquity <03680 05771> [cover not.]
sin <02403> [their sin.]
builders <01129> [before the builders.]
wall ..... wall <02346> [and all the wall.]
That is, the whole circuit of the wall was completed unto half the intended height.
people <05971> [for the people.]
The original is very emphatic, {wyhee laiv l‰ƒm l„ƒsoth,} "for the people had a heart to work." Their heart was engaged in it, and they went about it cheerfully and vigorously.
<03820> [had a mind.]
Sanballat <05571> [Sanballat.]
Ammonites <05984> [the Ammonites.]
Ashdod <0796> [Ashdodites.]
When <08085> [heard.]
restoration <0724> [were made up. Heb. ascended. then.]
together <03162> [all.]
create <06213> [hinder it. Heb. make an error to it.]
prayed <06419> [Nevertheless.]
stationed ... guard <04929 05975> [set a watch.]
strength <03581> [The strength.]
laborers <05449> [bearers.]
aware <03045> [They shall not.]
repeatedly <06471 06235> [ten times.]
schemes <04725> [From all places, etc. or, That from all places ye must return to us. ye shall return.]
Houbigant, Michaelis, and Dathe contend, that instead of {tashoovoo,} "ye shall return," we should read {chashevoo,} "they designed."
So ... stationed ............... stationed <05975> [Therefore.]
lower places <04725 08482> [in the lower places. Heb. from the lower parts of the place, etc. their swords.]
[Be ye not afraid.]
Remember <02142> [remember.]
great <01419> [great.]
fight <03898> [fight.]
God <0430> [God.]
each <0376> [every one.]
men <05288> [my servants.]
half .......... half <02677> [and the other half.]
This is no unusual thing in Palestine, even at the present day; people sowing their seed are often attended by armed men, to prevent the Arabs from robbing them of it.
body armor <08302> [habergeons.]
{Habergeon,} from the Teutonic {hals,} the neck, and {bergen,} to cover, defend, may be considered as signifying a breast-plate, though the Franco-Gallic {hautbergon} signifies a coat of mail; the original {shiryon,} we have already seen, denotes a corslet.
carrying loads <05447 05375> [bare burdens.]
one ........ other <0259> [every one.]
That is, he had his arms at hand; and was as fully prepared to fight as to work. The builders could not possibly have made any progress, if they had literally held a weapon in one of their hands; but the expression is evidently figurative, implying that every man was a much a soldier as a builder.
one ........ other <0259> [with one.]
sides <04975> [by his side. Heb. on his loins. he that sounded.]
God <0430> [our God.]
<06213> [So we.]
man <0376> [every one.]
relatives <0251> [So neither I.]
Each <0376> [saving that, etc. or, every one went with his weapon for water.]
The original of this obscure clause is {ish shilcho hammayim,} which is rendered by Montanus, {vir missile suum aquas,} "a man his dart to the waters," of which it is difficult to make sense. It is wholly omitted by the LXX.; and one of De Rossi's MSS. reads, {meshallachah Æ’l hammayim,} "in order to send them to the water."
great outcry <06818 01419> [a great cry.]
fellow <0251> [their brethren.]
sons <01121> [We, our sons.]
must obtain grain <01715 03947> [we take up corn.]
putting up .......... collateral <06148> [mortgaged.]
famine <07458> [because.]
taxes .... king <04060 04428> [the king's tribute.]
flesh ... blood <01320> [our flesh.]
found ... necessary to subject .............. subjected to slavery <03533> [we.]
considered .... carefully <03820 04427> [I consulted with myself. Heb. my heart consulted in me.]
registered a complaint <07378> [I rebuked.]
seizing the collateral <04855 05378> [Ye exact usury.]
called .... great ... assembly <01419 06952 05414> [I set a great assembly.]
<01767> [We after.]
bought <07069> [redeemed.]
fellow ...... sold ........... sell .... countrymen <04376 0251> [sell your.]
sold ........... sell <04376> [shall they.]
silent <02790> [held.]
<02896> [It is not.]
<03212> [walk.]
reproach <02781> [reproach.]
relatives <0251> [I likewise.]
But .... abandon <05800> [I pray you.]
But .... abandon <05800> [leave.]
return <07725> [Restore.]
fields <07704> [their lands.]
interest <03967> [the hundredth.]
This was probably the rate of interest which they obliged their poor debtors to pay each month, which would amount to about 12 per cent. Another author states that this is the lowest rate of interest in Syria: the usual rate is 20; and it is sometimes as high as 30 per cent.
return <07725> [We will restore.]
called <07121> [I called.]
shook out ... garment .......... shake out ....................... shaken out <02684 05287> [I shook my lap.]
So "when the Roman ambassadors entered the senate of Carthage, they had their toga gathered up in their bosom, and said, We carry here peace and war; you may have which you will. The senate answered, You may give which you please. They then shook their toga, and said, We bring you war."--Livy.
God <0430> [So God.]
emptied <07386> [emptied. Heb. empty, or void. Amen.]
praised <01984> [praised.]
people <05971> [the people.]
twentieth <06242> [from the twentieth.]
relatives <0251> [I and my.]
food <03899> [the bread.]
associates ... also <01571 05288> [even their.]
behave <06213> [so did.]
preceded ...................................... due to <06440> [because.]
purchasing <02388> [I continued.]
purchasing <07069> [neither bought.]
associates <05288> [all my.]
dined <07979> [Moreover.]
He kept open house, and entertained all comers; besides having 150 Jews, who had their food constantly at his table, and at his expense.
dined <07979> [at my table.]
150 <03967> [an hundred.]
prepared <06213> [Now that.]
This was food sufficient for more than two hundred men. Bp. Pococke says that the bey of Tunis had daily twelve sheep, with fish and fowls, soups, oranges, eggs, onions, boiled rice, etc., etc. His nobles dined with him; after they had done, the servants sat down; and when they had finished, the poor took what was left. Here the bey's twelve sheep are equal to Nehemiah's one ox and six choice sheep; and probably the mode of living between the two was nearly alike. It is still the practice in the East to calculate the expenses of the table, not by the money paid, but by the provisions consumed by the guests.
require <01245> [required.]
work <05656> [because the bondage.]
remember <02142> [Think.]
done <06213> [according to.]
