Nehemiah 3:4

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.

Nehemiah 3:8

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 ¹  the city wall of Jerusalem ²  as far as the Broad Wall.

Nehemiah 4:22

4:22 At that time I instructed ³  the people, “Let every man and his coworker spend the night in Jerusalem and let them be guards for us by night and workers by day.

Nehemiah 5:11

5:11 This very day return to them their fields, their vineyards, their olive trees, and their houses, along with the interest ⁴  that you are exacting from them on the money, the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil.”

Nehemiah 9:10

9:10 You performed awesome signs ⁵  against Pharaoh, against his servants, and against all the people of his land, for you knew that the Egyptians ⁶  had acted presumptuously ⁷  against them. You made for yourself a name that is celebrated to this day.

Nehemiah 9:35

9:35 Even when they were in their kingdom and benefiting from your incredible ⁸  goodness that you had lavished ⁹  on them in the spacious and fertile land you had set ¹⁰  before them, they did not serve you, nor did they turn from their evil practices.

[3:8]  ¹ 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]  ² 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.

[4:22]  ¹ tn Heb “said [to].”

[5:11]  ¹ tc The MT reads וּמְאַת (umÿ’at, “and the hundredth”) which is somewhat enigmatic. The BHS editors suggest emending to וּמַשַּׁאת (umasha’t, “and the debt”) which refers to the interest or collateral (pledge) seized by a creditor (Deut 24:10; Prov 22:26; see HALOT 641-42 s.v. מַשָּׁא). The term מַשַּׁאת (masha’t) is related to the noun מָשָּׁא (masha’, “debt”) in 5:7, 10.

[9:10]  ¹ tn Heb “signs and wonders.” This phrase is a hendiadys. The second noun functions adjectivally, while the first noun retains its full nominal sense: “awesome signs” or “miraculous signs.”

[9:10]  ² tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Egyptians) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:10]  ³ tn Or “arrogantly” (so NASB); NRSV “insolently.”

[9:35]  ¹ tn Heb “great.”

[9:35]  ² tn Heb “given them.”

[9:35]  ³ tn Heb “given.”