Nehemiah 3:5

3:5 The men of Tekoa worked on the section adjacent to them, but their town leaders ¹  would not assist ²  with the work of their master. ³ 

Nehemiah 3:9

3:9 Rephaiah son of Hur, head of a half-district of Jerusalem, worked on the section adjacent to them.

Nehemiah 3:12

3:12 Shallum son of Hallohesh, head of a half-district of Jerusalem, worked on the section adjacent to him, assisted by his daughters. ⁴ 

Nehemiah 3:18

3:18 After him their relatives ⁵  worked – Binnui ⁶  son of Henadad, head of a half-district of Keilah.

Nehemiah 3:27

3:27 After them the men of Tekoa worked on another section, from opposite the great protruding tower to the wall of Ophel.

Nehemiah 4:21

4:21 So we worked on, ⁷  with half ⁸  holding spears, from dawn till dusk. ⁹ 

[3:5]  ¹ tn Heb “their nobles.”

[3:5]  ² tn Heb “bring their neck.”

[3:5]  ³ 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).

[3:12]  ⁴ 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 MS and the Syriac Peshitta read וּבָנָיו (uvanayv, “and his sons”) rather than the MT reading וּבְנוֹתָיו (uvÿnotayv, “and his daughters”). Some scholars emend the MT to וּבֹנָיו (uvonayv, “and his builders”). On the other hand, the MT is clearly the more difficult reading, and so it is preferred.

[3:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “brothers.”

[3:18]  ⁸ tc The translation reads with a few medieval Hebrew MSS and the Syriac Peshitta בִּנֻּי (binnuy) rather than the MT reading בַּוַּי (bavvay).

[4:21]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and we were doing the work.”

[4:21]  ¹¹ tn Heb “half of them.”

[4:21]  ¹² tn Heb “from the coming up of the dawn till the coming forth of the stars.”