Nehemiah 4:23

4:23 We did not change clothes ¹  – not I, nor my relatives, nor my workers, nor the watchmen who were with me. Each had his weapon, even when getting a drink of water. ² 

Nehemiah 7:6

7:6 These are the people ³  of the province who returned ⁴  from the captivity of the exiles, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had forced into exile. ⁵  They returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each to his own city.

[4:23]  ¹ tn Heb “strip off our garments.”

[4:23]  ² tc Heb “a man, his weapon, the waters.” The MT, if in fact it is correct, is elliptical and difficult. Some scholars emend the MT reading הַמָּיִם (hammayim, “the waters”) to בִּמִנוֹ (bimino, “in his right hand”; cf. NAB, NRSV) or מִינוּ(י)הֵ (heminu, “they held on the right side”).

[7:6]  ³ tn Heb “the sons of”; KJV, ASV “the children of”; NAB “the inhabitants of.”

[7:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “who were going up.”

[7:6]  ⁵ tc One medieval Hebrew manuscript has “to Babylon.” Cf. Ezra 2:1.