Nehemiah 4:6

4:6 So we rebuilt the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height. ¹  The people were enthusiastic in their work. ² 

Nehemiah 4:12

4:12 So it happened that the Jews who were living near them came and warned us repeatedly ³  about all the schemes ⁴  they were plotting ⁵  against us.

Nehemiah 5:16

5:16 I gave myself to the work on this wall, without even purchasing ⁶  a field. All my associates were gathered there for the work.

Nehemiah 6:9

6:9 All of them were wanting ⁷  to scare us, supposing, “Their hands will grow slack from the work, and it won’t get done.”

So now, strengthen my hands! ⁸ 

Nehemiah 7:73

7:73 The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all the rest of Israel lived in their cities.

The People Respond to the Reading of the Law

When the seventh month arrived and the Israelites ⁹  were settled in their cities, ¹⁰ 

Nehemiah 8:2

8:2 So Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly which included men and women and all those able to understand what they heard. (This happened on the first day of the seventh month.)

Nehemiah 8:6

8:6 Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people replied “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Nehemiah 8:12-13

8:12 So all the people departed to eat and drink and to share their food ¹¹  with others ¹²  and to enjoy tremendous joy, ¹³  for they had gained insight in the matters that had been made known to them.

8:13 On the second day of the month the family leaders ¹⁴  met with ¹⁵  Ezra the scribe, together with all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to consider the words of the law.

Nehemiah 12:27

The Wall of Jerusalem is Dedicated

12:27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, ¹⁶  they sought out the Levites from all the places they lived ¹⁷  to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication joyfully with songs of thanksgiving and songs accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.

Nehemiah 13:27

13:27 Should we then in your case hear that you do all this great evil, thereby being unfaithful to our God by marrying ¹⁸  foreign wives?”

[4:6]  ¹ tn Heb “up to its half.”

[4:6]  ² tn Heb “the people had a heart to work.”

[4:12]  ³ tn Heb “ten times.”

[4:12]  ⁴ tc The MT reads the anomalous מִכָּל־הַמְּקֹמוֹת (mikkol hammÿqomot, “from every place”) but the BHS editors propose כָּל־הַמְּזִמּוֹת (kol hammÿzimmot, “about every scheme”). The initial mem (מ) found in the MT may have been added accidentally due to dittography with the final mem (ם) on the immediately preceding word, and the MT qof (ק) may have arisen due to orthographic confusion with the similar looking zayin (ז). The emendation restores sense to the line in the MT, which makes little sense and features an abrupt change of referents: “Wherever you turn, they will be upon us!” The threat was not against the villagers living nearby but against those repairing the wall, as the following context indicates. See also the following note on the word “plotting.”

[4:12]  ⁵ tc The MT reads תָּשׁוּבוּ (tashuvu, “you turn”) which is awkward contextually. The BHS editors propose emending to חָשְׁבוּ (hashÿvu, “they were plotting”) which harmonizes well with the context. This emendation involves mere orthographic confusion between similar looking ח (khet) and ת (tav), and the resultant dittography of middle vav (ו) in MT. See also the preceding note on the word “schemes.”

[5:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “we did not purchase.”

[6:9]  ⁷ tn The participle has a desiderative nuance here, describing the desire of the subject and not necessarily the actual outcome. See also v. 14.

[6:9]  ⁸ tn The statement “So now, strengthen my hands” is frequently understood as an implied prayer, but is taken differently by NAB (“But instead, I now redoubled my efforts”).

[7:73]  ⁹ tn Heb “the sons of Israel.” So also in vv. 14, 17; 9:1.

[7:73]  ¹⁰ tn The traditional understanding of the chapter and verse division here is probably incorrect. The final part of v. 73 is best understood as belonging with 8:1.

[8:12]  ¹¹ tn Heb “to send portions.”

[8:12]  ¹² tn The Hebrew text does not include the phrase “with others” but it has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[8:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “to make great joy.”

[8:13]  ¹³ tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”

[8:13]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “were gathered to”; NAB, NIV “gathered around”; NRSV “came together to.”

[12:27]  ¹⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[12:27]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “from all their places.” The words “they lived” are implied.

[13:27]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “give a dwelling to.”