Nehemiah 3:1 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Nehemiah 3:1
Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel.
great (in any sense) · definite article + adjective, masculine singular absolute
priest
הַכֹּהֵ֨ןha.ko.Hen
H3548
literally one officiating · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
up
וַיָּ֡קָםvai.Ya.kom
H6965
to rise (in various applications · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
brethren
וְאֶחָ֣יוve.'e.Chav
H251
a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relation… · conjunction + noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
priests
הַכֹּהֲנִ֗יםha.ko.ha.Nim
H3548
literally one officiating · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
builded
וַיִּבְנוּ֙vai.yiv.Nu
H1129
to build (literally and figuratively) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
sheep
הַצֹּ֔אןha.Tzon
H6629
a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats) · definite article + noun, common both genders singular absolute
gate
שַׁ֣עַרSha.'ar
H8179
an opening · noun, common masculine singular construct
sanctified
קִדְּשׁ֔וּהוּki.de.Shu.hu
H6942
to be (causatively · verb, piel perfect, 3rd person common plural + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
up
וַֽיַּעֲמִ֖ידוּvai.ya.'a.Mi.du
H5975
to stand · conjunction + verb, hiphil sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
doors
דַּלְתֹתָ֑יוdal.to.Tav
H1817
something swinging · noun, common feminine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
tower
מִגְדַּ֤לmig.Dal
H4026
a tower (from its size or height) · noun, common masculine singular construct
Meah
הַמֵּאָה֙ha.me.'Ah
H3968
Meah · definite article + proper noun, a place name
sanctified
קִדְּשׁ֔וּהוּki.de.Shu.hu
H6942
to be (causatively · verb, piel perfect, 3rd person common plural + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
tower
מִגְדַּ֥לmig.Dal
H4026
a tower (from its size or height) · noun, common masculine singular construct
Hananeel
חֲנַנְאֵֽלcha.nan.'El
H2606
Chananel · proper noun, a man's name
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Nehemiah 12:39 And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even…
Jeremiah 31:38 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner.
John 5:2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
Zechariah 14:10 All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from…
Nehemiah 3:32 And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.
Nehemiah 13:28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me…
Proverbs 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
Nehemiah 3:20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib t…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 3:1–end
The best way to know how to divide this chapter is to observe how the work was divided among the undertakers, that every one might know what he had to do, and mind it accordingly with a holy emulation, and desire to excel, yet without any contention, animosity, or separate interest. No strife appears among them but which should do most for the public good. Several things are observable in the account here given of the building of the wall about Jerusalem: -
I. That Eliashib the high priest, with his brethren the priests, led the van in this troop of builders, Neh 3:1. Ministers should be foremost in every good work; for their office obliges them to teach and quicken by their example, as wel…
Eliashib the high priest - It was right that the priests should be first in this holy work; and perhaps the sheep gate which is mentioned here is that by which the offerings or sacrifices were brought into the temple.
They sanctified it - As they began with the sacred offering as soon as they got an altar built, it was proper that the gate by which these sacrifices entered should be consecrated for this purpose, i. e., set apart, so that it should be for this use only.
John Gill on Nehemiah 3:1
Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests,.... This was the grandson of Jeshua or Joshua the high priest, his father's name was Joiakim, Nehemiah 12:10, being high priest, and rising first, he set a good example both to the priests and to the people, and served no doubt greatly to animate and encourage them:
and they built the sheep gate; so called, because the sheep were led through it to the temple, and near it was the sheep market, where they were sold, and the sheep pool, where the sacrifices were washed; and this being near the temple, and for the service of it, the priests undertook that; not that they laboured with their hands at it, though it is possible so…
And Eliasib the great priest rose, etc. This Eliasib, the high priest of that time, was the son of Joakim, who, after his father Jesus the son of Josedec the great priest, himself also for no small time held the insignias of the high priesthood. And rightly the restoration of the city began with the great priest and his brothers, so that those who had precedence in rank of order might themselves become an example to all in good works. And it is well joined with the priests who are building.
And up to the tower of a hundred cubits, etc. For priests build up to the measure of a hundred cubits, when they kindle all whom they instruct with love and desire for eternal things. For the number one hundred, which in the counting of fingers passes from the left to the right, represents heavenly goods, which, in comparison to temporal and lesser goods, are as the right hand to the left. They are also said to have sanctified the gate they built; for it is the duty of priests to make their works specially worthy of sanctification above others, and to act earnestly so that whoever is joined to them may sanctify the name of the Lord in themselves by living well. According to the letter, it seems that the first gate of the flock was either built or sanctified by the priests because it was near the temple and belonged properly to them; for it also seems reasonable that the building of the city should start from the temple. For it is indeed necessary that we first preserve within ourselves the constancy of faith and love for God, and then add works of piety that pertain to the love of our neighbor; thirdly, that is, lastly, we should take care of those things that pertain to the general provision of this life, concerning which the Apostle says: Having food and clothing, let us be content with these (1 Tim 6). But it could also seem probable that the gate of the flock is so called because through it the animals that were to be offered in the temple were usually brought in. Therefore, the priests build the gate of the flock at the beginning of the building of the city of God, when holy preachers imbue their hearers, above all, with the truth of faith which works through love, through which they should introduce the sacrifices of good deeds and offer them to God on the altar of their heart. The construction of this gate, extended to a hundred cubits, is sanctified to the tower of Hananeel, that is, to the grace of God, when from the beginning of faith to the firmness of good action, which is accomplished only with the inspiration and help of God, they extend solely with the intention of eternal retribution. It should be noted, indeed, that our manuscripts have: And they built the gate of the flock. The old translation has: And they built the gate and the pool of Bethesda; of which name John makes mention in his Gospel: Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a…
Dictionary and topics
Bethesda — House of mercy, a reservoir (Gr. kolumbethra, “a swimming bath”) with five porches, close to the sheep-gate or market (Neh. 3:1; John 5:2). Eusebius the historian (A.D. 330) calls it “the…
Eliashib — Whom God will restore. (1.) A priest, head of one of the courses of the priests of the time of David (1 Chr. 24:12). (2.) A high priest in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (Neh. 12:22, 23). He rebuilt…
Fenced cities — There were in Palestine (1) cities, (2) unwalled villages, and (3) villages with castles or towers (1 Chr. 27:25). Cities, so called, had walls, and were thus fenced. The fortifications consisted of…
Hananeel — God has graciously given, a tower in the wall of Jerusalem (Neh. 3:1; 12:39). It is mentioned also in Jer. 31:38; Zech. 14:10.
Jerusalem — Called also Salem, Ariel, Jebus, the “city of God,” the “holy city;” by the modern Arabs el-Khuds, meaning “the holy;” once “the city of Judah” (2 Chr. 25:28). This name is in the original in the…
Meah — An hundred, a tower in Jersalem on the east wall (Neh. 3:1) in the time of Nehemiah.
Sheepgate, The — one of the gates of Jerusalem as rebuilt by Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 3:1,32; 12:39) It stood between the tower of Meah and the chamber of the corner, ch. (Nehemiah 3:1,32) or gate of the guard-house, ch.…
Eliashib · 3. High priest — 3. High priest
Ezer · 6. A Levite — 6. A Levite
Gates · Of Jerusalem: Sheep gate — Of Jerusalem: Sheep gate
Hananeel · Name of a tower forming part of the wall of — Name of a tower forming part of the wall of
Jerusalem
on Nehemiah 3:1-2
The narrative of the building is connected with what precedes by ויּקם, which alludes to the carrying out of the resolve, נקוּם, Neh 2:18. The enumeration begins with Eliashib the high priest and his brethren, i.e., the ordinary priests. These built the sheep-gate, rightly sought by modern topographers in the eastern wall north of Haram, the site of the ancient temple, i.e., in the position or neighbourhood of the present St. Stephen's gate, through which the Bedouins to this day drive sheep into the town for sale (Tobler, Topogr. i. p. 149). "Although," as Bertheau remarks, "we are not generally justified, after the lapse of so many centuries, during which great changes have been made in th…
This summary of the people who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem moves in a circle around the city, starting at the northeast corner and moving west, then south, east, and north.
3:1-5 The rebuilding of the walls and gates around the northern section of the city was divided into eight work groups.
3:1 Eliashib the high priest, the grandson of Jeshua (12:10), led the priests in working on the northern wall around the Temple. • The Sheep Gate was where the people brought in their sheep on their way to sacrifice at the Temple. • The Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel were two major military towers along the northern wall (12:39; Jer 31:38; Zech 14:10).
Rashi on Nehemiah 3:1
the Sheep Gate Such was the name of the gate.
they hallowed it that gate with the sanctity of the city.
its doors i.e., of the gate.
and until the Tower of the Hundred Such was the name of the tower.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
· .Old gate, fish gate, sheep gate, pri
— .Old gate, fish gate, sheep gate, pri
Meah · A tower in — A tower in
Sheep Gate · An ancient gate of — An ancient gate of
Tower · Of Meah — Of Meah
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
