Nehemiah 3:15 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Nehemiah 3:15
But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Siloah by the king’s garden, and unto the stairs that go down from the city of David.
an opening · noun, common masculine singular construct
fountain
הָעַ֜יִןha.'A.yin
H5869
an eye (literally or figuratively) · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
repaired
הֶ֠חֱזִיקHe.che.zik
H2388
to fasten upon · verb, hiphil perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Shallun
שַׁלּ֣וּןsha.Lun
H7968
Shallun · proper noun, a man's name
son
בֶּןben-
H1121
a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine singular construct
Col-hozeh
כָּלkol-
H3626
Col-Chozeh · proper noun, a man's name
ruler
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
John 9:7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seein…
Isaiah 8:6 Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;
Nehemiah 12:37 And at the fountain gate, which was over against them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall, above t…
Nehemiah 2:14 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king’s pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.
Luke 13:4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
Judges 20:1 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land…
Judges 20:3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was…
2 Samuel 5:6-7 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take…
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…
Beth-haccerem--a city of Judah, supposed to be now occupied by Bethulia, on a hill of the same name, which is sometimes called also the mountain of the Franks, between Jerusalem and Tekoa.
Adam Clarke on Nehemiah 3:15
The pool of Siloah - This is probably the same as that mentioned by the evangelists.
The stairs that go down from the city of David - Jerusalem being built on very uneven ground, and some hills being taken within the walls; there was a necessity that there should be in different places steps by which they could ascend and descend: probably similar to what we see in the city of Bristol.
John Gill on Nehemiah 3:15
But the gate of the fountain,.... Of which see Nehemiah 2:14
repaired Shallum, the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; of a tract, district, town, or city so called; perhaps that in the tribe of Benjamin; see Nehemiah 3:7,
he built it, and covered it; roofed it, which is not said of any of the other gates, whether because of the fountain at it:
and set up the doors thereof, &c. finished it completely:
and the wall of the pool of Siloah, by the king's garden; which was formerly without the wall, on the west, but afterwards taken in by Manasseh, who built it; see 2 Chronicles 33:14, and from hence the king's garden was watered:
and unto the stairs that go down from the city of D…
The Church Fathers
And Shallun built the gate of the fountain, etc. "Pagos" in Greek signifies a village in Latin. But writers tell that from that front of Mount Zion, which faces the eastern region with a steep rock, within the walls, and at the roots of the hill, the fountain of Siloam bursts forth; which indeed flows southward with alternating access of waters, that is, not with continuous waters, but it bubbles at uncertain [fixed] hours and days, and through the hollows of the earth and caves of very hard rock, it is accustomed to come with great noise, with which, namely, the city is said to use this one spring, and this not perpetual. Therefore, understand the gate of this fountain designated in this place, especially when it is openly added:
And the walls of the pool of Siloam in the garden of the king, etc. Therefore, Siloa, which is interpreted as the sent one, where the man born blind and was illuminated, signifies the Lord Savior, who was sent by God the Father for our enlightenment; whose source can most aptly be understood as the same Father, from whom He was born. Concerning which the Psalmist well says: For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we will see light (Psalm 35). And the Fountain Gate is built in Jerusalem when teachers are appointed in the Church, who preach to the people the faith of divine eternity. The walls of the pool of Siloam are also built when the very firm and invincible testimonies of the Scriptures, by which the mystery of the Lord's incarnation is designated, are rooted in the minds of the faithful. These walls of divine utterances reach the king's garden when, with the mysteries of the Lord's dispensation known, we begin to produce the sprouts of virtues with the help of the most high king, our Lord God. They also reach the steps that descend from the city of David when someone learns to advance from the general life of the faithful to heavenly things with spiritual desires. The steps that descend from the city of David to the lower part of the city of Jerusalem are indeed aids of divine inspiration or protection, by which we are gradually raised to reach the walls of the heavenly kingdom. For David made steps by which we should ascend to his city when divine piety taught us the order of virtues by which we may seek heavenly things, and granted us the gift of performing those virtues. Concerning these steps, the Psalmist undoubtedly said: Blessed is the man whose help is from thee; in his heart he has arranged the ascents in the valley of tears, in the place he has appointed, etc., until he says: They shall go from strength to strength; the God of gods shall be seen in Zion (Psalm 83). Therefore, the builders of the holy city reach these steps, after building the walls of the pool of Siloam and after the king's garden, when after manifesting the sacrament of the Lord's incarnation, by which the blindness of the gentiles from their birth was washed and illuminated, and after beginning through faith the sprouting of good deeds, the holy teachers more diligently show their listeners the progress of virtues over time; by which they ascend to the vision of…
Dictionary and topics
Bath, Bathing — This was a prescribed part of the Jewish ritual of purification in cases of accident, or of leprous or ordinary uncleanness, (Leviticus 15; 16:28; 22:6; Numbers 19:7; 19; 2 Samuel 11:2,4; 2 Kings…
Baths — The use of the bath was very frequent among the Hebrews (Lev. 14:8; Num. 19:19, ect.). The high priest at his inauguration (Lev. 8:6), and on the day of atonement, was required to bathe himself…
Colhozeh — (all-seeing), a man of the tribe of Judah in the time of Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 3:15; 11:5) (B.C. 536.)
Gardens — Mentioned in Scripture, of Eden (Gen. 2:8, 9); Ahab’s garden of herbs (1 Kings 21:2); the royal garden (2 Kings 21:18); the royal garden at Susa (Esther 1:5); the garden of Joseph of Arimathea (John…
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…
Pool — A pond, or reservoir, for holding water (Heb. berekhah; modern Arabic, birket), an artificial cistern or tank. Mention is made of the pool of Gibeon (2 Sam. 2:13); the pool of Hebron (4:12); the…
Shallun — (retribution), the son of Cohozeh, and ruler of a district of the Mizpah. (Nehemiah 3:15)
Shiloah, The waters of — =Siloah, (Neh. 3:15) and Siloam (q.v.)
Siloah, The pool of — Heb. shelah; i.e., “the dart”, Neh. 3:15; with the art. shiloah, “sending,” Isa. 8:6 (comp. 7:3)=Siloam (q.v.)
Siloam — (sent). Shiloach, (Isaiah 8:6) Siloah, (Nehemiah 3:15) Siloam, (John 9:11) Siloam is one of the few undisputed localities in the topography of Jerusalem; still retaining its old name (with Arabic…
Gates · Of Jerusalem: Gate of the fountain — Of Jerusalem: Gate of the fountain
שַׂ֣ר
sar
H8269
a head person (of any rank or class) · noun, common masculine singular construct
part
פֶּ֣לֶךְPe.lekh
H6418
a circuit (i.e. district) · noun, common masculine singular construct
Mizpah
הַמִּצְפָּה֒ha.mitz.Pah
H4709
Mitspah · definite article + proper noun, a place name
built
יִבְנֶ֙נּוּ֙yiv.Ne.nu
H1129
to build (literally and figuratively) · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
covered
וִיטַֽלְלֶ֔נּוּvi.tal.Le.nu
H2926
properly · conjunction + verb, piel, 3rd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
up
וְיַעֲמִיד֙ve.ya.'a.mi.du
H5975
to stand · conjunction + verb, hiphil, 3rd person masculine singular
doors
דַּלְתֹתָ֔יוdal.to.Tav
H1817
something swinging · noun, common feminine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
locks
מַנְעֻלָ֖יוman.'u.Lav
H4514
a bolt · noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
bars
וּבְרִיחָ֑יוu.ve.ri.Chav
H1280
a bolt · conjunction + noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
wall
חוֹמַ֞תcho.Mat
H2346
a wall of protection · noun, common feminine singular construct
pool
בְּרֵכַ֤תbe.re.Khat
H1295
a reservoir (at which camels kneel as a resting-place) · noun, common feminine singular construct
Siloah
הַשֶּׁ֙לַח֙ha.She.lach
H7975
Shiloach · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
king’s
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְha.Me.lekh
H4428
a king · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
garden
לְגַןle.gan-
H1588
a garden (as fenced) · preposition + noun, common both genders singular construct
stairs
הַֽמַּעֲל֔וֹתha.ma.'a.Lot
H4609
elevation · definite article + noun, common feminine plural absolute
down
הַיּוֹרְד֖וֹתhai.yor.Dot
H3381
to descend (literally · definite article + verb, qal active participle, feminine plural absolute
city
מֵעִ֥ירme.'Ir
H5892
a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the wi… · preposition + noun, common feminine singular construct
The fountain-gate and a portion of wall adjoining it was repaired by Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah. כּל־חזה occurs again, Neh 11:5, apparently as the name of another individual. To יבננּוּ is added יטללנּוּ, he covered it, from טלל, to shade, to cover, answering to the קרוּהוּ of Neh 3:3 and Neh 3:6, probably to cover with a layer of beams. The position of the fountain-gate is apparent from the description of the adjoining length of wall which Shallum also repaired. This was "the wall of the pool of Shelach (Siloah) by the king's garden, and unto the stairs that go down from the city of David." The word שׁלח recalls שׁלּוח; the pool of Shelach can be none…
The Mizpah district was about six miles (10 kilometers) north of Jerusalem. • The king’s garden was a lush area east of the pool of Siloam near where the Kidron and Hinnom Valleys meet, possibly at the King’s Pool (2:14).
Rashi on Nehemiah 3:15
the ruler of the district of Mizpah the prince and duke of Mizpah.
he built it he was building the same gate.
and roofed it And he laid the roof on it, an expression of a ceiling (מְטַלַלְתָּא).
and the wall of the pool of Shelah which inclines towards the king’s garden.
and until the steps They recognized these places.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Gihon · the city of — the city of
Jerusalem · Gate of the fountain — Gate of the fountain
Magistrates · Good — Exemplified: Nehemiah — Good — Exemplified: Nehemiah
Mizpah · . — .
Pool · .Siloam (Shelah) — .Siloam (Shelah)
Shallun · A Jew who repaired a gate of — A Jew who repaired a gate of
Siloam · A pool in — A pool in
Stairs · Of David — Of David
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).
