the Nethinim · conjunction + definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
dwelt
יֹשְׁבִ֖יםyo.she.Vim
H3427
properly · verb, qal active participle, masculine plural absolute
Ophel
בָּעֹ֑פֶלba.'O.fel
H6077
Ophel · preposition with the article + proper noun, a place name
water
הַמַּ֙יִם֙ha.Ma.yim
H4325
water · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
gate
שַׁ֤עַרSha.'ar
H8179
an opening · noun, common masculine singular construct
east
לַמִּזְרָ֔חla.miz.Rach
H4217
sunrise · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
tower
וְהַמִּגְדָּ֖לve.ha.mig.Dal
H4026
a tower (from its size or height) · conjunction + definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
out
הַיּוֹצֵֽאhai.yo.Tze'
H3318
to go (causatively · definite article + verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
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 8:1 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scri…
Nehemiah 11:21 But the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel: and Ziha and Gispa were over the Nethinims.
Nehemiah 8:3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those…
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…
2 Chronicles 33:14 Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate…
1 Chronicles 9:2 Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were, the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the Nethinims.
2 Chronicles 27:3 He built the high gate of the house of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.
Ezra 2:43-58 The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,
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…
the Nethinims--Not only the priests and the Levites, but the common persons that belonged to the house of God, contributed to the work. The names of those who repaired the walls of Jerusalem are commemorated because it was a work of piety and patriotism to repair the holy city. It was an instance of religion and courage to defend the true worshippers of God, that they might serve Him in quietness and safety, and, in the midst of so many enemies, go on with this work, piously confiding in the power of God to support them [BISHOP PATRICK].
Next: Nehemiah Chapter 4
Adam Clarke on Nehemiah 3:22
The priests, the men of the plain - Some of the officers of the temple, particularly the singers, dwelt in the plain country round about Jerusalem, Neh 12:28; and it is likely that several of the priests dwelt in the same place.
John Gill on Nehemiah 3:26
Moreover, the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel,.... An high tower upon the wait, in this part of it, see 2 Chronicles 27:3, these were servants to the Levites, and repaired here, where their dwellings were:
unto the place over against the water gate toward the east: and as one part of their work was to fetch water for the temple, they were here very properly situated; it led to the king's garden, the valley of Jehoshaphat, and from thence a plain way to Bethany:
and the tower that lieth out; from the wall.
The Church Fathers
The Nathinnei, however, dwelt in Ophel, etc. The Nathinnei are considered to be the Gibeonites, who served the house of the Lord with faithful devotion according to the arrangement of Joshua the son of Nun. Ophel, however, was a tower, not far from the temple, of enormous height. Hence, Ophel, that is, of darkness, or named after a cloud, because its head rose up to the clouds. Finally, where it is written in Micah: And the tower of the flock, the cloud of the daughter of Zion (Micah IV); in Hebrew, for the cloudy tower, it is written "the tower Ophel." This tower is mentioned, and its part within the city is indicated in the book of Chronicles, referring to King Manasseh, which we also previously noted, that he built a wall outside the city of David to the west of Gihon in the valley, from the entrance of the fish gate around up to Ophel (II Chron. XXXIII). Therefore, according to the location, it was fitting that the temple servants lived in the nearby temple tower. However, according to the mystical sense as well, Nathinnei dwell in Ophel, that is, in the cloudy tower, when those dedicated to God in the profession of a more perfect life, always live in the fortress and height of virtues and actions and thoughts. Saying with the Apostle, For our conversation is in heaven (Phil. III). Of whom the multitude of the people also testifies with admiration, saying: Who are these who fly like clouds? (Isa. LX). Similarly, Nathinnei dwell in Ophel, when those distinguished in the garb of religion have learned to penetrate the hidden things of Scripture, about which it is said, Dark water in the clouds of the sky; that is, the mystical knowledge in the prophets with an illuminated heart, and to meditate on these readings day and night. Regarding their habitation, it is aptly added: Up to the water gate towards the east and the tower that projected. For the gate of waters is the Lord, who daily waters us with the grace of his mercy lest we fail in the troubles of the present life. The Psalmist desired to enter this gate, when he said: As the deer pants for the fountains of water, so my soul desires you, God (Psalm XLI). This gate is fittingly mentioned as positioned towards the east; because indeed the same Lord, who, by the torrent of his pleasure, drenches us lest we thirst, also illuminates us with the gift of his visitation, lest we dwell in the darkness of…
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Ophel — Hill; mound, the long, narrow, rounded promontory on the southern slope of the temple hill, between the Tyropoeon and the Kedron valley (2 Chr. 27:3; 33:14; Neh. 3:26, 27). It was surrounded by a…
Purosh — (flea). The descendants of Parosh, in number 2172, returned front Babylon with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:3; Nehemiah 7:8) Another detachment of 150 males, with Zechariah at their head, accompanied Ezra.…
Siloam, Tower, In — (Luke 13:4) Of this we know nothing definitely beyond these words of the Lord. In connection with Ophel, there is mention made of “a tower that lieth out,” (Nehemiah 3:26) and there is no…
Gates · Of Jerusalem: Water gate — Of Jerusalem: Water gate
Jerusalem · Water gate — Water gate
Nethinims · Return from the — Return from the
Ophel · 27:3;33:14; — 27:3;33:14;
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).
Keil & Delitzsch on Nehemiah 3:26-27
Having now reached the place where the wall encloses Ophel, a remark is inserted, Neh 3:26, on the dwellings of Nethinim, i.e., of the temple servants. The Nethinim dwelt in Ophel as far as (the place) before the water-gate toward the east, and the tower that standeth out. הי המּגדּל still depends upon נגד עד. The water-gate towards the east, judging from Neh 12:37, lay beyond the south-eastern corner of the temple area. Bertheau, reasoning upon the view that the open space of the house of God, where Ezra spoke to the assembled people (Ezr 10:9), is identical with the open place before the water-gate mentioned Neh 8:1, Neh 8:3, Neh 8:16, places it on the east side of the temple area, near wh…
The tower that projects up from the king’s upper house and the court of the guard might refer to a royal complex on the hill of Ophel, just south of the Temple area.
Rashi on Nehemiah 3:26
And the Nethinites dwelt in the Ophel And the Nethinites were dwelling in that district, and they were building their district, which was near the wall, until opposite the Water Gate of the eastern side.
