¹ sn In ancient Judaism Ezra and Nehemiah were regarded as a single book with dual authorship. According to the Talmud, “Ezra wrote his book” (Baba Bathra 15a). The Gemara then asks and answers, “And who finished it? Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.”
²sn The name Nehemiah in Hebrew means “the Lord comforts.”
³tn Heb “Shushan.”
⁴tn The Hebrew text does not have the words “to me.”
⁵tn Heb “great.”
⁶tn Heb “have been burned with fire.” So also in 2:17.
⁷tn Heb “sat down.”
⁸tn Heb “the covenant and loyal love.” The phrase is a hendiadys.
⁹tn Heb “the house of my father.”
¹⁰tn Heb “peoples.”
¹¹tn Heb “turn to me.”
¹²tn Heb “at the end of the heavens.”
¹³tn Heb “let your ear be attentive.”
¹⁴tn Heb “fear.”
¹tc Read with LXX weyayin lepanay (“and wine before me”) rather than MT yayin lepanayw (“wine before him”).
²tc Read lepanim (“formerly”) rather than MT lepanayw (“to his face”). MT seems to suggest that Nehemiah was not sad before the king, which is contrary to what follows.
³tn This expression is either to be inferred from the context, or perhaps we should read lepanayw (“before him”; cf. MT) in addition to lepanim (“formerly”).
⁴tn Heb “eaten.” So also in v. 13.
⁵tn Heb “said to me.”
⁶tn Heb “across the river,” here and often elsewhere in this book.
⁷tc One medieval Hebrew manuscript, the Syriac Peshitta, Vg, and the Arabic have here the plural “walls.”
⁸tn The Hebrew text does not have the expression “these provisions,” but it is implied.
⁹tn Heb “the animal.”
¹⁰tc For MT sober (“inspecting”) LXX erroneously has sober (“breaking”). However, further destruction of Jerusalem’s walls was obviously not a part of Nehemiah’s purpose.
¹¹tn Heb “strengthened their hands.”
¹²tn The Hebrew text does not have the words “all this.”
¹³tn Heb “portion or right or remembrance.” The expression is probably a hendiatris.
¹tn Heb “his brethren the priests.”
²tc MT adds “they sanctified it.”
³tc Read we`ad (“and unto”) rather than MT `ad (“unto”).
⁴tc MT has a singular suffix (“to it”).
⁵tn Heb “bring their neck.”
⁶tn The Hebrew word is plural (“lords”), but it is probably the plural of majesty referring to Nehemiah.
⁷tn Heb “to the seat.”
⁸tn Heb “abandoned.” Some interpreters emend MT wayya`azebu to wayya`azeru (“they aided”), but in addition to the problem that this yields an opposite sense, the emendation does not seem necessary within the context.
⁹tc Read neged (“before”) with a few medieval Hebrew manuscripts, some manuscripts of the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Vg, rather than weneged (“and before”) of MT.
¹⁰tn The reference here to daughters, while not impossible, is rather odd in light of the cultural unliklihood that young women would be participating in the strenuous labor of rebuilding the walls of the city. All other such references in this book presuppose male laborers. Not surprisingly, some scholars have suspected a textual problem here. One medieval Hebrew manuscript and the Syriac Peshitta read “and his sons” in this verse, rather than MT “and his daughters.” Some scholars emend MT to read “and his builders” (Hebrew ubonayw). On the other hand, MT has in its favor the fact that here it is clearly the more difficult reading.
¹¹tn The Hebrew word used here is hasselah.
¹²tc Read we`al (“and unto”) with several medieval Hebrew manuscripts and some manuscripts of LXX, rather than `al (“unto”) of MT.
¹³tc Read with a few medieval Hebrew manuscripts and the Syriac Peshitta binnuy rather than bawway of MT.
¹⁴tn Heb “the house of Eliashib.”
¹⁵tc MT lacks “after him worked.”
¹⁶tn Heb “house of the king.”
¹⁷tc MT lacks the verb “worked.”
¹⁸tc Read ‘aharayw (“after him”) with the qere and many medieval Hebrew manuscripts, rather than ‘aharay (“after me”) of MT. So also in v. 31.
¹⁹sn Neh 3:33-38 of the Hebrew text are Neh 4:1-6 in the English text. This of course affects the verse numbering for all of chap. 4. The present translation follows the verse numbering of the Hebrew text rather than that of the English text.
²⁰tnThe Hebrew text is difficult here. The translation presented above follows MT, but there may be textual disturbance here.
²¹tn Heb “up to its half.”
²²tn Heb “the people had a heart to work.”
¹tn Heb “to fight.”
²tc For “to protect against them” the Hebrew text has only “against them.” Some scholars emend `alehem (“against them”) to `aleha (“against it,” i.e., Jerusalem).
³tn Heb “burden-bearers.”
⁴tn Heb “said.”
⁵tn Heb “see.”
⁶tn Heb “ten times.”
⁷tn The precise meaning of Hebrew sehihim here is uncertain. Elsewhere (Ezek 24:7, 8; 26:4, 14) the word refers to a shining or glaring surface (so BDB), but here it seems to refer to an exposed or vulnerable portion of the wall.
⁸tn Heb “it was known to us.”
⁹tc MT has “and spears.” Delete the conjunction.
¹⁰tn The first words of v. 11 should be taken with the latter part of v. 10.
¹¹tn Heb “were carrying loads.” LXX has en hoplois (“with weapons”).
¹²tn Heb “the one blowing the shophar.”
¹³tn Heb “and we were doing the work.”
¹⁴tn Heb “half of them.”
¹⁵tn Heb “from the coming up of the dawn till the coming forth of the stars.”
¹⁶tn Heb “said.”
¹⁷tn Heb “strip off our garments.”
¹⁸tc Heb “a man, his weapon, the waters.” MT, if in fact it is correct, is elliptical and difficult. Some scholars emend MT hammayim (“the waters”) to bimino (“in his right hand”) or heminu (“they held on the right side”).
¹tn Heb “take.” So also in v. 3.
²tn Heb “for the tax of the king.”
³tn Heb “according to the flesh of our brethren is our flesh.”
⁴tn Heb “like their children, our children.”
⁵tn Heb “there is not power for our hand.” The Hebrew expression used here is rather difficult.
⁶tn Heb “my heart was advised upon me.”
⁷tn Heb “you are bearing a burden, a man with his brethren.” The exact meaning is not entirely clear.
⁸tn Heb “I gave.”
⁹tc Read with the qere and the ancient versions wa’omar (“and I said”) rather than the kethib of MT wayyomer (“and he said”).
¹⁰tn Heb “walk.”
¹¹tn Heb “lads.”
¹²tc So the MT, but some scholars emend the text here to umassa’t (“and the debt”).
¹³tn”These things” is not in the Hebrew text.
¹⁴tn Heb “according to this word.”
¹⁵tn Heb “my bosom.”
¹⁶tn Heb “cause to stand.”
¹⁷tn Heb “according to this word.”
¹⁸tc Possibly we should read suwwe’ti (“and I was appointed”) rather than MT siwwah ‘oti (“he appointed me”).
¹⁹tc Read with one medieval Hebrew manuscript pehah (“governor”) rather than MT peham (“their governor”). We would expect the form with pronominal suffix to have a taw before the suffix.
²⁰tn Heb “the food of the governor.” Cf. v. 18.
²¹tc Hebrew ‘ahar is difficult here. It normally means “after,” but that makes no sense in this context. Some scholars emend the word to ‘ehad and supply the word “day,” which yields the sense “daily.”
²²tn Heb “we did not purchase.”
²³tn Heb “who were gathered around us at my table.”
¹sn It is not entirely clear whether the word Kephirim is a place-name not mentioned elsewhere in the OT (as indicated in the present translation) or whether it means “in (one of ) the villages.” LXX and Vg understand it in the latter way.
²tn Heb “doing.”
³tn Heb “sent to.”
⁴tn Heb “and I answered them according to this word.”
⁵tn Heb “heard.”
⁶tn In 2:19 this name appears as “Geshem.”
⁷tn Heb “is saying.”
⁸tn Heb “call.”
⁹tn Heb “Let us consult together.”
¹⁰tn Heb “We are not according to these matters that you are saying.”
¹¹tn Heb “For from your heart you are inventing them.”
¹²tn The participle seems to be used with a desiderative nuance, describing the desire of the subject and not necessarily the actual outcome. See also v. 14.
¹³tn Heb “shut in.” The reason for his confinement is not given. BDB suggests that it may have had to do with the fulfillment of a vow or perhaps was related to an issue of ceremonial uncleanness.
¹⁴tn Heb “and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.”
¹⁵tc Read li (“to me”) rather than MT lahem (“to them”).
¹⁶tc MT understands the verbal root here to be yr’ (“to fear”) rather than r’h (“to see”).
¹⁷tn Heb “they greatly fell (i.e., were cast down) in their own eyes.” Some scholars have suggested emending MT here to read wayyippale’ (“it was very wonderful (i.e., extraordinary) in their eyes.”
¹⁸tn Heb “my words.”
¹tc Read with the qere, a Qumran text, and the ancient versions wa’omar (“and I said”) rather than MT the kethib of MT wayyo’mer (“and he said”).
²sn Apparently the meaning of the phrase in the early morning (Heb “until the heat of the sun”) is that the gates are to be opened only after the day has progressed a bit, and not at the first sign of morning light. It is possible, however, that the Hebrew preposition `ad, here translated with its normal meaning “until,” has instead a more rare sense of “during.” If that is the case, the meaning of the verse would then seem to be that the gates are not to be left open and unattended during the hot part of the day when people would typically be at rest.
<sup>3</sup>tn Heb “wide of two hands.”
<sup>4</sup>tn Heb “the book of genealogy.”
<sup>5</sup>tn Heb “in it.”
<sup>6</sup>tn Heb “the sons of.”
<sup>7</sup>tn Heb “men of the people of Israel.”
<sup>8</sup>tn Heb “the sons of.”
<sup>9</sup>tn Heb “to the sons of.”
<sup>10</sup>tc Read weyoab (“and Joab”) rather than MT yoab (“Joab”).
<sup>11</sup>tc Read ‘anse bet (“men of the house of”) rather than MT bene (“the sons of”).
<sup>12</sup>tc Read ye`arim rather than MT `arim.
<sup>13</sup>tn Heb “to the house of.”
<sup>14</sup>tn Heb “relate.”
<sup>15</sup>tn Heb “the house of their fathers.”
<sup>16</sup>tn Heb “their seed.”
<sup>17</sup>tn Heb “they were desecrated.”
<sup>18</sup>tn The Hebrew word is tirsata’, apparently the title of a Persian governor in Judea (so BDB).
<sup>19</sup>tn Heb “stood.”
<sup>20</sup>tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”
<sup>1</sup>tn Heb “the sons of Israel.” So also in vv. 14, 17; 9:1.
<sup>2</sup>tn Heb “like one man.”
<sup>3</sup>tn Heb “said.”
<sup>4</sup>tn Heb “from the light till the noon of the day.”
<sup>5</sup>tn Heb “the ears of all the people were toward.”
<sup>6</sup>tn Heb “a tower of wood.”
<sup>7</sup>tn Heb “to the eyes.”
<sup>8</sup>tc MT has “and the Levites.” Delete the conjunction, with LXX, Aquila, and Vg.
<sup>9</sup>tn Heb “they.”
<sup>10</sup>tc The unexpected reference to Nehemiah here has led some scholars to suspect that the phrase is a later addition to the text and not original.
<sup>11</sup>tn Heb “the priest, the scribe.”
<sup>12</sup>tn Heb “the people.”
<sup>13</sup>tn The Hebrew text does not have “to others.”
<sup>14</sup>tn Heb “to make great joy.”
<sup>15</sup>tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”
<sup>16</sup>tn Heb “the house of God.”
<sup>17</sup>tn Heb “He”; the referent (Ezra) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
<sup>18</sup>tn Heb “the last day.”
<sup>19</sup>tn For “they held an assembly” in the translation above the Hebrew text has simply “an assembly.”
<sup>20</sup>tn Heb “according to the judgment.”
<sup>1</sup>tn Heb “the seed of Israel.”
<sup>2</sup>tn Heb “sons of a foreigner.”
<sup>3</sup>tc Read “Binnui” rather than MT “Bani.” Otherwise there are two individuals with the same name in this verse. This name appears, for example, in 10:10.
<sup>4</sup>tn Heb “in a great voice.”
<sup>5</sup>tc MT has here only “from age to age,” without the preceding words in the translation above. But apparently something has dropped out of the text. This phrase occurs elsewhere in the OT as a description of the Lord (see Ps 41:14; 106:48), and it seems best to understand it here in that light. Some interpreters also supply “and Ezra said” in v. 4 as an introduction to this formula.
<sup>6</sup>tn Heb “the name of your glory.”
<sup>7</sup>tn Heb “the heavens of the heavens.”
<sup>8</sup>tn Heb “the.”
<sup>9</sup>tn Heb “seed.”
<sup>10</sup>tn Traditionally “at the Red Sea.”
<sup>11</sup>tn That is, the Egyptians.
<sup>12</sup>tn Heb “mighty.”
<sup>13</sup>tn Heb “by the hand of.”
<sup>14</sup>tn Heb “had lifted your hand.”
<sup>15</sup>tn Heb “and our fathers.” The waw is explicative.
<sup>16</sup>tc Read with a few medieval Hebrew manuscripts and LXX bemisrayim (“in Egypt”) rather than MT bemiryam (“in their rebellion”).
<sup>17</sup>tc With the qere read hesed (“loyal love”) rather than wehesed (“and loyal love”) of MT.
<sup>18</sup>tn Heb “and were sated.”
<sup>19</sup>tn Heb “they cast your law behind their backs.”
<sup>20</sup>tn Heb “from the hand of.”
<sup>21</sup>tn Heb “in the hand of.”
<sup>22</sup>tn Heb “they gave a stubborn shoulder.”
<sup>23</sup>tn The Hebrew expression here is elliptical, lacking the words “your kindness.”
<sup>24</sup>tn Heb “give ear to.”
<sup>25</sup>tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”
<sup>26</sup>tn Heb “the covenant and loyal love.” The expression is a hendiadys.
<sup>27</sup>tn Heb “do not let it seem small in your sight.”
<sup>28</sup>tn Heb “you have done truth.”
<sup>29</sup>tn Heb “great.”
<sup>30</sup>tn Heb “given.”
<sup>31</sup>tn Heb “given.”
<sup>32</sup>tn”To enjoy” is not in the Hebrew text.
<sup>33</sup>tn Heb “according to their desire.”
<sup>1</sup>tn Heb “and writing.”
<sup>2</sup>tn The Hebrew text is elliptical here, lacking the words “have affixed their names.” Cf. v. 2.
<sup>3</sup>tc Read yesua` (“Jeshua”) rather than weyesua` (“and Jeshua”) of MT.
<sup>4</sup>tn Heb “heads.”
<sup>5</sup>tn Heb “from the peoples of the lands.” Cf. v. 31.
<sup>6</sup>tn The expression “a curse and an oath” may be a hendiadys, in which case it means “an oath with penalties.”
<sup>7</sup>tn Heb “to walk in.”
<sup>8</sup>tn Heb “take.”
<sup>9</sup>tn Heb “debt of every hand,” an idiom referring to the hand that holds legally binding contractual agreements.
<sup>10</sup>tn Heb “cause to stand on us.”
<sup>11</sup>tc MT has “to give upon us.” However, the “upon us” should probably be deleted, in agreement with a few medieval Hebrew manuscripts, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Vg.
<sup>12</sup>tn Heb “the house of our fathers.”
<sup>13</sup>tn These words are not in the Hebrew text, but are inferred from v. 33. So also in v. 37.
<sup>14</sup>tn The Hebrew text has simply “a tithe of our lands.”
<sup>15</sup>tn Heb “of our work.”
<sup>16</sup>tn Heb “son of Aaron.”
<sup>1</sup>tn Heb “nine of the hands.” The word “hand” is used here in the sense or a part or portion.
<sup>2</sup>tc Read min hasselani (“from the Shelahite”) rather than MT ben hassiloni (“the son of the Shilionite”). See 1 Chr 9:5.
<sup>3</sup>tn Heb “fathers.”
<sup>4</sup>tc Read with LXX we’ehayw (“and his brethren”) rather than MT wa’ahehem (“and their brethren”).
<sup>5</sup>tc Read with the Lucianic Greek recension and the Vg hattehilah (“the praise”) rather than MT hattehillah (“the beginning”).
<sup>6</sup>tn Heb “the temple attendants.”
<sup>7</sup>tn Heb “the commandment of the king was over them.”
<sup>8</sup>tn Heb “to the hand of the king.”
<sup>9</sup>tn Heb “its daughters.” So also in vv. 27, 28, 30, 31.
<sup>10</sup>tc Read with a few medieval Hebrew manuscripts and the Syriac Peshitta umibbene (“and some of the descendants of”) rather than MT ubene (“and the sons of”).
<sup>11</sup>tc Delete the preposition “from” of MT.
<sup>12</sup>tc Read wege (“and the valley”) rather than MT ge (“the valley”).
<sup>1</sup>tn Heb “heads.” So also in v. 12.
<sup>2</sup>tc Read we`unni with the qere rather than we`uno of the kethib.
<sup>3</sup>tc Read with LXX lemalluk rather than limluki (by dittography) of the kethib or limliku of the qere.
<sup>4</sup>tc Read with the Lucianic Greek recension and the Syriac Peshitta limremot rather than MT limreyot. Cf. v. 3.
<sup>5</sup>tc Read with the qere and the Syriac Peshitta le`iddo’ rather than MT la`adaya’ (graphic confusion). Cf. v. 4.
⁶tc Read sallu rather than MT sallai. Cf. v. 7.
⁷tn Heb “the priest, the scribe.”
⁸tn Heb “they sought the Levites.”
⁹tn Heb “the sons of the singers.”
¹⁰tc Read weha’hat holeket (“and one was proceeding”) rather than MT wetahalukot (“and processions”)
¹¹tn Heb “some of the sons of the priests.”
¹²tn Heb “was before them.”
¹³tc Read holeket (“was proceeding”) rather than MT haholeket (“the one proceeding”). The reading of MT here is probably the result of dittography.
¹⁴tn Heb “they stood.”
¹⁵tn Heb “stood.”
¹⁶tn Heb “caused to hear.”
¹⁷tc Read missede (“from the fields”) rather than MT lisde (“to the fields”).
¹⁸tn Heb “standing.”
¹⁹tc With many medieval Hebrew manuscripts and the ancient versions read the conjunction. It is absent in the Leningrad manuscript that forms the textual basis for BHS.
²⁰tn Heb “heads.” (Read with the qere the plural rather than the singular of MT.)
²¹tn Heb “were sanctifying.”
¹tn Heb “ears.”
²tn The Hebrew verb is passive.
³tn Heb “bread.”
⁴tc Read the plural rather than the singular of MT.
⁵tn Heb “giving.”
⁶tn Heb “and I stood them on their standing.”
⁷tc Probably we should read with the Lucianic Greek recension, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Vg wa’asawweh (“and I commanded”) rather than the rare denominative verb wa’oserah (“and I appointed over the storeroom”) of MT
⁸tn Heb “on their hand.”
⁹tn Heb “said.” So also in v. 22.
¹⁰tn Heb “caused to stand.”
¹¹tn Heb “I will send a hand on you.”
¹²sn This statement contains a great deal of restrained humor. The author clearly takes pleasure in the effectiveness of the measures that he had enacted.
¹³tn Heb “people and people.”
¹⁴tn Heb “give.”
¹⁵tn Heb “gave.”
¹⁶tc One medieval Hebrew manuscript, the Lucianic Greek recension, and the Syriac Peshitta have “the priests” rather than MT “the priesthood.”
¹⁷tn Heb “a man to his work.”
¹⁸tn The words “I also provided for” are not present in the Hebrew text.