Nehemiah 3 explained: Everyone Takes a Section of Wall

Priests start at Sheep Gate (vv. 1-2)

The high priest and his fellow priests began at the Sheep Gate, probably named for the sheep brought through it to be offered at the nearby temple, and they dedicated it to God. The list then works its way around the whole city and ends back at this same gate in verse 32.

Fish Gate and Tekoa's nobles (vv. 3-5)

Families and people from nearby towns each took a section, often the part of the wall closest to where they lived. The nobles of Tekoa refused to do the work, and the writer records it plainly as a mark against them.

Tradespeople and local leaders (vv. 6-12)

Goldsmiths, perfume makers and district officials worked side by side, and Shallum is mentioned as working with his daughters. The "half-districts" were divisions of local government under Persian rule, though why they were split this way is not certain.

Gates on the south (vv. 13-16)

One team rebuilt the Valley Gate and about 450 meters of wall, and the Fountain Gate stood by a pool near the King's Garden. The Nehemiah in verse 16 is a different man from the book's leader.

Stretch near the temple (vv. 17-27)

Levites (the temple's assistant workers), priests and temple servants rebuilt this stretch, many right in front of their own homes. Some, like Meremoth and the ordinary men of Tekoa, finished one section and took on a second, and Baruch is singled out for working with special energy.

Closing the circle (vv. 28-32)

Priests near the Horse Gate each repaired the part beside his house, and the goldsmiths and merchants finished the last gap back to the Sheep Gate. Scholars are not sure exactly where many of these gates and towers stood, so maps of this route are partly educated guesses.

Key verse: Nehemiah 3:28

Something to think about

What do you think makes some people pitch in on shared work while others, like the nobles of Tekoa, hold back?