Nehemiah 3:11-21

Ne 3:11

Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahath-moab, repaired the other piece, and the tower of the furnaces.

The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve. (Ezra 2:6)  The leaders of these clans came back from the Babylonian captivity with Zerubbabel about 70 years prior.  Then these descendants repaired another piece of the wall where Hattush in the previous verse was working.  The tower of the furnaces was where they made both bread and bricks.  The exact location is unknown.  And the other company of them that gave thanks went over against them, and I after them, and the half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall; (Nehemiah 12:38)

Ne 3:12

And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters.

Rephaiah in verse 9 was also a ruler of half of Jerusalem and here Shallum is named as the other ruler on the other half of Jerusalem.  Nothing is historically known of Halohesh.  It seems that even the women partook in the repairing of the walls as Shallum’s daughter also physically helped in this task.

Ne 3:13

The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the wall unto the dung gate.

Then next the valley gate was repaired by Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah.  The valley gate overlooked the Tyropoeon valley which was west of Jerusalem.  Zanoah was 13 miles (21 KM) southwest of Jerusalem.  They also did a complete repair job as they repaired the gate and then set up the security system on the door with the locks and the bars.  The valley gate was 500 yards (457 meters) from the dung gate which was toward the south.

Ne 3:14

But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Beth-haccerem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

The dung gate was the gate where all the garbage and refuse from the sacrifices in the temple were removed.  It was located at the junction of the Hinnom and Kidron valleys.  Malchiah was also a political leader of a part of Beth-haccerem which was a place between Tekoah and Jerusalem.  O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Beth-haccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction. (Jeremiah 6:1)  Beth-haccerem means “House of the Vineyard.”

Ne 3:15

But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Col-hozeh, 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.

Here we have another political leader who chose to get involved.  His name was Shallun and was ruler of part of Mizpah.  Mizpah was located within the tribe of Benjamin in Judah.  This gate was covered which means a roof was probably installed on it since it was where water was gathered.  It is the only gate which is described as “covered.”  It was completely restored along with all the security devices.  The pool of Siloah was once outside the walls but it was Manasseh who brought it inside so it would water the king’s garden.  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, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah. (2 Chronicles 33:14)  The stairs that go down are probably the stairs which were hewn out of rock and led to the western side of Ophel leading from the valley of Tyropoeon valley in the direction of the temple.

Ne 3:16

After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Beth-zur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty.

Then repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk who was also another political leader willing to pitch in.  Beth-zur was 13 miles (21 KM) south of Jerusalem and it marked the border of Judah.  The pool was the pool of Hezekiah.  And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? (2 Kings 20:20)  The house of the mighty was a place where a garrison of soldiers were kept for defense.  The sepulchres od David was where he and his family were buried.  It was a point of reference into New Testament times.  Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. (Acts 2:29)

Ne 3:17

After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part.

Then the Levites also partook in the repairing of the walls.  Then another political leader chose to get involved.  This shows that both the religious and political leaders wanted to be involved.  For many “famous” Christians this shows that there is no job below them which is not important in the kingdom of God.

Ne 3:18

After him repaired their brethren, Bavai the son of Henadad, the ruler of the half part of Keilah.

These might be related to the Levites in the previous verse who chose to get involved.  Keilah was located in the Shephelah of Judah about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Jerusalem.  Shephelah was a lowland.

Ne 3:19

And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another piece over against the going up to the armoury at the turning of the wall.

Then Ezer repaired his part of the wall.  He was the ruler of Mizpah which was probably the other half of it as we read in Verse 15 that Shallun was also a ruler in Mizpah.  The armory may have been the tower of David as recorded in Song of Solomon.  Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. (Song of Solomon 4:4)  It was located on the western wall to the south.

Ne 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 the high priest.

Then Baruch earnestly repaired the other piece of the wall which Ezer in the previous verse was repairing.  The word “earnestly” carries with it the meaning of “angrily, grieved, or zeal.”  Apparently he had come across some who did not want to partake in the task of rebuilding and their slothfulness made him angry.  This repair went from the corner to the house of Eliashib the High Priest who must have lived close to the temple.

Ne 3:21

After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Koz another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib.