1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors. They consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2 And next to him the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.
3 The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 4 And next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired. And next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel repaired. And next to them Zadok the son of Baana repaired. 5 And next to them the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord.
6 Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Gate of Yeshanah. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 7 And next to them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, the seat of the governor of the province Beyond the River. 8 Next to them Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, goldsmiths, repaired. Next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, repaired, and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. 9 Next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, repaired. 10 Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph repaired opposite his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah repaired. 11 Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. 12 Next to him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, repaired, he and his daughters.
13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They rebuilt it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and repaired a thousand cubits of the wall, as far as the Dung Gate.
14 Malchijah the son of Rechab, ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem, repaired the Dung Gate. He rebuilt it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars.
15 And Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it and covered it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. And he built the wall of the Pool of Shelah of the king's garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the city of David. 16 After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, repaired to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool, and as far as the house of the mighty men. 17 After him the Levites repaired: Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, repaired for his district. 18 After him their brothers repaired: Bavvai the son of Henadad, ruler of half the district of Keilah. 19 Next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section opposite the ascent to the armory at the buttress. 20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai repaired another section from the buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 After him Meremoth the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired another section from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib. 22 After him the priests, the men of the surrounding area, repaired. 23 After them Benjamin and Hasshub repaired opposite their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah repaired beside his own house. 24 After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah to the buttress and to the corner. 25 Palal the son of Uzai repaired opposite the buttress and the tower projecting from the upper house of the king at the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh 26 and the temple servants living on Ophel repaired to a point opposite the Water Gate on the east and the projecting tower. 27 After him the Tekoites repaired another section opposite the great projecting tower as far as the wall of Ophel.
28 Above the Horse Gate the priests repaired, each one opposite his own house. 29 After them Zadok the son of Immer repaired opposite his own house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, repaired. 30 After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah repaired opposite his chamber. 31 After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, opposite the Muster Gate, and to the upper chamber of the corner. 32 And between the upper chamber of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants repaired. – Nehemiah 3:1-32 ESV
Nehemiah had a plan for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem but he would need manual labor to carry it out. This would be back-breaking work that required both strength and precision. Each work crew was assigned a gate to repair and, once the gate was completed, they were to construct the wall that led to the next gate. Their efforts needed to coordinate with the next team of builders so that the walls could be joined together seamlessly. This massive undertaking required brute force, keen engineering skills. craftsmanship, and a great deal of patience. But the people took on the project wholeheartedly and enthusiastically. Individuals from every walk of life joined in the effort, working side by side to see that the walls of their beloved city were rebuilt.
The work of rebuilding the walls began at the Sheep Gate at the northeastern corner near the Temple Mount. This section of the wall was repaired by the priests under the direction of Eliashib the high priest. He was the grandson of Jeshua, the former high priest, who had played a major role in rebuilding the altar of God so that the sacrificial system could be reinstituted.
Jeshua son of Jehozadak joined his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel with his family in rebuilding the altar of the God of Israel. They wanted to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as instructed in the Law of Moses, the man of God. Even though the people were afraid of the local residents, they rebuilt the altar at its old site. Then they began to sacrifice burnt offerings on the altar to the Lord each morning and evening. – Ezra 3:2-3 NLT
The Sheep Gate played an important part in the sacrificial system as well. Located near the Temple Mount, this gate provided easy access for the shepherds who tended the flocks used for the Temple sacrifices. The reconstruction of this gate became a high priority and was taken on by the priests themselves. Even the high priest rolled up his sleeves and joined in the work. Once they completed their gate, they consecrated it, setting it apart as holy to the LORD. This symbolic act was meant to remind the people that their work was to be done “as to the LORD” (Proverbs 16:3). The gates and walls were intended to provide protection, but they would also be a constant reminder of God’s presence, power, and provision.
It is interesting to note that the men of Jericho worked beside the priests. This brief reference would have struck a chord with the Jewish audience who read Nehemiah’s recounting of this momentous occasion. The mention of Jericho would have conjured up the stories they had been told as children. When the Israelites first crossed over the Jordan in their attempt to conquer the land of Canaan, they encountered the fortified city of Jericho. God gave Joshua the following instructions for taking this seemingly impenetrable city.
Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.” – Joshua 6:1-5 NLT
Just the day before, Joshua had encountered an unknown and well-armed soldier. When Joshua asked whether he was a friend or foe, the man said, “I am the commander of the Lord’s army” (Joshuah 5:14 NLT). This pronouncement caused Joshua to fall to the ground in fear and reverence. It was from this divine messenger that Joshua received his orders to take the city of Jericho. By following the LORD’s command, the Israelites enjoyed a surprisingly easy victory over their enemies.
When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it. They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys. – Joshua 6:20-21 NLT
The city of Jericho was eventually rebuilt and occupied by the Israelites. The walls that had fallen were restored, and the men who called this city their home came to assist in the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Those who had the joy of living in the place where God gave the Israelites their first victory were more than happy to play a role in rebuilding the walls of their capital city.
Nehemiah goes on to chronicle the various groups that participated in the rebuilding process. While these names are unknown to modern readers, their inclusion gives the impression that people from every walk of life took part in this God-ordained project. The work was not done by peasants alone. Everyone from the high priest to the local government officials played their part. It was a community-wide effort. But there is one side note that reveals at least one group who chose to bow out of the proceedings.
…the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord. – Nehemiah 3:5 ESV
These elitist upper-class snobs deemed themselves too high and mighty to get their hands dirty. But Nehemiah paints a much more harsh reality. He describes them as unwilling to serve their Lord. They were too good to serve Yahweh.
Yet, their less affluent neighbors labored diligently and willingly to rebuild not just one section of wall, but two.
…the Tekoites repaired another section opposite the great projecting tower as far as the wall of Ophel. – Nehemiah 3:27 ESV
No indictment is leveled against these unnamed nobles, but the Proverbs have much to say about men like them.
A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor. – Proverbs 29:23 BSB
When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom. – Proverbs 11:2 BSB
Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. – Proverbs 18:12 BSB
Despite the pompous attitude of the nobles of Tekoah, the work continued. Others pitched in and, over time, the gates were rebuilt and the walls were restored. This communal project was a testament to Nehemiah’s organizational skills and his powers of persuasion. He had successfully convinced the people of Judah to pool their efforts and accomplish a seemingly impossible task under less-than-ideal circumstances. They labored side by side for months on end, enduring harsh weather conditions and putting up with constant harassment from their enemies. Nehemiah’s description of their efforts makes it sound like everything went off without a hitch. He describes no injuries, setbacks, mishaps, or arguments. This was a do-it-yourself project of epic proportions that would have featured endless opportunities for frustration and confrontation. Mismeasured blocks would have needed to be repaired or replaced. Pulled muscles and broken limbs would have sidelined many, slowing down the work and increasing the workload of others.
And as the following chapter will reveal, the entire project was met with increasing hostility from the local inhabitants. Sanballat and Tobiah were relentless in their attacks, mocking the people of Judah for Don Quixote-like quest to do the impossible.
“What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?” – Nehemiah 4:2 NLT
“That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” – Nehemiah 4:3 NLT
But the work went on and the walls went up. Perseverance and patience were necessary. Faith was a non-negotiable requirement. Determination and cooperation were indispensable. And the people would need to constantly remember that they had Yahweh on their side. The words of Nehemiah needed to ring in their ears as they hammered, hauled, chiseled, and chipped their way to completion.
“The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall.” – Nehemiah 2:20 NLT
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.