Nehemiah 7:3

Nehemiah 7:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house.
• New International Version (NIV)I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And I said to them, "Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. And while they are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their guard posts and some in front of their own homes."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And I said to them, “Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut and bar the doors; and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house.”

Context of Nehemiah 7:3

1After the wall was finished and I had set up the doors in the gates, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed. 2I gave the responsibility of governing Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, for he was a faithful man who feared God more than most. I said to them, “Do not leave the gates open during the hottest part of the day. And even while the gatekeepers are on duty, have them shut and bar the doors. Appoint the residents of Jerusalem to act as guards, everyone on a regular watch. Some will serve at sentry posts and some in front of their own homes.” 4At that time the city was large and spacious, but the population was small, and none of the houses had been rebuilt. 5So my God gave me the idea to call together all the nobles and leaders of the city, along with the ordinary citizens, for registration. I had found the genealogical record of those who had first returned to Judah. This is what was written there:

Nehemiah 7:3 word by word

וָאֹמַ֣ר לָהֶ֗ם לֹ֣א יִפָּֽתְח֞וּ שַׁעֲרֵ֤י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ עַד־חֹ֣ם הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ וְעַ֨ד הֵ֥ם עֹמְדִ֛ים יָגִ֥יפוּ הַדְּלָת֖וֹת וֶאֱחֹ֑זוּ וְהַעֲמֵ֗יד מִשְׁמְרוֹת֙ יֹשְׁבֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם אִ֚ישׁ בְּמִשְׁמָר֔וֹ וְאִ֖ישׁ נֶ֥גֶד בֵּיתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And I saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto them, Let not the gatesשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
• of Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
• be openedפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
• until the sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁshemesh · sunH8121
• be hotחֹםchôm · heatH2527
• and while they stand byעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: appointH5975
• let them shutגּוּףgûph · to shutH1479
• the doorsדֶּ֫לֶתdeleth · doorH1817
• and barאָחַז'âchaz · to graspH270
• watchesמִשְׁמֶ֫רֶתmishmereth · chargeH4931
• of the inhabitantsיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• every oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• in his watchמִשְׁמָרmishmâr · custodyH4929
• over against his houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004

Cross-references for Nehemiah 7:3

• Nehemiah 13:19Then I commanded that the gates of Jerusalem should be shut as darkness fell every Friday evening, not to be opened until the Sabbath ended. I sent some of my own servants to guard the gates so that no merchandise could be brought in on the Sabbath day.
• Psalms 127:1Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.
• Matthew 10:16“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.
• Nehemiah 3:23After them, Benjamin and Hasshub repaired the section across from their house, and Azariah son of Maaseiah and grandson of Ananiah repaired the section across from his house.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 7:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Until the sun be hot - The meaning of this is, the gates were not to be opened before sunrise, and always shut at sunset. This is the custom to the present day in many of the cities of the East if a traveler arrives after sunset, he finds the gates shut; and on no consideration will they open them till the next morning, so that those who come late are obliged to lodge in the plain, or under the walls. Every one - over against his house - Each was obliged…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Until the sun be hot - An unusual precaution. The ordinary practice in the East is to open town gates at sunrise.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The gatekeepers were meant to close the gates in the afternoon when people rested and were not ready to defend the city. In other texts, similar language describes the hottest part of the day when people go inside (Genesis 18:1; 2 Samuel 4:5).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot, &c.--In the East it is customary to open the gates of a city at sunrise, and to bar them at sunset--a rule which is very rarely, and not except to persons of authority, infringed upon. Nehemiah recommended that the gates of Jerusalem should not be opened so early; a precaution necessary at a time when the enemy was practising all sorts of dangerous stratagems, to ensure that the inhabitants…Read the comment

Topics related to Nehemiah 7:3

• Watchman

In the dictionaries

• Jerusalem
• Charge
• Day
• Acud
• Addus
• Adin
• Ammidioi; Ammidoi
• Appoint
• Augia
• Baiterus

Commentaries on Nehemiah 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings