Nehemiah

Nehemiah Chapter 3

Rebuilding the Wall

• Nehemiah 3:1  Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel. 
• 2  And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri. 

So we see that the influence of Nehemiah and the new decree from the king of Persia, the walls of Jerusalem were being rebuilt. The temple was already built by this time. After the rebuilding of the temple, the people living in surrounding cities had to build their own houses and places. This caused the walls and state of Jerusalem to be on hold or neglected until Nehemiah came to restart the project. They employed some of the men of Jericho.

• Nehemiah 3:3  But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 
• 4  And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana. 

The fish gate was where fish was brought in. It was a gate in the northern wall. Fish from the Jordan river and the Sea of Galilee were brought into Jerusalem.

• Nehemiah 3:5  And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord. 

As with much of the work of the Lord, some do not care or do not leave their own private lives to help, letting some one else to the work. This is good in a way because if we are not enthusiastic, our work will not be as fruitful and it may be flawed and not done with care.

• Nehemiah 3:6  Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 

This may have been the Damascus gate on the northern side at the entrance to the city. The main entrance.

• Nehemiah 3:7  And next unto them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, unto the throne of the governor on this side the river. 
• 8  Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries, and they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall. 
• 9  And next unto them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem. 
• 10  And next unto them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, even over against his house. And next unto him repaired Hattush the son of Hashabniah. 
• 11  Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahathmoab, repaired the other piece, and the tower of the furnaces. 

Towers had to be build for watchmen to guard the city. We see towers built in forests and some cities to watch for fires that may break out. The towers in Jerusalem most likely were built to watch for enemies. Israel has always been surrounded by enemies who didn't want them to exist. Satan hates Israel because they were the people God had chosen to bring His own Son into the world to save the lost; both the lost of Israel and the whole Gentile world. To all who comes to Jesus for salvation, no matter who their ancestors were, their names can be written in the book of life and inherit life with God in the coming kingdom that will last forever. All this by believing in Jesus to save us from sin.

• Nehemiah 3:12  And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters. 

Women came to help also. God uses women and they should never be treated as less a person than men. They should be treated with respect and be allowed to serve God according to their abilities also.

• Nehemiah 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. 

It is said that the valley gate was the gate in which Jesus came through going to Mount Calvary where He was crucified. It could be also the Damascus gate that Jesus went through.

• Nehemiah 3:14  But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Bethhaccerem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 

The dung gate was where they got rid of the waste.

• Nehemiah 3:15  But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh, 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. 

A gate near the pool of Siloah. Jesus sent a blind man to wash in that pool to receive his healing.

• John 9:1  And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 
• 2  And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 
• 3  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 
• 4  I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 
• 5  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 
• 6  When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 
• 7  And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. 

I'm thinking this request was given to boost the man's faith. He did as Jesus said and came out seeing. Whatever the reason, Jesus thought it important.

• Nehemiah 3:16  After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Bethzur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty. 

This is where many of the kings were buried called the sepulchres of David.

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

The name Eliashib meant, "God restores." Surely this was a time of restoration.

• Nehemiah 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. 
• 22  And after him repaired the priests, the men of the plain. 

Of the plain was usually what was the Jordan valley.

• Nehemiah 3:23  After him repaired Benjamin and Hashub over against their house. After him repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah by his house. 
• 24  After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another piece, from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall, even unto the corner. 

The northweastern corner.

• Nehemiah 3:25  Palal the son of Uzai, over against the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth out from the king's high house, that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh. 
• 26  Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out. 

At gate at the eastern wall in the Kedron valley.

• Nehemiah 3:27  After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, over against the great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel. 

A slope south of the temple.

• Nehemiah 3:28  From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house.

A gate on the eastern side of the city used for the horses.  

• Nehemiah 3:29  After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate.

A gate east of the temple. In 1530 AD Ottoman Turks walled up the East Gate because of a Jewish tradition that states the Messiah will pass through the Eastern Gate when He comes to rule. Imagine anyone or any nation that would try to stop Jesus from returning, not knowing that when Jesus returns, nothing can stop that. Nothing. It's been in the news of late that the ground is moving a little and they are seeing cracks in the Eastern Gate. I don't know if that has to do with anything but here in 2025 it is really interesting to hear of.

How true the story of the Turks walling up the East Gate, I don't know. It is something to look in to though. I remember a song called the "Eastern Gate" that has the words, "I am going to a city just inside the Eastern Gate." I have heard all my life that at the return of Jesus to set up His kingdom, He will come with His saints that were raptured previously and enter through the eastern gate.

I met a Jewish lady once that asked me how Jesus could return and enter that gate because it is walled up. At the time I had no idea what she was talking about but I realize now that nothing like a closed walled up wall could stop Jesus from going through it. I wish I would have known that at the time. Apparently some Baptist people were trying to talk to her about Jesus. She was asking me what the difference was between the Baptist and the Pentecostals. At least I was able to answer that one since I was raised Pentecostal and knew a lot of Babtist people and how they believed. We all believed the same things except the Pentecostals believe when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit the gift of tongues comes into us as a sign that the Holy Spirit baptism has come. The Baptist believe that we already have the Holy Spirit when we were first saved.

I now believe that both are true. We receive the Holy Spirit at salvation but are completely immersed and filled with the Holy Spirit either at the same time or later but usually there is an evidence of speaking with tongues. They apparently limit the experience of tongues to the time of the Apostles only. Another difference is the Baptist believe that once a person is saved from sin, they are always saved and can't be lost. I always hoped they were right about that one. I'm not so sure though that it is true because if a person believes and receives Jesus, they are saved but if they stop believing and walk away, how can they still be saved? So that part I wonder about.

I don't remember speaking about that part to the Jewish lady though but I did speak of the Holy Spirit baptism. I experienced that myself back in late 1960s. I think it was October 1968. I still speak and even sing in tongues today. October 2025. I never stopped since that first day. I wasn't at church but riding home in a car with my Dad and step mother in the front. I was in the back seat. I had went to church with them that night and they were going to drop me home where I lived with my husband and only had two of my five children at that time. My third child was born exactly one year later.

I was thinking about God and felt His presence on the way home in the back seat of the car. I just started to say something like, Praise the Lord and began to speak in a beautiful language I never heard before. My voice began to speak out even with a different accent. I knew immediately what was happening and so did my Dad and Goldie. Naturally we all rejoiced since they had experienced this same thing in their past. DC

• Nehemiah 3:30  After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another piece. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber. 
• 31  After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith's son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner. 
• 32  And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants. 

The sheep gate was where the sacrifices of sheep entered.

Nehemiah Chapter 4