Men of Tyre also, who lived in the city, brought in fish: Men of Tyre were people from Tyre, which was the capital of Phoenicia. They were foreign merchants from the north who were living in Jerusalem. They would not have been concerned about keeping the Sabbath. In the city, which is literally “in her,” could refer to either Jerusalem or Judah but probably refers to Jerusalem since it is mentioned in the previous verse. They brought fish from the Mediterranean Sea to sell to the people for food.

All kinds of wares: These are unidentified items for sale or “merchandise” (so Revised English Bible), that is, “all their for-sale things.”

To the people of Judah is literally “to the sons of Judah” (see Ezra 2.1).

In Jerusalem can be understood in several different ways. It may be taken as an addition, indicating that the products were being sold to the people of the province and to the people of the city also (Revised Standard Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). It may be taken as an appositional phrase, that is, the products were being sold to the people of the province, specifically to the people of the city (Osty-Trinquet). It may also be taken as an emphatic phrase, that is, the products were being sold to the people of the province, “even in Jerusalem” (so Revised English Bible; similarly New Living Translation). Or Judah and Jerusalem may be taken together to refer to the Jews living in Jerusalem (Good News Translation). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh selects this last interpretation: “to the Judahites in Jerusalem.” Translators should follow this interpretation.

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .