The result of Nehemiah’s actions was that the merchants and sellers, presumably Gentiles, set up shop outside the gates hoping to attract customers to come out of the city to them. The two Hebrew words for merchants and sellers are near synonyms, the first referring to traders or colporteurs (Chouraqui), the second to people who were selling all kinds of merchandise. New Jerusalem Bible calls them “traders and dealers.” Good News Translation conveys the full meaning except the emphasis is lost through the elimination of the repetition in the near synonyms.

Lodged means that they spent the night. New English Bible says they “camped” because there were no normal lodgings or accommodations outside the city walls. It is implicit that this occurred on the night before the Sabbath. Good News Translation makes it explicit that this was Friday night (see the comments on “Friday” at verse 19 above).

Once or twice: Nehemiah does not specify how many times this event was repeated, only that it did happen.

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 .