Good News Translation restructures this verse to begin with an opening statement that introduces what is told in the following verses: “This is how the city wall was rebuilt.” Contemporary English Version also restructures the verse to make the account clear and logical, but it retains the emphasis on the participants as in the original text: “These are the people who helped rebuild the wall and gates of Jerusalem.” In addition to restructuring this verse, Good News Translation adds a footnote specifying the direction taken in the rebuilding, and notes that many places named in the text are not known. Some translators may wish to add a similar note for information to the reader.
The description of the builders begins with Eliashib the high priest and his brethren the priests. It was appropriate for the priests to be listed first because they started work at the point closest to the Temple. This showed the cooperation of the priests in the rebuilding of the wall. Eliashib was a grandson of Jeshua, the high priest at the time of the first return of exiles (Ezra 3.2). He was related by marriage to Nehemiah’s opponents (see the comments at Neh 2.10). The high priest was the priest who was anointed and consecrated to follow in the direct line of Aaron (see Lev 16.32; 21.10). He is called in Hebrew the “great priest,” and it was he who represented the people before God. His brethren the priests were “his fellow priests” (Good News Translation). For priests see Ezra 1.5.
Rose up … and they built is an echo of the exhortation in Neh 2.18: “Let us rise up and build.” Rose up does not literally mean “to arise.” This verb is often used in Hebrew for beginning an action. New Revised Standard Version therefore says that they “set to work … and rebuilt,” and New International Version says “went to work and rebuilt.” Good News Translation and other translations say “rebuilt” because the wall had existed once and was now being repaired and built up again (see Ezra 4.12-13).
They rebuilt the Sheep Gate, which was the gate nearest the Temple. It was at the eastern end of the northern wall and was the entrance to Jerusalem from the Jericho road through which sheep were brought to the Temple for sacrifice. There may have been a sheep market near this gate.
They consecrated it and set its doors; they consecrated it: The basic meaning of the Hebrew word for consecrated is “to make holy.” It is strange for this word to be used twice here. In the parallel passages in this chapter where the statement set its doors occurs (verses 3, 6, 13, 14, 15), some other aspect of construction is indicated. It has therefore been suggested that the first of the two references to consecrated is a scribal mistake of confusing one letter in the word and that it should read “boarded” or “laid beams” (so Revised English Bible). There is no textual evidence, however, for this change and Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives the Hebrew text a B rating, which is recommended to translators. It is natural that the priests dedicated to God their work, which was adjacent to the Temple. The repetition of the statement of consecration should therefore be retained in the translation, as both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation have done (also Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Good News Translation uses the more common English word “dedicated” (also New International Version). In some languages this may be rendered “they set it aside for God” or “they made it pure for God.”
Set its doors means to put the gates in place in the city wall. In English the technical expression is “to hang doors” (so Contemporary English Version) or “to hang gates.” In verse 3 further details of restoring the city gates are given. Some versions like New Jerusalem Bible include details from verse 3 here: “hung its doors, fixed its bolts and bars.” However, translators should follow the Hebrew text of this verse as Revised Standard Version has done.
As far as the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel: A Tower is usually a tall building that may be used as a lookout point. This was probably the headquarters for a military officer with 100 soldiers under his command. It is not clear why as far as the Tower of the Hundred is immediately followed by as far as the Tower of Hananel. There is no “and” between the two phrases in the Hebrew. Some commentators suggest that something has been omitted in the Hebrew text or that the second phrase may be parenthetical to indicate the location of the first of twin towers. The Tower of Hananel was the most northern point of the city wall and may be part of the Temple fortress in Neh 2.8. Revised Standard Version reproduces the Hebrew syntax, thereby retaining the ambiguity of the original. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives this a B rating. The Revised Standard Version rendering can be read as implying that the Tower of Hananel is another name for the Tower of the Hundred, but this is not so. Good News Translation introduces “and” between the two phrases to express the meaning that it understands. It is suggested that translators add “and” between the two phrases, as Good News Translation and other recent major translations have done (so New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible).
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 .