This section is introduced by the report received by the provincial authorities. The new event in the account is marked by the Hebrew construction with the connective conjunction and the verb “to be,” which is rendered here by Revised Standard Version as Now (see Neh 1.1).

It was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah and to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies: It was reported is literally “it was heard.” This is a Persian grammatical construction and is evidence of the Persian influence in the language of this book. The report is given in indirect quotation form; that is, the exact words of the report are not recorded here, nor is it indicated who gave the report to the authorities. The statement in this verse introduces the next event in Nehemiah’s account. For Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab, see Neh 2.19.

That I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it: The report indicated the progress made since Neh 4.7 when “the breaches were beginning to be closed.” Now the wall had been rebuilt and all the gaps had been filled in.

Although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates: Nehemiah adds his own explanation that only the doors were left to be set up in the gates (see Neh 3.1). Because Nehemiah obviously did not set up the doors himself, Good News Translation changes the pronoun I to “we.” This is acceptable in translation if keeping the first person singular pronoun would be misunderstood. Gates here refer to the openings or “gateways” (Good News Translation) in the wall. This was a critical moment in the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Until the doors had been put in place, the city was still not secure. For this reason those opposed to the fortification of Jerusalem acted at this time to stop the project from being completed.

Regarding the phrase I had not set up, the translator needs to indicate the time relationship of Nehemiah’s narrative very precisely. Nehemiah is recording a history of past events. In that history he says that certain information was given to the authorities at a time that he does not specify. That report recounts what had already taken place and it describes a state at the time of the report, namely, that the wall did not have any breaches in it anymore.

Revised Standard Version indicates Nehemiah’s personal explanation by setting it off in parentheses. Other versions mark this editorial comment by setting it apart with long dashes (so New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible). Still other versions use a separate sentence to make it clear that Nehemiah is adding his own comment (so Bible en français courant). However, what is most important is that the translator marks the flow of the narrative precisely.

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 .