Nehemiah continues to list landmarks along the route taken by this half of the procession. It went above the Gate of Ephraim (see Neh 8.16), by the Old Gate (see the comments at Neh 3.6), by the Fish Gate (see Neh 3.3) and the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred (see Neh 3.1), to the Sheep Gate (see comment at Neh 3.1). The route of this company ended at the Gate of the Guard. This may refer to the Muster Gate, the Temple gate giving access to the court of the Temple guard (see Neh 3.31).

The Hebrew prepositions in this verse are a problem for translators. The Hebrew preposition ʿal, which is rendered by, occurs with the Old Gate and the Fish Gate. It usually means “on, over, upon” and some translations therefore say “over” in this context (so Revised English Bible). The two towers have no prepositions with them. A variety of prepositions or no prepositions is possible in translating this verse. Revised Standard Version closely follows the Hebrew text, while Good News Translation simply indicates the movement and direction of the procession.

They came to a halt is a formal English expression for the ending of a procession. New English Bible says “they halted.” Good News Translation expresses it in a similar way with “We ended our march.” New International Version says “they stopped” without an allusion to a procession. Although the narrative has been told in the first person, the narrator here uses a third person plural form of the Hebrew verb. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible and Nouvelle version Segond révisée accommodate this shift from first person to third person by using the French indefinite on (“one” in English) as the subject of the verb. A number of translations do as Good News Translation has done. They shift to a first person plural exclusive pronoun, “we stopped” (Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation), to maintain a consistency of reference. Translators will need to use the pronoun and appropriate verb form to make the narrative clear.

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 .

Remember them, O my God: Nehemiah this time in another brief prayer asks God to Remember the wrongdoers as in Neh 6.14, rather than himself (see also Neh 4.4). Nehemiah has taken Jehoiada’s son as an example and has punished him, but in his prayer he calls upon God to punish all those guilty of violating the priesthood through marriage with foreigners. This is a call for God’s vengeance and punishment upon them because of the evil things they have done. In translation it will be necessary in some languages to say something like “O my God, remember those people and punish them” (compare Contemporary English Version, which has “I pray that God will punish them”).

They have defiled the priesthood: They have brought defilement or pollution upon the priesthood (see Ezra 2.62) by marrying foreigners, that is, by marrying into Sanballat’s family. They have made the state of being a priest unclean before God. This can be translated “they have put [ritual] filth upon being a priest.”

The defilement extends to the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. Following another manuscript tradition, some translations say “covenant of the priests and the Levites” (Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Osty-Trinquet). To defile a covenant means not only to break it, but also to bring dishonor upon it (so Bible en français courant). For comments on covenant, see Ezra 10.3. The covenant here could refer to the oath made by the Jews in Neh 10.28-30 to separate themselves from the peoples of the land and not intermarry with them. But this prohibition was not limited to the priests and Levites. In Num 25.12-13 there is a covenant of peace and perpetual priesthood given to the descendants of Phinehas because of his zealousness in opposition to intermarriage with foreigners. Mal 2.4-9 may be a commentary on this covenant as it refers to a covenant of life and peace with Levi that included reverence for God, righteousness in life and speech, and the responsibility to teach knowledge to the people. In the context of the Malachi passage, there is also a condemnation of marriage with “the daughter of a foreign god” (Mal 2.11).

Good News Translation is a good model for the translator to follow in translating this verse (see also New Jerusalem Bible and Revised English Bible). In many languages it will also be helpful to treat this verse as a separate paragraph as Good News Translation does.

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 .

We have acted very corruptly against thee: This clause in Hebrew is literally “To act corruptly, we have acted corruptly toward you.” This is an emphatic construction that focuses on the verb. Revised Standard Version therefore inserts the adverb very (also Darby), while Nouvelle version Segond révisée says “We have really acted badly toward you.” Chouraqui translates it “We have bonded together, bonded against you.”

Have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and ordinances: The sins that Nehemiah is confessing are specified as failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances (see also Neh 9.13; Ezra 7.10-11; 9.10). The three Hebrew words are the plural forms of mitswah, choq, and mishpat. These are the traditional terms to summarize all the Law of Moses as found in the torah or the Pentateuch (see Deut 5.31; 6.1). Because of the similar meaning and the uses of these words in other contexts, translators do not all agree on equivalents. In fact, the three words are used interchangeably. King James Version translates “the commandments, nor the statutes, the judgments,” New International Version uses “the commands, decrees and laws,” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “the commandments, the laws, and the rules,” while New Jerusalem Bible calls them “the commandments, laws and rulings.” Good News Translation summarizes the three terms together in the one word “laws,” but it is preferable to retain separate terms as Revised Standard Version has done. Translators should not try to find subtle differences between the separate Hebrew words. Nevertheless, the use of three near synonyms produces emphasis that may be lost by less repetition of keywords. In some languages it may not be possible to find several terms for laws and commands, in which case this type of repetition will not be possible to achieve in the translation.

Which thou didst command thy servant Moses: Nehemiah referred to himself in verse 6 above as God’s “servant,” and he referred to the Israelites as God’s “servants.” Here he refers to Moses as thy servant Moses. The title servant is used more often for Moses than for anyone else in the Bible (see Exo 14.31; Deut 34.5; Josh 1.1). The reference to Moses here is a reminder of the covenant relationship between God and the people of Israel that was referred to in verse 5 above. The repetition of the servant theme draws attention to the covenant relationship that has existed from the time of Moses to the time of Nehemiah and the Jews of his time. Good News Translation renders the archaic language of the clause which thou didst command thy servant Moses in contemporary English form.

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 .

Jedaiah the son of Harumaph repaired opposite his house: Jedaiah was assigned the section of wall nearest his house. Revised Standard Version says opposite his house but each language will use its own way of referring to the spatial relationship of the house to the wall. “In the face of his house,” “right beside his house” (compare Contemporary English Version), and “looked at his own house” are possible ways of expressing the meaning. His house must be translated to refer to “his own house” and not to refer to someone else’s house. Some languages use a special pronoun to make it clear that the possessive pronoun relates to Jedaiah himself and not to another person.

Harumaph was a nickname meaning “cleft nose.”

The name Hattush occurs three other places in Ezra and Nehemiah. He was a descendant of David in Ezra 8.2; one who set his seal on the covenant in Neh 10.4; and a priest who returned with Zerubbabel in Neh 12.2.

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 .

As in verse 1 above, this verse begins with the Hebrew construction with the connective conjunction and the verb “to be,” but Revised Standard Version does not have an expression for it here. It is rendered “So it was” by New King James Version .

When the Jews who lived by them came they said to us ten times: The Jews who lived by them were those who lived near the borders of the territories of the peoples who were opposing the Jews. They have appealed to those in Jerusalem ten times, which is an expression that means “many times,” “time after time” (Good News Translation), or “a dozen times” (Revised English Bible).

The Hebrew text for this whole verse can be literally translated “And it happened when the Jews dwelling by them came and said to us ten times from all the places, ‘You should come back to us.’ ” With this translation the verse can be understood as an appeal by the Jews outside Jerusalem for those in Jerusalem to leave the city and return to the villages and country to avoid being attacked by their enemies. They make this appeal out of sympathy for the builders. This translation and interpretation is favored by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (B rating) as making the most sense of a difficult text and providing a basis for the action of Nehemiah in the next verse. This interpretation should be followed by the translator. Otherwise, it should at least be recorded in a footnote as an alternative rendering. For “from all the places, ‘You should come back to us,’ ” the Septuagint has “They are coming against us from all places/sides.” New International Version has “Wherever you turn, they will attack us,” but this is based on an unprecedented understanding of the Hebrew word for “come back” (similarly New King James Version ). Many emendations have been suggested including they live for “You should come back” (Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible; similarly New English Bible) and “plans which our enemies were making” in place of “places, ‘You should come back’ ” (Good News Translation; similarly Contemporary English Version). Neither of these conjectures has any textual evidence.

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 .

I sent messengers to them, saying: Nehemiah sent people back to Sanballat and Geshem with his answer that is recorded in the form of direct quotation.

I am doing a great work: Nehemiah did not directly turn down the invitation but said that he was too busy. His excuse was the “important work” (Good News Translation) of rebuilding the wall that his enemies wanted to stop by having him come to meet them. In the Hebrew text the object a great work is placed before the verb. This reinforces the fact that Nehemiah was claiming to be too busy. A possible translation model is “The work I am doing is so important that….”

I cannot come down: The Hebrew verb rendered come down may mean either “go down” or “come down.” In most languages it will be necessary to choose the one meaning or the other, as is the case in English. The choice of verb will indicate the speaker’s perspective, whether the speaker is locating himself down with the people to whom Nehemiah is sending his reply, or is locating himself with Nehemiah. Revised Standard Version has chosen the former, while Good News Translation has chosen the latter. The notion of coming or going down refers to descending to a lower geographical location or going away from Jerusalem, not to climbing down off the wall. Translators should use whichever verb is more natural in their language.

Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?: This is a rhetorical question to which Nehemiah does not expect an answer (so Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible). It has been translated in the form of a statement by Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version, which has “I can’t afford to slow down the work just to visit with you.”

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 .

They refused to obey is literally “they refused to listen.” This is a repetition of the preceding line, but it is stated more strongly by using the active verb “refuse.”

Were not mindful of the wonders which thou didst perform among them means that they “did not remember” (New English Bible) or “they forgot” (Good News Translation) the wonderful things that God had done among them in freeing them from slavery in Egypt (see verse 10 above).

They stiffened their neck: If possible this should be translated similarly to the preceding verse where it also occurs. The repetition gives poetic emphasis. Amplified Bible makes their stubbornness against God explicit by translating “[they] stiffened their necks, and in their rebellion….”

Appointed a leader to return to their bondage in Egypt: Appointed a leader is literally “gave a head.” This phrase can mean “determined” (for example 1 Chr 16.7, where Revised Standard Version has “first appointed”), but it usually means to “appoint a leader” (as in Exo 18.25; Deut 1.15; 1 Chr 12.18). It is this interpretation that Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation have adopted here. The reference is to the time when the people proposed to choose someone to lead them back to Egypt in Num 14.4, where the same phrase is translated “choose a captain” (New Revised Standard Version) or “choose a leader” (Good News Translation, New International Version). Other translations adopt the alternative interpretation, that is, that the people put it in their heads to return to slavery in Egypt (so Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). New Jerusalem Bible renders it as “made up their minds to return to their slavery in Egypt,” and Contemporary English Version translates “they were determined to return to Egypt and become slaves again.” Since the statement here is based on Num 14.4, this indicates that the appointment of a leader is intended here and this is the recommended translation.

For bondage see Ezra 9.8-9.

The phrase in Egypt follows the Septuagint and several Hebrew manuscripts and corresponds to Num 14.4. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives it a C rating. MT has “in their rebellion,” which appears to be a misspelling of the word for Egypt due to the dropping of one letter. Since the statement here is based on Num 14.4, this indicates that the appointment of a leader to lead them back to Egypt is intended here and this is the recommended translation.

But thou art a God …: This line begins with the Hebrew connective conjunction. Here it marks a strong contrast between what has just been said and what will follow. The contrast is between what the Israelites had done and the nature of God. The description of God is introduced by the independent second person singular pronoun. This may be rendered similarly in some languages by an emphatic pronoun followed by a normal pronoun; for example, “But YOU, you are God…” (Deftere Allah). Other languages may say “But you, for your part, are….” In shifting the focus from the Israelites to God, translators must be careful to use words that show appropriate respect for God. In some languages this will require using a second person plural pronoun or another honorific marker for God.

God’s character is described by a series of attributes. These are key terms that translators must take great care in translating. They describe the very nature of God as recorded in Exodus in his declaration about himself when he gave the Ten Commandments to Moses the second time (Exo 34.6; see also Psa 86.15). Several of the same attributes are found in the passage of Numbers referred to above (Num 14.18). Ready to forgive means he is “quick to forgive” (Contemporary English Version) people who are sinful and unfaithful to him. The Hebrew word rendered gracious is related to a verb meaning “to be kind” (so New Century Version). The Hebrew word translated merciful is related to the word for “womb” and suggests a very deep level of compassion. Slow to anger is literally “long of nostrils,” which means God’s nostrils do not quickly show anger. For steadfast love, see the comment at Ezra 3.11. These concepts may be expressed in different ways in other languages: some by adjectives, others by figurative language, and others perhaps by praise terms.

In spite of their rebellion, they acknowledge that God did not forsake them; that is, God “did not desert them” (New International Version) or “abandon them” (New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). In some languages a figure of speech may be appropriate, such as “you did not turn your back on them” or “you did not toss them to the ground.”

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 .