Verse 3 is a summary of the full event that is described in detail in the following verses 4 to 8. This pattern of summarizing an event first and then of recounting it in detail is characteristic of Hebrew narrative style. Translators should be careful that this narrative style does not confuse the sequence of events as the details are given in the next verses.

He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate: The Hebrew expression for facing the square is interpreted differently by various versions. Logically, it could mean that Ezra was turned toward the square where the people were gathered and that the square itself was located facing or in front of the Water Gate (so Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Nouvelle version Segond révisée says that he read “in front of the square that was in front of the Water Gate.” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible says that he read “in the square that was in front of the Water Gate” (similarly Good News Translation). Translators should express the meaning that “he read the Law in the square before the Water Gate.”

From early morning to midday: This can be expressed in various ways, for example, “from daybreak [or, dawn] until noon [or, the middle of the day].” Translators should use a natural expression in the receptor language, such as “from the first light until midday” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “from the cutting of the dawn to the overhead sun.” Expressions that are anachronistic should be avoided, for example, “from 6 o’clock until 12 o’clock noon.”

The ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law: This is a figure of speech referring to the people as they were listening to the reading of the Law. Good News Translation expresses this in contemporary English. Bible en français courant translates similarly in French: “All listened attentively to this reading.” Many languages have a similar expression that should be used; for example, “the ears of all the people were on the book of the Law” or “… were turned toward the book of the Law.” The expression should imply a positive action and not have a negative connotation like “they strained their ears to hear….”

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 .

Forty years indicates the length of time that God cared for his people in the wilderness. In contemporary English it is normal to use a preposition with the time here, for example, “Through forty years” (Good News Translation), “for forty years” (Contemporary English Version, New Jerusalem Bible), or “During forty years” (Revised English Bible). New English Bible says it poetically with “Forty years long.”

Didst thou sustain them means to care for them. The next clause explains the full meaning of God’s sustaining them, that is, the fact that they lacked nothing. All their basic needs were provided. Good News Translation combines the two clauses into one that includes both the fact of God’s providing for them and the fact that all their needs were met, and some translators will find it helpful to follow this example.

Wilderness: See verse 19 above.

Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell: Not only did God provide food and water, but he also cared for their material needs and for their health. They could wear the same clothes for forty years and their feet did not swell with pain or blisters (Deut 8.4). “Their shoes didn’t wear out” in an earlier version of Contemporary English Version was evidently based on the statement in Deut 29.5 that refers to both clothes and shoes, but the Hebrew word used in both this verse and Deut 29.5 refers to garments, so translators should not follow that example. In some languages translators may say that their clothes did not become torn or that the cloth did not become weak because of wear. Translators should observe the parallelism in this verse where the statement in the first part is exemplified in the second part.

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 .

The people blessed …: This is taken by the Good News Translation as praising or congratulating them for doing this. New International Version and New Living Translation say “The people commended,” and Bible en français courant expresses it as being “especially grateful.” The more literal Hebrew sense of blessing is to ask God to prosper or provide well-being and long life to someone (see Ezra 7.27). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible both say “The people gave their blessing,” and Revised English Bible states it more formally with “The people invoked a blessing.” Those who received a blessing were those who volunteered to live in Jerusalem. They were men who chose themselves to be part of the ten percent rather than being chosen by lot so that fewer people would be obliged to move. Obviously it was considered a sacrifice to leave one’s traditional home.

In Hebrew, willingly offered is a masculine plural participle meaning “those offering themselves” or “those being willing” to do something. This expression was used of men who volunteered for military service. The people here who are willing to go to Jerusalem are considered to be brave. They are called “valiant men” (verse 6 below) and “mighty men of valor” (verse 14 below). They would be a kind of paramilitary reserve to supplement the governor’s guard. Such a practice was a policy of the Persian government. For the last half of the verse, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “all the men who willingly settled in Jerusalem.”

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 .

These are the names of the chiefs or leaders of the priests and Levites who returned from exile in the time of Zerubbabel, governor of Judah in the time of Darius, and Jeshua, high priest at that time (see Ezra 2.2). The names of the priests and Levites listed here became the names of the priestly divisions and Levitical divisions (see Ezra 6.18) for their turns and responsibilities.

Came up: See the comment on “go up” at Ezra 1.3.

Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra: The list of priests begins with these three names and Good News Translation incorporates them with the following verses in order for the list to appear as a single unit.

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 gave orders and they cleansed the chambers: The text does not specify what the orders were or to whom they were given. However, the Hebrew construction makes it clear that the orders were to cleanse the chambers. In some languages it will be necessary to restructure here as Good News Translation has done to make the meaning clear. It would be possible to say something like one of the following:

• I told the priests to purify the rooms and they did so.

• I commanded the priests to cause the rooms to be made ritually clean and they did so.

The purification was probably done according to the procedure described in Lev 14.49-53. Not only the chamber used by Tobiah, but evidently the chambers in the vicinity with which he had contact and which had been misused were cleansed.

I brought back thither …: Although Nehemiah writes in the first person, it was not he himself who restored the Temple objects to their rightful place. The verb in Hebrew is in the causative form. As governor he gave orders to other people to perform these duties as Good News Translation indicates. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible translates “I caused to be brought back.” Thither is an archaic English word that means “to that place” or “in that direction.” The current English verbal constructions, brought back and “put back” (Good News Translation), do not require an adverb of location, but some languages will need to indicate the location where the Temple objects were brought back to.

The Hebrew word for vessels is the same as that translated “household furniture” in the previous verse and refers to the Temple equipment and furnishings that had been removed. The storage of the tithes referred to in verse 5 is not yet mentioned because their collection had not yet been resumed at this point in time (see verse 12 below).

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 .