Read Nehemiah 1 through 3 at Bible Gateway.
Hebrew paragraph divisions
Neh 1:1-11 {p} Nehemiah in the palace at Shushan fasted + prayed for himself and his people Israel
Neh 2:1-3 {s} Nehemiah reveals the sorrow of his heart to the king
Neh 2:4-9 {p} Nehemiah requests to build the wall of Jerusalem/ the king grants his request
Neh 2:10-18 {p} Nehemiah in Jerusalem, to the children of Israel: Let us build the wall
Neh 2:19-3:1 {s} The enemies mocked, but the priests built + sanctified the sheep gate and wall
Neh 3:2a {s} Next to them the men of Jericho built
Neh 3:2b {s} Next to them Zaccur built
Neh 3:3 {s} The sons of Hassenaah built the fish gate
Neh 3:4a {s} Next to them Meremoth repaired the wall
Neh 3:4b {s} Next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah repaired the wall
Neh 3:4c {s} Next to them Zadok the son of Baana repaired the wall
Neh 3:5 {s} Next to them the Tekoites repaired the wall
Neh 3:6 {s} Joiada + Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the gate of the old city
Neh 3:7 {s} The men of Gibeon + Mizpah repaired the governor’s seat of authority
Neh 3:8a {s} Next to him Uzziel, goldsmiths, repaired
Neh 3:8b {s} Next to him Hananiah, perfumers, repaired/ they restored to the broad wall
Neh 3:9 {s} Next to them Rephaiah, ruler of half the district, repaired
Neh 3:10a {s} Next to them Jedaiah repaired against his own house
Neh 3:10b-11 {s} Next to him Hattush repaired with others
Neh 3:12 {s} Next to him Shallum, ruler of half the district, repaired with his daughters
Neh 3:13-14 {s} The valley gate + dung gate repaired, and the wall between them
Neh 3:15 {s} Shallun, ruler of a district, repaired the fountain gate + adjoining wall
Neh 3:16 {s} After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, ruler of a district, repaired
Neh 3:17 {s} After him the Levites + Hashabiah, ruler of a district, repaired
Neh 3:18 {s} After him his brethren Bavvai, ruler of a district, repaired
Neh 3:19 {s} Next to him Ezer, ruler of a district, repaired
Neh 3:20 {s} After him Ezer repaired to the house of the high priest
Neh 3:21 {s} After him Meremoth repaired against the house of the high priest
Neh 3:22-23a {s} After him the priests repaired/ Others repaired against their house
Neh 3:23b {s} After them Azariah repaired against his house
Neh 3:24-25 {s} After him they repaired the corner + to the tower of the king’s house, and past
Neh 3:26 {s} The Nethinim dwelt in Ophel between the water gate and the tower
Neh 3:27-28 {s} The Tekoites repaired to the wall of Ophel/ the priests repaired above the horse gate
Neh 3:29a {s} After him Zadok repaired against his own house
Neh 3:29b {s} After him the keeper of the east gate repaired
Neh 3:30a {s} After him Hananiah + Hanun repaired
Neh 3:30b {s} After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah repaired against his house
Neh 3:31-32 {s} After him the goldsmiths + merchants repaired to the sheep gate
Neh 3:33-35 {p} The enemies were angered when they heard it, and mocked
Neh 3:36-38 {p} Nehemiah’s prayer concerning their mocking/ they completed the wall to half its height
Concerning the chiastic structure, so far the mocking of the enemies are repeating elements surrounding the account of the building of the wall to half its height.
When Zerubbabel and Ezra led a remnant of captives back to Jerusalem from Babylon, their mission was to rebuild the Temple, which had been destroyed when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Temple and the city. Now at last, the Temple was rebuilt, and the king of Persia had even sent additional gold, silver, and money to begin beautifying the Temple (Ezr 7:27).
The city was still in ruins, except for the repairs made to one tenth of its houses, where the remnant dwelt, and its walls and gates were broken down. To rebuild its walls and gates was the mission the LORD laid on Nehemiah’s heart.
Why did the enemies say, when they heard of the rebuilding of the wall, “Would you rebel against the king?” The insinuation was that the walls were being rebuilt to keep the king and his agents out.
“So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days.” Neh 2:11
I was surprised to find this clear sign of the Messiah here in Nehemiah. Three days is a sign of resurrection or the victory of life following death or when facing certain death. We saw the same sign in Esther, when she, facing certain death by going in to the king when she had not been summoned, fasted for three days, and then was granted life instead of death, when he held out his scepter to her.
The certain death, in this case, is the broken down walls and gates surrounding Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a type of the Bride of Messiah, the city of the great King (Rev 21:9-10). Walls are a defensive weapon. It prevents the enemy access, and keeps its citizens secure within. After three days, Nehemiah and the people began to rebuild the walls. That is the resurrection life.
Walls in our lives might be those things we habitually and routinely do, which ensures our safety and maintains our security in the face of the enemy. They would be things like daily prayer and Bible study, regular fellowship and worship, celebrating the weekly Sabbath and the annual cycle of the LORD’s feast days which keep Messiah and the gospel of grace in front of our eyes and the eyes of our children.
What walls in our lives are broken down? Leaving them so is an invitation to the enemy and to death. To rebuild them is to seek the welfare of the people of God — me and you (Neh 2:10). When we rebuild our walls, we increase our security, protection, and prosperity here on this side of heaven.
Further study
Map of Nehemiah’s Jerusalem and the gates – Jesus plus Nothing
(Note: the map and the study of the meaning of the gates as a progression through the believer’s life is interesting. I took the progression through Church history with a grain of salt, and have not had an opportunity to vet the rest of the studies.)
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