In this part Nehemiah lists the process of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, starting with the people working on the north wall and its gates. The north side of wall would have suffered 'the brunt of most attacks on Jerusalem, for those arriving from Mesopotamia'.
Verse 1
"Eliashib the high priest": Eliashib was the son of Joiakim, and the grandson of Jeshua the high priest. Nehemiah begins with the work of Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests to symbolize 'the holy and noble task' in which everyone was engaged.
"The sheep gate": also mentioned in and ; could be the same gate as mentioned in, Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda. The fact that the priests restored it indicates its proximity to the Temple which is confirmed by the reference to it in Nehemiah 12:39. Its position in the northeast portion of Jerusalem gives identification to the modern "St. Stephen's gate."
"The tower of Meah": Hebrew: Hammeah or "the Tower of the Hundred".
"The tower of Hananeel": a well-known landmark, which is mentioned also Nehemiah 12:39; ;, standing midway between "the sheep gate" and "the fish gate", at the northeast corner of Jerusalem, then from this point, the wall which had run northwestern from the sheep gate now turned to west.
The rebuilding process of the wall around Jerusalem, as reported in sections, actually happened simultaneously. While the priests worked on the north wall, others built along the western extension.
Verse 12
"The half part of Jerusalem" : is the 'Zion' half of the city.
"And his daughters": the peculiarity of mentioning "daughters" has led some to consider this word a technical term for 'villages' and 'country towns' adjacent to that quarter of Jerusalem, but the most simple and literal explanation is that the restoration of the walls involved many individuals, including women.
The eastern wall (3:15-32)
The last section describes the building the east wall, which needed more workers, 'probably because it was more extensively damaged'. Twenty-one work details were reported on this side of the wall, with the workers on the Fish Gate 'built' rather than 'repaired' the wall.
Verse 32
"The sheep gate": was the starting place of the wall rebuilding account.
"The goldsmisths and the merchants": represented communities that 'largely and closely interested in the transactions connected with Temple offerings', indicated by the mention of their working in proximity to repair the wall. The "goldsmiths" generally work on 'the supply and repair of vessels, furniture, and dress, required for the daily ministration, the dedication of precious things related to the Temple', whereas the "merchants" would establish stations at the main approaches to the Temple complex to provide supplies for 'the worshippers and sacrificers' visiting the Temple.
