This is the Third part of our series entitled: Built Different.

(Nehemiah 03) Then Eliashib the high priest and the other priests started to rebuild at the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set up its doors, building the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and the Tower of Hananel. 2 People from the town of Jericho worked next to them, and beyond them was Zaccur son of Imri.

3 The Fish Gate was built by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid the beams, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. 4 Meremoth son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz repaired the next section of wall. Beside him were Meshullam son of Berekiah and grandson of Meshezabel, and then Zadok son of Baana. 5 Next were the people from Tekoa, though their leaders refused to work with the construction supervisors.

6 The Old City Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid the beams, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. 7 Next to them were Melatiah from Gibeon, Jadon from Meronoth, people from Gibeon, and people from Mizpah, the headquarters of the governor of the province west of the Euphrates River. 8 Next was Uzziel son of Harhaiah, a goldsmith by trade, who also worked on the wall. Beyond him was Hananiah, a manufacturer of perfumes. They left out a section of Jerusalem as they built the Broad Wall.

9 Rephaiah son of Hur, the leader of half the district of Jerusalem, was next to them on the wall. 10 Next Jedaiah son of Harumaph repaired the wall across from his own house, and next to him was Hattush son of Hashabneiah. 11 Then came Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab, who repaired another section of the wall and the Tower of the Ovens. 12 Shallum son of Hallohesh and his daughters repaired the next section. He was the leader of the other half of the district of Jerusalem.

13 The Valley Gate was repaired by the people from Zanoah, led by Hanun. They set up its doors and installed its bolts and bars. They also repaired the 1,500 feet of wall to the Dung Gate.

14 The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Recab, the leader of the Beth-hakkerem district. He rebuilt it, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. 15 The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallum son of Col-hozeh, the leader of the Mizpah district. He rebuilt it, roofed it, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. Then he repaired the wall of the pool of Siloam near the king’s garden, and he rebuilt the wall as far as the stairs that descend from the City of David. 16 Next to him was Nehemiah son of Azbuk, the leader of half the district of Beth-zur. He rebuilt the wall from a place across from the tombs of David’s family as far as the water reservoir and the House of the Warriors. 17 Next to him, repairs were made by a group of Levites working under the supervision of Rehum son of Bani. Then came Hashabiah, the leader of half the district of Keilah, who supervised the building of the wall on behalf of his own district. 18 Next down the line were his countrymen led by Binnui son of Henadad, the leader of the other half of the district of Keilah.

19 Next to them, Ezer son of Jeshua, the leader of Mizpah, repaired another section of wall across from the ascent to the armory near the angle in the wall. 20 Next to him was Baruch son of Zabbai, who zealously repaired an additional section from the angle to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 Meremoth son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz rebuilt another section of the wall extending from the door of Eliashib’s house to the end of the house.

22 The next repairs were made by the priests from the surrounding region. 23 After them, Benjamin and Hasshub repaired the section across from their house, and Azariah son of Maaseiah and grandson of Ananiah repaired the section across from his house. 24 Next was Binnui son of Henadad, who rebuilt another section of the wall from Azariah’s house to the angle and the corner. 25 Palal son of Uzai carried on the work from a point opposite the angle and the tower that projects up from the king’s upper house beside the court of the guard. Next to him were Pedaiah son of Parosh, 26 with the Temple servants living on the hill of Ophel, who repaired the wall as far as a point across from the Water Gate to the east and the projecting tower. 27 Then came the people of Tekoa, who repaired another section across from the great projecting tower and over to the wall of Ophel.

28 Above the Horse Gate, the priests repaired the wall. Each one repaired the section immediately across from his own house. 29 Next Zadok son of Immer also rebuilt the wall across from his own house, and beyond him was Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the gatekeeper of the East Gate. 30 Next Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section, while Meshullam son of Berekiah rebuilt the wall across from where he lived. 31 Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the wall as far as the housing for the Temple servants and merchants, across from the Inspection Gate. Then he continued as far as the upper room at the corner. 32 The other goldsmiths and merchants repaired the wall from that corner to the Sheep Gate.

The Book of Nehemiah in One Sentence:

The Book of Nehemiah is about a man who rebuilt a city by rebuilding a people.

Why should you care:

When we understand the characteristics of Nehemiah's character, we can see the kind of person we work to become so they Lord can use us to build His kingdom.

Part Three: We Make It Better Together.

The Chapter Three Overview.

Though God's Name is not mentioned (except for one possibility earlier in the chapter), He is active throughout the chapter in how His promise to help them is a motivation to attempt what may have seemed impossible. They have been staring at this wall for most of their lives at this point. However, the promise of God's help has motivated them to believe it is possible.

If you follow all the efforts, there are roughly 45 different sections that start being rebuilt. The chapter follows one section after another by different people, from different backgrounds. The different gates mentioned are:

Sheep Gate — Nehemiah 3:1
- Rebuilt by Eliashib the high priest and the other priests.
- Located near the temple area.
- Probably called the Sheep Gate because sheep used for sacrifices were brought through it.
- Significantly, the rebuilding begins with the priests and a gate connected with worship.
Fish Gate — Nehemiah 3:3
- Rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah.
- Likely called the Fish Gate because merchants brought fish into Jerusalem through this entrance.
- It was probably an important commercial entrance into the city.
Old Gate — Nehemiah 3:6
- Repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah.
- Sometimes translated the Jeshanah Gate.
- Its exact location is debated, but it appears to have been one of Jerusalem’s older entrances.
Valley Gate — Nehemiah 3:13
- Repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah.
- Opened toward the valley west or southwest of Jerusalem.
- Nehemiah had previously gone out through this gate during his nighttime inspection of the wall (Nehemiah 2:13).
Dung Gate — Nehemiah 3:14
- Repaired by Malkijah son of Recab.
- Located on the southern side of Jerusalem.
- Used for carrying refuse and waste out of the city toward the Valley of Hinnom.
- This was probably one of the least desirable sections of the rebuilding project.
Fountain Gate — Nehemiah 3:15
- Repaired by Shallum son of Kol-Hozeh.
- Located near the Pool of Siloam and the City of David.
- Its location was connected with Jerusalem’s water supply.
Water Gate — Nehemiah 3:26
- Located on the eastern side of Jerusalem near the temple area.
- The text describes workers repairing the wall opposite the Water Gate, rather than specifically saying that the gate itself was rebuilt.
- This later becomes the location where Ezra reads the Law to the people in Nehemiah 8.
Horse Gate — Nehemiah 3:28
- The priests repaired the section of wall above the Horse Gate.
- Located on the eastern side of Jerusalem near the royal and temple areas.
- Probably used for horses entering and leaving the city, especially those connected with the king or military.
East Gate — Nehemiah 3:29
- Shemaiah son of Shecaniah repaired the wall near the East Gate.
- Located on the eastern side of Jerusalem.
- It faced toward the Mount of Olives and the Kidron Valley.
Inspection Gate — Nehemiah 3:31
- Also translated the Muster Gate, Miphkad Gate, or Gate of Inspection.
- Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the area near this gate.
- Its name may suggest a place where people, soldiers, or goods were inspected or mustered.

Perhaps the greatest miracle in the earlier chapters is their willingness to believe it was possible and work together to do something they could never do alone.

Verse 1-2: They built as an act of worship.

Verse 1: It is significant that the High Priest went first and began working on the Sheep Gate.
- The high priest was the grandson of the High Priest during the time of Zerubbabel.
- The Sheep Gate had spiritual significance because that is where they brought in their animals for sacrifice.

Verse 5-14: They built despite it all not going perfectly.

Verse 05- The leaders of Tekoa refused to help. While it is not known, the language of the Hebrew seem to indicate they did not want to be led by Nehemiah.
- We can see later that the Tokoians help in other areas without their leaders.
Verse 08- It appears they left out a section of the wall. What commentators say this means is that it did not need to be rebuilt. That section of the wall was fine, or they rebuilt it in a different direction. This does not mean they forgot to build it.
Verse 14- The Dung Gate is exactly what it sounds like. This is where the people would take their trash to be burned outside the city.

Verse 28-32: They built to make a difference right where they were.

Verse 28-32-
- The two significant things to notice are:
  - 1- Everyone worked on the wall in front of their home. This was likely done to encourage excellence (They would want their home to be protected), encourage quickness (They did not have to travel), and encourage everyone getting involved.
  - 2- Everyone worked on the wall, even goldsmiths and merchants. The text is careful to tell us this so we can see what this picture looks like. This is not a bunch of brick masons. These all different types of people who have decided to come together for this great work.