Nehemiah 12:31

Neh 12:31-33. Then I brought up the princes — And half of the people with them, as it is expressed afterward, Neh 12:38. Upon the wall — For the wall was broad and strong, and so built that men might conveniently walk upon it, as at this day it is in many cities. Whereof one went on the right hand — Toward the south and east. Azariah and Ezra — Not the scribe, as is evident from Neh 12:36, but another Ezra.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12:31-37 This impressive march proceeded southward along the top of the wall to the Dung Gate at the southern end of the city (3:13-14). Then the procession continued north on the wall along the east side of the city, past the ruins of the house of David and up to the Water Gate (3:26; 8:1) near the Temple.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Meaning, Nehemiah.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 31. Then I brought up the princes] Perhaps this verse should be read thus: "Then I caused the princes of Judah to go upon the wall, and appointed two great choirs, [to sing praises,] and two processions, one on the right hand, c.

The following seems to have been the order of the procession: he divided the priests, the Levites, the magistrates, and the people into two companies each company to go round one half of the wall. They began at the dung gate, one party going to the right and the other to the left, till they met at the great space opposite to the temple, where they all offered many sacrifices to God, and rejoiced with exceeding great joy; shouting so that the noise was heard a great way off.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(31) The princes.—The chiefs were assembled somewhere on the south-west wall, and then divided into two companies.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

31. the princes of Judah] i.e. all the nobles of the nation.

upon the wall] Much turns upon the meaning of the preposition here used. The words in the Hebrew, ‘from above, with respect to the wall’ have been considered by some to mean ‘beyond, at a little distance from the wall;’ by others ‘over against the wall.’ But a comparison with its use in 2Ch_13:4 (= ‘upon’), Jon_4:6 (= ‘over’) shows that the rendering of the English version may very well be defended.

two great companies of them that gave thanks] R.V. two great companies that gave thanks and went in procession. Literally ‘And I appointed two great thanksgivings and processions.’ The LXX. rendered καὶ ἔστησαν δύο περὶ αἰνέσεως μεγάλους. The Vulg. ‘statui duos magnos choros laudantium’ is clearly the origin of the A.V. rendering. The Hebrew word for ‘procession’ occurs only here in the O.T.

whereof one went on the right hand … dung gate] We have here to supply the words ‘whereof one went,’ which seem to have slipped out of the text. They are needed in order to correspond with ‘the other company’ in Neh_12:38, ‘the right hand;’ facing towards the Temple, the procession moving to the right marched along the southern wall. The starting point seems to have been ‘the valley gate’ of Neh_2:13. ‘Towards the dung gate.’ Cf. Neh_3:14.

31–42. Nehemiah’s description of the dedication of the walls

Two processions headed by the priests and Levites started from near the Valley or Jaffa Gate, and proceeded, the one by the northern, the other by the southern wall, together accomplishing the complete circuit, and meeting one another in the open space on the eastern side of the Temple.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Judah and Benjamin,.... Not the tribes, but the names of the two princes, as Jarchi:

and Shemaiah and Jeremiah; who were two others.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

I brought up - Note the resumption of the first person, which has been laid aside since Neh 7:5, and which is confirmed now to the end of the book. It is generally allowed that we have here once more a memoir by Nehemiah himself.

The two “companies” or choirs, having ascended the wall on its western face, near the modern Jaffa Gate, stood looking eastward toward the city and temple; then the southern choir, being on the right, commenced the circuit of the southern wall, while the choir upon the left proceeded round the northern wall Neh 12:38-39, until both met on the eastern wall, between the water and the prison gates.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Choirs. This is not expressed in Hebrew and Septuagint, but must be understood. Protestants, "great companies of them that gave thanks. Whereof one went." (Haydock) --- The princes led the way, then the priests sounded the trumpets, (Numbers x. 8.) the Levites sung, and were followed by the people. All were divided into two equal parts, and went round half the city. (Calmet) --- They set out from the dunghill-gate, on the west, and proceeded to the watch-gate, on the east, ver. 38. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The princes of Judah, and half of the people with them, as it is expressed afterwards, Neh 12:38.

Upon the wall; for the wall was broad and strong, and so ordered that men might conveniently walk upon it, as at this day it is in many cities.

On the right hand; towards the south and east.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

31. The princes of Judah are here, as usual, the political chiefs or representatives of the new community. It was important for all these, as well as for Nehemiah himself, to appear in the great processions which were so prominent a part of the ceremonies of the day.

Two great companies of them that gave thanks — Or, two great choirs. One of these was to go, as a body of musicians, before each of the great processions.

One went on the right… toward the dung gate — The two processions seem to have started near the valley gate, (Neh_2:13,) and this one going southward, passed round the southwestern corner of the city, near which was the dung gate. See on Neh_2:13; and Plan, page 444.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies. Nehemiah caused all the chiefs of the nation, both lay and clerical, to mount upon the wall, and there marshalled them into two companies, composed of clergy and laity intermixed, one of which he placed under the direction of Ezra (ver. 36), while of the other he took the command himself (ver. 38). The place of assemblage must have been some portion of the western wall, probably the central portion, near the modern Jaffa gate. From this Ezra"s company proceeded southward, and then eastward, along the southern wall, while Nehemiah"s marched northward, and then eastward, along the northern wall, both processions meeting midway in the eastern wall, between the "water" and the "prison" gates. Toward the dung gate. On the position of this gate, see the comment on Neh_2:13.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Princes - And half of the people with them. The wall - For the wall was broad and strong, and so ordered that men might conveniently walk upon it. Right hand - Towards the south and east.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

the leaders of Judah

the leaders of the people who lived in the region of Judah

translationWords

kingdom of Judah

appoint

dung

gate

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

upon the wall meaning that he sanctified the city, the princes, the tribunal, and the Levites with two thanksgiving offerings around the city, as is delineated in Tractate Shebuoth (14a, 15a, b), in order to sanctify the city.

two...thanksgiving offerings two breads of the thanksgiving offerings, each bread being called a thanksgiving offering.

with processions to the right And when they went out of the city in order to encompass it, they went to the right side.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.