Nehemiah 12:37

Neh 12:37-38. By the stairs of the city of David — By which they went up to the hill of Zion and the city of David. The other company that gave thanks went over against them — Namely, on the other side of the city, northward and eastward. Even unto the broad wall — Which they had made thicker and stronger than the rest of the wall, for some special reason.

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

Which was the going up to the mount Zion, which is called the city of David.

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

37. at (R.V. by) the fountain gate] For the position of this gate, see note on Neh_3:15.

which was over against them] R.V. and straight before them. Apparently at this point, instead of following the wall round the spurs of the Ophel, the procession went straight on up the steps ascending the brow of the hill.

the stairs of the city of David] Cf. Neh_3:26.

above the house of David] This traditional site seems to have been on the S.E. angle of Ophel. The procession keeping to the ridge above it, moved along in a direction due north, ‘even unto the water gate, eastward,’ i.e. E. 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.

So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God,.... Having made their procession on the wall in different ways, they met in the temple, that is, in the great court of it, for no other would hold them:

and I, and the half of the rulers with me; Nehemiah, and the other half with Hoshaiah, Neh 12:32.

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

Above the house of David - This choir or procession went above (or beyond) the old palace of David, following the line described in Neh 3:16-26, on their way to the eastern wall.

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

And, &c. Protestants, "And the other company of them that gave thanks." --- And upon. Hebrew, "beyond." This company (Haydock) proceeded northward. (Calmet)

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 stairs of the city of David; by which they went up to the hill of Zion, and city of David.

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

37. At the fountain gate — Near the pool or fountain of Siloam.

Neh_3:15.

Which was over against them — Rather, and before them, (נגדם,) referring not to the position of the gate but to the advance of the procession. The word is here used as in Jos_6:5; Jos_6:20, in the sense of straight forwards. The procession passed by the fountain-gate, and straight forwards they went up by the stairs of the city of David. These stairs were situated somewhere on the eastern slope of Zion. Neh_3:15.

At the going up of the wall — Or, in the ascent to the wall. The exact meaning is difficult to determine. The reference may be to some ascent by which the procession moved up to the wall, or went up upon it; or to some rise of ground over which the wall itself was built. Bertheau thinks it was an ascent by which the procession mounted upon the wall, having descended from it at some previous point.

Above the house of David — The probable meaning is, opposite to the building or place where David once had his royal dwelling.

Unto the water gate — Somewhere in the vicinity of the bridge over the Tyropoeon, which connected mounts Zion and Moriah. Neh_3:26. It opened upon a broad street in which the people gathered to hear the law read. Neh_8:1. In this broad place, perhaps, both processions united, and marched together to the house of God. Neh_12:40.

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

At the fountain gate. See above, Neh_2:14 and Neh_3:15. Which was over against them. There is no "which was" in the original; and it was clearly not the gate, but the steps, that were "over against them." They came to the fountain gate in the course of their perambulation of the wall, and there saw, "opposite to them," the steps that led up to the city of David. By these they ascended the eastern hill, and mounting upon the wall once more, followed its course until they reached the water gate," which overlooked the Kidron valley, (Neh_3:26) where they stopped. Above the house of David. See the comment on Neh_3:25.

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

And by the Fountain Gate Before the Fountain Gate, they marched around the city.

and opposite them And before them they ascended from the Fountain Gate to the steps of the City of David, and those steps led to the wall.

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.