Nehemiah 4:13

Neh 4:13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, [and] on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

Ver. 13. Therefore set I in the lower places] I took them off their work, and appointed them to stand upon their guard; appointing them their stations, and giving them orders.

I even set the people after their families] Or, according to their kindreds; for he knew that nature will move one kinsman to be truer to another in all dangers than a stranger; and that one kinsman will open his grief to his friend and take comfort at his hand, rather than to him whom he knoweth not. Hence Nehemiah in policy sorted his soldiers after this sort.

With their swords, their spears, and their bows] These were the ancient weapons of war; neither had death yet learned to cut his way through a wood of men out of the mouth of a murdering piece. Whether the Emperor Wenceslaus did well or ill in executing Barthold Swartz for inventing gunpowder, A. D. 1378, I determine not.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Neh 4:13. Therefore, in the lower places behind the wall — Within the walls, where they were not yet raised to their due height, and therefore most liable to the enemies’ assault. On the higher places — Upon the tops of the walls, where they were finished, and the towers which were built here and there upon the wall, whence they might shoot arrows, or throw stones.

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

4:13 Nehemiah countered by positioning armed guards near the most vulnerable parts of the wall. He also made sure opponents outside the wall could see the forces ready to defend the city.

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

(13) After their families.—In allusion to the ambushes of Neh_4:11, Nehemiah set families together—besides the appointed guards—“ in the lower places,” where the wall was not raised to the due height, that is, really, “on the higher places,” or rather, the bare places, whence enemies might be better seen. The “lower” were the “bare” places.

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

13. Therefore set I, &c.] Nehemiah’s action recorded in this verse was intended to meet the needs of the situation generally. ‘Therefore’ must not be limited in application to Neh_4:12. The difficulties which beset him on so many sides compelled him to suspend part of the building operations, and to employ some of his available men for purposes of defence.

in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places] R.V. In the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, In the open places. The original in this passage is very obscure. The true meaning seems to be given by the R.V. Nehemiah stationed armed detachments under the cover of the wall, in the open spaces, where houses and buildings would not interfere with their movement.

The difficulties of the clause are occasioned by (1) the verb ‘I set’ without an object, although repeated with an object in the next clause: (2) the word rendered ‘the space’ (lit. ‘the place’); (3) the words ‘in the open places.’ The LXX. ἐν τοῖς σκεπεινοῖς seems to have understood ‘sheltered places.’ Others explain of ‘places where the sun shone,’ i.e. where the glint of the soldiers’ armour would betray their presence and deter attack.

According to one bold conjecture we should render, ‘And I set the engines (or catapults) in the space behind the wall in well-protected positions.’

after their families] Probably defending the portion of the wall upon which they were at work. This distribution of the defence among families guaranteed the discipline and organization and energy resulting from the strong clan feeling of the Semitic races. Many would thus be required merely to defend their own homes: cf. Neh_3:28.

swords … spears … bows] the chief offensive weapons: swords for the hand-to-hand melée, spears as the enemy drew near, the bow and arrow for attack from the distance.

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.

Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall,.... Where the wall was lowest, and the enemy could more easily break it down, or get over it:

and on the higher places; where the wall was higher; or rather on the towers upon the walls, as the word signifies the tops of rocks, which are dry and smooth, see Eze 24:2.

I even set the people after their families; according to their rank, number, strength, and valour:

with their swords, their spears, and their bows; with weapons they could use both near, and at a distance.

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

The lower places - The places where those within the walls had the least advantage of elevation, the naturally weak places, where an enemy was likely to make his attack.

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

Place. Hebrew adds, "below." --- Round. Hebrew, "on the hills." (Haydock) --- To remove the apparent contradiction, (Calmet) Protestants supply, "and on the higher places." Septuagint, "in lurking holes," Greek: skepeinois.

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).

In the lower places behind the wall; to stand by and within the walls where they were lowest, and not yet raised to their due height, and therefore most liable to the enemy’s assault.

On the higher places; upon the tops of the walls where they were finished, and the towers which were built here and there upon the wall; whence they might shoot arrows or throw stones against their enemies, when they made their approaches.

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

13. Set I — Or, then I stationed, to wit, people, as is seen further on.

In the lower places — Better, as the margin, from, or at, the lower parts of the place. That is, he stationed men at the lower parts of the city, where there was special danger and greater exposure.

Behind the wall — To defend it, and prevent the enemy from entering the city at those points. The wall thus served as a fortification.

And on the higher places — The and should be omitted, and the rest rendered in the exposed parts. This phrase is not, as the English version makes it, the opposite of the lower places, but relates to behind the wall. He stationed men behind the wall in the exposed places.

I even set — This is a repetition of the first words of the verse, and followed immediately by the object of the verb.

The people — All the inhabitants of the city. They were distributed into the various parts of the city, especially in the lower and more exposed parts, so that all the place was under guard.

After their families — Rather, according to families. The people were distributed by family groups, so that the men that guarded any particular part of the wall had their families and kinsmen nearest them.

Swords… spears… bows — These were not the only kinds of weapons with which they were provided. See Neh_4:16.

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

Then set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places. There is no and m the original. Nehemiah means that in the less elevated places, where the wall was least strong by nature, he had his men posted on conspicuous spots within the walls, where they could be seen from a distance, and so deterred the enemy from advancing. He drew them up after their families, that each man might feel he was fighting for his brethren, sons, etc. (ver. 14).

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

Behind - Within the walls where they were not yet raised to their due height, and therefore most liable to the enemies assault. Higher - Upon the tops of the walls where they were finished, and the towers which were built here and there upon the wall; whence they might shoot arrows, or throw stones.

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

much Heb. הַרְבֵּה, a great [amount of work].

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.