Albert Barnes Commentary Nehemiah 3:17-30

"After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of half the district of Keilah, for his district. After him repaired their brethren, Bavvai the son of Henadad, the ruler of half the district of Keilah. And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another portion, over against the ascent to the armory at the turning [of the wall]. After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired another portion, from the turning [of the wall] unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. After him repaired Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz another portion, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib. And after him repaired the priests, the men of the Plain. After them repaired Benjamin and Hasshub over against their house. After them repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah beside his own house. After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another portion, from the house of Azariah unto the turning [of the wall], and unto the corner. Palal the son of Uzai [repaired] over against the turning [of the wall], and the tower that standeth out from the upper house of the king, which is by the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh [repaired]. (Now the Nethinim dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that standeth out.) After him the Tekoites repaired another portion, over against the great tower that standeth out, and unto the wall of Ophel. Above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his own house. After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his own house. And after him repaired Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the east gate. After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another portion. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber." — Nehemiah 3:17-30 (ASV)

The constant mention of “priests,” “Levites,” and “Nethinims” sufficiently indicates that the writer is here concerned with the priestly quarter, the area immediately around the temple (Nehemiah 3:18).

Bavai – Or, “Binnui” (Nehemiah 3:24; Nehemiah 10:9).

The armoury at the turning of the wall – literally, “the armoury of the corner.” The northwestern corner of the special wall of the “city of David” seems to be intended (see the note on Nehemiah 3:1) (Nehemiah 3:20).

The other piece – Rather, “another piece.” The notice of Baruch’s first piece, like that of Malchijah’s and Hashub’s (Nehemiah 3:11), seems to have slipped out of the text (Nehemiah 3:20).

The word here translated “plain” is applied in the rest of Scripture almost exclusively to the Ghor or Jordan valley. Compare, however, to Nehemiah 12:28 (Nehemiah 3:22).

The turning of the wall – The northeastern angle of the “city of David” seems here to be reached. At this point a tower “lay out” (Nehemiah 3:25), or projected extraordinarily, from the wall, probably being a watchtower commanding the Kidron valley and all the approaches to the city from the southeast, the east, and the northeast (Nehemiah 3:24).

The “king’s high house” is almost certainly the old palace of David, which was on the Temple Hill and probably occupied a position directly north of the temple (Nehemiah 3:25).

That was by the court of the prison – Prisons were in former times adjuncts of palaces. The palace of David must have had its prison; and the “prison gate” (Nehemiah 12:39) was clearly in this quarter.

The marginal reading is better. On the Nethinims, see the note on 1 Chronicles 9:2 (Nehemiah 3:26).

Ophel was the slope south of the temple (see the marginal reference “y” note); and the water-gate, a gate in the eastern wall, was either for the escape of the superfluous water from the temple reservoirs or for the introduction of water from the Kidron valley when the reservoirs were low.

The foundations of an outlying tower near the southeast angle of the temple area in this position have recently been discovered (Nehemiah 3:27).

“The horse gate” was on the east side of the city, overlooking the Kidron valley. It seems to have been a gate by which horses approached and left the old palace, that of David, which lay north of the temple (Nehemiah 3:25) (Nehemiah 3:28).