The people set to work – The first worker mentioned is Eliashib, the high priest. I doubt if he was a builder by trade, but he was willing to work and he gathered his fellow priests together to build the sheep gate (v1,2). One might have thought it was beneath them to do building work, but he set an example, and they set to work. They were the spiritual leaders, but they also got their hands dirty. This was The LORD’s work just as much as their spiritual duties. This gate was so called because it was where the sheep were brought in to sell them. “…. they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel.”
The work started at the gates and spread out to the walls surrounding them. There would be no point in building a gate with no walls. Gates were important and needed to be rebuilt and maintained. They consecrated the gates recognising that they were special and required for service to God and that every part of this rebuilding was God’s work.
“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:17)
“Next to Eliashib the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.” It seems that the men of Jericho, and Zaccur built the walls as Eliashib, and the priests built the Sheep Gate. They obviously went in two directions – to the Tower of the Hundred and to the Tower of Hananel.
The next group, the sons of Hassenaah, built and strengthened the Fish Gate, and next to them Meremoth made repairs; Meshullam made repairs next to them, then Zadok; next to them the Tekoites. (v3-5) However, amongst the Tekoites there were some who didn’t work – the nobles. Maybe they thought it was ‘beneath them’ to do manual work. It is thought that Nehemiah was tactful in not naming them as he named all the others who did work. I understand that the Hebrew indicates that the nobles wouldn’t submit to the work rather than unable to.
In verses 6-12 we have a further list of people who put their shoulders to the work – Jehoiada and Meshullam repaired the Old Gate, laying its beams and hanging its doors with bolts and bars. Then Melatiah, Jason and the men of Gideon and Mizpah, they repaired the residence of the governor of the region beyond the River. Next to them Uzziah, a goldsmith, then Hananiah, a perfumer, they rebuilt Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. Next there was Rephaiah, the leader of half the district of Jerusalem; then Jedaiah repaired the wall in front of his house, Hattush, Malchijah and Hashub repaired another section as well as the Tower of the Ovens. Then Shallum with his daughters, he too was leader of half the district of Jerusalem.
I’ve read that the Broad Wall has since been discovered and found to be more than 20 feet wide.
There were all sorts of people and professions, none of which seemed to be builders, but they were willing to work. Those included two leaders of districts. They wouldn’t have been selected to do this work, but they were willing and made themselves available. Each had a particular area to work, it was very well organised. Some seemed to start at home, like Jedaiah started at the front of his house and most importantly they were willing and passionate about the work. There were others who worked near to home as we shall see shortly.
It is significant that many worked near to their own homes and a lesson to us that our work for The Lord should begin at home. They are places where The Lord has put us, and we are not all called to work in faraway places. Our work, wherever it is, is precious to Him and should demand our full commitment. The home is a vital place to display our love for, and commitment to, The Lord. We have a great responsibility to those in our home to show an example of the love of God.
Malchijah, son of Harim is mentioned in Ezra 10:31. He was one who had taken a pagan wife and Ezra had confronted several years before. It seems that he had put things right before God and was now willing to serve God. We must repent from past sin and then God can use us.
We do not necessarily need qualifications to do The Lord’s work, apart from being His children, born again by The Spirit of God, so long as we are willing, we can answer The Lord’s call. We all have different gifts and complement each other. The Bible likens it to a body, with each part doing its work – eyes, hands, feet etc. We are to have the ‘mind of Christ’ as we work together to spread the good news of the Gospel and seek to make disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ as we are commanded to do.
God uses all sorts of people in all manner of places doing all type of work in order to serve God. He is not limited by your vocation. In fact, God has placed you where you are for a purpose. In everything we do for The Lord, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (Colossians 3:17). We should also do everything as unto The Lord whatever our act of service may be.
We are told of others who did the work – Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate (v13) as far as the Refuse Gate, one thousand cubits of wall. Malchijah, leader of the district of Beth Haccerem, repaired the Refuse Gate with its doors and bars (v14). Shallun, leader of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate, built and covered it hung its doors with bots and bars and repaired the wall of the Pool of Shelah by the King’s Garden as far as the stairs that go down to the city of David (v15). Nehemiah the son Azbuk, leader of half district of Beth Zur, repaired as far as the place in front of the tombs of David, to the man-made pool, and as far as the House of the Mighty (v16).
After him the Levites, under Rehum the son of Bani, made repairs. Next to him Hashabiah, leader of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district (v17). Next their brethren led by Bavai leader of the other half of Keilah, made repairs (v18). Next to him Ezer, the leader of Mizpah, repaired a section in front of the Ascent to the Armory at the buttress (v19). Then Baruch carefully repaired the other section from the buttress to the door of Eliashib the high priest (v20).
Next was Meremoth who repaired from the door to the end of the house of Eliashib (v21). Then the priests, the men of the plain, made repairs (v22). Next Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house, as did Azariah by his house (v23). Next Binnui repaired another section from the house of Azariah to the buttress and as far as the corner (v24). Palal repaired opposite the buttress and on the tower projecting from the king’s upper house, which was by the court of the prison, and after him Pedaiah made repairs (v25).
The Nethinim who dwelt in Ophel did repairs as far as the place in front of the Water Gate eastwards and on the projecting tower (v26). Next the Tekoites repaired another section next to the great projecting tower as far as the wall of Ophel. (v27). You may recall that in v5 the nobles of Tekoa did not do the work but the Tekoites, unhappy with their nobles’ bad example, felt they had not done enough so they took on more.
Beyond the Horse Gate the priests made repairs each in front of his own house. (v28) Zadok made repairs in front of his own house, Shemaiah, the keeper of the East Gate, made repairs (v29). Then Hananiah and Hanun, repaired another section and Meshullam repaired the walls in front of his house (v30).
Next Malchijah, a goldsmith, made repairs as far as the house of the Nethinim and the merchants in front of the Miphkad Gate and as far as the upper room at the corner (v31) between that corner and the Sheep Gate, the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs. (v32)
In most, if not all cases, the names of the workers are listed together with their father’s names. I’ve not mentioned all of them but there may be some significance, so I suggest that you may look up those names. What is clear, however, is that they were families who worshiped The LORD and gave of their time to His work. In some cases, men and their children worked together.
From these lists of workers, we see clearly the importance of coordination and unity in working together. The strength and safety of the people depended on the continuous state of the walls. Any gap, however small would be disastrous.
Another important factor was the example set by Nehemiah himself. He was called to lead these people and he realised his responsibility and set a wonderful example. He listed everyone who did the work and gave them responsibility, he was a good delegator but showed his appreciation by giving credit to those who worked. He involved all sorts of people to do the work from priests to goldsmiths, to leaders of the local councils and daughters, and even those who had done wrong things before, they were all equally respected to do work which was totally opposite to their profession, and it seems they all did it well.
