The Meaning of Nehemiah 7:3 Explained

Nehemiah 7:3

KJV: And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house.

YLT: and I say to them, 'Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened till the heat of the sun, and while they are standing by let them shut the doors, and fasten, and appoint guards of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each in his guard, and each over-against his house.'

Darby: And I said to them that the gates of Jerusalem should not be opened until the sun was hot, and that they should shut the doors and bar them while they stood by; and that there should be appointed watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one over against his house.

ASV: And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand on guard , let them shut the doors, and bar ye them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I said  unto them, Let not the gates  of Jerusalem  be opened  until the sun  be hot;  and while they stand by,  let them shut  the doors,  and bar  [them]: and appoint  watches  of the inhabitants  of Jerusalem,  every one  in his watch,  and every one  [to be] over against his house. 

What does Nehemiah 7:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 7:1-8 - 36-73, Public-Spirited Citizens
It is probable that Nehemiah returned to the Persian court on the completion of the first part of his enterprise, the building of the walls, and that he left Hananiah and his brother in charge until he had been able to obtain a prolongation of his mission. Hananiah's character is very aptly described in Nehemiah 7:2. These are splendid characteristics-the fear of God and faithfulness, 1 Corinthians 4:2. Sound common sense, through which God wrought, dictated the policy of appointing each man to guard his own property, Nehemiah 7:3; Nehemiah 7:5. The extent of the city walls had evidently been marked out in faith, as directed in Zechariah 8:1-23. Registration seems to have engrossed much of the care of these returned exiles, and it was necessary, not only that each might inherit his ancestral property, but that the descent of our Lord might be easily traced to David. We ought to be very sure that we and our dear ones are included in God's register. We cannot lay claim to our inheritance, unless we are heirs through the new birth, Romans 8:16-17. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 7

1  Nehemiah commits the charge of Jerusalem to Hanani and Hananiah
5  A register of the genealogy of them which came at the first out of Babylon
9  of the people
39  of the priests
43  of the Levites
46  of the Nethinims
57  of Solomon's servants
63  and of the priests which could not find their pedigree
66  The whole number of them, with their substance
70  Their offerings

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 7:3 mean?

And I said to them not do let be opened the gates of Jerusalem until is hot the sun and while they stand [guard] let them shut the doors and bar and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem one at his watch station and another in front of his own house
[ויאמר] (וָאֹמַ֣ר) לָהֶ֗ם לֹ֣א יִפָּֽתְח֞וּ שַׁעֲרֵ֤י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ עַד־ חֹ֣ם הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ וְעַ֨ד הֵ֥ם עֹמְדִ֛ים יָגִ֥יפוּ הַדְּלָת֖וֹת וֶאֱחֹ֑זוּ וְהַעֲמֵ֗יד מִשְׁמְרוֹת֙ יֹשְׁבֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם אִ֚ישׁ בְּמִשְׁמָר֔וֹ וְאִ֖ישׁ נֶ֥גֶד בֵּיתֽוֹ

(וָאֹמַ֣ר)  I  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָהֶ֗ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
יִפָּֽתְח֞וּ  do  let  be  opened 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: פָּתַח 
Sense: to open.
שַׁעֲרֵ֤י  the  gates 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙  of  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
חֹ֣ם  is  hot 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: חֹם  
Sense: heat, hot.
הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ  the  sun 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: שֶׁמֶשׁ  
Sense: sun.
וְעַ֨ד  and  while 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
עֹמְדִ֛ים  stand  [guard] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
יָגִ֥יפוּ  let  them  shut 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: גּוּף  
Sense: to shut, close.
הַדְּלָת֖וֹת  the  doors 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: דַּל 
Sense: door, gate.
וֶאֱחֹ֑זוּ  and  bar 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: אָחוּז 
Sense: grasp, take hold, seize, take possession.
וְהַעֲמֵ֗יד  and  appoint 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
מִשְׁמְרוֹת֙  guards  from  among 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מִשְׁמֶרֶת  
Sense: guard, charge, function, obligation, service, watch.
יֹשְׁבֵ֣י  the  inhabitants 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם  of  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
אִ֚ישׁ  one 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
בְּמִשְׁמָר֔וֹ  at  his  watch  station 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁמָר 
Sense: place of confinement, prison, guard, jail, guard post, watch, observance.
וְאִ֖ישׁ  and  another 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
נֶ֥גֶד  in  front 
Parse: Preposition
Root: נֶגֶד  
Sense: what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv.
בֵּיתֽוֹ  of  his  own  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.

What are the major concepts related to Nehemiah 7:3?

Loading Information...