Commentary - Nehemiah 3:15-27

Bird's-eye view

In this section of Nehemiah, we are presented with what seems at first glance to be a dry and dusty list of names and places. It is a divine roll call, a ledger of faithfulness. But we must not read it like a phone book. This is the inspired Word of God, and it is given to us for our instruction. What we have here is a detailed account of the division of labor in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. The work is organized, systematic, and involves a broad cross-section of the returned exiles. Everyone has a part to play, from high officials to humble priests, from men working on grand gates to those simply patching up the wall in front of their own house. This is corporate sanctification in shoe leather. It is the application of covenant faithfulness to the mundane but necessary work of building. The glory of God is not just found in the thunderous pronouncements from Sinai, but also in the steady scrape of a trowel on stone. This passage is a testament to the truth that God’s kingdom advances through the coordinated, faithful, and often anonymous labor of His people.

The chapter as a whole demonstrates a crucial principle: reformation is a community project. Nehemiah is the leader, the instigator, the man with the vision from God, but he does not build the wall by himself. He organizes the people, and the "people had a mind to work" (Neh. 4:6). This list is the proof of it. Each man takes responsibility for his section. This is not just about urban renewal; it is about restoring the integrity, security, and identity of God’s covenant city. It is a picture of the Church, where every member has a gift and a calling to build up the body of Christ, each one working on the section of the wall right in front of them.

Outline

Context In Nehemiah

Chapter 3 stands as the great muster roll of the book of Nehemiah. After Nehemiah’s initial inspection of the ruined walls in chapter 2, and his subsequent exhortation to the people to rise up and build, this chapter details the enthusiastic response. The work is described section by section, moving counter-clockwise around the city. The passage we are examining (vv. 15-27) covers a significant portion of the southern and eastern walls, including historically significant areas like the Pool of Shelah, the tombs of David, and the Ophel, where the temple servants lived. This detailed accounting serves not only as a historical record but also as a theological statement about the nature of God's work. It is done by His people, together, in an orderly fashion, each contributing according to their place and ability. It is a powerful illustration of the principle that God builds His people as they build for Him.

Key Issues

Verse-by-Verse Commentary

v. 15 Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, the official of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Spring Gate. He built it, covered it and made its doors stand with its bolts and its bars, and the wall of the Pool of Shelah at the king’s garden as far as the steps that descend from the city of David.

The work continues, and here we have Shallum, an official from Mizpah. Notice the specificity. God knows this man’s name, his father’s name, his title, and his district. He is not an anonymous cog in a machine. His work is likewise detailed. He doesn’t just patch the Spring Gate; he builds it, covers it, and installs all the necessary hardware, the doors, bolts, and bars. This is thorough work, done to completion. He also takes on the adjacent wall. This is a picture of responsible stewardship. When God gives a man a task, He expects it to be done well, right down to the bolts and bars. This is the kind of practical, detailed obedience that builds civilizations. The Pool of Shelah and the steps from the city of David are locations rich with history, reminding us that this work of restoration is connected to God's past faithfulness to His people.

v. 16 After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, official of half the district of Beth-zur, made repairs as far as a point opposite the tombs of David, and as far as the artificial pool and the house of the mighty men.

Another Nehemiah shows up, distinct from the governor. This is important. Not everyone is the headline leader, but every faithful worker is noted in God’s book. This Nehemiah is also an official, responsible for half a district. He takes the next section, working up to a point opposite the tombs of David. Think of the motivation. As he works, he is looking at the resting place of Israel’s greatest king. He is repairing the ruins of a city that David established. This is not just masonry; it is an act of historical piety, of covenantal remembrance. He is connecting his present labor to the promises God made to David. The mention of the "house of the mighty men" also hearkens back to David's era, a reminder of past glory and a spur to present faithfulness.

v. 17 After him the Levites made repairs under Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him Hashabiah, the official of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district.

Here we see the Levites, the ministers of the temple, taking up trowels. Their primary work was spiritual, yet they understood that the physical integrity of the city was tied to the spiritual health of the nation. There is no sacred/secular divide here. Building a wall is holy work when done for the glory of God. They work under their leader, Rehum, showing that the work is organized and hierarchical. Then, right next to them, is Hashabiah, another district official. The Levites are working alongside the civil magistrates. This is a beautiful picture of church and state, or more accurately, the spiritual and civil realms, working in concert for a common, godly goal. Each has their jurisdiction, but they are laboring side-by-side on the same wall.

v. 18 After him their brothers made repairs under Bavvai the son of Henadad, the official of the other half of the district of Keilah.

The work continues in an orderly fashion. Bavvai takes the section next to Hashabiah. They are from the same district, Keilah, but responsible for different halves. This shows a fine-grained level of organization. The task is too big for one man, so it is divided. This is how massive projects are accomplished, not by one man’s herculean effort, but by many people doing their assigned part faithfully. This is a lesson for the church. We don't all have to do the same thing, but we must all work together on the same project: the building of Christ's kingdom.

v. 19 Next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the official of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the ascent of the armory at the Angle.

Ezer, another official from Mizpah like Shallum in verse 15, repairs "another section." The work is being done piece by piece. His section is strategically important, near the armory at a turn in the wall, the "Angle." The defense of the city requires careful attention to such strategic points. Ezer is assigned this critical spot, and he faithfully carries out his duty. Our faithfulness is often tested in the strategic, vulnerable places.

v. 20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the Angle to the doorway of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

Now we get a glimpse of the spirit in which the work was done. Baruch didn’t just repair his section; he did so "zealously." The Hebrew word here implies burning, being inflamed. This was not drudgery for Baruch. He was on fire for the work. This is the kind of heart God loves to see in His servants. A man who puts his whole soul into the task, no matter how mundane it might seem. His zeal takes him from the Angle right up to the front door of the high priest's house. It is fitting that such zealous work would be done in proximity to the residence of the nation's spiritual leader.

v. 21 After him Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz repaired another section, from the doorway of Eliashib’s house even as far as the end of Eliashib’s house.

Meremoth picks up right where Baruch left off, covering the entire frontage of the high priest’s house. Eliashib the high priest himself is mentioned earlier as having built the Sheep Gate with his fellow priests (v. 1). But here, others are working to secure the wall that protects his own residence. This is another picture of the corporate nature of the body. The people protect their leaders, and the leaders lead the people in the work. It is a relationship of mutual service and responsibility.

v. 22 After him the priests, the men of the valley, made repairs.

More priests are involved, identified as being from the "valley" or the plain. This likely refers to the area around Jericho. These men traveled to Jerusalem to take part in the work. Their commitment transcended their local interests. They saw the restoration of Jerusalem as vital for the whole nation, and so they came to lend a hand. This is a rebuke to any parochial mindset that cannot see beyond the needs of one's own local congregation.

v. 23 After them Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house.

Here the principle of localized responsibility becomes explicit. These men repair the section of the wall that is literally in their own front yard. This is the most basic and practical form of stewardship. You start with what is right in front of you. If every man ensures his own doorstep is clean, the whole street will be clean. If every Christian family builds up the kingdom in their own home and immediate sphere of influence, the entire city of God will be strong. Reformation begins at home. Azariah’s three-generation genealogy is noted, reminding us again that God sees and remembers our heritage of faithfulness.

v. 24 After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah as far as the Angle and as far as the corner.

Binnui takes the next stretch, another significant section that runs to a turn in the wall. The work is relentless, one section after another. The wall is rising because of this steady, connected, cooperative labor. Binnui’s work connects Azariah’s domestic faithfulness to the larger strategic defense of the city at the corner. Our personal, private faithfulness has public, corporate consequences.

v. 25 Palal the son of Uzai made repairs in front of the Angle and the tower projecting from the upper house of the king, which is by the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs.

Palal takes on another critical defensive point: the Angle and a projecting tower near the king’s house and the court of the guard. This is the seat of royal authority and military power. Securing this area is vital. God calls some men to work on the quiet residential sections and others to work on the high-profile, strategic towers. Both are necessary, and faithfulness in either station is what matters. Pedaiah follows him, continuing the line of repair.

v. 26 The temple servants living in Ophel made repairs as far as the front of the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower.

The temple servants, or Nethinim, also participate. These were often descendants of foreign groups incorporated into Israel to serve the Levites. Even those on the lower rungs of the social ladder had a crucial part to play. They lived on the hill of Ophel, near the temple, and they worked on the wall in their area, near the Water Gate. The Water Gate was significant, likely where ceremonial water was brought into the temple complex. Every class of person is involved in this great work.

v. 27 After them the Tekoites repaired another section in front of the great projecting tower and as far as the wall of Ophel.

The Tekoites are mentioned for a second time (see v. 5). Earlier, we learned that their nobles "did not put their necks to the work of their Lord." But the common people from Tekoa did, and here they are again, taking on a second section. Their faithfulness stands in stark contrast to the pride of their leaders. And notice what they are working on: another section near a "great projecting tower." God honors their humble diligence by assigning them another difficult and important task. This is how the kingdom works. To him who is faithful in little, more will be given.

Application

This chapter, and these verses in particular, can seem like little more than a list of unpronounceable names. But that is the point. God knows every name. He sees every hour of faithful labor. He records the zeal of a Baruch and the double portion of the Tekoites. He notes who repaired the wall in front of his own house. This is a profound encouragement to the ordinary Christian. Your work matters. Your faithfulness in the mundane, unseen corners of the kingdom is recorded in heaven and is essential for the building of the whole.

We are called to be wall-builders today. The walls of our culture, our communities, our churches, and our families are in ruins. The task of rebuilding seems overwhelming. But the lesson of Nehemiah 3 is to simply start with the section in front of you. What has God given you to do? What part of the wall is your responsibility? Is it raising your children in the fear of the Lord? Is it faithfulness in your vocation? Is it serving diligently in your local church? Do that work, and do it zealously. And do it alongside the brothers and sisters God has placed next to you. The work is corporate. We need each other. Priests, officials, fathers, and servants, all working together. When God’s people get a mind to work, the walls will be rebuilt, to the glory of God and the confounding of His enemies.