Nehemiah 2:15

Nehemiah Inspects the Walls · Nehemiah 2:11–20
Read Nehemiah 2

Translations

Modern
…so I went up the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I headed back and reentered through the Valley Gate.
Traditional
Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.
Literal
And I went up by the valley by night, and I was inspecting the wall, and I turned back and came in through the Gate of the Valley, and I returned.
Latin
Et ascendi per torrentem nocte, et considerabam murum, et reversus veni ad portam vallis, et redii.

Original

Hebrew
English
…so I went up the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I headed back and reentered through the Valley Gate.

Notes

Nehemiah needed to see the walls himself to make strong plans for rebuilding and to gather the workers he needed. He secretly checked the walls at night to avoid being seen by his enemies. He only inspected the southern part of the city.

When Nehemiah heard about Jerusalem's ruins, he prayed for God's help (Nehemiah 1:1–11) and asked the king to send him to Jerusalem (2:1–8). Upon arrival, he urged the people to rebuild the city's wall (Nehemiah 2:11–20).

Theme notes and profiles

Nehemiah Jerusalem Rebuilding of Jerusalem

Places

Valley Gate: A gate in Jerusalem's wall, rebuilt by Nehemiah

Glossary

Book of Nehemiah Horonite Jerusalem Nehemiah (Person) Samaria Sanballat Tobiah

Topics

Cedron: Brook of, Running South Under the Eastern Wall of Jerusalem Country: Love of Gihon: Hezekiah Brings the Waters of the Upper Pool by an Aqueduct Into the City of Jerusalem Hezekiah: King of Judah: Conducts the Gihon Brook Into Jerusalem Jerusalem: Water Supply Brought in from the Gihon Brook by Hezekiah Kidron: A Valley and Stream Between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives Prudence: Nehemiah Prudence: Nehemiah, in Conduct of Affairs at Jerusalem Sciences: Surveying Walls of Cities: Destruction of, a Punishment and Cause of Grief