Nehemiah Views the Wall of Jerusalem
11 So I acame to Jerusalem and was there three days.
12 Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode.
13 And I went out by night athrough the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the1 Refuse Gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were bbroken down and its gates which were burned with fire.
14 Then I went on to the aFountain Gate and to the bKing’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass.
15 So I went up in the night by the avalley, and viewed the wall; then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.
16 And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the others who did the work.
17 Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies1 waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be aa reproach.”
New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Book Notes:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Book Notes
Nehemiah
Nehemiah
NEHEMIAH appears to have been the author of this book, from his usually writing in his own name, and indeed, except in those parts which are unmistakably later editions or borrowed from public documents, he usually employs the first person. The major portion of the book is occupied with a history of Nehemiah's twelve years' administration in Jerusalem, after which he returned to his duties in Shushan. At a later period he returned with new powers and commenced new and vigorous measures of reform, which are detailed in the later chapters of the book.