2tn Heb “brothers.”

3map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.

4tc The Hebrew text is difficult here. The present translation follows the MT, but the text may be corrupt. H. G. M. Williamson (Ezra, Nehemiah [WBC], 213-14) translates these words as “Will they commit their cause to God?” suggesting that MT לָהֶם (lahem, “to them”) should be emended to לֵאלֹהִים (lelohim, “to God”), a proposal also found in the apparatus of BHS. In his view later scribes altered the phrase out of theological motivations. J. Blenkinsopp’s translation is similar: “Are they going to leave it all to God?” (Ezra–Nehemiah [OTL], 242-44). However, a problem for this view is the absence of external evidence to support the proposed emendation. The sense of the MT reading may be the notion that the workers – if left to their own limited resources – could not possibly see such a demanding and expensive project through to completion. This interpretation understands the collocation עָזַב (’azav, “to leave”) plus לְ (l’, “to”) to mean “commit a matter to someone,” with the sense in this verse “Will they leave the building of the fortified walls to themselves?”

5tn The Hiphil stem of כָּעַס (ka’as) may mean: (1) “to provoke to anger”; (2) “to bitterly offend”; or (3) “to grieve” (BDB 495 s.v. Hiph.; HALOT 491 s.v. כעס hif). The Hebrew lexicons suggest that “bitterly offend” is the most appropriate nuance here.

6tn Heb “before the builders.” The preposition נֶגֶד (neged, “before”) here connotes “in the sight of” or “in the view of” (BDB 617 s.v. 1.a; HALOT 666 s.v. 1.a).

7tn Heb “up to its half.”

8tn Heb “the people had a heart to work.”

9sn Chapter 4 begins here in the Hebrew text (BHS). See the note at 4:1.

10map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

11tn Heb “to fight.”

12tn Heb “against them.” The words “to protect” are added in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness. Some emend MT עֲלֵיהֶם (’alehem, “against them”) to עָלֶיהָ (’aleha, “against it,” i.e., Jerusalem).

13tn Heb “burden-bearers.”

14tn Heb “said.”

15tn Heb “see.”

16tn Heb “ten times.”

17tc The MT reads the anomalous מִכָּל־הַמְּקֹמוֹת (mikkol hamm’qomot, “from every place”) but the BHS editors propose כָּל־הַמְּזִמּוֹת (kol hamm’zimmot, “about every scheme”). The initial mem (מ) found in the MT may have been added accidentally due to dittography with the final mem (ם) on the immediately preceding word, and the MT qof (ק) may have arisen due to orthographic confusion with the similar looking zayin (ז). The emendation restores sense to the line in the MT, which makes little sense and features an abrupt change of referents: “Wherever you turn, they will be upon us!” The threat was not against the villagers living nearby but against those repairing the wall, as the following context indicates. See also the following note on the word “plotting.”

18tc The MT reads תָּשׁוּבוּ (tashuvu, “you turn”) which is awkward contextually. The BHS editors propose emending to חָשְׁבוּ (hash’vu, “they were plotting”) which harmonizes well with the context. This emendation involves mere orthographic confusion between similar looking ח (khet) and ת (tav), and the resultant dittography of middle vav (ו) in MT. See also the preceding note on the word “schemes.”

19tc The MT preserves the anomalous Kethib form צְחִחִיִּים (ts’khikhiyyim); the Qere reads צְחִיחִים (ts’khikhim) which is preferred (BDB 850 s.v. צָהִיחַ; HALOT 1018 s.v. *צָהִיחַ).

tn The meaning of the Hebrew term צְחִיחִים (ts’khikhim) here is uncertain. Elsewhere (Ezek 24:7, 8; 26:4, 14) it refers to a shining or glaring surface of a rock (BDB 850 s.v. צָהִיחַ; HALOT 1018 s.v. *צָהִיחַ), but here it refers to an exposed or vulnerable portion of the wall: “open positions of the wall” (HALOT 1018 s.v. 2).

20tn Heb “And I saw.”

21tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

22tn Heb “houses.”

23tn Heb “it was known to us.”

24tc The MT reads “and spears.” The conjunction should be deleted.

25tn Heb “all the house.”

26tn The first words of v. 17, “who were rebuilding the wall,” should be taken with the latter part of v. 16.

27tn Heb “were carrying loads.” The LXX reads ἐν ὅπλοις (en hoplois, “with weapons”).

28tn Heb “the one blowing the shophar.”

29tn Heb “much.”

30tn Heb “and we were doing the work.”

31tn Heb “half of them.”

32tn Heb “from the coming up of the dawn till the coming forth of the stars.”

33tn Heb “said [to].”

34tn Heb “strip off our garments.”

35tc Heb “a man, his weapon, the waters.” The MT, if in fact it is correct, is elliptical and difficult. Some scholars emend the MT reading הַמָּיִם (hammayim, “the waters”) to בִּמִנוֹ (bimino, “in his right hand”; cf. NAB, NRSV) or מִינוּ(י)הֵ (heminu, “they held on the right side”).