Nehemiah 6:1

when S.… and the rest of our enemies, heard R.V. when it was reported to S.…, and unto the rest of our enemies. The R.V. is more literal; the passive verb -to be reported" occurs in Nehemiah 6:6-7, and possibly in chap. Nehemiah 13:27. For the spread of previous rumours, cf. Nehemiah 2:19; Nehemiah 4:1. -The rest of our enemies," probably the representatives of hostile neighbouring communities, cf. Nehemiah 4:7, where -the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites" are associated with Sanballat and Tobiah.

no breach left referring to the description in Nehemiah 1:3; Nehemiah 2:13; Nehemiah 4:7.

though at that time R.V. though even unto that time. Nehemiah introduces this saving clause for the sake of accuracy. The report was not quite true; the walls were indeed finished, but as yet the gates were not in their places.

upon the gates R.V. in the gates, i.e. in the great fortified gateways. The construction of -the doors" is mentioned in chap. Nehemiah 3:3; Nehemiah 3:6; Nehemiah 3:14-15. Why had the doors not yet been -set in the gates?" Perhaps we are to infer that in the hurry of rebuilding the wall the delicate operation of swinging the heavy metal-covered city doors had been postponed. Temporary barricades would be sufficient to block the approaches. When the work on the wall was finished, the doors would be -set up" by skilled workmen. To have set them up before would have caused delay in the repair of the walls. In the Assyrian Room (Upper Floor, Case A) of the British Museum are to be seen the bronze coverings of gates found by Mr Rassam at Balawa in 1879, and the pivots on which these gates turned.