Nehemiah 2:13

_AND I WENT OUT BY NIGHT BY THE GATE OF THE VALLEY, EVEN BEFORE THE DRAGON WELL, AND TO THE DUNG PORT, AND VIEWED THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM, WHICH WERE BROKEN DOWN, AND THE GATES THEREOF WERE CONSUMED WITH FIRE._ I went out by night by the gate of the valley - i:e., the Jaffa gate, near the tower of Hippicus. EVEN BEFORE THE DRAGON WELL - i:e., fountain on the opposite side of the valley, called "the dragon well," according to conjecture, from the spout being in the form of a dragon-mouth, or from the water meandering through the valley in a serpentine course. [The Septuagint calls it: stoma peegees toon sukoon, mouth of the fountain of figs.] The Syriac designates it, 'the fountain of the hills;' and the Arabic, 'the torrent.' AND TO THE DUNG PORT - the gate on the east of the city, through which there ran a common sewer to the brook Kidron and the valley of Hinnom....

9-18 When Nehemiah had considered the matter, he told the Jews that God had put it into his heart to build the wall of Jerusalem. He does not undertake to do it without them. By stirring up ourselves and one another to that which is good, we strengthen ourselves and one another for it. We are weak in our duty, when we are cold and careless....

Verse Nehemiah 2:13. _THE DRAGON WELL_] Perhaps so called because of the representation of a dragon, out of whose mouth the stream issued that proceeded from the well. _DUNG PORT_] This was the gate on the eastern side of the city, through which the filth of the city was carried into the valley of Hinnom....

THE GATE OF THE VALLEY - A gate opening on the valley of Hinnom, which skirted Jerusalem to the west and south. The exact position is uncertain; as is also that of “the dragon well.” THE DUNG PORT - The gate by which offal and excrements were conveyed out of the city, and placed eastward of the valley-gate....

EXPOSITION NEHEMIAH'S JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM (Nehemiah 3:9). On his way to Jerusalem, Nehemiah would pass through the provinces of various Persian satraps and governors. To those beyond the Euphrates he carried letters, which he took care to deliver, though by doing so he aroused the hostility of San-ballat. Being accompanied by an escort of Persian soldiers, he experienced neither difficulty nor danger by the way, but effected his journey in about three months. NEHEMIAH 2:9 I CAME TO THE GOVERNORS BEYOND THE RIVER. Josephus gives the name of the satrap, of Syria at this time as Adieus ('Ant. Jud; Neh

CHAPTER 2 _ 1. The King's question (Nehemiah 2:1)_ 2. The King's permission (Nehemiah 2:3) 3. The arrival in Jerusalem and the night-ride (Nehemiah 2:9) 4. The resolution to build the wall (Nehemiah 2:17) 5. The ridicule of the enemy, and Nehemiah's answer (Nehemiah 2:19) Nehemiah 2:1. The last sentence of the previous chapter, “For I was the king's cupbearer,” belongs to this chapter. Nehemiah is seen exercising the

NEHEMIAH ARRIVES IN JERUSALEM AND SURVEYS THE WALLS. Nehemiah 2:9. The account of the journey is omitted, interest being centred upon what Nehemiah was going to do in Jerusalem. THE GOVERNORS BEYOND THE RIVER: namely of the provinces on the west of the Euphrates; as Nehemiah would almost certainly pass through Hamath and Damascus, the two most important cities in Syria, the governors here resident are probably intended. THE KING. HORSEMEN: _cf._ Nehemiah 4:16; Nehemiah 4:23; this body-guard remained with Nehemiah in Jerusalem. Contrast Ezra 8:22....

BY NIGHT. Could Nehemiah have gone thus secretly if Ezra had 42,360 Jews there? And what need for it? Nehemiah had only. few men, and was in the midst of enemies. THE GATE. Note the twelve gates (corresponding with the twelve gates of Revelation 21:21). See App-59. PORT. gate. VIEWED. kept peering into. WHICH WERE, &C. Hebrew text so written; but to be read, with some codices and three early printed editions, "how they were broken down"....

_b_ 73 _a_. The Register of those who returned with Zerubbabel = Ezra 2:1-70 _a register of the genealogy_ R.V. THE BOOK. _of them which came up at the first_ The only natural explanation of these words is that Nehemiah found in the archives of Jerusalem the list of those that accompanied Zerubbabel from Babylon. This seems to be conclusively proved (_a_) by the words in Nehemiah 2:5, -I found," -who came up at the first," -found written therein," and Nehemiah 2:7, -who came with Zerubbabel," (_b_) by the position of the parallel extract in Ezra 2:1-70. Nehemiah recognises the national importance

2. On his arrival, he secretly inspects the city's walls. TEXT, NEHEMIAH 2:11-20 11 So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12 And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell any one what my God was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. 13 So I went out at night by the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon's Well and on to the Refuse Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were consumed by fire. 14 Then I passed on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was no place for my mount to pass. 15 So I went up at night by the ravine and inspected the wall. Then I entered the Valley Gate again and returned. 16 And the officials did not know where I had