Nehemiah 3:1 (KJV)

What does Nehemiah 3:1 mean?

Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests rebuilt Jerusalem’s Sheep Gate, installed its doors, and dedicated their work to God. Their section of the rebuilding extended toward the towers of Meah and Hananeel.

The key word is “sanctified,” from Hebrew קָדַשׁ (qadash), meaning to make holy or set apart as holy. The priests did more than repair a city entrance: they dedicated the gate and the adjoining stretch of work. The repeated “they sanctified it,” followed by the tower names, connects that dedication with a defined section of Jerusalem’s defenses.

The Hebrew behind Nehemiah 3:1

• “high priest” and “brethren the priests” — גָּדוֹל (gadol), כֹּהֵן (kohen), and אָח (ach): “High” means great or chief; “priest” identifies Eliashib’s office. “Brethren” can mean fellow members of a group as well as actual brothers. Here, “his brethren the priests” identifies Eliashib’s fellow priests as the workers alongside him.

• “builded the sheep gate” — בָּנָה (banah), צֹאן (tson), and שַׁעַר (shaʿar): “Builded” means built; in Jerusalem’s damaged defenses, the work was rebuilding. “Sheep” can refer to small livestock, including sheep and goats. “Gate” means a city entrance. “The sheep gate” names the particular entrance the priests repaired.

• “rose up” and “set up the doors” — קוּם (qum), עָמַד (amad), and דֶּלֶת (delet): The KJV’s two uses of “up” represent different Hebrew verbs. The first means to rise, introducing Eliashib and the priests taking action. The second means to cause to stand: they installed the gate’s doors, or door leaves.

• “tower of Meah” and “tower of Hananeel” — מִגְדָּל (migdal), מֵאָה (meʾah), and חֲנַנְאֵל (Hananel): “Tower” identifies a defensive structure. “Meah” means “hundred,” though the verse does not explain the name. “Hananeel” means “God has been gracious.” Here the names serve as landmarks marking the extent of the work.

Why Nehemiah 3:1 matters

• The priestly leaders took part in the construction. Eliashib and his fellow priests are the subjects of “builded,” “sanctified,” and “set up.”

• The chapter begins with a specific, traceable section of wall. The Sheep Gate and the two towers establish the starting point for the account of Jerusalem’s rebuilding.