Nehemiah 3:14
What does Nehemiah 3:14 mean?
A plain-English look at Nehemiah 3:14 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Nehemiah 3:14 means
Malchijah, ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem, repairs the dung gate, fully equipping it with doors, bolts, and bars. Though the task concerns waste removal—hardly glorious—it is indispensable for a livable city. That a district ruler undertakes this gate shows humility and realism: true leadership addresses necessary but uncelebrated duties. The record gives equal care to this gate’s completion as to others. In God’s economy, essential service, however lowly in human eyes, is honorable when done faithfully, protecting the community’s purity and well-being.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And the dung gate repaired Malchijah the son of Rechab, the ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the bolts thereof, and the bars thereof.
KJV
King James Version · 1611But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Beth–haccerem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And the dung gate repaired Malchijah the son of Rechab, the ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the bolts thereof, and the bars thereof.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And Malchijah, the son of Rechab, the ruler of the division of Beth-haccherem, made good the doorway of the waste, building it up and putting up its doors, with their locks and rods.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And the dung-gate hath Malchijah son of Rechab, head of the district of Beth-Haccerem, strengthened; he doth built it, and set up its doors, its locks, and its bars.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And the gate of the dunghill Melchias the son of Rechab built, lord of the street of Bethacharam: he built it, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks, and the bars.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And the dung-gate repaired Malchijah the son of Rechab, the chief of the district of Beth-haccerem; he built it, and set up its doors, its locks and its bars.
Context
Coming immediately after the thousand-cubit stretch to the dung gate, this verse ensures that the southernmost portal is secured. It balances the prior emphasis on large-scale effort with a focused, specific assignment carried out by a notable leader. The listing continues to track around the wall, now turning toward the southeast with attention to water sources and royal gardens—features vital to the city’s survival and identity.
v.13The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up the doors thereof, the bolts thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits of the wall unto the dung gate.
v.14This passage
v.15And the fountain gate repaired Shallun the son of Col-hozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the bolts thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Shelah by the king’s garden, even unto the stairs that go down from the city of David.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Nehemiah 3:9
And next unto them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem.
- Nehemiah 2:13
And I went out by night by the valley gate, even toward the jackal’s well, and to the dung gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
- Nehemiah 3:15
And the fountain gate repaired Shallun the son of Col-hozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the bolts thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Shelah by the king’s garden, even unto the stairs that go down from the city of David.
- Nehemiah 3:12
And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, he and his daughters.
- Nehemiah 12:31
Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies that gave thanks and went in procession; whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate:
- Jeremiah 6:1
Flee for safety, ye children of Benjamin, out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise up a signal on Beth-haccherem; for evil looketh forth from the north, and a great destruction.
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