Nehemiah 3:3
What does Nehemiah 3:3 mean?
A plain-English look at Nehemiah 3:3 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Nehemiah 3:3 means
The sons of Hassenaah undertake the fish gate, a likely entry for commerce and daily provision. Their work is described in full: they lay beams and set doors, bolts, and bars. The completeness of the description signals secure functionality, not just appearance. Bolts and bars mean a gate that can be shut and defended, protecting trade and livelihood for the city. In singling out the gate’s structural elements, the verse emphasizes craftsmanship and diligence. God’s people address both the ceremonial (as with the sheep gate) and the practical aspects of city life, understanding that a restored community needs protection at its points of vulnerability and exchange.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the bolts thereof, and the bars thereof.
KJV
King James Version · 1611But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the bolts thereof, and the bars thereof.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949The sons of Hassenaah were the builders of the fish doorway; they put its boards in place and put up its doors, with their locks and rods.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and the fish-gate have sons of Hassenaah built, they have walled it, and set up its doors, its locks, and its bars.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752But the fish gate the sons of Asnaa built: they covered it, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks, and the bars. And next to them built Marimuth the son of Urias the son of Accus.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And the fish-gate did the sons of Senaah build: they laid its beams, and set up its doors, its locks and its bars.
Context
The narrative proceeds from priest-led sanctification to practical, commercial concerns. After the sheep gate, the fish gate continues the circuit along Jerusalem’s northern side, with its details marking thorough work. This sets a pattern repeated throughout the chapter: named gates paired with careful installations of doors and fastenings. The flow will keep moving clockwise (or counterclockwise) around the wall, introducing additional workers and segments, and showing that every part, spiritual and economic, mattered in the city’s renewal.
v.2And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri.
v.3This passage
v.4And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Nehemiah 12:39
and above the gate of Ephraim, and by the old gate, and by the fish gate, and the tower of Hananel, and the tower of Hammeah, even unto the sheep gate: and they stood still in the gate of the guard.
- Nehemiah 2:8
and a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the castle which appertaineth to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
- Nehemiah 6:1
Now it came to pass, when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and unto the rest of our enemies, that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein (though even unto that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),
- Nehemiah 3:6
And the old gate repaired Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the bolts thereof, and the bars thereof.
- Nehemiah 7:1
Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,
- Zephaniah 1:10
And in that day, saith Jehovah, there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and a wailing from the second quarter, and a great crashing from the hills.
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