Nehemiah 3

Nehemiah 3:1

Eliashib] Eliashib the son of Jojakim, & grandchild of Jeshua, (which Jeshua came up with Zerubbabel, Neh XII. 10. Ezra II. 2. and lived to finish the Building of the Temple, Hag. I. 14.) was High Priest in the Beginning of Nehemiah’s twelve years Government, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, Neh. III. 1. 20. as was said before; about sixty years after the Temple was finished.

gate] For the Gates of the Citie of Jerusalem we read of the Citiegate, 2 Chron. XXXII. 6. the first Gate, Zech. XIV. 10. the Gate of Benjamin, Jer. XXXVII. 12, 13. and XXXVIII. 7. Zech. XIV. 10. situate in the wall of the Citie, in the Tribe of Benjamin, Northward.

Yet said to be in the House of the Lord, Jer. XX. 2. that is, by it; as the particle Beth is used, Num. XXXIII. 37. Josh. V. 13. and chap. XXIV. ver. 25, 26, 32.

Jer. XIII. 5. and XXXII. 7. the Gate of Ephraim, 2 Kings XIV. 13. Neh. XII. 39. the Corner Gate, 2 Chron. XXV. 23. and the Valley Gate, 2 Chron. XXVI. 9. the Fish Gate, 2 Chron.

XXXIII. 14. The New Gate, Jer. XXVI. 10. because repaired new by Jotham, 2 Kings XV. 35. 2 Chron. XXVII. 3. Yet some make it the East Gate, some the West Gate of the outer Court of the Temple; wherein they will have the Sanhedrin to sit. The Gate between two walls, by the Kings Garden, if this be a Gate of the Citie, 2 Kings XXV. 4.

In Nehemiah’s time, at his new building of the Walls of the Citie, we read of the Sheep Gate; of the Fish Gate; the Old Gate; the East Gate, Jer. XIX. 2. the Valley Gate; the Dung-Gate; the Gate of the Fountain; the Water Gate; the Horse Gate; the Gate Miphkad or Judicatory; the Gate of Ephraim; the Prison Gate, Neh. II. 13, 14. and chap. III. 1; 3, 6, 13, 14, 15, 26, 28, 31. and chap. XII. 39. Zech.

XIV. 10.

Besides Towers upon the Walls of both Cities; the Tower of Meah; the Tower of Hananeel; Neh. XII. 39. Zech. XIV. 10. on the East side of the Citie, between the Tower of Meah, and the corner gate, Neh. III. 1. the Tower of the Furnaces, Neh. III. 1, 11. and Ch. XII. 38, 39. and others.

And Valleys about it; as Jer. XXXI. 40. the Valley of the dead bodies, under Mount Golgotha, West-North-West of the Citie: and the Valley of Ashes; likely that came from the Altar of Burnt-Offerings: the Valley of Jehoshaphat on the East, and the Valley of the sons of Hinnom also; the Valley of Savey, or the Kings Vale or Dale on the South; and the Valley of Rephaim or Gyants, on the South-West.

And Fields mentioned about it, the Fullers field on the South, Esay VII. 1. and the Porters field, or Acheldama, on the South-East, Jer. XVIII. 2. and XIX. 2. and XXXI. 40. Matth. XXVII. 7. And Hills about Jerusalem were, Mount Olivet on the East; Mount Calverie or Golgotha on the West-North-west, Mount Gihon West, Mount Gareb North, Ier. XXXI. 39.

The Brook Kidron did runne on the East-side of Jerusalem; And the Fountain of Siloam, or waters of Gihon, on the West.

Pooles, two of note were near Jerusalem, Neh. III. 15, 16. The upper Poole of Siloah, called also the old Poole, and Kings Poole; on the South, 2 Kings XVIII. 17. Esay VII. 2. and XXXVI. 2. or South-West corner: receiving its water from the river Gihon. And the Lower, of which Esay XXII. 9. 2 Chron. XXXII. 30. which was made long after, Neh. III. 16. on the West: and drew water from the upper.

sanctified it] This sanctification of this Sheep-gate, built by the High Priest, and his brethren, is deemed by some to be extraordinarily ratified and graced with that miraculous gift of healing from this time vouchsafed to the Poole of Bethesda close by this Gate: of which mention is made, John V. 2.