Nehemiah 3:12

3:12 Shallum son of Hallohesh, head of a half-district of Jerusalem, worked on the section adjacent to him, assisted by his daughters. ¹ 

Nehemiah 3:17

3:17 After him the Levites worked – Rehum son of Bani and ²  after him Hashabiah, head of half the district of Keilah, for his district.

Nehemiah 4:6

4:6 So we rebuilt the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height. ³  The people were enthusiastic in their work. ⁴ 

Nehemiah 12:40

12:40 Then the two choirs that gave thanks took their stations ⁵  in the temple of God. I did also, along with half the officials with me,

Nehemiah 13:24

13:24 Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod (or the language of one of the other peoples mentioned ⁶ ) and were unable to speak the language of Judah.

---

¹ tc The reference to daughters, while not impossible, is odd in light of the cultural improbability that young women would participate in the strenuous labor of rebuilding city walls. All other such references in the Book of Nehemiah presuppose male laborers. Not surprisingly, some scholars suspect a textual problem. One medieval Hebrew MS and the Syriac Peshitta read וּבָנָיו (uvanayv, “and his sons”) rather than the MT reading וּבְנוֹתָיו (uvÿnotayv, “and his daughters”). Some scholars emend the MT to וּבֹנָיו (uvonayv, “and his builders”). On the other hand, the MT is clearly the more difficult reading, and so it is preferred.

² tc The translation reads וְעַל (vÿ’al, “and unto”) with several medieval Hebrew MSS and some MSS of LXX, rather than the MT reading עַל (’al, “unto”).

³ tn Heb “up to its half.”

⁴ tn Heb “the people had a heart to work.”

⁵ tn Heb “stood.”

⁶ tn Heb “people and people.”