Nehemiah 12:31

“Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, etc.] Which was so broad as to walk upon it, and there was a procession of the princes on it at its dedication, and here is described the manner of it; the princes of Benjamin must be included here: and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks; he divided the people who were met together to praise God on this occasion into two companies: whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall; that is, on the southern part of it: towards the dung gate; of which (see <160213>Nehemiah 2:13) some Jewish writers, as Jarchi and Ben Melech, give a different sense of twdwt yt, which we render “two companies”, and take them to be two…”

“I brought up - Note the resumption of the first person, which has been laid aside since Nehemiah 7:5, and which is confirmed now to the end of the book. It is generally allowed that we have here once more a memoir by Nehemiah himself. The two “companies” or choirs, having ascended the wall on its western face, near the modern Jaffa Gate, stood looking eastward toward the city and temple; then the southern choir, being on the right, commenced the circuit of the southern wall, while the choir upon the left proceeded round the northern wall Nehemiah 12:38-39, until both met on the eastern wall, between the water and the prison gates. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Princes - And half of the people with them. The wall - For the wall was broad and strong, and so ordered that men might conveniently walk upon it. Right hand - Towards the south and east. Nehemiah 12:39”

“12:31-37 This impressive march proceeded southward along the top of the wall to the Dung Gate at the southern end of the city (3:13-14). Then the procession continued north on the wall along the east side of the city, past the ruins of the house of David and up to the Water Gate (3:26; 8:1) near the Temple.”

“the princes: Ch1 13:1, Ch1 28:1; Ch2 5:2 two great: Neh 12:38, Neh 12:40 dung gate: Neh 2:13, Neh 3:13, Neh 3:14 Nehemiah 12:33”