John Gill's Exposition on Nehemiah 4:23

A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.

Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.

So neither I, nor my brethren, etc.] The nobles and rulers: nor my servants; his domestic servants that waited upon him: nor the men of the guard which followed me; his bodyguard, which attended him as a commissioner of the king of Persia for state and grandeur: none of us put off our clothes; at night when they laid themselves down to sleep, but laid in, them, that they might be ready upon an alarm made: saving that everyone put them off for washing; not for common washing, because dirty, but for washing on account of ceremonial uncleanness, which required washing both of bodies and garments, (see <031505>Leviticus 15:5-10), etc. and the Vulgate Latin version expresses it by baptism, as the apostle calls such ceremonial ablutions in (<580602>Hebrews 6:2 9:10). It is in the margin of our Bibles, “everyone went with his weapon for water”; when he went to Siloam, or any other place, for water, he took a weapon with him to defend himself upon occasion; which is no bad sense of the words. Noldius f30 renders the words, “everyone with his weapon (and) water”; both were at his bolster, ready, if wanted, (see <092611>1 Samuel 26:11,12).

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