Nehemiah 2:13
in Nehemiah 2So I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Well of the Serpent and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and the gates that had been destroyed by fire.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I went out by night by the valley gate, even toward the jackal’s well, and to the dung gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
KJV
And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
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This verse in Nehemiah 2
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The gate of the valley - A gate opening on the valley of Hinnom, which skirted Jerusalem to the west and south. The exact position is uncertain; as is also that of “the dragon well.” The dung port - The gate by which offal and excrements were conveyed out of the city, and placed eastward of the valley-gate.
This site's exposition
toward the Well of the Serpent
on Nehemiah 2:13-16
The night ride runs the city's edge by name, out through "the Valley Gate toward the Well of the Serpent and the Dung Gate" (2:13). He goes up the valley, inspects the wall and reenters by the Valley Gate. He tells the officials, priests and nobles nothing yet.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), that he might see what was to be done and in what method they must go about it, whether the old foundation would serve, and what there was of the old materials that would be of use.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
I went - The footmen who accompanied him directing and leading him in the way. His design was to go round the city, to observe the compass and condition of the walls and gates, that he might make sufficient provisions for the work.
And I went out by night, by the gate of the valley,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
I went out by night by the gate of the valley--that is, the Jaffa gate, near the tower of Hippicus. even before the dragon well--that is, fountain on the opposite side of the valley. and to the dung port--the gate on the east of the city, through which there ran a common sewer to the brook Kedron and the valley of Hinnom.
The dragon well - Perhaps so called because of the representation of a dragon, out of whose mouth the stream issued that proceeded from the well. Dung port - This was the gate on the eastern side of the city, through which the filth of the city was carried into the valley of Hinnom.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
and there were no animals with me The few men who were with me went by foot and I alone rode on an animal. They did not ride their horses because they wanted to leave the city in secret, without anyone knowing.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And I passed to the Fountain Gate And I wished to pass to those places in the wall of the city and in those breaches, and there was no place in those breaches for riders on animals to pass through because they were so small.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 1 further source is cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאֵצְאָ֨ה | vaetzeah | and I went out ! | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| בְשַֽׁעַר־ | veshaar- | by [the] gate of | H8179 → | 374 times |
| הַגַּ֜יא | hagai' | the valley | H1516 → | 59 times |
| לַ֗יְלָה | laylah | night | H3915 → | 233 times |
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| פְּנֵי֙ | penei | [the] face | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| עֵ֣ין | ʾein | [the] Spring of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| הַתַּנִּ֔ין | hatanin | [the] Dragons | H8577 → | |
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שַׁ֖עַר | shaar | [the] gate of | H8179 → | 374 times |
| הָאַשְׁפֹּ֑ת | haashpot | the dung | H830 → | 7 times |
| וָאֱהִ֨י | vaehi | and I was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| שֹׂבֵ֜ר | sover | examining | H7663 → | |
| בְּחוֹמֹ֤ת | bechomot | <on> [the] walls of | H2346 → | 133 times |
| יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֵ֣ם׀ פְּרוּצִ֔ים | hem ferutzim | they [were] broken down | H1992 →H6555 → | 49 times |
| וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ | usheareiha | and gates its | H8179 → | 374 times |
| אֻכְּל֥וּ | ʾukelu | they had been consumed | H398 → | 810 times |
| בָאֵֽשׁ׃ | vaesh | by <the> fire | H784 → | 378 times |
וָאֵצְאָ֨הand I went out !
vaetzeahH3318 →1067 times
בְשַֽׁעַר־by [the] gate of
veshaar-H8179 →374 times
הַגַּ֜יאthe valley
hagai'H1516 →59 times
לַ֗יְלָהnight
laylahH3915 →233 times
וְאֶל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
פְּנֵי֙[the] face
peneiH6440 →2123 times
עֵ֣ין[the] Spring of
ʾeinH5869 →887 times
הַתַּנִּ֔ין[the] Dragons
hataninH8577 →
וְאֶל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
שַׁ֖עַר[the] gate of
shaarH8179 →374 times
הָאַשְׁפֹּ֑תthe dung
haashpotH830 →7 times
וָאֱהִ֨יand I was
vaehiH1961 →3559 times
שֹׂבֵ֜רexamining
soverH7663 →
בְּחוֹמֹ֤ת<on> [the] walls of
bechomotH2346 →133 times
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙Jerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
הֵ֣ם׀ פְּרוּצִ֔יםthey [were] broken down
וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָand gates its
usheareihaH8179 →374 times
אֻכְּל֥וּthey had been consumed
ʾukeluH398 →810 times
בָאֵֽשׁ׃by <the> fire
vaeshH784 →378 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Nehemiah 2:17Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 5:14
I will make you a ruin and a disgrace among the nations around you, in the sight of all who pass by.
- Isaiah 35:3–4
Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees!
- Lamentations 3:45–46
You have made us scum and refuse among the nations.
- Lamentations 3:51
My eyes bring grief to my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
- Psalms 79:4
We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those around us.
- Ezekiel 5:14
Through
Nehemiah 1:3And they told me, “The remnant who survived the exile are there in the province, in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
it leads to
- Nehemiah 2:17
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we…
- 2 Kings 25:10
And the whole army of the Chaldeans under the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem.
- Nehemiah 2:17
Through
Nehemiah 2:3and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by…
it leads to
- Nehemiah 1:3
And they told me, “The remnant who survived the exile are there in the province, in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
- Nehemiah 1:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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About Nehemiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.