Nehemiah 3:9

‘And next to them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem.'

‘Them' refers to the perfumers. Next to the perfumers repaired Rephaiah, and the residents of half the district of Jerusalem over whom he was ruler. Rephaiah is a common Jewish name used elsewhere of a member of David's family (1 Chronicles 3:21); of a captain of Simeon (1 Chronicles 4:42); of a grandson of Issachar (1 Chronicles 7:2), and of a descendant of Saul (1 Chronicles 9:43; in 1 Chronicles 8:37 called "Raphah").

‘The ruler (plch, an unusual word for ruler, possibly cognate with Akkadian pilku = region) of half the district (‘circle') of Jerusalem.' This district would include land outside the city of Jerusalem as well as in it. The mention of five rulers of districts in the passage is a reminder of the fact that Judah was split up into administrative districts. (The others mentioned are Beth-hakkerrem (Nehemiah 3:14 kilometres (3 miles) north of Bethlehem), Mizpah (Nehemiah 3:15 kilometres (4 miles) south of Bethel), Beth-zur (Nehemiah 3:16 kilometres (4 miles) north of Hebron), and Keilah (Nehemiah 3:17 - in the Shephelah, 16 kilometres (10 miles) north east of Lachish). The non-mention of other such rulers of districts may either suggest that their rulers were not sympathetic to the returnees, or that they were simply not sympathetic towards the rebuilding of the wall.