Nehemiah 3:16

the ruler of the half part of Beth-zur R.V. the ruler of half the district of Beth-Zur. Beth-Zur (Joshua 15:58), the modern Beitsur, was about 13 miles S. of Jerusalem. It commanded the road to Hebron and was fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:7). From the mention of it in this verse we may gather that it ranked as an important town on the Southern frontier. In the Maccabean Wars it appears as a strongly fortified place and the scene of three of the bloodiest conflicts (cf. 1Ma 4:29; 1Ma 11:65-66; 1Ma 14:7.

untothe place over against the sepulchres of David This must have been a well-known spot opposite the tombs of the former kings of Judah. From the way in which these are mentioned in 2 Chronicles 32:33 -they buried (Hezekiah) in the ascent of the sepulchres of the sons of David," they were probably on the side of the south-east or east cliff of Mt. Ophel. We may expect interesting discoveries to result from investigations instituted at this spot for the sake of identifying the royal sepulchres.

and to the pool that was made R.V. and unto &c. From this description of -the pool" some have supposed that Nehemiah regarded it as a recent construction in his own time. Others identify it with the pool constructed by Hezekiah mentioned in Isaiah 22:9-11.

It clearly lay north of the pool of Shelah, and was fed perhaps by the same conduit from the Virgin's Well. Cf. Sayce, -Traces of this have been found by Dr Guthe, close to the so-called tree of Isaiah; and since the city wall here formed one of the walls of the reservoir, the latter must have been constructed after the walls had been built."

the house of the mighty R.V. the house of the mighty men. This name was probably given to the traditional site (or building on the site) of the former royal barracks erected by David for his -body-guard of mighty men" (2 Samuel 16:6; 2 Samuel 23:8). That it denotes the residence of the Temple guard (cf. 1 Chronicles 9:26; 1 Chronicles 26:6), is a less probable explanation of the name.

Rabbi Saadiah understands by the expression -the Sanhedrin," who were mighty in the Law, and compares Psalms 103:20, -ye mighty in strength that fulfil his word."