and the temple servants living on Ophel repaired to a point opposite the Water Gate on the east and the projecting tower.
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to gloss over this verse as just a geographical marker, but notice how it highlights the Nethinim, the temple servants who were essentially the lowest class in society, yet here they are, faithfully repairing a crucial section of the wall. This shows that God values and uses everyone, no matter their status, in His work.
and the temple servants living on Ophel repaired to a point opposite the Water Gate on the east and the projecting tower.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The chapter details the massive communal effort of rebuilding Jerusalem's walls, assigning specific sections to different families and groups. This verse focuses on the "temple servants," a group of people originally dedicated to serving the priests and Levites. Their assigned section of the wall is near the Water Gate and a prominent tower, a strategic location that likely relates to their historical duties of supplying water to the Temple.
Who were the Nethinim? Often overlooked, this group played a crucial role in the life of the Temple and the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
The verse names the 'temple servants,' also known as the Nethinim. These individuals were descendants of the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:21-27), a group who deceived Israel into a covenant and were consequently assigned the role of perpetual servants in God's house. They were laborers, often tasked with fetching water and wood for the sanctuary.
Their inclusion here is significant. It shows that everyone had a part in rebuilding Jerusalem, not just the priests or nobles. The humblest servants, those performing essential but often unseen tasks, were vital to the project. Their work on the wall, especially near the Water Gate, directly connected to their traditional duties of managing water for the city and the Temple.
The 'Ophel' wasn't just any piece of land; its location and history made it a vital, sensitive area in Jerusalem's defense.
The Nethinim lived on 'Ophel,' described as a prominent spur or promontory south of the Temple mount. This area was significant for several reasons:
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The Nethinim's assigned section of the wall, facing the Water Gate and a projecting tower, highlights their role in protecting not just a physical boundary, but a vital resource and sacred space.
Understand the original words
netinim · Hebrew Noun
A person set apart for service within the tabernacle or temple, often performing manual labor and auxiliary duties to assist the Levites and priests.
ophel · Hebrew Noun
A ridge or hill, specifically the southeastern spur of Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, south of the temple mount and north of the City of David.
hechezik · Hebrew Verb
The action of rebuilding, restoring, or making sound something that has been damaged or broken; in a spiritual sense, it often symbolizes repentance and the restoration of God’s people.
migdal · Hebrew Noun
A defensive structure built into a wall to provide a vantage point for guards and protection for the city against attackers.
This verse highlights that even the 'Nethinim' – servants associated with the Temple, likely descendants of conquered peoples assigned to temple duties – played a vital role in rebuilding Jerusalem’s defenses. Their participation underscores the broad, community-wide effort involved in restoring the city after the devastation of the Babylonian exile.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonians, under Nebuchadnezzar II, conquer Judah, destroy Jerusalem and its temple, and exile many of its people. This event marks the end of the First Temple period.
c. 538 BC
Return from Exile
Cyrus the Great of Persia allows the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and begin rebuilding the temple, marking the start of the Second Temple period.
c. 445-433 BC— this verse
Nehemiah's governorship and wall rebuilding
Nehemiah, cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes I, is appointed governor of Judah and leads the monumental effort to rebuild Jerusalem's walls.
This passage explains the origin of the Nethinim as perpetual servants tasked with drawing water, connecting directly to why they would be associated with the 'Water Gate' and its repair.
2 Chronicles 27:3This passage mentions Jotham building at the 'upper gate of the house of the Lord' and fortifying Ophel, showing Ophel's strategic importance and existing fortifications that the Nethinim would have been working on.
Nehemiah 8:1This verse describes a gathering at the Water Gate, indicating its significance as a public space, which further illuminates why its repair by the Nethinim would be a notable point in the rebuilding efforts.
Nehemiah 12:37This passage describes a procession passing through the Water Gate, highlighting its role as a significant thoroughfare within the city and thus important for the overall reconstruction.
pulpitNehemiah 3:26: "Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out."
Verse 26. - The Nethinims dwelt in Ophel. Ophel was "the long, narrowish, rounded spur or promontory which intervenes between the central valley of Jerusalem (the Tyropoeon) and the Kidron, or Valley of Jehoshaphat" (Grove). The Nethinims, who had their dwellings on this spur, were set to fortify a portion of the eastern circuit, but apparently restor…
ellicottNehemiah 3:26: "Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out."
(26) The Nethinims dwelt in Ophel. —It has been proposed to insert “who” before dwelt (following the Syriac); but this is not necessary. Ophel was the long rounded spur running out south of the Temple, on the sides of which the ancient “temple servants” still dwelt, separated from others, on a tract of land reaching from the “water-gate toward the eas…
It's easy to gloss over this verse as just a geographical marker, but notice how it highlights the Nethinim, the temple servants who were essentially the lowest class in society, yet here they are, faithfully repairing a crucial section of the wall. This shows that God values and uses everyone, no matter their status, in His work.
The chapter details the massive communal effort of rebuilding Jerusalem's walls, assigning specific sections to different families and groups. This verse focuses on the "temple servants," a group of people originally dedicated to serving the priests and Levites. Their assigned section of the wall is near the Water Gate and a prominent tower, a strategic location that likely relates to their historical duties of supplying water to the Temple.
The chapter details the massive communal effort of rebuilding Jerusalem's walls, assigning specific sections to different families and groups. This verse focuses on the "temple servants," a group of people originally dedicated to serving the priests and Levites. Their assigned section of the wall is near the Water Gate and a prominent tower, a strategic location that likely relates to their historical duties of supplying water to the Temple.
"and the temple servants living on Ophel repaired to a point opposite the Water Gate on the east and the projecting tower." — It's easy to gloss over this verse as just a geographical marker, but notice how it highlights the Nethinim, the temple servants who were essentially the lowest class in society, yet here they ar…
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Last reviewed October 2026