Nehemiah 6:15

15 And the wall was ended in the five and twentieth day of the month of Elul, that is, August, in two and fifty days. (And so the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul, that is, August, after only fifty-two days of rebuilding.)

Nehemiah 6:15 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 6:15

So the wall was finished in the twenty fifth day of the month
Elul
The sixth month, answering to part of August and part of September:

in fifty and two days;
which Aben Ezra reckons from the time that Sanballat sent his letter to Nehemiah, when no more were wanting than to set the doors upon the gates, ( Nehemiah 6:1 ) , but rather these, with Jarchi, must be reckoned from the time the building was begun; which, reckoning back from the twenty fifth of Elul, it will appear it was begun the third day of the fifth month Ab; nor need this be thought incredible, considering the number of workmen, their ardour and diligence in building, and that the walls were not wholly built all around, only repaired, and breaches made up, and much of the old materials were made use of, which were at hand, and stone unhewed, and especially being attended with the blessing of God, which succeeded the undertaking: nor are there wanting examples similar to this; and as it is observed by many from Curtius ^F24, the walls of new Alexandria, which were sixty furlongs in length, or more than seven miles, were finished in seventeen days; if Nicephorus ^F25 is to be credited, the high walls which surrounded Constantinople, and were twenty miles in circumference, were finished in two months time. Josephus is not to be regarded, who, contrary to the Scriptures says ^F26, this wall of Jerusalem was two years and four months in building.

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 Hist. l. 7. c. 6. Justin e Trogo, l. 12. c. 5.
F25 Hist. l. 14. c. 1.
F26 Antiqu. l. 11. c. 5. sect. 8.

Nehemiah 6:15 In-Context

13 For he had taken price, that I should be afeared, and do their will, and that I should do sin; and they should have evil (against me), which they should put to me with shame. (For he had taken money from them, to make me afraid, so that I would do their will, and that I would sin; and then they would have evil to put against me, which they would put on me for my shame.)

14 Lord, have mind of me, for Tobiah and Sanballat, by such works of them; but also of Noadiah, the prophet(ess), and of other prophets, that have made me afeared. (Lord, remember Tobiah, and Sanballat, for all their evil works; and also Noadiah, the prophetess, and the other prophets, who have made me afraid.)

15 And the wall was ended in the five and twentieth day of the month of Elul, that is, August, in two and fifty days. (And so the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul, that is, August, after only fifty-two days of rebuilding.)

16 And it was done, when all our enemies had heard, that all [the] heathen men dreaded us, that were in our compass, and they felled down within themselves, and they knew then, that this work was made of God. (And it was done, when all our enemies had heard of this, then all the heathen, who were all around us, feared us, and they fell down within themselves, for they knew then, that this work was done with God's help.)

17 But also in those days many letters of the principal men of (the) Jews were sent to Tobiah, and came from Tobiah to them. (And also in those days many letters were sent from the leaders of the Jews to Tobiah, and came from Tobiah to them.)