The northeastern part of the city was the commercial area near the Temple. The goldsmiths and the merchants would have had a special interest in the repair of the wall in that area. The section of the wall from the upper chamber of the corner to the Sheep Gate was the northern section of the wall.

For Sheep Gate, see the comments at verse 1 above. The account began with the repair of the wall at the Sheep Gate, and now it has come back to this gate, showing that the Jews have completed the rebuilding of the entire wall around the city.

MT continues the third chapter of Nehemiah for another 6 verses to end at verse 38. Chapter 4 follows with 17 verses. Many versions follow the MT verse numbering and chapter break (Bible en français courant, Luther, Nouvelle Bible Segond, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). A second tradition begun by the Septuagint Greek and Vulgate Latin translations ends chapter 3 here at verse 32 and includes the additional 6 verses as the beginning of chapter 4, which then has 23 verses. Like Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, other versions follow this second tradition of verse numbering and chapter break (also New American Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised English Bible). The presentation in this Handbook begins chapter 4 immediately after 3.32, following the example of Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .