singular vs. plural (Neh. 2:12-15)

The narrative in Nehemiah 2:12-15 mentions that Nehemiah is accompanied by a number of other people. Yet, the verb forms (and pronouns) in this and the preceding verses are all singular in the Hebrew text. In the Chuj translation everything is retold in plural forms, except the verb forms of “inspect” in verses 13 and 15 since Nehemiah “had not confided in the men what his plans are, so presumably only he is inspecting walls.”

For the Mam on the other hand, translation consultant and the translators reached a different decision: “The team and I discussed this issue in depth and concluded that the level of leadership of the other men was so extremely low (they are only mentioned once and were not even aware of the purpose of the trip) that the singulars could stand.”

complete verse (Nehemiah 2:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Nehemiah 2:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “So, I ascended to the Valley of Kidron to check again on the wall before I again went through the Gate of the Valley.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So I just went-up to Kedron which is the channel/passageway of water, and I keep-on looking to the stone-walls that night. Afterwards I returned and there again I passed-through the Gate that Faces the Seem-Like-Valley.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “In the middle of the night, I-got-up and I circled the city so-that I would be-able-to-see the likeness of the fence.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “So we turned back and went along the Kidron Valley. We inspected the wall there before we turned back/around and entered the city again at the Valley Gate.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Nehemiah 2:15

Then I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall: Because the path was blocked, Nehemiah apparently went into the valley that is identified as the “Kidron Valley” by Good News Translation (also Bible en français courant). Most versions simply refer to the valley without identifying it. It was often a dry gulch or ravine. The Hebrew says “I went up,” which many versions translate literally as Revised Standard Version has done. This may mean that he continued northward in the valley and continued to inspect the wall from that vantage point. But in terms of altitude he would have gone “down” into the valley below the wall (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version).

I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate: At this point the Hebrew can mean either that Nehemiah retraced his route or that he reentered by the Valley Gate, implying that he had continued on around the city. The condition of the wall and the difficulty of going on around the city lead most commentators to prefer the first alternative and translate as Revised Standard Version has done (also New International Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

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 .