Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel.
Then Eliashib the high priest got up with his fellow priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it to God and put up its doors. They dedicated the whole section from the Tower of Meah to the Tower of Hananeel.
The writer is showing how the high priest and other priests took the lead in rebuilding Jerusalem's walls, starting with the Sheep Gate and dedicating their work to God.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Nehemiah, the Jewish people had returned from exile in Babylon and were engaged in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, which had been destroyed during the Babylonian conquest decades earlier. This project was led by Nehemiah, a faithful Jewish official serving as cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes, who granted permission for the restoration as a sign of goodwill. The Sheep Gate, mentioned in this verse, was a key entry point associated with the temple and animal sacrifices, and its rebuilding and sanctification by the priests symbolized the community's spiritual renewal and commitment to God's holiness.
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