Neh 4:23

“So neither I, nor my brethren,.... The nobles and rulers: nor my servants; his domestic servants that waited upon him: nor the men of the guard which followed me; his bodyguard, which attended him as a commissioner of the king of Persia for state and grandeur: none of us put off our clothes; at night when they laid themselves down to sleep, but laid in, them, that they might be ready upon an alarm made: saving that everyone put them off for washing; not for common washing, because dirty, but for washing on account of ceremonial uncleanness, which required washing both of bodies and garments, see Lev 15:5, &c. and the Vulgate Latin version expresses it by baptism, as the apostle calls such ceremonial ablutions in Heb 6:2. It is in the margin of our Bibles, "everyone went with his weapon for water"; when he went to Siloam, or any other place, for water, he took a weapon with him to defend himself upon occasion; which is no bad sense of the words. Noldius (g) renders the words, "everyone with his weapon (and) water"; both were at his bolster, ready, if wanted, see Sa1 26:11. (g) Ebr. Concord. Partic. p. 322. Next: Nehemiah Chapter 5”

“None of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing - The Hebrew for all this is only אין אנחנו פשטים בגדינו איש שלחו המים ein anachnu poshetim begadeynu ish shilcho hammayim; which Montanus translates, Non nos exuentes vestes nostras, vir missile suum aquas; "We, not putting off our garments, a man his dart to the waters." Of this latter clause what sense can be made? Let us hear what the ancient versions say. The Vulgate, Unusquisque tantum nudabatur ad baptismum, "Every one stripped himself for the bath." The Septuagint omit the latter part of this clause, And there was none of us who put off his garments. The Syriac, "None of us put off his clothes for a month each in his turn. The Arabic, "Nor did we put off our clothes, but with our arms, at the end of a month." There is a remarkable reading in one of De Rossi's MSS. אין אנחנו פשטים בגדינו משלחהעל המים, We did not lay aside our garments, but in order to send them to the washing. This is most likely the sense of the place. It is curious to see how our old versions translate the place. Coverdale: We put never of our clothes, so much as to wash ourselves. - 1535. Becke: We put never of our clothes, so muche as to washe ourselves. - 1549. Cardmarden: We put never of oure clothes no more than the other dyd theyr harnesse, save onely bycause of the water. - 1566. This shows how all interpreters have been puzzled with this vexatious clause. The reading from De Rossi's MS., given above, is the most likely to be the true one, because it gives a good sense, which cannot be found in the Hebrew text as it now stands. The general meaning is sufficiently evident; they worked nearly day and night, only had their hours by turns for repose; this did not permit them time sufficient to undress themselves in order to take regular sleep, therefore they only put off their clothes when they were obliged to get them washed.”

“Clothes, even to sleep. — Only. Septuagint Complutensian, “man and his arms to the water.” (Haydock) — They went armed to fetch water; (Malvenda) or they had their armour and water always at hand. (Junius, &c.) — Hebrew, “each kept his dart at the water.” It may have various senses. (Calmet) — Protestants agree with the Vulgate, “ saving that every one put them off for washing” (Haydock) them, or themselves. (Tirinus) Bible Text & Cross-references: The building is carried on notwithstanding the opposition of their enemies. 1 And *it came to pass, that when Sanaballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry: and being moved exceedingly, he scoffed at the Jews. 2 And said before his brethren, and the multitude of the Samaritans: What are the silly Jews doing? Will the Gentiles let them alone? will they sacrifice and make an end in a day? are they able to raise stones out of the heaps of the rubbish, which are burnt? 3 Tobias also, the Ammonite, who was by him said: Let them build: if a fox go up, he will leap over their stone wall. 4 Hear thou, our God, for we are despised: turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them to be despised in a land of captivity. 5 Cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thy face, because they have mocked thy builders. 6 So we built the wall, and joined it all together unto the half thereof: and the heart of the people was excited to work. 7 And it came to pass, when Sanaballat, and Tobias, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Azotians, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and the breaches began to be closed, that they were exceedingly angry. 8 And they all assembled themselves together, to come, and to fight against Jerusalem, and to prepare ambushes. 9 And we prayed to our God, and set watchmen upon the wall day and night against them. 10 And Juda said: The strength of the bearer of burdens is decayed, and the rubbish is very much, and we shall not be able to build the wall. 11 And our enemies said: Let them not know, nor understand, till we come in the midst of them, and kill them, and cause the work to cease. 12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews that dwelt by them, came and told us ten times, out of all the places from whence they came to us, 13 I set the people in the place behind the wall round about in order, with their swords, and spears, and bows. 14 And I looked and rose up: and I said to the chief men and the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: Be not afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, and your wives, and your houses. 15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that the thing had been told us, that God defeated their counsel. And we returned all of us to the walls, every man to his work. 16 And it came to pass from that day forward, that half of their young men did the work, and half were ready for to fight, with spears, and shields, and bows, and coats of mail, and the rulers were behind them in all the house of Juda. 17 Of them that built on the wall, and that carried burdens, and that laded: with one of his hands he did the work, and with the other he held a sword. 18 For every one of the builders was girded with a sword about his reins. And they built, and sounded with a trumpet by me. 19 And I said to the nobles, and to the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: The work is great and wide, and we are separated on the wall, one far from another: 20 In what place soever you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, run all thither unto us: our God will fight for us. 21 And let us do the work: and let one half of us hold our spears from the rising of the morning, till the stars appear. 22 At that time, also, I said to the people: Let every one with his servant stay in the midst of Jerusalem, and let us take our turns, in the night, and by day, to work. 23 Now I and my brethren, and my servants, and the watchmen, that followed me, did not put off our clothes: only every man stript himself when he was to be washed.”