Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 3:31
After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith’s son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner.
31. Malchiah the goldsmith’s son ] R.V. Malchijah one of the goldsmiths. See note on Neh 3:8. Malchiah belonged to the guild of the goldsmiths.
unto the place of the Nethinims ] R.V. unto the house of the Nethinim. The Nethinim were stated ( Neh 3:26) to have their dwelling ‘in Ophel.’ Here a house belonging to their number is described as on the wall, probably N.E. of the Temple precincts. This we may presume was the official residence of those engaged in the service of the Temple.
and of the merchants ] LXX. . The tradesmen of the same class generally lived near to one another, cf. Jer 37:21.
It is at first sight strange to find a house belonging to a mixed body of Nethinim and merchants. But the needs and equipment of the Temple services and of those who took part in them were sufficiently varied to account for this combination. We should think of an Oriental bazaar rather than of a modern house. The open spaces near the Temple would be thronged with money-changers and sellers of animals for sacrifice and of articles for offerings. On the later abuse of this custom cf. Mat 21:12; Joh 2:14. Some who have found a difficulty in this combination disregard the tradition of the accents, and divide the verse differently, stopping at ‘Nethinim,’ and making a new clause of which ‘the merchants’ are the subject, i.e. ‘and the merchants repaired, &c.’ We should however certainly expect the phrase ‘after him’ at the beginning of such a clause.
over against the gate Miphkad ] R.V. over against the gate of Hammiphkad. The word ‘Miphkad’ occurs in Eze 43:21, ‘Thou shalt also take the bullock of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place ( miphkad) of the house, without the sanctuary.’ It has hence been often supposed to be the gate through which the bullock of the sin offering was led ‘without the sanctuary.’
The words ‘over against’ seem to imply that the gate of Hammiphkad was not on but opposite the city wall. Some identify it with the modern ‘golden gate.’
The LXX. and the Vulg. ‘porta judicialis’ fail to throw light upon its position or purpose.
and to the going up of the corner ] R.V. and to the ascent (marg. ‘Or, upper chamber ’) of the corner. We seem here to have the junction point of two walls, where the elevation was greater than elsewhere, or where there was a well-known ‘upper chamber’ used for look-out purposes or as a place of public gathering.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The gate Miphkad – Not elsewhere mentioned. It must have been in the east, or northeast, wall, a little to the south of the sheep-gate
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
After him repaired Malchiah, the goldsmith’s son,…. Or the son of Tzoreph, as some, so called from his business:
unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants; he repaired up to the place where these dwelt:
over against the gate Miphkad; where some think was an house of visitation or correction; and others, where the sanhedrim sat, tried causes, and exercised justice:
and to the going up of the corner; from the east to the north.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(31) The place of the Nethinims.Rather, the house.
And of the merchants.Possibly there is some connection between the traders, who brought their doves and so forth for the worshippers, and the Nethinim to whoso house or dept they brought them. Near the sheep gate was the going up of the corner, or an ascent to the gate Miphkad, about which nothing is known.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
31. Place of the Nethinim That is, Ophel, the place where they dwelt. Neh 3:26.
And of the merchants Who, probably, kept a sort of bazaar on the western slope of Ophel, near the bridge that crossed the Tyropoeon.
Gate Miphkad Or, gate of numbering; so called, perhaps, because the census of the people was taken here. Or it may mean gate of reviewing, that is, of judgment, because cases were tried here, and the judgment rendered. It was, perhaps, situated in the southern wall of the temple enclosure, and near “the court of the prison,” (Neh 3:25,) an appropriate place for rendering judgment.
The going up of the corner Or the words may mean, as the margin has it, the corner chamber, referring, perhaps, to an upper chamber at the southwest corner of the temple enclosure. We incline to think, however, that the corner referred to is that of the outer city wall, just above the pool of Siloam.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘After him repaired Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, unto the house of the Nethinim, and of the merchants, over against the gate of Hammiphkad, and to the ascent of the corner.’
The next section was that which led up to the north east corner. It was repaired by Malchijah who was a goldsmith. It was adjacent to ‘the house of the Nethinim’, probably the large house they lived in when actually on duty in the Temple, in contrast with their normal dwellingplaces at the commencement of the Ophel (Neh 3:26). It was seemingly large enough to also be used by merchants, presumably those who were involved in trade connected with the Temple It was probably this connection which resulted in a goldsmith being involved in the oversight of the building. The Gate of Hammiphkad (the miphkad) is of unknown meaning (‘muster, inspection, appointed place’ have been suggested). It may have been where animals for sacrifice were gathered and inspected.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Neh 3:31 After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith’s son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner.
Ver. 31. After him ] Or, After me. See Neh 3:30 .
Over against the gate Miphkad
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the goldsmith’s son: or, the son of Zorphi.
gate Miphkad: or. gate of review or registry. Probably north-east of Temple.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the goldsmith’s: Neh 3:8, Neh 3:32
going up of the corner: or, corner-chamber
Reciprocal: Neh 11:21 – the Neh 12:39 – the prison Zep 1:11 – all the
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3:31 After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith’s son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate {h} Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner.
(h) Which was the place of judgment or execution.