Baruch (son of Zakkai, rebuilder of Jerusalem's wall (Nehemiah 3))

Rebuilder of Jerusalem's Wall

PaluuWarriorLeaderc. 400s BC

Baruch, son of Zakkai, was one of the faithful Jews who participated in rebuilding Jerusalem's wall under Nehemiah's leadership after the exile in Babylon. He distinguished himself through his zeal and effort, repairing a section of the wall with great dedication. His contribution is mentioned in Nehemiah 3, which documents the various workers and their assigned sections of the wall.

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Avaintapahtumat

Rebuilding of the Wall Section

Baruch, son of Zakkai, repaired a section of Jerusalem's wall with great zeal under Nehemiah's leadership. He is specifically noted for working diligently on his assigned stretch.

20Next to him Baruch son of Zabbai worked with zeal, repairing another section from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest.
אַחֲרָ֨יו הֶחֱרָ֧ה הֶחֱזִ֛יק בָּר֥וּךְ בֶּן־*זבי **זַכַּ֖י מִדָּ֣ה שֵׁנִ֑ית מִן־הַ֨מִּקְצ֔וֹעַ עַד־פֶּ֙תַח֙ בֵּ֣ית אֶלְיָשִׁ֔יב הַכֹּהֵ֖ן הַגָּדֽוֹל׃ ס ‬

Nehemiah's Organization of the Wall Work

Nehemiah organized the people into groups to rebuild the wall. Baruch was one of many volunteers who contributed to this national project.

1Then Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests set to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors in place, and they consecrated the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred, all the way to the Tower of Hananel.
וַיָּ֡קָם אֶלְיָשִׁיב֩ הַכֹּהֵ֨ן הַגָּד֜וֹל וְאֶחָ֣יו הַכֹּהֲנִ֗ים וַיִּבְנוּ֙ אֶת־שַׁ֣עַר הַצֹּ֔אן הֵ֣מָּה קִדְּשׁ֔וּהוּ וֽ͏ַיַּעֲמִ֖ידוּ דַּלְתֹתָ֑יו וְעַד־מִגְדַּ֤ל הַמֵּאָה֙ קִדְּשׁ֔וּהוּ עַ֖ד מִגְדַּ֥ל חֲנַנְאֵֽל׃ ס ‬
2Next to him the men of Jericho built, and next to them Zaccur son of Imri.
וְעַל־יָד֥וֹ בָנ֖וּ אַנְשֵׁ֣י יְרֵח֑וֹ ס וְעַל־יָד֣וֹ בָנָ֔ה זַכּ֖וּר בֶּן־אִמְרִֽי׃ ס ‬
3The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars in place.
וְאֵת֙ שַׁ֣עַר הַדָּגִ֔ים בָּנ֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י הַסְּנָאָ֑ה הֵ֣מָּה קֵר֔וּהוּ וֽ͏ַיַּעֲמִ֙ידוּ֙ דַּלְתֹתָ֔יו מַנְעוּלָ֖יו וּבְרִיחָֽיו׃ ס ‬
4Next to them Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, made repairs. Next to them Meshullam son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to them Zadok son of Baana.
וְעַל־יָדָ֣ם הֶחֱזִ֗יק מְרֵמ֤וֹת בֶּן־אוּרִיָּה֙ בֶּן־הַקּ֔וֹץ ס וְעַל־יָדָ֣ם הֶחֱזִ֔יק מְשֻׁלָּ֥ם בֶּן־בֶּרֶכְיָ֖ה בֶּן־מְשֵׁיזַבְאֵ֑ל ס וְעַל־יָדָ֣ם הֶֽחֱזִ֔יק צָד֖וֹק בֶּֽן־בַּעֲנָֽא׃ ס ‬
5Next to them the men of Tekoa made repairs, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.[fn: The Hebrew word can mean either their Lord (God) or their lords, that is, their supervisors.]
וְעַל־יָדָ֖ם הֶחֱזִ֣יקוּ הַתְּקוֹעִ֑ים וְאַדִּֽירֵיהֶם֙ לֹא־הֵבִ֣יאוּ צַוָּרָ֔ם בַּעֲבֹדַ֖ת אֲדֹנֵיהֶֽם׃ ס ‬

The Wall Completed

Despite opposition from enemies like Sanballat and Tobiah, Jerusalem's wall was completed in just 52 days, partly thanks to the efforts of people like Baruch.

15So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days.
וַתִּשְׁלַם֙ הַֽחוֹמָ֔ה בְּעֶשְׂרִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה לֶאֱל֑וּל לַחֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּשְׁנַ֖יִם יֽוֹם׃ פ ‬
16When all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid, and their confidence sank low, for they knew that this work had been accomplished by our God.
וַיְהִ֗י כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ כָּל־א֣וֹיְבֵ֔ינוּ וַיִּֽרְא֗וּ כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר סְבִֽיבֹתֵ֔ינוּ וַיִּפְּל֥וּ מְאֹ֖ד בְּעֵינֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֵּ֣דְע֔וּ כִּ֚י מֵאֵ֣ת אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ נֶעֶשְׂתָ֖ה הַמְּלָאכָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃ ‬

Opposition to the Rebuilding

During the work, the workers, including Baruch, faced strong opposition from surrounding peoples, but they held fast to the task with a sword in one hand and tools in the other.

15So we carried on the work, half of the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn until the stars came out.
וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ עֹשִׂ֣ים בַּמְּלָאכָ֑ה וְחֶצְיָ֗ם מַחֲזִיקִים֙ בָּֽרְמָחִ֔ים מֵעֲל֣וֹת הַשַּׁ֔חַר עַ֖ד צֵ֥את הַכּוֹכָבִֽים׃ ‬
16At that time I also told the people, "Let every man and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they may stand guard for us by night and work by day."
גַּ֣ם בָּעֵ֤ת הַהִיא֙ אָמַ֣רְתִּי לָעָ֔ם אִ֣ישׁ וְנַעֲר֔וֹ יָלִ֖ינוּ בְּת֣וֹךְ יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְהָֽיוּ־לָ֧נוּ הַלַּ֛יְלָה מִשְׁמָ֖ר וְהַיּ֥וֹם מְלָאכָֽה׃ ‬
17Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me ever took off our clothes; each of us kept his weapon at hand, even when going for water.
וְאֵ֨ין אֲנִ֜י וְאַחַ֣י וּנְעָרַ֗י וְאַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמִּשְׁמָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַחֲרַ֔י אֵין־אֲנַ֥חְנוּ פֹשְׁטִ֖ים בְּגָדֵ֑ינוּ אִ֖ישׁ שִׁלְח֥וֹ הַמָּֽיִם׃ ס ‬

The People's Commitment to God's Law

After the wall was completed, the people committed themselves to follow God's law. The rebuilders, of whom Baruch was a part, were integral to this renewal community.

28Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.
מַלּ֥וּךְ חָרִ֖ם בַּעֲנָֽה׃ ‬
29The rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands in order to follow the Law of God, together with their wives, their sons, and their daughters, all who had the knowledge to understand—
וּשְׁאָ֣ר הָעָ֡ם הַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים הַ֠לְוִיִּם הַשּׁוֹעֲרִ֨ים הַמְשֹׁרְרִ֜ים הַנְּתִינִ֗ים וְֽכָל־הַנִּבְדָּ֞ל מֵעַמֵּ֤י הָאֲרָצוֹת֙ אֶל־תּוֹרַ֣ת הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים נְשֵׁיהֶ֖ם בְּנֵיהֶ֣ם וּבְנֹתֵיהֶ֑ם כֹּ֖ל יוֹדֵ֥עַ מֵבִֽין׃ ‬
30joined with their brothers, the nobles, and bound themselves with a curse and an oath to walk in the Law of God, given through Moses the servant of God, and to keep and carry out all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, with his judgments and his statutes:
מַחֲזִיקִ֣ים עַל־אֲחֵיהֶם֮ אַדִּירֵיהֶם֒ וּבָאִ֞ים בְּאָלָ֣ה וּבִשְׁבוּעָ֗ה לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ בְּתוֹרַ֣ת הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִתְּנָ֔ה בְּיַ֖ד מֹשֶׁ֣ה עֶֽבֶד־הֽ͏ָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְלִשְׁמ֣וֹר וְלַעֲשׂ֗וֹת אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺת֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֲדֹנֵ֔ינוּ וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֖יו וְחֻקָּֽיו׃ ‬

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