Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

Because of the unique mention of "daughters" in this passage, some commentators have suggested that the word did not refer to women assisting with the work (especially in view of the dangers involved), but that it was meant to indicate assistance from inhabitants of the villages of the district over which Shallum ruled.

However, the bulk of opinion is that the reference was to wealthy wives or widows in Shallum's district who voluntarily assisted the re-building effort, whether through literal work (by either them or their servants) alongside the men, or otherwise through financial means with regard to the cost in money, supplies, or physical support (such as food and other material sustenance for the workers) of the rebuilding effort for the portion of the wall near which they lived.

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Jack Gutknecht ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

Maybe Nehemiah noted Shallum's daughters helping to show their commitment and unity in the project. And maybe Shallum had no sons and so asked his daughters to help. If so, they would have been his heirs and were protecting their birthright.

Further, God uses all kinds of people. Nehemiah 3 lists rulers and priests (Nehemiah 3:1, 12-19), men and women (Nehemiah 3:12), professional craftsmen (Nehemiah 3:8, 32), and even people from outside the city (Nehemiah 3:2, 5, 7). There was a place for everyone and a job for everyone to do.

And so it was that Shallum's daughters helped with the hard work of repairing Jerusalem's walls. Rebuilding the city walls was a national emergency for the Jews and not just a civic beautification thing. Nearly all were committed to the job and willing to work at it.

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