In addition to the Levites and the priests, there were a variety of other people who helped in the rebuilding of the walls. These included men from the village of Tekoa, some priests, and some craftsmen and merchants. Good News Translation groups them together under the section heading “Other Builders.”

The Tekoites rebuilt a second section in addition to the first section that they had worked on (see verse 5 above).

The great projecting tower: This may be still a third tower in verses 25-27. Here it is specified as a great or “large” tower. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version understand it to be the large tower that guarded the Temple, but most translations do not identify it. Translators should not try to identify this tower.

The wall of Ophel was a special wall running east and west that separated the Ophel, which included the area south of Temple, from the City of David, which contained the royal buildings (see 2 Chr 27.3). This wall was not being rebuilt.

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .