So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places …: Nehemiah’s response to the threat by those opposed to the rebuilding of the wall was to arm the people and place them where they could be seen from outside the wall. This showed the enemy that they were armed and ready to resist. The lowest parts refers to the lowest sections of the wall where the enemy could see over the wall from the outside. The open places were where there were gaps in the wall.

I stationed the people according to their families means that Nehemiah placed or assigned the people in family groups to the locations where they would defend themselves and the city. Good News Translation makes it clear that families does not refer to the nuclear family but to the larger social group of the clan.

With their swords, their spears, and their bows: Three weapons are cited. Swords were for hand-to-hand fighting. In some languages there may be a choice of terms for different types of swords. Here the more common straight, single-edged sword should be used. Some languages will call them “great knives.” Spears were used as a stabbing weapon in close range fighting. They were not decorative spears for ceremonial or ritual use. The bows were wooden bows with a leather string that shot iron-tipped arrows made from reeds. They shot arrows over a range of about 650 meters (710 yards), but were accurate only up to about half that distance. The Hebrew text mentions bows only, but Contemporary English Version says “bows and arrows,” which is the common English expression.

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 .