Nehemiah 2:13I went out by night by the valley gate, even toward the jackal's well, and to the dung gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and its gates were consumed with fire.
The setting
Jerusalem, Israel, midnight survey, ~445 BC. Nehemiah sees the Valley Gate, Jackal Well, and Dung Gate — all in ruins from Babylonian destruction 140 years earlier. The smell of charred wood still lingers.
The emotion here: heartbroken at the scope of devastation but resolute to rebuild
The original word
pārûṣ (פָּרוּץ) — broken down, breached, torn apart violently
Why it matters
The Dung Gate was where refuse was taken outside the city — seeing even this humble gate destroyed showed total devastation
Read with care
What most readers miss in Nehemiah 2:13
He went at night so the people wouldn't see their leader's tears at the devastation
Common misconceptionPeople focus on Nehemiah's building success, but this verse shows he first had to face the full extent of the damage. You can't rebuild what you won't acknowledge is broken.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Nehemiah 2:13
Bible Genome reading
Nehemiah 2:13 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Nehemiah 2:13 comes from the book of Nehemiah, written during the Post-Exile period. These words are attributed to Nehemiah. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include devastation, assessment. Notable phrases: walls of Jerusalem; broken down; burned with fire.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Nehemiah 2:13 mean to you, today?
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