נחמיה, פרק ג׳, פסוק כ״ז

The reconstruction of Jerusalem's walls was a massive community effort, but some groups displayed exceptional dedication by going well beyond their initial duties. The men of Tekoa stood out in this regard. After completing their first assigned portion of the wall, they returned and volunteered to take on a second, additional section of the construction. This new segment they built was equal in size to the portion completed by the temple servants [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The work in this specific area of the city was carefully divided. While the temple servants were responsible for building the city wall up to the Water Gate and constructing the great projecting tower itself, the men of Tekoa continued the labor from there. Their new construction route began directly opposite this great tower and extended all the way to the area known as the Ophel.

The Ophel was the wall surrounding the highest elevation in the city [רלב״ג]. It functioned as a distinct, separate fortress located a short distance from the great tower, which extended outward from the royal palace [מלבי״ם]. This specific part of the city held significant importance, as it also contained the Horse Gate, providing a direct road straight to the king's palace [מלבי״ם].