Nehemiah uses the word built
half a dozen times in this chapter to describe the volunteers’ reconstruction efforts (the present case being its first example). Far more often (some three dozen times) he uses a different term, one best translated as strengthen.
Perhaps the difference in meaning can best be explained by assuming that the word build
describes labour that needs to start from scratch, whereas the term strengthen
implies the need to fortify what’s already there (be it in a broken and/or weakened condition).
2 And next to him the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.