27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them in to Jerusalem, to make the dedication even with gladness, and with thanksgivings, and with singing, `with' cymbals, psalteries, and with harps;
And David saith to the heads of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers, with instruments of song, psalteries, and harps, and cymbals, sounding, to lift up with the voice for joy.
And Hezekiah the king saith, and the princes, to the Levites to give praise to Jehovah in the words of David, and of Asaph the seer, and they praise -- unto joy, and they bow, and do obeisance.
yea, it cometh to pass, as one `are' trumpeters and singers, to sound -- one voice -- to praise and to give thanks to Jehovah, and at the lifting up of the sound with trumpets, and with cymbals, and with instruments of song, and at giving praise to Jehovah, for good, for to the age `is' His kindness, that the house is filled with a cloud -- the house of Jehovah,
And all Israel are bringing up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah with shouting, and with the sound of a cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding with psalteries and harps,
`And the authorities have spoken unto the people, saying, Who `is' the man that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? -- let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man dedicate it.
And when he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, having each one harps and golden vials full of perfumes, which are the prayers of the saints,
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice;
Praise Him in His mighty acts, Praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness. Praise Him with blowing of trumpet, Praise Him with psaltery and harp. Praise Him with timbrel and dance, Praise Him with stringed instruments and organ. Praise Him with cymbals of sounding, Praise Him with cymbals of shouting.
They praise His name in a dance, With timbrel and harp sing praise to Him.
A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Shout to Jehovah, all the earth. Serve Jehovah with joy, come before him with singing.
A Psalm. -- A Song for the sabbath-day. Good to give thanks to Jehovah, And to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High, To declare in the morning Thy kindness, And Thy faithfulness in the nights. On ten strings and on psaltery, On higgaion, with harp.
To the Overseer. -- `On the Gittith.' By Asaph. Cry aloud to God our strength, Shout to the God of Jacob. Lift up a song, and give out a timbrel, A pleasant harp with psaltery. Blow in the month a trumpet, In the new moon, at the day of our festival, For a statute to Israel it `is', An ordinance of the God of Jacob.
And the rest of Israel, of the priests, of the Levites, `are' in all cities of Judah, each in his inheritance;
And thou hast rejoiced before Jehovah thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy handmaid, and the Levite who `is' within thy gates, and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, who `are' in thy midst, in the place which Jehovah thy God doth choose to cause His name to tabernacle there,
And I gather them unto the river that is going unto Ahava, and we encamp there three days; and I consider about the people, and about the priests, and of the sons of Levi I have found none there; and I send for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, heads, and for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding; and I charge them for Iddo the head, in the place Casiphia, and put in their mouth words to speak unto Iddo, `and' his brethren the Nethinim, in the place Casiphia, to bring to us ministrants for the house of our God. And they bring to us, according to the good hand of our God upon us, a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel, and Sherebiah, and his sons, and his brethren, eighteen; and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah, of the sons of Merari, his brethren, and their sons, twenty; and from the Nethinim, whom David and the heads gave for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinim, all of them defined by name.
And the sons of Israel have made, `and' the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the sons of the captivity, a dedication of this house of God with joy,
And those building have founded the temple of Jehovah, and they appoint the priests, clothed, with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise Jehovah, by means of `the instruments of' David king of Israel. And they respond in praising and in giving thanks to Jehovah, for good, for to the age His kindness `is' over Israel, and all the people have shouted -- a great shout -- in giving praise to Jehovah, because the house of Jehovah hath been founded.
and bringeth in the priests and the Levites, and gathereth them to the broad place to the east. And he saith to them, `Hear me, O Levites, now, sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of Jehovah, God of your fathers, and bring out the impurity from the sanctuary, for our fathers have trespassed, and done that which is evil in the eyes of Jehovah our God, and forsake him, and turn round their faces from the tabernacle of Jehovah, and give the neck. `Also -- they have shut the doors of the porch, and quench the lamps, and perfume they have not made, and burnt-offering have not caused to ascend in the sanctuary to the God of Israel, and the wrath of Jehovah is on Judah and Jerusalem, and He giveth them for a trembling, for an astonishment, and for a hissing, as ye are seeing with your eyes. And lo, fallen have our fathers by the sword, and our sons, and our daughters, and our wives `are' in captivity for this. `Now -- with my heart -- to make a covenant before Jehovah, God of Israel, and the fierceness of His anger doth turn back from us. My sons, be not now at rest, for on you hath Jehovah fixed to stand before Him, to serve Him, and to be to Him ministering and making perfume.'
And the priests over their charges are standing, and the Levites with instruments of the song of Jehovah -- that David the king made, to give thanks to Jehovah, for to the age `is' His kindness, in David's praising by their hand -- and the priests are blowing trumpets over-against them, and all Israel are standing.
Of the Hebronite, Jerijah `is' the head, of the Hebronite, according to his generations, for the fathers -- in the fortieth year of the reign of David they have been sought out, and there are found among them mighty ones of valour, in Jazer of Gilead --
And David and the heads of the host separate for service, of the sons of Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun, who are prophesying with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals, and the number of the workmen is according to their service. Of sons of Asaph: Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asharelah, sons of Asaph, `are' by the side of Asaph, who is prophesying by the side of the king. Of Jeduthun: sons of Jeduthun, Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, Shisshah, `are' by the side of their father Jeduthun; with a harp he is prophesying, for giving of thanks and of praise to Jehovah. Of Heman: sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth; all these `are' sons of Heman -- seer of the king in the things of God -- to lift up a horn; and God giveth to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. All these `are' by the side of their father in the song of the house of Jehovah, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God; by the side of the king `are' Asaph, and Jeduthun, and Heman.
and four thousand gatekeepers, and four thousand giving praise to Jehovah, `with instruments that I made for praising,' `saith David.'
and with them -- Heman and Jeduthun -- `are' trumpets and cymbals for those sounding, and instruments of the song of God, and the sons of Jeduthun `are' at the gate.
and saith to them, `Ye `are' heads of the fathers of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, ye and your brethren, and ye have brought up the ark of Jehovah, God of Israel, unto `the place' I have prepared for it;
And David gathereth the sons of Aaron, and the Levites.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Nehemiah 12
Commentary on Nehemiah 12 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 12
In this chapter are preserved upon record,
Neh 12:1-26
We have here the names, and little more than the names, of a great many priests and Levites, that were eminent in their day among the returned Jews. Why this register should be here inserted by Nehemiah does not appear, perhaps to keep in remembrance those good men, that posterity might know to whom they were beholden, under God, for the happy revival and re-establishment of their religion among them. Thus must we contribute towards the performance of that promise, Ps. 112:6, The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. Let the memory of the just be blessed, be perpetuated. It is a debt we still owe to faithful ministers to remember our guides, who have spoken to us the word of God, Heb. 13:7. Perhaps it is intended to stir up their posterity, who succeeded them in the priest's office and inherited their dignities and preferments, to imitate their courage and fidelity. It is good to know what our godly ancestors and predecessors were, that we may learn thereby what we should be. We have here,
Neh 12:27-43
We have read of the building of the wall of Jerusalem with a great deal of fear and trembling; we have here an account of the dedicating of it with a great deal of joy and triumph. Those that sow in tears shall thus reap.
Neh 12:44-47
We have here an account of the remaining good effects of the universal joy that was at the dedication of the wall. When the solemnities of a thanksgiving day leave such impressions on ministers and people as that both are more careful and cheerful in doing their duty afterwards, then they are indeed acceptable to God and turn to a good account. So it was here.