Nehemiah 12 (KJV) - Bible Truth Library

The dedication seems to have consisted in processions of the most eminent persons around the walls, with thanksgivings to God, who had enabled them to bring the work to so happy a conclusion; and, no doubt, to all this were added a particular consecration of the city to God, and the most earnest invocation that He would take it under His guardianship, and defend it and its inhabitants against their enemies.

Deut. 20:5• ⁵And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. (Deut. 20:5)

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Psa. 30:1• ¹<<A Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David.>> I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. (Psa. 30:1)

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Psa. 30• (Psa. 30)

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out.

Neh. 11:20• ²⁰And the residue of Israel, of the priests, and the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, every one in his inheritance. (Neh. 11:20)

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1 Chron. 15:4,12• ⁴And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites:
¹²And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it. (1 Chron. 15:4,12)

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1 Chron. 26:31• ³¹Among the Hebronites was Jerijah the chief, even among the Hebronites, according to the generations of his fathers. In the fortieth year of the reign of David they were sought for, and there were found among them mighty men of valor at Jazer of Gilead. (1 Chron. 26:31)

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2 Chron. 29:4‑11,30• ⁴And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,
⁵And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.
⁶For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord, and turned their backs.
⁷Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.
⁸Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.
⁹For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.
¹⁰Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.
¹¹My sons, be not now negligent: for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.
³⁰Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped. (2 Chron. 29:4‑11,30)

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Ezra 8:15‑20• ¹⁵And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.
¹⁶Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding.
¹⁷And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God.
¹⁸And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;
¹⁹And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty;
²⁰Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name. (Ezra 8:15‑20)

gladness.

Neh. 8:17• ¹⁷And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness. (Neh. 8:17)

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Deut. 16:11• ¹¹And thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to place his name there. (Deut. 16:11)

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2 Sam. 6:12• ¹²And it was told king David, saying, The Lord hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness. (2 Sam. 6:12)

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2 Chron. 29:30• ³⁰Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped. (2 Chron. 29:30)

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Ezra 6:16• ¹⁶And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy, (Ezra 6:16)

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Psa. 98:4‑6• ⁴Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
⁵Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
⁶With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King. (Psa. 98:4‑6)

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Psa. 100:1‑2• ¹<<A Psalm of praise.>> Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
²Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. (Psa. 100:1‑2)

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Phil. 4:4• ⁴Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. (Phil. 4:4)

thanksgivings.

1 Chron. 13:8• ⁸And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets. (1 Chron. 13:8)

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1 Chron. 15:16,28• ¹⁶And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.
²⁸Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps. (1 Chron. 15:16,28)

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1 Chron. 16:5,42• ⁵Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals;
⁴²And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters. (1 Chron. 16:5,42)

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1 Chron. 23:5• ⁵Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the Lord with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith. (1 Chron. 23:5)

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1 Chron. 25:1‑6• ¹Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen according to their service was:
²Of the sons of Asaph; Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asarelah, the sons of Asaph under the hands of Asaph, which prophesied according to the order of the king.
³Of Jeduthun: the sons of Jeduthun; Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the Lord.
⁴Of Heman: the sons of Heman; Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth:
⁵All these were the sons of Heman the king's seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.
⁶All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king's order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman. (1 Chron. 25:1‑6)

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2 Chron. 7:6• ⁶And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of music of the Lord, which David the king had made to praise the Lord, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood. (2 Chron. 7:6)

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Ezra 3:10‑11• ¹⁰And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.
¹¹And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. (Ezra 3:10‑11)

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Psa. 81:1‑4• ¹<<To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of Asaph.>> Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
²Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
³Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
⁴For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob. (Psa. 81:1‑4)

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Psa. 92:1‑3• ¹<<A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day.>> It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:
²To show forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,
³Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound. (Psa. 92:1‑3)

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Psa. 149:3• ³Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. (Psa. 149:3)

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Psa. 150:2‑5• ²Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
³Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
⁴Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
⁵Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. (Psa. 150:2‑5)

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Rev. 5:8• ⁸And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints. (Rev. 5:8)

• The dedication of the wall was not required by law, but this time of thanksgiving and rejoicing was an appropriate response to all which had preceded. (“The Dedication of the Wall - Neh. 12:27-47” by N. Simon)

• It is worthy of note, in passing, what a prominent place praise and thanksgiving occupied in the Jewish ritual. The Psalm abundantly testify to this—many are filled with notes of adoration, and some commence and close with Hallelujah—"Praise ye the Lord." (See Psalm 148-150) The believer is enjoined in everything to give thanks. (“Exposition on Nehemiah: Nehemiah 12:1-13:3” by E. Dennett)

• It will at once be seen that the subjects of the latter part of the book are given in their moral rather than in their historical connection. It has already been pointed out that from chapter 7 on to chapter 12:31, Nehemiah, if he is the writer, no longer describes his own actions. In this portion it is "we" or "they," not "I." It might seem therefore that the dedication of the wall belongs historically to the first section of the book—to chapter 6, wherein we find the account of the completion of the building of the wall. But when the order of the intervening chapters is considered—the restoration of the authority of the law, the confession of the sins of the people, and of their fathers, the covenant made to walk according to the law, and to make provision for the services of the temple, etc.; the distribution of the people in Jerusalem and around, the ordering of all the affairs of the house of God under priests and Levites, according to the commandment of David the man of God—it will be perceived that morally it is inserted in its only fitting place. Taking all these things together, indeed, we have the pattern of all divine reformation. (“Exposition on Nehemiah: Nehemiah 12:1-13:3” by E. Dennett)

J. N. Darby Translation

And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to hold the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, lutes and harps.