Nehemiah 12 (WK) - 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• ⁵{i}And 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 unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.{/i} (Deut. 20:5)

;

Psa. 30:1• ¹A Psalm; a song of the dedication of the house of David.{HR}I extol thee, O Jehovah, for thou hast lifted me up,{HR}And hast not caused mine enemies to rejoice over me. (Psa. 30:1)

;

Psa. 30• (Psa. 30)

:*title

out.

Neh. 11:20• ²⁰{i}And the residue of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, everyone in his inheritance.{/i} (Neh. 11:20)

;

1 Chron. 15:4,12• ⁴And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites,
¹²{i}and he said to them,{/i} 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 Jehovah God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it. (1 Chron. 15:4,12)

;

1 Chron. 26:31• ³¹{i}Of the Hebronites was Jerijah the head; (as to the Hebronites, according to their families according to the fathers: in the fortieth year of the reign of David they were sought for, and there were found among them mighty men of valour at Jaazer in Gilead;){/i} (1 Chron. 26:31)

;

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 Jehovah 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 Jehovah our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of Jehovah, 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 Jehovah 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 Jehovah God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.
¹¹My sons, be not now negligent: for Jehovah 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 praises unto Jehovah 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)

;

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, {i}namely, Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;{/i}
¹⁹{i}and Hashabiah, and with him Isaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty;{/i}
²⁰{i}and of the Nethinim, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinim: all of them were expressed by name.{/i} (Ezra 8:15‑20)

gladness.

Neh. 8:17• ¹⁷{i}And all the congregation of them that had come back from the captivity made booths, and dwelt in the booths. For since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun until that day had not the children of Israel done so.{/i} And there was very great gladness. (Neh. 8:17)

;

Deut. 16:11• ¹¹and thou shalt rejoice before Jehovah thy God, thou, and thy son and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant{i}, and the Levite that is in thy gates{/i}, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you {i}in the place that Jehovah thy God will choose to cause his name to dwell there{/i}. (Deut. 16:11)

;

2 Sam. 6:12• ¹²And it was told king David, saying, Jehovah 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)

;

2 Chron. 29:30• ³⁰Moreover, Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises unto Jehovah 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)

;

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)

;

Psa. 98:4‑6• ⁴Shout to Jehovah, all the earth;{HR}Break forth and sing for joy, and sing psalms.
⁵Sing psalms to Jehovah with a harp,{HR}With harp and voice of psalm;
⁶With trumpets and sound of cornet{HR}Shout before the King, Jehovah. (Psa. 98:4‑6)

;

Psa. 100:1‑2• ¹A psalm of thanksgiving.{HR}Shout to Jehovah, all the earth.
²Serve Jehovah with joy,{HR}Come before him with singing. (Psa. 100:1‑2)

;

Phil. 4:4• ⁴Rejoice in [the] Lord always: again I will say, rejoice. (Phil. 4:4)

thanksgivings.

1 Chron. 13:8• ⁸{i}And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with lutes, and with tambours, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.{/i} (1 Chron. 13:8)

;

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 Jehovah with shouting, and with the sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps. (1 Chron. 15:16,28)

;

1 Chron. 16:5,42• ⁵{i}Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah and Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, with instruments of lutes and with harps; and Asaph sounding with cymbals;{/i}
⁴²{i}and with them, with Heman and Jeduthun, trumpets and cymbals for those that should sound aloud; and the musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were at the gate.{/i} (1 Chron. 16:5,42)

;

1 Chron. 23:5• ⁵{i}and four thousand were doorkeepers; and four thousand praised Jehovah with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.{/i} (1 Chron. 23:5)

;

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:
²{i}of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asharelah, the sons of Asaph under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied at the direction of the king.{/i}
³{i}Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Isaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, and Shimei six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the harp, to give thanks and to praise Jehovah.{/i}
⁴{i}Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkijah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth:{/i}
⁵{i}all these were sons of Heman the king's seer in the words of God, to exalt his power; and God had given to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.{/i}
⁶{i}All these were under the direction of their fathers Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman, for song in the house of Jehovah, with cymbals, lutes and harps, for the service of the house of God, under the direction of the king.{/i} (1 Chron. 25:1‑6)

;

2 Chron. 7:6• ⁶{i}And the priests stood in their charges, and the Levites with Jehovah's instruments of music, which David the king had made to praise Jehovah, for his loving-kindness endureth forever, when David praised by their means; and the priests sounded the trumpets opposite to them, and all Israel stood.{/i} (2 Chron. 7:6)

;

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

;

Psa. 81:1‑4• ¹To the chief musician upon the Gittith; of Asaph.{HR}Sing aloud unto God our strength,{HR}Shout aloud unto the God of Jacob.
²Raise a song and strike the timbrel,{HR}The pleasant harp with psaltery.
³Blow the trumpet at the new moon,{HR}At the set time, on our feast day.
⁴For this [was] a statute for Israel,{HR}An ordinance of the God of Jacob. (Psa. 81:1‑4)

;

Psa. 92:1‑3• ¹A psalm, a song, for the Sabbath day.{HR}[It is] good to give thanks unto Jehovah,{HR}And to sing psalms unto thy name, O Most High,
²To show in the morning thy mercy{HR}And thy faithfulness in the night,
³On decachord and on psaltery,{HR}On a meditation with a harp, (Psa. 92:1‑3)

;

Psa. 149:3• ³Let them praise his name in the dance;{HR}With timbrel and harp let them sing psalms to him. (Psa. 149:3)

;

Psa. 150:2‑5• ²Praise him in his mighty acts;{HR}Praise him for his abundant greatness.
³Praise him with blast of trumpet;{HR}Praise him with lute and harp.
⁴Praise him with timbrel and dance;{HR}Praise him with instruments and pipe.
⁵Praise him with loud cymbals;{HR}Praise him with high-sounding cymbals. (Psa. 150:2‑5)

;

Rev. 5:8• ⁸And when he took the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which is the prayers of the 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.

W. Kelly Translation

WK Verse Note

(Note: Words in italics have been inserted from the J. N. Darby translation where the W. Kelly translation doesn’t exist.)