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Selected Verse: Nehemiah 12:45 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ne 12:45	Strong Concordance	And both the singers [07891] and the porters [07778] kept [08104] the ward [04931] of their God [0430], and the ward [04931] of the purification [02893], according to the commandment [04687] of David [01732], and of Solomon [08010] his son [01121].
	King James	And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God, and the ward of the purification, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
the singers and the porters kept . . . the ward of the purification--that is, took care that no unclean person was allowed to enter within the precincts of the sacred building. This was the official duty of the porters (Ch2 23:19), with whom, owing to the pressure of circumstances, it was deemed expedient that the singers should be associated as assistants.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

the singers and the porters kept . . . the ward of the purification--that is, took care that no unclean person was allowed to enter within the precincts of the sacred building. This was the official duty of the porters (Ch2 23:19), with whom, owing to the pressure of circumstances, it was deemed expedient that the singers should be associated as assistants.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
The ward of the purification - The observances with respect to purification. Compare Ch1 23:28.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
And they cared for the care of their God, etc.; i.e., they observed all that was to be observed, both with respect to God and with respect to purification, i.e., they faithfully and punctually performed their office. On משׁמרת שׁמר, see rem. on Gen 26:5 and Lev 8:35. "And (so also) the singers and doorkeepers," i.e., they, too, observed the duties incumbent on them. This must be mentally supplied from the beginning of the verse. "According to the commandment of David and of Solomon his son;" comp. Ch2 8:14 and Ch1 24:26. ו must be inserted before שׁלמה, as in the lxx and Vulgate, after the analogy of Ch2 33:7 and Ch2 35:4; for an asyndeton would be here too harsh. As ו is here omitted, so does it also appear superfluously before אסף, Neh 12:46, probably by a clerical error. The verse can be only understood as saying: "for in the days of David, Asaph was of old chief of the singers, and of the songs of praise, and of the thanksgiving unto God." ו before Asaph is here out of place; for to take it as introducing a conclusion: in the days of David, therefore, was Asaph ... seems unnatural. The ו probably came into the text through a reminiscence of Ch2 29:30 and Ch2 35:15. The matter, however, of these passages is consistent with the naming of David and Asaph, while such a co-ordination is unsuitable in the present passage. The Masoretes have indeed attempted to make sense of the words by altering the singular ראשׁ into the plural ראשׁי; but the Keri ראשׁי is nothing more than a worthless conjecture, arising partly from the unsuitableness of ו before אסף, and partly from the consideration that Henan and Ethan were, as well as Asaph, chiefs of bands of singers. Nehemiah, however, was not concerned in this passage about exactness of statement, - the mention of Asaph as chief of the singers being quite sufficient for the purpose of his remark, that from the times of David onward orders of singers had existed. - In Neh 12:47 this subject is concluded by the general statement that all Israel, i.e., the whole community, in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, gave the portions prescribed in the law for the ministers of the sanctuary, singers, doorkeepers, Levites, and priests. מקדּישׁים, they were sanctifying, i.e., consecrabant. הקדּישׁ, to sanctify, said of the bringing of gifts and dues to the ministers of the sanctuary; comp. Ch1 26:27; Lev 27:14. On the matter itself, comp. Neh 10:38. and Num 18:26-29.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

And they cared for the care of their God, etc.; i.e., they observed all that was to be observed, both with respect to God and with respect to purification, i.e., they faithfully and punctually performed their office. On משׁמרת שׁמר, see rem. on Gen 26:5 and Lev 8:35. "And (so also) the singers and doorkeepers," i.e., they, too, observed the duties incumbent on them. This must be mentally supplied from the beginning of the verse. "According to the commandment of David and of Solomon his son;" comp. Ch2 8:14 and Ch1 24:26. ו must be inserted before שׁלמה, as in the lxx and Vulgate, after the analogy of Ch2 33:7 and Ch2 35:4; for an asyndeton would be here too harsh. As ו is here omitted, so does it also appear superfluously before אסף, Neh 12:46, probably by a clerical error. The verse can be only understood as saying: "for in the days of David, Asaph was of old chief of the singers, and of the songs of praise, and of the thanksgiving unto God." ו before Asaph is here out of place; for to take it as introducing a conclusion: in the days of David, therefore, was Asaph ... seems unnatural. The ו probably came into the text through a reminiscence of Ch2 29:30 and Ch2 35:15. The matter, however, of these passages is consistent with the naming of David and Asaph, while such a co-ordination is unsuitable in the present passage. The Masoretes have indeed attempted to make sense of the words by altering the singular ראשׁ into the plural ראשׁי; but the Keri ראשׁי is nothing more than a worthless conjecture, arising partly from the unsuitableness of ו before אסף, and partly from the consideration that Henan and Ethan were, as well as Asaph, chiefs of bands of singers. Nehemiah, however, was not concerned in this passage about exactness of statement, - the mention of Asaph as chief of the singers being quite sufficient for the purpose of his remark, that from the times of David onward orders of singers had existed. - In Neh 12:47 this subject is concluded by the general statement that all Israel, i.e., the whole community, in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, gave the portions prescribed in the law for the ministers of the sanctuary, singers, doorkeepers, Levites, and priests. מקדּישׁים, they were sanctifying, i.e., consecrabant. הקדּישׁ, to sanctify, said of the bringing of gifts and dues to the ministers of the sanctuary; comp. Ch1 26:27; Lev 27:14. On the matter itself, comp. Neh 10:38. and Num 18:26-29.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
The ward - That ward, or charge, which God had prescribed to them. And in particular the charge of purification, of taking care that no unclean person or thing should enter into the house or courts of the Lord.

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¹⁹ And he set [05975] the porters [07778] at the gates [08179] of the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], that none which was unclean [02931] in any thing [01697] should enter in [0935].

²⁸ Because their office [04612] was to wait [03027] on the sons [01121] of Aaron [0175] for the service [05656] of the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], in the courts [02691], and in the chambers [03957], and in the purifying [02893] of all holy things [06944], and the work [04639] of the service [05656] of the house [01004] of God [0430];

²⁶ Thus speak [01696] unto the Levites [03881], and say [0559] unto them, When ye take [03947] of the children [01121] of Israel [03478] the tithes [04643] which I have given [05414] you from them for your inheritance [05159], then ye shall offer [07311] up an heave offering [08641] of it for the LORD [03068], even a tenth [04643] part of the tithe [04643].
²⁷ And this your heave offering [08641] shall be reckoned [02803] unto you, as though it were the corn [01715] of the threshingfloor [01637], and as the fulness [04395] of the winepress [03342].
²⁸ Thus ye also shall offer [07311] an heave offering [08641] unto the LORD [03068] of all your tithes [04643], which ye receive [03947] of the children [01121] of Israel [03478]; and ye shall give [05414] thereof the LORD'S [03068] heave offering [08641] to Aaron [0175] the priest [03548].
²⁹ Out of all your gifts [04979] ye shall offer [07311] every heave offering [08641] of the LORD [03068], of all the best [02459] thereof, even the hallowed part [04720] thereof out of it.

³⁸ And the priest [03548] the son [01121] of Aaron [0175] shall be with the Levites [03881], when the Levites [03881] take tithes [06237]: and the Levites [03881] shall bring up [05927] the tithe [04643] of the tithes [04643] unto the house [01004] of our God [0430], to the chambers [03957], into the treasure [0214] house [01004].

¹⁴ And when a man [0376] shall sanctify [06942] his house [01004] to be holy [06944] unto the LORD [03068], then the priest [03548] shall estimate [06186] it, whether it be good [02896] or bad [07451]: as the priest [03548] shall estimate [06186] it, so shall it stand [06965].

²⁷ Out of the spoils [07998] won in battles [04421] did they dedicate [06942] to maintain [02388] the house [01004] of the LORD [03068].

⁴⁷ And all Israel [03478] in the days [03117] of Zerubbabel [02216], and in the days [03117] of Nehemiah [05166], gave [05414] the portions [04521] of the singers [07891] and the porters [07778], every day [03117] his portion [01697]: and they sanctified [06942] holy things unto the Levites [03881]; and the Levites [03881] sanctified [06942] them unto the children [01121] of Aaron [0175].

¹⁵ And the singers [07891] the sons [01121] of Asaph [0623] were in their place [04612], according to the commandment [04687] of David [01732], and Asaph [0623], and Heman [01968], and Jeduthun [03038] the king's [04428] seer [02374]; and the porters [07778] waited at every gate [08179]; they might not depart [05493] from their service [05656]; for their brethren [0251] the Levites [03881] prepared [03559] for them.

³⁰ Moreover Hezekiah [03169] the king [04428] and the princes [08269] commanded [0559] the Levites [03881] to sing praise [01984] unto the LORD [03068] with the words [01697] of David [01732], and of Asaph [0623] the seer [02374]. And they sang praises [01984] with gladness [08057], and they bowed their heads [06915] and worshipped [07812].

⁴⁶ For in the days [03117] of David [01732] and Asaph [0623] of old [06924] there were chief [07218] of the singers [07891], and songs [07892] of praise [08416] and thanksgiving [03034] unto God [0430].

⁴ And prepare [03559] [03559] yourselves by the houses [01004] of your fathers [01], after your courses [04256], according to the writing [03791] of David [01732] king [04428] of Israel [03478], and according to the writing [04385] of Solomon [08010] his son [01121].

⁷ And he set [07760] a carved image [06459], the idol [05566] which he had made [06213], in the house [01004] of God [0430], of which God [0430] had said [0559] to David [01732] and to Solomon [08010] his son [01121], In this house [01004], and in Jerusalem [03389], which I have chosen [0977] before all the tribes [07626] of Israel [03478], will I put [07760] my name [08034] for ever [05865]:

²⁶ The sons [01121] of Merari [04847] were Mahli [04249] and Mushi [04187]: the sons [01121] of Jaaziah [03269]; Beno [01121].

¹⁴ And he appointed [05975], according to the order [04941] of David [01732] his father [01], the courses [04256] of the priests [03548] to their service [05656], and the Levites [03881] to their charges [04931], to praise [01984] and minister [08334] before the priests [03548], as the duty [01697] of every day [03117] required [03117]: the porters [07778] also by their courses [04256] at every gate [08179]: for so had David [01732] the man [0376] of God [0430] commanded [04687].

³⁵ Therefore shall ye abide [03427] at the door [06607] of the tabernacle [0168] of the congregation [04150] day [03119] and night [03915] seven [07651] days [03117], and keep [08104] the charge [04931] of the LORD [03068], that ye die [04191] not: for so I am commanded [06680].

⁵ Because [06118] that Abraham [085] obeyed [08085] my voice [06963], and kept [08104] my charge [04931], my commandments [04687], my statutes [02708], and my laws [08451].