For there was a commandment from the king concerning them, and a settled provision for the singers, as every day required.
Parallel Translations
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For there was a commandment from the king concerning them, and a settled provision for the singers, as every day required.
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For it was the king’s commandment concerning them, that a certain portion should be for the singers, due for every day.
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For there was a commandment from the king concerning them, and a sure ordinance concerning the singers, as every day required.
Cross-references (4)
Passages linked to Nehemiah 11:23 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 1 Chronicles 9:33 These are the singers, heads of fathers’ households of the Levites, who lived in the rooms and were free from other service; for they were employed in their work day and night.
- Ezra 6:8-9 Moreover I make a decree what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the River, expenses must be given with all diligence to these men, that they not be hindered. That which they have need of, including young bulls, rams, and lambs, for burnt offerings to the God of heaven; also wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests who are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail;
- Ezra 7:20-24 Whatever more will be needed for the house of your God, which you may have occasion to give, give it out of the king’s treasure house. I, even I Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, requires of you, it shall be done with all diligence, up to one hundred talents of silver, and to one hundred cors of wheat, and to one hundred baths of wine, and to one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the God of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? Also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll, on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or laborers of this house of God.
- Nehemiah 12:47 All Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the gatekeepers, as every day required; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (11 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Neh 11:23 For [it was] the king’s commandment concerning…
Neh 11:23 For [it was] the king’s commandment concerning them, that a certain portion should be for the singers, due for every day.
Ver. 23. The king’s] viz. Of Persia, Ezr 6:8-9; Ezr 7:2; Ezr 7:24.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain For; or, therefore; for the following words contain either…
For; or, therefore; for the following words contain either a reason why they were set over that business, or a recompence for it, or a provision that they might diligently attend to it.
The king’s commandment; either,
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1. David’s, who made this constitution. Or rather,
2. The kings of Persia, who is called simply the king in the next verse also; who took this care at the request and by the direction of Ezra or Nehemiah. Or this might be Nehemiah’s command, which is called the king’s command, because it was done by the king’s deputy, or a commissioner whom the king empowered to do what he saw fit for the house and service of God, commanding all the people to obey him therein; as he had formerly done to Ezra, Ezr 7:18,20,23.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 23. It was the king's commandment] By the…
Verse 23. It was the king's commandment] By the king some understand David, and others Artaxerxes. It is most probable that it was the latter; who wished that a provision should be made for these, a part of whose office was to offer up prayers also, as well as praises. For we know that Darius made an ample provision for the priests, that they might offer sacrifices of sweet savour unto the God of heaven; and pray for the life of the king and of his sons, Ezr 6:10. Some have thought that they had been Jewish singers employed in the service of the Persian king, to whom he had given a salary, and to whom he wished still to continue the same.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Neh 11:23. It was the king’s commandment, &c. —…
Neh 11:23. It was the king’s commandment, &c. — That is, as it is generally thought, the commandment of the king of Persia, who, out of his great munificence, gave it for their better support, it being common in all countries to have a particular regard for those who sung hymns in praise of their gods. Houbigant renders the words, was at the king’s hand, in the next verse, was the king’s minister.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The goodwill of Artaxerxes toward the ministers employed in…
The goodwill of Artaxerxes toward the ministers employed in the temple service, had been previously shown by his exempting them from taxation of every kind Ezr 7:24. Now, it would seem, he had gone further and assigned to the singers an allowance from the royal revenue.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain King’s. David’s, (chap. xii. 24,) or perhaps the Persian…
King’s. David’s, (chap. xii. 24,) or perhaps the Persian monarch, who had appointed a maintenance for the priests, &c., 1 Esdras vi., and vii. (Calmet) --- Order. Hebrew, "that a certain portion should be for the singers, due for every day." (Protestants)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain it was the king's commandment--It was the will of…
it was the king's commandment--It was the will of the Persian monarch in issuing his edict that the temple service should be revived in all its religious fulness and solemnity. As this special provision for the singers is said to have been by the king's commandment, the order was probably given at the request or suggestion of Ezra or Nehemiah.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 23. The king’s commandment — The king here referred…
23. The king’s commandment — The king here referred to is not David, who originally arranged and made provision for the Levites, (1 Chronicles 23-26,) but the Persian king, Artaxerxes, who gave commandment concerning them to Ezra. Compare his decree, Ezr_7:12-26.
A certain portion — אמנה, a firm, or sure agreement, a covenant. The English version gives the view of many interpreters, who understand that a stipulated allowance of food was granted to the singers. But the Hebrew may be thus literally rendered: and an agreement was upon the singers, a matter of day in its day. That is, the singers were bound by a settled agreement to perform a certain amount of service on each particular day. Each day had its own matter of service for these singers. Perhaps, however, the thought of allowance may also be included.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 23. For it was] R.V. For there was.
23. For it was] R.V. For there was.
the king’s commandment] R.V. a commandment from the king.
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That this was the Persian king Artaxerxes is shown by the reference to ‘the king’ in Neh_11:24, and by the similar instances of favour to the Temple at Jerusalem on the part of Artaxerxes. Cf. Neh_2:8; Ezr_7:20-24.
concerning them] Who are spoken of? the singers, the Levites, or their officers and overseers?
The context seems in favour of the Levites. The name of Uzzi who was at once ‘overseer’ of the Levites and by descent of the family of Asaph, suggested the parenthetical statement, that there was a royal edict in favour of the Levitical community, and a special provision made for the singers.
that a certain portion should be for] R.V. and a settled provision for. Marg. ‘Or, a sure ordinance concerning’. The clause is not dependent on (as A.V.), but co-ordinate with its predecessor. The word rendered ‘settled provision’ (emanah) is that rendered ‘a sure covenant’ in Neh_9:38. An abstract word, it perhaps denotes the fixity of the arrangement on behalf of the singers rather than the nature of its provisions. ‘Sure ordinance’ is therefore to be preferred as a rendering; and this rendering presents a closer parallel to ‘commandment.’
due for every day] R.V. as every day required. Cf. Neh_12:47. Literally, ‘the thing of a day on its day,’ as LXX. λόγος ἑκάστης ἡμέρας ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ αὐτοῦ. A common Hebrew phrase, e.g. Exo_5:13; Exo_5:19; Exo_16:4; Lev_23:37; 1Ki_8:59; 2Ki_25:30; 1Ch_16:37; 2Ch_8:14; 2Ch_31:16; Ezr_3:4; Jer_52:34; Dan_1:5.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (23) The king’s commandment.—It seems that Artaxerxes had gone…
(23) The king’s commandment.—It seems that Artaxerxes had gone beyond the exemption of Ezr_7:24, and given them a daily allowance, which it was the business of Uzzi to see to.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain For it was the king"s commandment concerning them. Artaxerxes,…
For it was the king"s commandment concerning them. Artaxerxes, it appears, had assigned a certain stipend from the royal revenue for the support of such Levites as were singers, and this stipend had to be paid to them day by day. It is suggested as the grounds for this special favour
1. That the Levites engaged in the choral service were regarded as those especially who prayed "for the life of the king and of his sons"; (Ezr_6:10) and,
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2. That the singing Levites who returned from Babylon, being so few in number (128), had to be constantly on duty in the temple, and so needed a regular daily stipend. The nexus of this verse with the preceding one implies that the payment in question was an important part of the internal business of the house committed to Uzzi.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.