For in the days of David and Asaph of old there was a chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
Parallel Translations
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For in the days of David and Asaph of old there was a chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
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For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.
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For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.
Cross-references (4)
Passages linked to Nehemiah 12:46 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 2 Chronicles 29:30 Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises to Yahweh with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. They sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.
- 1 Chronicles 25:1-31 Moreover, David and the captains of the army set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who were to prophesy with harps, with stringed instruments, and with cymbals. The number of those who did the work according to their service was: of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah. The sons of Asaph were under the hand of Asaph, who prophesied at the order of the king. Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied in giving thanks and praising Yahweh with the harp. Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn. God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. All these were under the hands of their father for song in Yahweh’s house, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps, for the service of God’s house: Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman being under the order of the king. The number of them, with their brothers who were instructed in singing to Yahweh, even all who were skillful, was two hundred eighty-eight. They cast lots for their offices, all alike, the small as well as the great, the teacher as well as the student. Now the first lot came out for Asaph to Joseph; the second to Gedaliah, he and his brothers and sons were twelve; the third to Zaccur, his sons and his brothers, twelve; the fourth to Izri, his sons and his brothers, twelve; the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; the seventh to Jesharelah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his brothers, twelve; the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and his brothers, twelve; the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; for the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his brothers, twelve; for the fourteenth, Mattithiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; for the fifteenth to Jeremoth, his sons and his brothers, twelve; for the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; for the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; for the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons and his brothers, twelve; for the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons and his brothers, twelve; for the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; for the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons and his brothers, twelve; for the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons and his brothers, twelve; for the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons and his brothers, twelve; for the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer, his sons and his brothers, twelve.
- Psalms 73:1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
- Psalms 83:1 God, don’t keep silent. Don’t keep silent, and don’t be still, God.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (9 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun, 1Ch 25:1;…
David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun, 1Ch 25:1; but Asaph only is mentioned here, as the most eminent and useful in that work.
There were chief of the singers; there were some overseers, whose office it was to see that the singers were fit for and diligent in their work; and therefore they took care of it at this time.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Neh 12:46. For in the days of David, &c.…
Neh 12:46. For in the days of David, &c. — This verse gives the reason why the Levites and the singers performed their duty so accurately; because, from the time of David, who constituted their orders and offices, there were overseers appointed, who presided over them, and were careful both to instruct them in their duty, and keep them to it.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Sanctified. That is, they gave them that which by…
Sanctified. That is, they gave them that which by the law was set aside, and sanctified for their use. (Challoner) --- The Levites paid a tithe to the priests, (chap. x. 38., and Numbers xviii. 26.; Calmet) as the people did to them. (Worthington)
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).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 46. For in the days of David and Asaph…
46. For in the days of David and Asaph — So these Levitical appointments were no new invention of Nehemiah, but a restoration of a usage old as the times of David. The “and” before Asaph seems to be s clerical error. It is better to read, In the days of David Asaph was chief, etc.
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 46. in the days of David and Asaph of…
46. in the days of David and Asaph of old] This combination of names may be illustrated by other examples in the writings of the Chronicler (2Ch_29:30; 2Ch_35:15).
The LXX. omits the copula between the names, ἐν ἡμέραις Δαυὶδ Ἀσὰφ ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς πρῶτος τῶν ᾀδόντων. This may represent the original reading. If so, it is the mention of David in the previous verse which occasions here the parenthetical statement that in those days the great Asaph was ‘overseer’ of the singers. We should then render ‘in the days of David Asaph was of old chief.’
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there were chief] R.V. Marg. ‘Another reading is there were chiefs’. The plural ‘chiefs’ is the reading of the K’ri, which is also found in the Vulgate ‘erant principes constituti cantorum.’ If the reading of the first clause ‘in the days of David and Asaph’ be retained, the plural ‘chiefs’ with the allusion to a general custom, instead of to a particular example, is probably to be preferred. For the position of ‘chief’ of the singers associated with Asaph, see 1Ch_16:5; 1Ch_16:7; 1Ch_25:1-2; 1Ch_25:9.
songs of praise and thanksgiving] In the English versions the punctuation gives the meaning as of a new clause ‘And there were songs of praise’ &c. Others make these words also dependent on ‘chief’ or ‘chiefs.’
There is no corresponding archæological reference to the position of the porters. The Chronicler throughout his work shows a marked preference for the interests of ‘the singers’ as compared with ‘the porters.’
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 (46) Of old.—Always there is a reverence shown for…
(46) Of old.—Always there is a reverence shown for the old precedents.
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 in the days of David. This verse is…
For in the days of David. This verse is exegetical of the clause in ver. 45, "according to the commandment of David." The writer justifies his reference to that "commandment" by reminding his readers that the whole musical service the singers, themselves, and their "chiefs," together with the "songs of praise" and the "thanksgiving songs had descended to the Jews of his day from David and Asaph.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 there were directors of singers
there were directors of singers
This sentence tells why the people did what they did in Nehemiah 12:45 and gives us more information about the time when David told people how to worship at the temple.
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In the days of Zerubbabel
Zerubbabel was a descendant of King David and one of the governors in the region of Judah.
They set aside the portion
"All Israel set aside the portion"
the descendants of Aaron
the priests in Israel, who descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses
translationWords
David
Asaph
praise
God
Nehemiah
Israel
Levi
descend
Aaron
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 12:46 David had given instructions for ordering the music…
12:46 David had given instructions for ordering the music at the Temple (1 Chr 23–26), and he had put Asaph, along with Heman and Jeduthun, in charge of the music (1 Chr 25:2-5).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.