Nehemiah 12:27-40

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:1-47

Ministers of the Lord. Twenty-six verses of this chapter are given to the record of the names of priests and Levites. That fact itself is suggestive. It is indicative of the high place which the ministers of God held in the national estimation. We meet in these chronicles with the names of few men of comparative wealth, or rank, or soldierly ability; but the names of the ministers of religion are recorded, and are thus immortalised. Concerning these we may learn— I. THEIR RELATIVE ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:1-47

Joy of Jerusalem. "That day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off" ( Nehemiah 12:43 ). I. THE CONSTITUENTS OF TRUE JOY . These are— 1. Thankfulness and praise in the remembrance of the past and in confident anticipation of the future. The people recounted the mercies of the Lord. Their dedication of the completed walls... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:27

And at the dedication … they sought the Levites . The nexus of this passage seems to be with Nehemiah 11:36 ; and we may suppose that originally it followed immediately on Nehemiah 11:1-36 .—the lists ( Nehemiah 12:1-26 ) being a later insertion. The author, having (in Nehemiah 11:36 ) told us of the wide dispersion of the Levites, now notes that they were summoned from all the places where they dwelt, and brought (one and all) to Jerusalem for the solemnity of the dedication. ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:27-43

The dedication of the wall. As soon as possible after the completion of the wall, a joyful celebration of the event was made, in which all the people participated. As Jerusalem was "the holy city," this took the form of a "dedication." I. THE SOLEMNITIES WITH WHICH THE DEDICATION WAS MADE . 1. The preparations. The gathering of the Levites, especially the singers and musicians, who were to take a leading part in the ceremonies ( Nehemiah 12:27-29 ). 2. The... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:27-43

A joyous dedication. Knowing all that we do know of God's ancient people, of the devoutness of their spirit, and their disposition to connect closely the human and the Divine, we should expect that the building of the wall round the sacred city would be followed by some religious service. The verses of the text give a graphic description of this interesting scene. The Levites who had been dispersed through the province were "sought out of all their places" ( Nehemiah 12:27 ), and the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:27-47

PART IV . DEDICATION OF THE WALL OF JERUSALEM UNDER NEHEMIAH AND EZRA , WITH NEHEMIAH 'S ARRANGEMENT OF THE TEMPLE OFFICERS , AND HIS EFFORTS FOR THE REFORM OF RELIGION ( Nehemiah 12:27-47 , AND , Nehemiah 13:1-31 .). The dedication of a city wall was, so far as we know, a new thing in Israel; but it had been customary from a remote time to dedicate houses ( Deuteronomy 20:5 ); and natural piety extended this practice to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:28

The sons of the singers . i.e. the Levites who belonged to the class of singers ( 1 Chronicles 15:16-22 ; Nehemiah 7:44 , etc.). The plain country round about Jerusalem . Dean Stanley understands by this "the Jordan valley"; but that is a district too remote to be intended by the words "round about Jerusalem." The valleys of Hinnom and Jehoshaphat better suit the description. The villages of Netophathi . Rather, "of the Netophathites" (see 1 Chronicles 9:16 ), or people of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:29

From the house of Gilgal . Rather, "from Beth-Gilgal," which was the name now borne by the Gilgal due north of Jerusalem. Out of the fields of Geba . See above, Nehemiah 11:31 . And Azmaveth , Compare Ezra 2:24 ; Nehemiah 7:28 . Azmaveth was a Benjamite town, not far from Anathoth. The singers had built themselves villages round Jerusalem . Such of the singers as were not located in Jerusalem itself fixed their dwellings in the immediate neighbourhood, in order the more readily... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:30

The priests and the Levites purified themselves . On this occasion there is no preference of the Levites over the priests, as in 2 Chronicles 29:34 and Ezra 6:20 . Both classes were, it would seem, equally zealous, and equally forward to purify themselves. And the gates and wall. Inanimate things might contract legal defilement ( Deuteronomy 23:14 ; Le 14:34-53). In case either the wall or the gates should be in any such way unclean, they were made to undergo a legal purification... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:31

I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies . Nehemiah caused all the chiefs of the nation, both lay and clerical, to mount upon the wall, and there marshalled them into two companies, composed of clergy and laity intermixed, one of which he placed under the direction of Ezra (verse 36), while of the other he took the command himself (verse 38). The place of assemblage must have been some portion of the western wall, probably the central portion, near... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:1-47

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:1-47

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:27

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:27-43

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:27-43

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:27-47

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:28

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:29

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:30

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 12:31

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