2 Chronicles 34:12
in 2 Chronicles 34And the men did the work faithfully. The Levites overseeing them were Jahath and Obadiah, descendants of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, descendants of Kohath. Other Levites, all skilled with musical instruments,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and others of the Levites, all that were skilful with instruments of music.
KJV
And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 34
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAll that could skill of instruments of music - Did the musicians play on their several instruments to encourage and enliven the workmen? Is not this a probable case from their mention here? If this were really the case, instrumental music was never better applied in any thing that refers to the worship of God.
This site's exposition
the supervisors of those doing the work
on 2 Chronicles 34:10-13
Chronicles gives the repair a staff list that Kings does not carry. Levites of Merari and Kohath oversee the work, and other Levites serve as musicians and as “secretaries, officers, and gatekeepers”. Albert Barnes notes that this is the first place the scribe names an office within the Levites.
This site's exposition
all skilled with musical instruments
The men did the work faithfully, the same trust 2 Kings 22:7 records when no account was asked of the workers. Adam Clarke suggests the Levite musicians played to encourage the laborers as they worked. The overseers come from Merari and Kohath, two of the three Levitical clans.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And the men did that work faithfully,....
This whole paragraph we had, just as it is here related, 2 Kings xxii. 8-20 , and have nothing to add here to what was there observed. We may hence take occasion to bless God that we have plenty of Bibles, and that they are, or may be, in all hands,--that the book of the law and gospel is not lost, is not scarce,--that, in this sense, the word of the Lord is not precious.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
and wood for the couplings - Spangen in Middle High German, clasps.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
and of the Levites, scribes to write down the [amount of] silver brought to the House of the Lord and how they had collected it.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָאֲנָשִׁים֩ | vehaanashim | and the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| עֹשִׂ֨ים | ʾosim | [were] working | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| בֶּאֱמוּנָ֜ה | beemunah | in faithfulness | H530 → | 49 times |
| בַּמְּלָאכָ֗ה | bamelakhah | in the work | H4399 → | 167 times |
| וַעֲלֵיהֶ֣ם׀ | vaaleihem | and over them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מֻ֠פְקָדִים | mufkadim | [were] appointed | H6485 → | 303 times |
| יַ֣חַת | yachat | Jahath | H3189 → | |
| וְעֹבַדְיָ֤הוּ | veoadyahu | and Obadiah | H5662 → | |
| הַלְוִיִּם֙ | halviyim | the Levites | H3881 → | 291 times |
| מִן־ | min- | of | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| מְרָרִ֔י | merari | Merari | H4847 → | |
| וּזְכַרְיָ֧ה | uzekharyah | and Zechariah | H2148 → | 43 times |
| וּמְשֻׁלָּ֛ם | umeshulam | and Meshullam | H4918 → | |
| מִן־ | min- | of | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| בְּנֵ֥י | benei | [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הַקְּהָתִ֖ים | hakehatim | the Kohathites | H6956 → | 15 times |
| לְנַצֵּ֑חַ | lenatzeach | to act as overseers | H5329 → | 10 times |
| וְהַ֨לְוִיִּ֔ם | vehalviyim | and the Levites | H3881 → | 291 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מֵבִ֖ין | mevin | [one who] was skilled | H995 → | 170 times |
| בִּכְלֵי־ | bikhlei- | in instruments of | H3627 → | 325 times |
| שִֽׁיר׃ | shir | song | H7892 → | 59 times |
וְהָאֲנָשִׁים֩and the men
vehaanashimH582 →566 times
עֹשִׂ֨ים[were] working
ʾosimH6213 →2628 times
בֶּאֱמוּנָ֜הin faithfulness
beemunahH530 →49 times
בַּמְּלָאכָ֗הin the work
bamelakhahH4399 →167 times
וַעֲלֵיהֶ֣ם׀and over them
vaaleihemH5921 →5755 times
מֻ֠פְקָדִים[were] appointed
mufkadimH6485 →303 times
יַ֣חַתJahath
yachatH3189 →
וְעֹבַדְיָ֤הוּand Obadiah
veoadyahuH5662 →
הַלְוִיִּם֙the Levites
halviyimH3881 →291 times
מִן־of
min-H4480 →1188 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] descendants of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
מְרָרִ֔יMerari
merariH4847 →
וּזְכַרְיָ֧הand Zechariah
uzekharyahH2148 →43 times
וּמְשֻׁלָּ֛םand Meshullam
umeshulamH4918 →
מִן־of
min-H4480 →1188 times
בְּנֵ֥י[the] descendants of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
הַקְּהָתִ֖יםthe Kohathites
hakehatimH6956 →15 times
לְנַצֵּ֑חַto act as overseers
lenatzeachH5329 →10 times
וְהַ֨לְוִיִּ֔םand the Levites
vehalviyimH3881 →291 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
מֵבִ֖ין[one who] was skilled
mevinH995 →170 times
בִּכְלֵי־in instruments of
bikhlei-H3627 →325 times
שִֽׁיר׃song
shirH7892 →59 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Kings 22:7But they need not account for the money put into their hands, since they work with integrity.”
it leads to
- 2 Kings 12:15
No accounting was required from the men who received the money to pay the workmen, because they acted with integrity.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Nehemiah 7:2
Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Corinthians 4:2
Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
- 2 Kings 12:15
Through
Nehemiah 7:2Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.
it leads to
- Psalms 101:6
My eyes favor the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way of integrity shall minister to me.
- Nehemiah 1:2
Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah. So I questioned them about the remnant of the Jews who had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.
- Matthew 25:21
His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’
- Nehemiah 10:23
Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,
- Psalms 101:6
Through
2 Kings 12:15No accounting was required from the men who received the money to pay the workmen, because they acted with integrity.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 22:7
But they need not account for the money put into their hands, since they work with integrity.”
- 2 Kings 22:7
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Chronicles
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.