Nehemiah 12:31
in Nehemiah 12Then I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and I appointed two great thanksgiving choirs. One was to proceed along the top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies that gave thanks and went in procession; whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate:
KJV
Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks, whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate:
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This verse in Nehemiah 12
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
I brought up - Note the resumption of the first person, which has been laid aside since Neh 7:5, and which is confirmed now to the end of the book. It is generally allowed that we have here once more a memoir by Nehemiah himself.
This site's exposition
two great thanksgiving choirs
on Nehemiah 12:31-37
Nehemiah appoints "two great thanksgiving choirs," the first proceeding "to the right, toward the Dung Gate". The choir climbs "the steps of the City of David" past the house of David to the Water Gate, where Ezra had read the law. "Ezra the scribe led the procession."
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
And I caused the leaders of Judah to ascend upon the wall, etc. The leaders of Judah, that is, of confession or praise, are indeed the more advanced teachers of the holy Church, who ascend upon the wall in the dedication of the city; because …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Princes - And half of the people with them. The wall - For the wall was broad and strong, and so ordered that men might conveniently walk upon it. Right hand - Towards the south and east.
Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
It also contained the temple which was hallowed by the manifestation of His presence, and anew set apart to His service. It was on these accounts that Jerusalem was called "the holy city," and by this public and solemn act of religious observance, after a long period of neglect and desecration, it was, as it were, restored to its rightful proprietor.
Then I brought up the princes - Perhaps this verse should be read thus: “Then I caused the princes of Judah to go upon the wall, and appointed two great choirs, [to sing praises], and two processions, one on the right hand, etc. The following seems to have been the order of the procession: he divided the priests, the Levites, the magistrates, and the people into two companies; each company to go round one half of the wall. They began at the dung gate, one party going to the right and the other to the left, till they met at the great space opposite to the temple, where they all offered many sacrifices to God, and rejoiced with exceeding great joy; shouting so that the noise was heard a great way off.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאַעֲלֶה֙ | vaaaleh | and I caused to go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שָׂרֵ֣י | sarei | [the] leaders of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| יְהוּדָ֔ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| מֵעַ֖ל | meal | from on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לַחוֹמָ֑ה | lachomah | to the wall | H2346 → | 133 times |
| וָאַעֲמִ֡ידָה | vaaamidah | and I appointed ! | H5975 → | 521 times |
| שְׁתֵּ֣י | shetei | two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| תוֹדֹת֩ | todot | thanksgiving choirs | H8426 → | 31 times |
| גְּדוֹלֹ֨ת | gedolot | large | H1419 → | 526 times |
| וְתַהֲלֻכֹ֤ת | vetahalukhot | and processions | H8418 → | |
| לַיָּמִין֙ | laiyamin | to the right | H3225 → | |
| מֵעַ֣ל | meal | from on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לַחוֹמָ֔ה | lachomah | to the wall | H2346 → | 133 times |
| לְשַׁ֖עַר | leshaar | to [the] gate of | H8179 → | 374 times |
| הָאַשְׁפֹּֽת׃ | haashpot | the dung | H830 → | 7 times |
וָאַעֲלֶה֙and I caused to go up
vaaalehH5927 →890 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שָׂרֵ֣י[the] leaders of
sareiH8269 →421 times
יְהוּדָ֔הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
מֵעַ֖לfrom on
mealH5921 →5755 times
לַחוֹמָ֑הto the wall
lachomahH2346 →133 times
וָאַעֲמִ֡ידָהand I appointed !
vaaamidahH5975 →521 times
שְׁתֵּ֣יtwo
sheteiH8147 →768 times
תוֹדֹת֩thanksgiving choirs
todotH8426 →31 times
גְּדוֹלֹ֨תlarge
gedolotH1419 →526 times
וְתַהֲלֻכֹ֤תand processions
vetahalukhotH8418 →
לַיָּמִין֙to the right
laiyaminH3225 →
מֵעַ֣לfrom on
mealH5921 →5755 times
לַחוֹמָ֔הto the wall
lachomahH2346 →133 times
לְשַׁ֖עַרto [the] gate of
leshaarH8179 →374 times
הָאַשְׁפֹּֽת׃the dung
haashpotH830 →7 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
Nehemiah 12:38The second thanksgiving choir proceeded to the left, and I followed it with half the people along the top of the wall, past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,
it leads to
- Nehemiah 3:8
Next to them, Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs, and next to him, Hananiah son of the perfumer made repairs. They fortified Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.
- Nehemiah 3:11
Malchijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab repaired another section, as well as the Tower of the Ovens.
- Nehemiah 3:8
Through
1 Chronicles 28:1Now David summoned all the leaders of Israel to Jerusalem: the leaders of the tribes, the leaders of the divisions in the king’s service, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials…
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 23:2
Then he gathered all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites.
- 1 Chronicles 11:10–47
Now these were the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who, together with all Israel, bolstered and strengthened his kingdom, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.
- 1 Chronicles 23:2
Through
Nehemiah 2:13So I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Well of the Serpent and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and the…
it leads to
- Nehemiah 1:3
And they told me, “The remnant who survived the exile are there in the province, in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
- 2 Chronicles 26:9
Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and the angle in the wall, and he fortified them.
- Nehemiah 3:13–14
The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it, installed its doors, bolts, and bars, and repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Dung…
- Nehemiah 1:3
Through
2 Chronicles 5:2At that time Solomon assembled in Jerusalem the elders of Israel—all the tribal heads and family leaders of the Israelites—to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Zion, the City…
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 6:12
Now it was reported to King David, “The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and had the ark…
- 2 Samuel 6:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Nehemiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.