Nehemiah 12:36
in Nehemiah 12and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani—with the musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God; and Ezra the scribe was before them.
KJV
And his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them.
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This verse in Nehemiah 12
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd his brethren,.... The brethren of Zechariah, the priest's son, and such are those that follow: Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God; which were invented by him, and ordered by him to be used in religious service, under the divine direction: and Ezra the scribe before them; for he being a priest also, and a man of great eminence, was placed at the head of them in this procession.
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."
This site's exposition
Ezra the scribe led the procession
The instruments of David are the lyres, harps and cymbals of 1 Chronicles 25:1, the same three named for this day at 12:27. Gill places Ezra at the head as a priest and a man of great standing. Eight associates walk with Zechariah.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
); so that it is likely they sung psalms as they went along, to the praise and glory of God. This procession is here largely described. They had a rendezvous at one certain lace, where they divided themselves into two companies.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְֽאֶחָ֡יו | veechav | and brothers his | H251 → | 630 times |
| שְֽׁמַעְיָ֡ה | shema'yah | Shemaiah | H8098 → | 41 times |
| וַעֲזַרְאֵ֡ל | vaazarel | and Azarel | H5832 → | |
| מִֽלֲלַ֡י | milalai | Milalai | H4450 → | |
| גִּֽלֲלַ֡י | gilalai | Gilalai | H1562 → | |
| מָעַ֞י | maai | Maai | H4597 → | |
| נְתַנְאֵ֤ל | netanel | Nethanel | H5417 → | |
| וִֽיהוּדָה֙ | vihudah | and Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| חֲנָ֔נִי | chanani | Hanani | H2607 → | 11 times |
| בִּכְלֵי־ | bikhlei- | with [the] instruments of | H3627 → | 325 times |
| שִׁ֥יר | shir | <the> song of | H7892 → | 59 times |
| דָּוִ֖יד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | [the] man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְעֶזְרָ֥א | veezra' | and Ezra | H5830 → | 22 times |
| הַסּוֹפֵ֖ר | hasofer | the scribe | H5608 → | 159 times |
| לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃ | lifneihem | [was] <to> before them | H6440 → | 2123 times |
וְֽאֶחָ֡יוand brothers his
veechavH251 →630 times
שְֽׁמַעְיָ֡הShemaiah
shema'yahH8098 →41 times
וַעֲזַרְאֵ֡לand Azarel
vaazarelH5832 →
מִֽלֲלַ֡יMilalai
milalaiH4450 →
גִּֽלֲלַ֡יGilalai
gilalaiH1562 →
מָעַ֞יMaai
maaiH4597 →
נְתַנְאֵ֤לNethanel
netanelH5417 →
וִֽיהוּדָה֙and Judah
vihudahH3063 →819 times
חֲנָ֔נִיHanani
chananiH2607 →11 times
בִּכְלֵי־with [the] instruments of
bikhlei-H3627 →325 times
שִׁ֥יר<the> song of
shirH7892 →59 times
דָּוִ֖ידDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אִ֣ישׁ[the] man of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
וְעֶזְרָ֥אand Ezra
veezra'H5830 →22 times
הַסּוֹפֵ֖רthe scribe
hasoferH5608 →159 times
לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃[was] <to> before them
lifneihemH6440 →2123 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
Amos 6:5You improvise songs on the harp like David and invent your own musical instruments.
it leads to
- Isaiah 5:12
At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.
- Amos 5:23
Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.
- Amos 8:3
“In that day,” declares the Lord GOD, “the songs of the temple will turn to wailing. Many will be the corpses, strewn in silence everywhere!”
- Ecclesiastes 2:8
and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—many concubines.
- Isaiah 5:12
Through
2 Chronicles 8:14In keeping with the ordinances of his father David, Solomon appointed the divisions of the priests over their service, and the Levites for their duties to offer praise and to minister before the priests…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 33:1
This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Chronicles 9:17
These were the gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives.
- Deuteronomy 33:1
Through
1 Chronicles 23:54,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the LORD with the instruments I have made for giving praise.”
it leads to
- Psalms 87:7
Singers and pipers will proclaim, “All my springs of joy are in You.”
- Psalms 87:7
Through
Nehemiah 12:24The leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, along with their associates, who stood across from them to give praise and thanksgiving as one section alternated with the other,…
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 25:1–26
Additionally, David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy with the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The following is the list…
- 1 Chronicles 25:1–26
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Nehemiah
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PersonUnited MonarchyDavidSecond king of united Israel, shepherd-turned-monarch, ancestor of the Messiah, and traditional author of many Psalms.
- PersonReturn from exileEzraPriest and ready scribe of the law of Moses who came up from Babylon, set his heart to seek, do, and teach the law, and led the re…
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.