Nehemiah 12:37
in Nehemiah 12At the Fountain Gate they climbed the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And by the fountain gate, and straight before them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, even unto the water gate eastward.
KJV
And at the fountain gate, which was over against them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall, above the house of David, even unto the water gate eastward.
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This verse in Nehemiah 12
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Above the house of David - This choir or procession went above (or beyond) the old palace of David, following the line described in Neh 3:16-26, on their way to the eastern wall.
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
At the Fountain Gate they climbed
The route retraces chapter 3, where Shallun rebuilt the Fountain Gate and the wall as far as the stairs from the City of David. Barnes follows the choir past David's old palace along the line of 3:16-26 to the eastern wall. The builders' list became the choir's map.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
And they went up against them on the steps of the city of David, etc. Above, when the city was being built, it was said: Those who built the gate of the fountain continued their measure of work up to the steps descending from the …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And at the fountain gate, which was over against them,....
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
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַל֩ | veal | and over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שַׁ֨עַר | shaar | [the] gate of | H8179 → | 374 times |
| הָעַ֜יִן | haayin | the spring | H5869 → | 887 times |
| וְנֶגְדָּ֗ם | venegdam | and before themselves | H5048 → | 151 times |
| עָלוּ֙ | ʾalu | they went up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| עַֽל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מַעֲלוֹת֙ | maalot | [the] steps of | H4609 → | |
| עִ֣יר | ʾir | [the] city of | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| דָּוִ֔יד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| בַּֽמַּעֲלֶ֖ה | bamaaleh | at the ascent | H4608 → | |
| לַחוֹמָ֑ה | lachomah | to the wall | H2346 → | 133 times |
| מֵעַל֙ | meal | from above | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לְבֵ֣ית | leveit | to [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| דָּוִ֔יד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וְעַ֛ד | vead | and to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| שַׁ֥עַר | shaar | [the] gate of | H8179 → | 374 times |
| הַמַּ֖יִם | hamayim | the water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| מִזְרָֽח׃ | mizrach | east | H4217 → | 74 times |
וְעַל֩and over
vealH5921 →5755 times
שַׁ֨עַר[the] gate of
shaarH8179 →374 times
הָעַ֜יִןthe spring
haayinH5869 →887 times
וְנֶגְדָּ֗םand before themselves
venegdamH5048 →151 times
עָלוּ֙they went up
ʾaluH5927 →890 times
עַֽל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
מַעֲלוֹת֙[the] steps of
maalotH4609 →
עִ֣יר[the] city of
ʾirH5892 →1090 times
דָּוִ֔ידDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
בַּֽמַּעֲלֶ֖הat the ascent
bamaalehH4608 →
לַחוֹמָ֑הto the wall
lachomahH2346 →133 times
מֵעַל֙from above
mealH5921 →5755 times
לְבֵ֣יתto [the] house of
leveitH1004 →2046 times
דָּוִ֔ידDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
וְעַ֛דand to
veadH5704 →1261 times
שַׁ֥עַר[the] gate of
shaarH8179 →374 times
הַמַּ֖יִםthe water
hamayimH4325 →581 times
מִזְרָֽח׃east
mizrachH4217 →74 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 8:1At that time all the people gathered together in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD…
it leads to
- Nehemiah 3:26
and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the tower that juts out.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezra 7:6
this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for…
- 2 Chronicles 34:15
And Hilkiah said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD!” And he gave it to Shaphan.
- Nehemiah 3:26
Through
Nehemiah 3:26and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the tower that juts out.
it leads to
- Nehemiah 8:3
So Ezra read it aloud from daybreak until noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate, in front of the men and women and those who could understand. And all the people…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Nehemiah 8:1
At that time all the people gathered together in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD…
- Nehemiah 8:3
Through
Nehemiah 2:14Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to get through;
it leads to
- Nehemiah 3:15
The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Col-hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofed it, and installed its doors, bolts, and bars. He also repaired the wall of…
- 2 Kings 20:20
As for the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, along with all his might and how he constructed the pool and the tunnel to bring water into the city, are they not written in…
- Nehemiah 3:15
Through
Nehemiah 8:16And the people went out, brought back branches, and made booths on their own rooftops, in their courtyards, in the court of the house of God, and in the squares by the Water Gate…
it leads to
- Nehemiah 12:39
over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. And they stopped at the Gate of…
- Nehemiah 12:39
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 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.
