Nehemiah 12:27

²⁵ Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates.

²⁶ They served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe.

At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from all their homes and brought to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.

²⁸ The singers were also assembled from the region around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites,

²⁹ from Beth-gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for they had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from all their homes and brought to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.
KJV: And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.
WEB: At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to keep the dedication with gladness, both with giving thanks and with singing, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and with harps.
ASV: And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.
DARBY: And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to hold the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, [with] cymbals, lutes and harps.
BLB: And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to make the dedication [with] gladness, and with praises, and with singing, [with] cymbals, harps, and with lyres.

ÅB: Til innvielsen av Jerusalems mur hentet de levittene fra alle deres bosteder og førte dem til Jerusalem for å holde innvielse og gledesfest både med lovprisning og med sang, med cymbler, harper og citarer.
OTB: Ved innvielsen av Jerusalems mur ble levittene søkt opp fra alle sine steder for å bringe dem til Jerusalem for å feire innvielsen med glede, med takkesanger og med musikk av cymbaler, harper og lyrer.
B1930: Til innvielsen av Jerusalems mur hentet de levittene fra alle deres bosteder og førte dem til Jerusalem for å holde innvielse og gledesfest både med lovprisning og med sang, med cymbler, harper og citarer.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

1 Chronicles 15:16
David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals.
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2 Chronicles 5:13
The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” And the temple, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud
Read in context
1 Chronicles 15:28
So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and with cymbals and the music of harps and lyres.
Read in context
2 Chronicles 29:30
Then King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD in the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 20:5
Furthermore, the officers are to address the army, saying, “Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man dedicate it.
Read in context
1 Chronicles 15:12
And he said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.
Read in context
1 Chronicles 15:4
Then he gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:
Read in context
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 of God brought up from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with rejoicing.
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