Nehemiah 12:46

For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(46) Of old.—Always there is a reverence shown for the old precedents.

Benson Commentary

Nehemiah 12:46. For in the days of David, &c. — This verse gives the reason why the Levites and the singers performed their duty so accurately; because, from the time of David, who constituted their orders and offices, there were overseers appointed, who presided over them, and were careful both to instruct them in their duty, and keep them to it.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

12:44-47 When the solemnities of a thanksgiving day leave such impressions on ministers and people, that both are more careful and cheerful in doing their duty, they are indeed acceptable to the Lord, and turn to good account. And whatever we do, must be purified by the blood of sprinkling, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit, or it cannot be acceptable to God.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The ward of the purification - The observances with respect to purification. Compare 1 Chronicles 23:28.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

45. the singers and the porters kept … the ward of the purification—that is, took care that no unclean person was allowed to enter within the precincts of the sacred building. This was the official duty of the porters (2Ch 23:19), with whom, owing to the pressure of circumstances, it was deemed expedient that the singers should be associated as assistants.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun, 1 Chronicles 25:1; but Asaph only is mentioned here, as the most eminent and useful in that work.

There were chief of the singers; there were some overseers, whose office it was to see that the singers were fit for and diligent in their work; and therefore they took care of it at this time.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the singers,.... Persons appointed over the rest to instruct them, and see that they did their work aright, as besides Asaph, Haman, and Jeduthun, and their sons, 1 Chronicles 25:2

and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God; such were made by them, some under divine inspiration, which bear the names of David and Asaph, as may be observed in the book of Psalms.

Geneva Study Bible

For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

46. in the days of David and Asaph of old] This combination of names may be illustrated by other examples in the writings of the Chronicler (2 Chronicles 29:30; 2 Chronicles 35:15).

The LXX. omits the copula between the names, ἐν ἡμέραις Δαυὶδ Ἀσὰφ ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς πρῶτος τῶν ᾀδόντων. This may represent the original reading. If so, it is the mention of David in the previous verse which occasions here the parenthetical statement that in those days the great Asaph was ‘overseer’ of the singers. We should then render ‘in the days of David Asaph was of old chief.’

there were chief] R.V. Marg. ‘Another reading is there were chiefs’. The plural ‘chiefs’ is the reading of the K’ri, which is also found in the Vulgate ‘erant principes constituti cantorum.’ If the reading of the first clause ‘in the days of David and Asaph’ be retained, the plural ‘chiefs’ with the allusion to a general custom, instead of to a particular example, is probably to be preferred. For the position of ‘chief’ of the singers associated with Asaph, see 1 Chronicles 16:5; 1 Chronicles 16:7; 1 Chronicles 25:1-2; 1 Chronicles 25:9.

songs of praise and thanksgiving] In the English versions the punctuation gives the meaning as of a new clause ‘And there were songs of praise’ &c. Others make these words also dependent on ‘chief’ or ‘chiefs.’

There is no corresponding archæological reference to the position of the porters. The Chronicler throughout his work shows a marked preference for the interests of ‘the singers’ as compared with ‘the porters.’

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 46. - For in the days of David. This verse is exegetical of the clause in ver. 45, "according to the commandment of David." The writer justifies his reference to that "commandment' by reminding his readers that the whole musical service - the singers , themselves, and their "chiefs," together with the "songs of praise" and the "thanksgiving songs - had descended to the Jews of his day from David and Asaph. Nehemiah 12:46

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

And they cared for the care of their God, etc.; i.e., they observed all that was to be observed, both with respect to God and with respect to purification, i.e., they faithfully and punctually performed their office. On משׁמרת שׁמר, see rem. on Genesis 26:5 and Leviticus 8:35. "And (so also) the singers and doorkeepers," i.e., they, too, observed the duties incumbent on them. This must be mentally supplied from the beginning of the verse. "According to the commandment of David and of Solomon his son;" comp. 2 Chronicles 8:14 and 1 Chronicles 24:26. ו must be inserted before שׁלמה, as in the lxx and Vulgate, after the analogy of 2 Chronicles 33:7 and 2 Chronicles 35:4; for an asyndeton would be here too harsh. As ו is here omitted, so does it also appear superfluously before אסף, Nehemiah 12:46, probably by a clerical error. The verse can be only understood as saying: "for in the days of David, Asaph was of old chief of the singers, and of the songs of praise, and of the thanksgiving unto God." ו before Asaph is here out of place; for to take it as introducing a conclusion: in the days of David, therefore, was Asaph ... seems unnatural. The ו probably came into the text through a reminiscence of 2 Chronicles 29:30 and 2 Chronicles 35:15. The matter, however, of these passages is consistent with the naming of David and Asaph, while such a co-ordination is unsuitable in the present passage. The Masoretes have indeed attempted to make sense of the words by altering the singular ראשׁ into the plural ראשׁי; but the Keri ראשׁי is nothing more than a worthless conjecture, arising partly from the unsuitableness of ו before אסף, and partly from the consideration that Henan and Ethan were, as well as Asaph, chiefs of bands of singers. Nehemiah, however, was not concerned in this passage about exactness of statement, - the mention of Asaph as chief of the singers being quite sufficient for the purpose of his remark, that from the times of David onward orders of singers had existed. - In Nehemiah 12:47 this subject is concluded by the general statement that all Israel, i.e., the whole community, in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, gave the portions prescribed in the law for the ministers of the sanctuary, singers, doorkeepers, Levites, and priests. מקדּישׁים, they were sanctifying, i.e., consecrabant. הקדּישׁ, to sanctify, said of the bringing of gifts and dues to the ministers of the sanctuary; comp. 1 Chronicles 26:27; Leviticus 27:14. On the matter itself, comp. Nehemiah 10:38. and Numbers 18:26-29.