23 Sons of Levi, heads of the fathers, are written on the book of the Chronicles even till the days of Johanan son of Eliashib; 24 and heads of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their brethren, 'are' over-against them, to give praise, to give thanks, by command of David the man of God, charge over-against charge. 25 Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, 'are' gatekeepers, keeping charge in the gatherings of the gates. 26 These 'are' in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest, the scribe.
27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them in to Jerusalem, to make the dedication even with gladness, and with thanksgivings, and with singing, 'with' cymbals, psalteries, and with harps; 28 and sons of the singers are gathered together even from the circuit round about Jerusalem, and from the villages of Netophathi, 29 and from the house of Gilgal, and from fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for villages have the singers built for themselves round about Jerusalem; 30 and the priests and the Levites are cleansed, and they cleanse the people, and the gates, and the wall. 31 And I bring up the heads of Judah upon the wall, and appoint two great thanksgiving companies and processions. At the right, on the wall, to the dung-gate; 32 and after them goeth Hoshaiah, and half of the heads of Judah, 33 and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam, 34 Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah; 35 and of the sons of the priests with trumpets, Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Michaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph, 36 and his brethren Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with instruments of song of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe 'is' before them; 37 and by the gate of the fountain and over-against them, they have gone up by the steps of the city of David, at the going up of the wall beyond the house of David, and unto the water-gate eastward.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Nehemiah 12:23-37
Commentary on Nehemiah 12:1-26
(Read Nehemiah 12:1-26)
It is a debt we owe to faithful ministers, to remember our guides, who have spoken to us the word of God. It is good to know what our godly predecessors were, that we may learn what we should be.
Commentary on Nehemiah 12:27-43
(Read Nehemiah 12:27-43)
All our cities, all our houses, must have holiness to the Lord written upon them. The believer should undertake nothing which he does not dedicate to the Lord. We are concerned to cleanse our hands, and purify our hearts, when any work for God is to pass through them. Those that would be employed to sanctify others, must sanctify themselves, and set themselves apart for God. To those who are sanctified, all their creature-comforts and enjoyments are made holy. The people greatly rejoiced. All that share in public mercies, ought to join in public thanksgivings.