Nehemiah 12:44 - meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Nehemiah 12:44
And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.
a day (as the warm hours) · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
some
אֲנָשִׁ֜ים'a.na.Shim
H582
a man in general (singly or collectively) · noun, common masculine plural absolute
appointed
וַיִּפָּקְד֣וּvai.yi.pa.ke.Du
H6485
to visit (with friendly or hostile intent) · conjunction + verb, niphal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
chambers
הַנְּשָׁכ֗וֹתha.ne.sha.Khot
H5393
a cell · definite article + noun, common feminine plural absolute
treasures
לָא֨וֹצָר֥וֹתla.'o.tza.Rot
H214
a depository · preposition with the article + noun, common feminine plural absolute
offerings
לַתְּרוּמוֹת֮la.te.ru.mOt
H8641
a present (as offered up) · preposition with the article + noun, common feminine plural absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Nehemiah 10:37-39 And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the…
Nehemiah 13:12-13 Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.
2 Chronicles 31:11-13 Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of the LORD; and they prepared them,
Numbers 3:10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to d…
Numbers 8:24-25 This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the taber…
1 Chronicles 9:26 For these Levites, the four chief porters, were in their set office, and were over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God.
1 Chronicles 23:28 Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in t…
1 Chronicles 26:21-26 As concerning the sons of Laadan; the sons of the Gershonite Laadan, chief fathers, even of Laadan the Gershonite, were Jehieli.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 12:44–end
We have here an account of the remaining good effects of the universal joy that was at the dedication of the wall. When the solemnities of a thanksgiving day leave such impressions on ministers and people as that both are more careful and cheerful in doing their duty afterwards, then they are indeed acceptable to God and turn to a good account. So it was here. 1. The ministers were more careful than they had been of their work; the respect the people paid them upon this occasion encouraged them to diligence and watchfulness, Neh 12:45. The singers kept the ward of their God, attending in due time to the duty of their office; the porters, too, kept the ward of the purification, that is, they…
portions of the law--that is, "prescribed by the law."
for Judah rejoiced for the priests and . . . Levites that waited--The cause of this general satisfaction was either the full restoration of the temple service and the reorganized provision for the permanent support of the ministry, or it was the pious character and eminent gifts of the guardians of religion.
Adam Clarke on Nehemiah 12:38
The broad wall - What part this was, we know not: it might have been a place designed for a public promenade, or a parade for assembling the troops or guard of the temple.
John Gill on Nehemiah 12:44
And at that time were some appointed over the chamber for the treasuries,.... On the selfsame day the dedication was; while the people were in a good disposition, and a suitable frame for such service, certain persons from among the priests were appointed to be overseers of the chambers fixed upon for treasuries, to lay up safe in them the following things, and take care of them, that they were put to the use for which they were designed:
for the offerings, for the first fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites; what by the law of God were assigned them for their maintenance, and which the people had…
The Church Fathers
They also appointed men over the storerooms of the treasury on that day, etc. While all rejoiced in the building and dedication of the city, every effort was made to ensure that the worship of religion, which was established through ceremonies, especially the teaching and duties of priests, Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, was maintained and grew. Therefore, diligent men were appointed to carefully gather and guard the money contributed by the people in the temple treasury, for the use of those same ministers of the temple and altar; to also carefully preserve the first fruits of the crops, tithes, wine, and libations brought to the temple; so that, with an abundance of things either to be offered to the Lord or from which the ministers of the Lord themselves could live, the multitude of those same ministers would more willingly agree to make their dwelling in Jerusalem, from whom the gathered crowd of people should be taught and at the same time sanctified.
Because Judah rejoiced in the priests and Levites who stood by, etc. This was the reason why the people chose to have the priests and Levites, and the other ministers of the saints to dwell in Jerusalem; because they rejoiced in their good works, through whose devoted diligence to God, the people themselves were corrected from their errors, and the city was constructed and dedicated with great praise and joy. We have an allegorical exposition of this chapter prepared for us; because the Lord decided that those who proclaim the Gospel should live from the Gospel (1 Cor. 9). But woe to those priests and ministers of the saints, who indeed delight in joyfully receiving the rightful stipends from the people, but do not strive to labor for the salvation of the same people, neither to provide them with any guidance in holy living, nor to sing to them anything sweet about the sweetness of the heavenly kingdom, nor to open for them the gate of the heavenly city by having citizenship in heaven, but rather by acting perversely they are found to close it. In whose works the people cannot in any way trust, nor praise the Lord, but rather are much more compelled to be afflicted. Note well indeed that Judah, who previously spoke as one despairing in the construction of the city: "The strength of those bearing the burdens is weakened, and there is much dirt, and we are unable to build the wall" (Neh 4), and the rest of that place; now had regained strength of mind and body to carry away the dirt which hindered the building of the wall that had fallen, to overcome the lurking enemies who were threatening. Therefore, with good reason, he rejoices in the priests and Levites, singers and gatekeepers, whose labor and exhortation enabled him to escape such a great danger of affliction, and found such great glory of regained prosperity. And you, therefore, if your heart is weighed down by the dirt of vices, so that you are unable to build in it a city worthy of divine habitation, if you see the evil enemy intending to draw you back from purging the rubble of vices, from building the walls of virtues, listen to the consolation and advice of the priests; be constant in listening to and keeping the divine readings; and thus you will stand, so that the habitation of your praetorium, with the snares of demons driven out, will have God as the victor enter, about to sanctify it as his…
Dictionary and topics
Ezra — Help. (1.) A priest among those that returned to Jerusalem under Zerubabel (Neh. 12:1). (2.) The “scribe” who led the second body of exiles that returned from Babylon to Jerusalem B.C. 459, and…
Nehemiah — Comforted by Jehovah. (1.) Ezra 2:2; Neh. 7:7. (2.) Neh. 3:16. (3.) The son of Hachaliah (Neh. 1:1), and probably of the tribe of Judah. His family must have belonged to Jerusalem (Neh. 2:3). He was…
Levites, The · Services of: Taking charge of the tithes, offerings, &c — Services of: Taking charge of the tithes, offerings, &c
Tithes · Stored in the temple — Stored in the temple
Treasure-Houses · Priests and Levites in charge of — Priests and Levites in charge of
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
firstfruits
לָרֵאשִׁ֣יתla.re.Shit
H7225
the first · preposition with the article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
tithes
וְלַמַּֽעַשְׂרוֹת֒ve.la.ma.'as.rOt
H4643
a tenth · conjunction + preposition with the article + noun, common feminine plural absolute
gather
לִכְנ֨וֹסlikh.Nos
H3664
to collect · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
fields
לִשְׂדֵ֤יlis.Dei
H7704
a field (as flat) · preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct
cities
הֶעָרִים֙he.'a.Rim
H5892
a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the wi… · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
portions
מְנָא֣וֹתme.na.'ot
H4521
an allotment (by courtesy · noun, common feminine plural construct
law
הַתּוֹרָ֔הha.to.Rah
H8451
a precept or statute · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
priests
לַכֹּהֲנִ֖יםla.ko.ha.Nim
H3548
literally one officiating · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
Levites
וְלַלְוִיִּ֑םve.lal.vi.Yim
H3881
a Levite or descendant of Levi · conjunction + preposition with the article + noun, gentilic masculine plural absolute
Judah
יְהוּדָ֔הye.hu.Dah
H3063
Jehudah (or Judah) · proper noun, a place name
rejoiced
שִׂמְחַ֣תsim.Chat
H8057
blithesomeness or glee · noun, common feminine singular construct
priests
הַכֹּהֲנִ֥יםha.ko.ha.Nim
H3548
literally one officiating · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
Levites
הַלְוִיִּ֖םhal.vi.Yim
H3881
a Levite or descendant of Levi · definite article + noun, gentilic masculine plural absolute
waited
הָעֹמְדִֽיםha.'o.me.Dim
H5975
to stand · definite article + verb, qal active participle, masculine plural absolute
The joint efforts of Nehemiah and Ezra succeeded both in restoring the enactments of the law for the performance and maintenance of the public worship, and in carrying out the separation of the community from strangers, especially by the dissolution of unlawful marriages (Neh 12:44-13:3). When Nehemiah, however, returned to the king at Babylon, in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, and remained there some time, the abuses which had been abolished were again allowed by the people. During Nehemiah's absence, Eliashib the priest prepared a chamber in the fore-court of the temple, as a dwelling for his son-in-law Tobiah the Ammonite. The delivery of their dues to the Levites (the first-fruits…
On that day, the day of the dedication of the wall (12:44; 13:1), men were appointed to take care of the tithes and gifts given for the physical needs of the priests and Levites. Their duties were to collect the gifts of the people for the priests and Levites (10:32-39; see also Exod 30:11-16; 38:25-26), to perform the service of their God (probably sacrifices; see Lev 1–5), and to oversee the service of purification of those people who were unclean. They also purified pans, knives, and clothing used in Temple worship as described in Lev 11–15 (see also 1 Chr 23:28).
Rashi on Nehemiah 12:44
were appointed Heb. וַיִפָקְדוּ, a word meaning appointment.
the chambers Heb. הַנְשָׁכוֹת, like הַלְשָּׁכוֹת, the chambers of the Temple.
to gather in them And in these chambers they would place all the gifts of the priests and the Levites, and from there they would distribute [them] among them.
portions Heb. מְנָאוֹת like מָנוֹת.
for the priests and for the Levites The priests were taking what was due them and the Levites what was due them.
who stood and ministered there before the Holy One, blessed be He, with thanksgiving offerings and thanksgivings.
