The custom of having choir directors to lead the choirs in hymns of praise and thanksgiving to God began long ago in the days of David and Asaph.
Parallel translations
- WEB For in the days of David and Asaph of old there was a chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
- KJV For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.
- BSB For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there were directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
- NKJV For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
- NASB For in the days of David and Asaph, in ancient times, there were leaders of the singers, songs of praise and songs of thanksgiving to God.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Even from the days of David and Asaph there had been a chief of the singers and songs of praise to God. It matters because the worship of song is rooted in long, God-honoring tradition.
Overview
The verse looks back to David and Asaph as the founders of organized temple music and thanksgiving. By recalling this heritage, Nehemiah grounds present worship in the faithful practice of the past. The enduring tradition of praise reminds God's people that worship spans generations, joining the saints of every age in the song fulfilled by Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- 2 Chr 29:30Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises to Yahweh with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. They sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.
- Ps 73:1A Psalm by Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
- 1 Chr 25:1–31Moreover, David and the captains of the army set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who were to prophesy with harps, with stringed instruments, and with cymbals. The number of those who did the work according to their service was:
- Ps 83:1A song. A Psalm by Asaph. God, don’t keep silent. Don’t keep silent, and don’t be still, God.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The rebuilt walls and renewed covenant community foreshadow the greater builder who gathers and secures a people for God, the one who declares 'I will build my church.'
How Nehemiah 12:46 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.