Now when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,
Parallel translations
- KJV Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,
- BSB When the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed.
- NKJV Then it was, when the wall was built and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed,
- NASB Now when the wall was rebuilt and I had installed the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites were appointed,
- NLT After the wall was finished and I had set up the doors in the gates, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed.
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
With the wall built and doors set, Nehemiah appoints gatekeepers, singers, and Levites. Attention turns from defense to ordered worship and life in the city.
Overview
The completion of the physical wall leads to organizing the spiritual and civic order of Jerusalem, including those who serve in worship. Restoring proper temple personnel signals that the city's true life centers on God. This priority on worship after the work reminds us that God's purpose for His people is not mere security but communion with Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Neh 6:1Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and to the rest of our enemies, that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it (though even to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates)
- Neh 6:15So the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days.
- 2 Chr 31:2Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites after their divisions, every man according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of Yahweh’s camp.
- Neh 3:1–32Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the sheep gate. They sanctified it, and set up its doors. They sanctified it even to the tower of Hammeah, to the tower of Hananel.
- Neh 12:24The chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers close to them, to praise and give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch next to watch.
- Neh 10:39For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the wave offering of the grain, of the new wine, and of the oil, to the rooms, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, and the priests who minister, with the porters and the singers. We will not forsake the house of our God.
- Ezra 3:8Now in the second year of their coming to God’s house at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work of Yahweh’s house.
- 1 Chr 23:1–32Now David was old and full of days; and he made Solomon his son king over Israel.
- 1 Chr 25:1–26Moreover, 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:
- Neh 11:3Now these are the chiefs of the province who lived in Jerusalem; but in the cities of Judah everyone lived in his possession in their cities: Israel, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the children of Solomon’s servants.
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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 7:1 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.