Nehemiah 7:44 kjv
The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred forty and eight.
Nehemiah 7:44 nkjv
The singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred and forty-eight.
Nehemiah 7:44 niv
The musicians: the descendants of Asaph ? 148
Nehemiah 7:44 esv
The singers: the sons of Asaph, 148.
Nehemiah 7:44 nlt
The singers of the family of Asaph ? 148
Nehemiah 7 44 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Levitical Singers / Temple Service | ||
| 1 Chr 6:31-33 | These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the Lord... Asaph the son of Berechiah... | Asaph as a chief Levitical musician |
| 1 Chr 9:33 | The singers, the heads of fathers’ houses of the Levites, were in the chambers of the temple... they were on duty day and night. | Singers were Levitical leaders and continually on duty |
| 1 Chr 15:16 | David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers, instruments for song. | David organizes musical worship |
| 1 Chr 25:1 | David and the chiefs of the service separated for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun... for prophesying with lyres, harps, and cymbals. | Asaph's family's prophetic role in music |
| 2 Chr 5:12-13 | The Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun... making themselves heard with one voice... when they praised the Lord. | United singing at Temple dedication |
| 2 Chr 29:27-28 | Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering... with the trumpets and the instruments of David, king of Israel. | Restoration of musical worship by Hezekiah |
| Ezr 2:41 | The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128. | Parallel census in Ezra, slightly different count |
| Ezr 3:10 | When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord... | Sons of Asaph participate in temple foundation |
| Neh 11:22 | The supervisor of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi... of the sons of Asaph, the singers, for the service of the house of God. | Asaphites overseeing temple singers in Jerusalem |
| Neh 12:45-47 | For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were directors of the singers for the praise and thanksgiving to God. | Historical provision for singers |
| Censuses & Genealogies / Return from Exile | ||
| Ezr 1:5 | The heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites... went up to rebuild the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. | Initial group responding to return |
| Ezr 2:1 | Now these were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile in Babylon. | Ezra's parallel census list |
| Neh 7:5-6 | He found the register of those who came up at the first, and he found written in it... These are the people of the province... | Nehemiah found and verified a prior register |
| Neh 11:3 | Now these are the chiefs of the province who lived in Jerusalem; but in the towns of Judah everyone lived on his property... | Leaders settled, census for dwelling locations |
| 1 Chr 9:2 | The first inhabitants who lived on their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants. | Early inhabitants' census for post-exilic Israel |
| Num 1:2 | Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names... | Example of Mosaic census for military/community |
| Importance of Worship / God's Provision | ||
| 2 Chr 31:4 | He commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and Levites, that they might give themselves to the Law of the Lord. | Provision for Levites to fulfill their duty |
| Psa 50:14-15 | Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving... Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. | Call to sincere worship and praise (Asaphic Psalm) |
| Psa 73:1-2 | Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled... | Example of Asaphic wisdom/struggle/truth |
| Psa 150:3-6 | Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance... Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! | General call to praise with all instruments |
| Col 3:16 | Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. | New Testament emphasis on spiritual songs |
| Heb 13:15 | Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. | Christian continuation of praise as sacrifice |
Nehemiah 7 verses
Nehemiah 7 44 Meaning
Nehemiah 7:44 records the precise number of descendants of Asaph who served as temple singers, stating there were 148 individuals. This verse is part of a broader census detailing those who returned from Babylonian exile, emphasizing the careful restoration of the community, including its spiritual functions and dedicated personnel for the rebuilt Temple worship. It highlights the importance of re-establishing organized praise and worship in the post-exilic Israelite society.
Nehemiah 7 44 Context
Nehemiah chapter 7 serves as a vital historical record, essentially a second register of the returnees from Babylonian exile, largely mirroring Ezra chapter 2. Following the completion of Jerusalem’s walls, Nehemiah establishes civil order and initiates a census to properly account for the population of Jerusalem and Judah. This census identifies who truly belonged to the returning community, crucial for re-establishing land ownership, communal obligations, and most importantly, legitimate participation in Temple service. Verse 44 falls within a section detailing specific categories of Levitical servants returning: doorkeepers, singers, and Temple servants (Netinim), each vital for the proper functioning of the re-established worship system. This precise accounting demonstrates the diligent effort to restore order and the spiritual framework of Israel after the exile, emphasizing the divine preservation of God's people and the roles designated for His service.
Nehemiah 7 44 Word analysis
- The singers (הַמְשֹׁרְרִים, ha-m’shor’rim):
- Significance: This term refers to specialized temple functionaries whose primary duty was to lead the community in musical worship. They were not merely entertainers but liturgical ministers, instrumental in communal praise, prayer, and the proclamation of God’s truth through song.
- Role: Their role was integral to the re-establishment of the tabernacle and later temple worship as organized by King David. Their service was a crucial element of formal worship, ensuring adherence to the divine commands concerning praise.
- Connection: They often functioned in tandem with priests and other Levites, signifying a complete and ordered system of worship.
- the children of Asaph (בְּנֵי אָסָף, b'nei Asaf):
- Asaph: Asaph was one of the three principal Levitical choirmasters appointed by King David, alongside Heman and Jeduthun (1 Chr 25:1). His lineage was specifically designated for the service of sacred music. He is credited with authoring numerous psalms (e.g., Psa 50, 73–83).
- Significance of lineage: This designation underscores the hereditary nature of these temple roles. It indicates a continuity of priestly and Levitical service through generations, reinforcing the importance of proper lineage and heritage for legitimate temple ministry. It assured the community that those serving were authentically from the appointed Levitical families, upholding the purity and legitimacy of worship.
- 148:
- Precision: The specific numerical count highlights the careful and meticulous nature of the census. It demonstrates an emphasis on administrative accuracy and accountability in the post-exilic community.
- Comparison: This number differs slightly from Ezra 2:41, which lists 128 "children of Asaph." Such minor discrepancies are common in ancient texts and can be attributed to several factors: different timing of censuses (more may have arrived later), different counting methodologies (e.g., counting only male adults, heads of households, or total individuals), or minor scribal variations over time. The fundamental point, however, remains the emphasis on an actual, verifiable count of a specific group for community organization.
- Words-group by words-group analysis:
- The singers: the children of Asaph: This phrase explicitly identifies a highly specialized and venerated group within the returning exiles. It emphasizes their particular skill (singing), their spiritual office, and their specific familial identity as direct descendants of Asaph, validating their role in re-establishing temple praise according to the ancient Davidic order. It signifies a move beyond mere survival towards re-institution of spiritual life and structure.
Nehemiah 7 44 Bonus section
- The Spiritual Dimension of the Census: While appearing as a mundane list of numbers, this census, including the detailed listing of the singers, profoundly underscores the spiritual priorities of the returned community. It signifies that the physical rebuilding of walls and homes was intrinsically linked to the spiritual rebuilding of their worship life. The presence of authorized singers ensured that corporate praise would again rise to God from Jerusalem.
- Worship as a Sign of Restoration: The specific mention of singers, who served in music and sometimes prophecy (1 Chr 25:1), is significant because it marked a true sign of restoration. The silence of the exile was replaced by renewed songs of praise in the re-established sanctuary, signifying divine presence and blessing back among His people.
- Discrepancies in Numbers: The slight variance in numbers for the singers of Asaph between Ezra 2:41 (128) and Nehemiah 7:44 (148) does not undermine the historical accuracy or divine inspiration of the text. Instead, it reflects common realities of ancient record-keeping, such as lists being compiled at different points in time, representing different counting methodologies, or containing minor scribal differences common across large census documents. The divine truth communicated is that God faithfully preserved and returned His people, including specific functionaries for His service, despite the variations.
Nehemiah 7 44 Commentary
Nehemiah 7:44 precisely enumerates 148 male descendants of Asaph among those returning from exile, affirming the meticulous restoration of Jerusalem's social and spiritual fabric. The inclusion of this specific number highlights the re-establishment of organized Temple worship as a central act of communal restoration. These "children of Asaph" were essential liturgical figures, inheriting a role critical to biblical praise, underscoring that rebuilding involved not only walls and population but also the spiritual heart of the nation. Their return was pivotal for ensuring proper, authorized worship after decades of absence, demonstrating God's faithfulness in preserving His designated servants and enabling His people to praise Him anew in the restored land. This precise accounting prepared the ground for the subsequent public reading of the Law and covenant renewal (Nehemiah 8-9).