The Meaning of Nehemiah 12:47 Explained

Nehemiah 12:47

KJV: And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, every day his portion: and they sanctified holy things unto the Levites; and the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron.

YLT: And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, are giving the portions of the singers, and of the gatekeepers, the matter of a day in its day, and are sanctifying to the Levites, and the Levites are sanctifying to the sons of Aaron.

Darby: And all Israel, in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the doorkeepers, every day what was needed, and they consecrated things for the Levites; and the Levites consecrated for the children of Aaron.

ASV: And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, as every day required: and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And all Israel  in the days  of Zerubbabel,  and in the days  of Nehemiah,  gave  the portions  of the singers  and the porters,  every day  his portion:  and they sanctified  [holy things] unto the Levites;  and the Levites  sanctified  [them] unto the children  of Aaron. 

What does Nehemiah 12:47 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 12:44-47 - Neglect Of Religious Duties
In Nehemiah 12:44-47 we have recorded the care that was manifested for the worthy maintenance of those who ministered in sacred things. As a result there were glad outbursts of minstrelsy and holy joy. Make room in your life for songs and praises, Psalms 33:1. In the opening of Nehemiah 13:1-31 we see how the Word of God cuts like a two-edged sword against evil. Happy are they who attend to its solemn warnings. The law referred to here was Deuteronomy 23:3-5. Tobiah was an Ammonite, and it was a scandalous thing that the high priest was not only allied to him by marriage, but had cast out the stores of the Temple in order to make room for him in the sacred edifice. Tobiah's influence was so great that the rest shrank from putting the law of separation into operation against him. When Nehemiah returned from a long sojourn in Persia he cast out all of Tobiah's goods, and restored the chamber to its proper use. If we have given up a chamber in our heart to any Tobiah, we must be prepared to do likewise. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 12

1  The priests and the Levites which came up with Zerubbabel
10  The succession of high priests
22  Certain chief Levites
27  The solemnity of the dedication of the walls
44  The offices of priests and Levites appointed in the temple

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 12:47 mean?

And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the portions for the singers and the gatekeepers a portion days for each day and they consecrated [holy things] for the Levites and the Levites consecrated [them] for the sons of Aaron -
וְכָל־ יִשְׂרָאֵל֩ בִּימֵ֨י זְרֻבָּבֶ֜ל וּבִימֵ֣י נְחֶמְיָ֗ה נֹֽתְנִ֛ים מְנָי֛וֹת הַמְשֹׁרְרִ֥ים וְהַשֹּׁעֲרִ֖ים דְּבַר־ י֣וֹם בְּיוֹמ֑וֹ וּמַקְדִּשִׁים֙ לַלְוִיִּ֔ם וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם מַקְדִּשִׁ֖ים לִבְנֵ֥י אַהֲרֹֽן פ

וְכָל־  And  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֩  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
בִּימֵ֨י  in  the  days 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
זְרֻבָּבֶ֜ל  of  Zerubbabel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: זְרֻבָּבֶל  
Sense: the grandson of king Jehoiachin and leader of the first group of returning exiles from Babylon.
וּבִימֵ֣י  and  in  the  days 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
נְחֶמְיָ֗ה  of  Nehemiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נְחֶמְיָה  
Sense: the son of Hachaliah, cupbearer to king Artaxerxes, who became governor of Judah after the return from exile.
נֹֽתְנִ֛ים  gave 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
מְנָי֛וֹת  the  portions  for 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מְנָת  
Sense: portion.
הַמְשֹׁרְרִ֥ים  the  singers 
Parse: Article, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שִׁיר  
Sense: to sing.
וְהַשֹּׁעֲרִ֖ים  and  the  gatekeepers 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שֹׁועֵר  
Sense: gatekeeper, porter.
דְּבַר־  a  portion 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
י֣וֹם  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
בְּיוֹמ֑וֹ  for  each  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וּמַקְדִּשִׁים֙  and  they  consecrated  [holy  things] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine plural
Root: קָדַשׁ  
Sense: to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate.
לַלְוִיִּ֔ם  for  the  Levites 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם  and  the  Levites 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
מַקְדִּשִׁ֖ים  consecrated  [them] 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine plural
Root: קָדַשׁ  
Sense: to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate.
לִבְנֵ֥י  for  the  sons 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אַהֲרֹֽן  of  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation