2 Chronicles 34 · Verse 12

2 Chronicles 34:12

And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick.
2 Chronicles 34:12, King James Version

2 Chronicles 34:12 in other translations

BSBAnd the men did the work faithfully. The Levites overseeing them were Jahath and Obadiah, descendants of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, descendants of Kohath. Other Levites, all skilled with musical instruments,
WEBThe men did the work faithfully. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to give direction; and others of the Levites, who were all skillful with musical instruments.
ASVAnd the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and others of the Levites, all that were skilful with instruments of music.
YLTAnd the men are working faithfully in the business, and over them are appointed Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathite, to overlook; and of the Levites, every one understanding about instruments of song,
DARBYAnd the men did the work faithfully. And over them were appointed Jahath and Obadiah, Levites, of the children of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the children of the Kohathites, for the oversight; and all these Levites were skilled in instruments of music.
BBEAnd the men did the work well; and those who had authority over them were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, who were to be responsible for seeing that the work was done; and others of the Levites, who were expert with instruments of music,
WebsterAnd the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to superintend it; and others of the Levites, all that had skill in instruments of music.

What does 2 Chronicles 34:12 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 All that could skill of instruments of music - Did the musicians play on their several instruments to encourage and enliven the workmen? Is not this a probable case from their mention here? If this were really the case, instrumental music was never better applied in any thing that refers to the worship of God. It is fabled of Orpheus, a most celebrated musician, that such was the enchanting harmony of his lyre, that he built the city of Thebes by it: the stones and timbers danced to his melody; and by the power of his harmony rose up, and took their respective places in the different parts of the wall that was to defend the city! This is fable; but as all fable is a representation of truth, where is the truth and fact to which this refers? How long has this question lain unanswered! But have we not the answer now? It is known in general, that the cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii were overwhelmed by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, about the seventy-ninth year of the Christian era. It is also known that, in sinking for wells, the workmen of the king of Naples lighted on houses, etc., of those overwhelmed cities; that excavations have been carried on, and are now in the act of being carried on, which are bringing daily to view various utensils, pictures, and books, which have escaped the influence of the burning lava; and that some of those parchment volumes have been unrolled, and facsimiles of them engraved and published; and that our late Prince Regent, afterwards George IV., king of Great Britain, expended considerable sums of money annually in searching for, unrolling, and deciphering those rolls. This I record to his great credit as the lover of science and literature. Now, among the books that have been unrolled and published, is a Greek Treatise on Music, by Philodemus; and here we have the truth represented which lay hidden under the fables of Orpheus and Amphion. This latter was a skillful harper, who was frequently employed by the Theban workmen to play to them while engaged in their labor, and for which they rewarded him out of the proceeds of that labor. So powerful and pleasing was his music, that they went lightly and comfortably through their work; and time and labor passed on without tedium or fatigue; and the walls and towers were speedily raised. This, by a metaphor, was attributed to the dulcet sounds of his harp; and poetry seized on and embellished it, and mythology incorporated it with her fabulous system. Orpheus is the same. By his skill in music he drew stones and trees after him, i.e., he presided over and encouraged the workmen by his skill in music. Yet how simple and natural is the representation given by this ancient Greek writer of such matters! See Philodemus, Col. viii. and ix. Orpheus, and Amphion, by their music, moved the workmen to diligence and activity, and lessened and alleviated their toil. May we not suppose, then, that skillful musicians among the Levites did exercise their art among the workmen who were employed in the repairs of the house of the Lord? May I be allowed a gentle transition? Is it not the power and harmony of the grace of Jesus Christ in the Gospel, that convert, change, and purify the souls of men, and prepare them for and place them in that part of the house of God, the New Jerusalem? A most beautiful and chaste allusion to this fact and fable is made by an eminent poet, while praying for his own success as a Christian minister, who uses all his skill as a poet and musician for the glory of God: - Thy own musician, Lord, inspire, And may my consecrated lyre Repeat the psalmist's part! His Son and thine reveal in me, And fill with sacred melody The fibres of my heart. So shall I charm the listening throng, And draw the Living Stones along By Jesus' tuneful name. The living stones shall dance, shall rise, And Form a City in the skies, The New Jerusalem. Charles Wesley.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

2 Chronicles 34:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהָאֲנָשִׁים֩ve.ha.'a.na.Shimand the menH582
עֹשִׂ֨ים'o.Sim[were] workingH6213
בֶּאֱמוּנָ֜הbe.'e.mu.Nahin faithfulnessH530
בַּמְּלָאכָ֗הba.me.la.Khahin the workH4399
וַעֲלֵיהֶ֣ם\׀va.'a.lei.Hemand over themH5921
מֻ֠פְקָדִיםMuf.ka.dim[were] appointedH6485
יַ֣חַתYa.chatJahathH3189
וְעֹבַדְיָ֤הוּve.'oad.Ya.huand ObadiahH5662
הַלְוִיִּם֙hal.vi.Yimthe LevitesH3881
מִן\־min-ofH4480
בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] descendants ofH1121
מְרָרִ֔יme.ra.RiMerariH4847
וּזְכַרְיָ֧הu.ze.khar.Yahand ZechariahH2148
וּמְשֻׁלָּ֛םu.me.shu.Lamand MeshullamH4918
מִן\־min-ofH4480
בְּנֵ֥יbe.Nei[the] descendants ofH1121
הַקְּהָתִ֖יםha.ke.ha.Timthe KohathitesH6956
לְנַצֵּ֑חַle.na.Tze.achto act as overseersH5329
וְהַ֨לְוִיִּ֔םve.Hal.vi.Yimand the LevitesH3881
כָּל\־kol-everyH3605
מֵבִ֖יןme.Vin[one who] was skilledH995
בִּכְלֵי\־bikh.lei-in instruments ofH3627
שִֽׁיר\׃ShirsongH7892

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Chronicles 34:12

  • 2 Kings 12:15

    Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully.

  • 1 Chronicles 23:5

    Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the Lord with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.

  • 1 Corinthians 4:2

    Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

  • 2 Kings 22:7

    Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.

  • 1 Chronicles 16:4-5

    And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, and to record, and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel: Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed–edom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals;

  • 1 Chronicles 16:41

    And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the Lord, because his mercy endureth for ever;

  • 1 Chronicles 25:1-31

    Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen according to their service was: Of the sons of Asaph; Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asarelah, the sons of Asaph under the hands of Asaph, which prophesied according to the order of the king. Of Jeduthun: the sons of Jeduthun; Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the Lord. Of Heman: the sons of Heman; Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti–ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth: …

  • 2 Chronicles 31:12

    And brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully: over which Cononiah the Levite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was the next.

  • Nehemiah 7:2

    That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.

  • Proverbs 28:20

    A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.

  • 1 Chronicles 6:31-48

    And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the Lord, after that the ark had rest. And they ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem: and then they waited on their office according to their order. And these are they that waited with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel, The son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, …

  • 1 Chronicles 15:16-22

    And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy. So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed–edom, and Jeiel, the porters. So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass; …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
faithfully.
31:12; 2Ki 12:15; 22:7; Ne 7:2; Pr 28:20; 1Co 4:2
all.
1Ch 6:31-48; 15:16-22; 16:4,5,41; 23:5; 25:1-31
skill.The verb skill is now obsolete: the meaning is, "every one who is skilful, {maiveen,} on instruments of music."

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Chronicles 34:11

    Even to the artificers and builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.

  • 2 Chronicles 34:12

    And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick.

  • 2 Chronicles 34:13

    Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.

Read all of 2 Chronicles 34

2 Chronicles 34:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y estos hombres procedían con fidelidad en la obra: y eran sus gobernadores Jahath y Abdías, Levitas de los hijos de Merari; y Zachârías y Mesullam de los hijos de Coath, para que activasen la obra; y de los Levitas, todos los entendidos en instrumentos de música.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ces hommes faisaient le travail avec fidélité. Et sur eux étaient préposés Jakhath et Abdias, lévites d’entre les fils de Merari, et Zacharie et Meshullam d’entre les fils des Kehathites, pour la surveillance; et tous ces lévites étaient habiles à jouer des instruments de musique.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die Männer handelten getreulich an dem Werke. Und über sie waren bestellt Jachath und Obadja, die Leviten, von den Söhnen Meraris, und Sekarja und Meschullam von den Söhnen der Kehathiter, um die Aufsicht zu führen; und die Leviten, alle, welche der Musikinstrumente kundig waren,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Qui fideliter cuncta faciebant. Erant autem præpositi operantium Jahath et Abdias de filiis Merari, Zacharias et Mosollam de filiis Caath, qui urgebant opus: omnes Levitæ scientes organis canere.