And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, and to keep the dedication, and to rejoice with thanksgiving, and with singing, and with cymbals, and psalteries and harps.

A.

3559. B.C.

445. the dedication. Jerusalem was the holy city, and the wall was built under the immediate superintendence and blessing of Jehovah: it was therefore proper that it should be dedicated to that God who was there worshipped by solemn praises, prayers, and sacrifices. The dedication seems to have consisted in processions of the most eminent persons around the walls, with thanksgivings to God, who had enabled them to bring the work to so happy a conclusion; and, no doubt, to all this were added a particular consecration of the city to God, and the most earnest invocation that He would take it under His guardianship, and defend it and its inhabitants against their enemies.

Deuteronomy 20:5 And the captains shall proclaim through every band in the hearing of the army: What man is there, that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.

Psalm 30:1-12 A psalm of a canticle, at the dedication of David's house. [2] I will extol thee, O Lord, for thou hast upheld me: and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me. . . .

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out.

Nehemiah 11:20 And the rest of Israel, the priests and the Levites were in all the cities of Juda, every man in his possession.

1 Chronicles 15:4,12 And the sons of Aaron also, and the Levites. . . .

1 Chronicles 25:6 All these under their father's hand were distributed to sing in the temple of the Lord, with cymbals, and psalteries and harps, for the service of the house of the Lord near the king: to wit, Asaph, and Idithun, and Heman.

1 Chronicles 26:31 And the chief of the Hebronites was Jeria according to their families and kindreds. In the fortieth year of the reign of David they were numbered, and there were found most valiant men in Jazer Galaad,

2 Chronicles 5:13 So when they all sounded together, both with trumpets, and voice, and cymbals, and organs, and with divers kind of musical instruments, and lifted up their voice on high: the sound was heard afar off, so that when they began to praise the Lord, and to say: Give glory to the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever: the house of God was filled with a cloud.

2 Chronicles 29:4-11,30 And he brought the priests and the Levites, and assembled them in the east street. . . .

Ezra 8:15-20 And I gathered them together to the river, which runneth down to Ahava, and we stayed there three days: and I sought among the people and among the priests for the sons of Levi, and found none there. . . .

gladness.

Nehemiah 8:17 And all the assembly of them that were returned from the captivity, made tabernacles, and dwelt in tabernacles: for since the days of Josue the son of Nun the children of Israel had not done so, until that day: and there was exceeding great joy.

Deuteronomy 16:11 And thou shalt feast before the Lord thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger and the fatherless, and the widow, who abide with you: in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, that his name may dwell there:

2 Samuel 6:12 And it was told king David, that the Lord had blessed Obededom, and all that he had, because of the ark of God. So David went, and brought away the ark of God out of the house of Obededom into the city of David with joy. And there were with David seven choirs, and calves for victims.

2 Chronicles 29:30 And Ezechias and the princes commanded the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David, and Asaph the seer: and they praised him with great joy, and bowing the knee adored.

Ezra 6:16 And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity kept the dedication of the house of God with joy.

Psalm 98:4-6 Sing joyfully to God, all the earth; make melody, rejoice and sing. . . .

Psalm 100:1,2 A psalm of praise. . . .

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always: again, I say, rejoice.

thanksgivings.

1 Chronicles 13:8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might with hymns, and with harps, and with psalteries, and timbrels, and cymbals, and trumpets,

1 Chronicles 15:16,28 And David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites, to appoint some of their brethren to be singers with musical instruments, to wit, on psalteries, and harps, and cymbals, that the joyful noise might resound on high. . . .

1 Chronicles 16:5,42 Asaph the chief, and next after him Zacharias: moreover Jahiel, and Semiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mathathias, and Eliab, and Banaias, and Obededom: and Jehiel over the instruments of psaltery, and harps: and Asaph sounded with cymbals: . . .

1 Chronicles 23:5 Moreover four thousand were porters: and as many singers singing to the Lord with the instruments, which he had made to sing with.

1 Chronicles 25:1-6 Moreover David and the chief officers of the army separated for the ministry the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Idithun: to prophesy with harps, and with psalteries, and with cymbals according to their number serving in their appointed office. . . .

2 Chronicles 5:13 So when they all sounded together, both with trumpets, and voice, and cymbals, and organs, and with divers kind of musical instruments, and lifted up their voice on high: the sound was heard afar off, so that when they began to praise the Lord, and to say: Give glory to the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever: the house of God was filled with a cloud.

2 Chronicles 7:6 And the priests stood in their offices: and the Levites with the instruments of music of the Lord, which king David made to praise the Lord: because his mercy endureth for ever, singing the hymns of David by their ministry: and the priests sounded with trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.

Ezra 3:10,11 And when the masons laid the foundations of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their ornaments with trumpets: and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise God by the hands of David king of Israel. . . .

Psalm 81:1-4 Unto the end, for the winepresses, a psalm for Asaph himself. [2] Rejoice to God our helper: sing aloud to the God of Jacob. . . .

Psalm 92:1-3 A psalm of a canticle on the sabbath day. [2] It is good to give praise to the Lord: and to sing to thy name, O most High. . . .

Psalm 149:3 Let them praise his name in choir: let them sing to him with the timbrel and the psaltery.

Psalm 150:2-5 Praise ye him for his mighty acts: praise ye him according to the multitude of his greatness. . . .

Revelation 5:8 And when he had opened the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty ancients fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.