Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 34:12
And 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,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator describes the administrative structure during Josiah’s temple renovation, identifying the Levite supervisors appointed over the laborers. The account focuses on the leadership hierarchy rather than the king’s decree.
The words — The phrase עֹשִׂים בֶּאֱמוּנָה ('osim be'emunah) literally means "working in faithfulness." It modifies the men’s labor to indicate they performed their duties with reliable integrity rather than under strict financial audits.
The thread — This phrasing mirrors 2 Kings 22:7, which records that the repair workers acted with integrity and required no accounting. The named Levite families and musical roles align with the administrative divisions outlined in 1 Chronicles 23:5.
Why it lands — The text establishes that faithful execution requires designated oversight and skilled personnel. It requires readers to recognize that integrity in communal work is verified by consistent action, not by external accounting.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 12:15 No accounting was required from the men who received the money to pay the workmen, because they acted with integrity.
- 1 Chronicles 23:5 4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the LORD with the instruments I have made for giving praise.”
- 2 Kings 22:7 But they need not account for the money put into their hands, since they work with integrity.”
- 1 Chronicles 6:31 These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the LORD after the ark rested there.
- 1 Chronicles 15:16 David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals.
- 1 Chronicles 16:4 David appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to celebrate, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel.
- 1 Chronicles 16:41 With them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the LORD, for “His loving devotion endures forever.”
- 1 Chronicles 25:1 Additionally, David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy with the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The following is the list of the men who performed this service:
- 2 Chronicles 31:12 And they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes, and dedicated gifts. Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of them, and his brother Shimei was second.
- Nehemiah 7:2 Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.