Gallim

Levitical singer in the temple

The returnPriestc. 500s BC

Gallim was a Levite who served as a singer in the temple after returning from the Babylonian exile. He is mentioned in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles and Nehemiah as part of the Levites who settled in Jerusalem and resumed temple service. His role testifies to the restoration of God's worship after the exile.

Family

FatherJeduthun ChildShemaiah

Key events

Listed among the Levites in Jerusalem

Gallim is mentioned among the Levites who settled in Jerusalem after returning from Babylon, as part of the restoration of temple service.

1 Chr 9:15 Show in context →

15Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zichri, son of Asaph;

וּבַקְבַּקַּ֥ר חֶ֖רֶשׁ וְגָלָ֑ל וּמַתַּנְיָה֙ בֶּן־מִיכָ֔א בֶּן־זִכְרִ֖י בֶּן־אָסָֽף׃ ‬

1 Chr 9:16 Show in context →

16Obadiah son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

וְעֹבַדְיָה֙ בֶּֽן־שְׁמַֽעְיָ֔ה בֶּן־גָּלָ֖ל בֶּן־יְדוּת֑וּן וּבֶרֶכְיָ֤ה בֶן־אָסָא֙ בֶּן־אֶלְקָנָ֔ה הַיּוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּחַצְרֵ֥י נְטוֹפָתִֽי׃ ‬

Serving in the temple

As a descendant of Jeduthun, Gallim participated in the Levitical singing service in the temple, an important part of worship in the rebuilt temple.

1 Chr 9:15 Show in context →

15Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zichri, son of Asaph;

וּבַקְבַּקַּ֥ר חֶ֖רֶשׁ וְגָלָ֑ל וּמַתַּנְיָה֙ בֶּן־מִיכָ֔א בֶּן־זִכְרִ֖י בֶּן־אָסָֽף׃ ‬

Mentioned in Nehemiah's genealogy

Gallim is also mentioned in the book of Nehemiah among the Levites who helped restore religious order in Jerusalem after the exile.

Neh 11:17 Show in context →

17Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, who led the thanksgiving in prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his kinsmen; and Abda son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun.

וּמַתַּנְיָ֣ה בֶן־מִ֠יכָה בֶּן־זַבְדִּ֨י בֶן־אָסָ֜ף רֹ֗אשׁ הַתְּחִלָּה֙ יְהוֹדֶ֣ה לַתְּפִלָּ֔ה וּבַקְבֻּקְיָ֖ה מִשְׁנֶ֣ה מֵאֶחָ֑יו וְעַבְדָּא֙ בֶּן־שַׁמּ֔וּעַ בֶּן־גָּלָ֖ל בֶּן־*ידיתון **יְדוּתֽוּן׃ ‬

Part of the restored community

Galal was part of the larger community of priests, Levites, and temple workers who ensured that God's worship was restored in accordance with the Law of Moses after the exile.

1 Chr 9:17 Show in context →

17The gatekeepers were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, and Ahiman; their kinsman Shallum was the chief.

וְהַשֹּׁעֲרִים֙ שַׁלּ֣וּם וְעַקּ֔וּב וְטַלְמֹ֖ן וַאֲחִימָ֑ן וַאֲחִיהֶ֥ם שַׁלּ֖וּם הָרֹֽאשׁ׃ ‬

1 Chr 9:18 Show in context →

18To this day he is stationed at the King's Gate on the east side. These were the gatekeepers belonging to the camps of the Levites.

וְֽעַד־הֵ֔נָּה בְּשַׁ֥עַר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מִזְרָ֑חָה הֵ֚מָּה הַשֹּׁ֣עֲרִ֔ים לְמַחֲנ֖וֹת בְּנֵ֥י לֵוִֽי׃ ‬

1 Chr 9:19 Show in context →

19Shallum son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his kinsmen of his ancestral house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, guarding the thresholds of the tent, just as their fathers had guarded the entrance to the camp of the LORD.

וְשַׁלּ֣וּם בֶּן־ק֠וֹרֵא בֶּן־אֶבְיָסָ֨ף בֶּן־קֹ֜רַח וְֽאֶחָ֧יו לְבֵית־אָבִ֣יו הַקָּרְחִ֗ים עַ֚ל מְלֶ֣אכֶת הָעֲבוֹדָ֔ה שֹׁמְרֵ֥י הַסִּפִּ֖ים לָאֹ֑הֶל וַאֲבֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ עַל־מַחֲנֵ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה שֹׁמְרֵ֖י הַמָּבֽוֹא׃ ‬

Neh 11:15 Show in context →

15From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni;

וּמִֽן־הַלְוִיִּ֑ם שְׁמַעְיָ֧ה בֶן־חַשּׁ֛וּב בֶּן־עַזְרִיקָ֥ם בֶּן־חֲשַׁבְיָ֖ה בֶּן־בּוּנִּֽי׃ ‬

Neh 11:16 Show in context →

16Shabbethai and Jozabad, two of the heads of the Levites, who were in charge of the outside work of the house of God;

וְשַׁבְּתַ֨י וְיוֹזָבָ֜ד עַל־הַמְּלָאכָ֤ה הַחִֽיצֹנָה֙ לְבֵ֣ית הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים מֵרָאשֵׁ֖י הַלְוִיִּֽם׃ ‬

Neh 11:17 Show in context →

17Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, who led the thanksgiving in prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his kinsmen; and Abda son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun.

Neh 11:18 Show in context →

18All the Levites in the holy city numbered 284.

כָּל־הַלְוִיִּם֙ בְּעִ֣יר הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ מָאתַ֖יִם שְׁמֹנִ֥ים וְאַרְבָּעָֽה׃ פ ‬

Mentioned in the Bible (3)

1 Chronicles 9:15 1 Chronicles 9:16 Nehemiah 11:17