Then the priests the Levites arose,.... The priests who were of the tribe of Levi; for there were some in Israel that were not, but were made of any of the people, as in the times of Jeroboam; though some supply the copulative "and"; so the Targum: "and blessed the people"; which was the proper work and business of the priests to do; though, while they were blessing, the Levites might be singing:
and their voice was heard; meaning not by the people, though undoubtedly it was, but by the Lord; the Targum is,
"their prayer was heard or received;''
for the blessing was delivered in a petitionary way, Numbers 6:24, and was no other than a request that God would bless them, which he did:
and their prayer came up to his holy dwellingplace, even unto heaven; see Psalms 3:4 by what means it was known their prayer was heard and accepted cannot be said; there might be some visible token of it, as the people were dismissed, and departed.