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Nehemiah 12

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Priests and Levites Who Returned with Zerubbabel 1–9

1
Now these are the priests and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, ​
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Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
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Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
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Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,
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Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,
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Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah.
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Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the priests and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua. ​
8
Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who was over the thanksgiving, he and his brethren. ​
9
Also Bakbukiah and Unno, their brethren, were over against them according to their offices.

The Line of High Priests 10–11

10
And Jeshua begat Joiakim, and Joiakim begat Eliashib, and Eliashib begat Joiada, ​
11
and Joiada begat Jonathan, and Jonathan begat Jaddua. ​

Priestly Leaders in the Next Generation 12–26

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And in the days of Joiakim were priests, heads of fathers’houses: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; ​
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of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;
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of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;
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of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;
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of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;
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of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;
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of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;
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and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
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of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;
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of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.
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As for the Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, there were recorded the heads of fathers’houses; also the priests, in the reign of Darius the Persian. ​
23
The sons of Levi, heads of fathers’houses, were written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.
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And the chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, to praise and give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch next to watch. ​
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Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were porters keeping the watch at the store-houses of the gates.
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These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest the scribe. ​

The Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem 27–43

27
And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps. ​
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And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain round about Jerusalem, and from the villages of the Netophathites;
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also from Beth-gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had builded them villages round about Jerusalem.
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And the priests and the Levites purified themselves; and they purified the people, and the gates, and the wall. ​
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Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies that gave thanks and went in procession; whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate: ​
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and after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes of Judah,
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and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,
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Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,
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and certain of the priests’ sons with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph;
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and his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God; and Ezra the scribe was before them. ​
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And by the fountain gate, and straight before them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, even unto the water gate eastward.
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And the other company of them that gave thanks went to meet them, and I after them, with the half of the people, upon the wall, above the tower of the furnaces, even unto the broad wall, ​
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and above the gate of Ephraim, and by the old gate, and by the fish gate, and the tower of Hananel, and the tower of Hammeah, even unto the sheep gate: and they stood still in the gate of the guard.
40
So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me;
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and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;
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and Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.
43
And they offered great sacrifices that day, and rejoiced; for God had made them rejoice with great joy; and the women also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off. ​

Provision for Temple Maintenance 44–47

44
And on that day were men appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the heave-offerings, for the first-fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them, according to the fields of the cities, the portions appointed by the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited. ​
45
And they kept the charge of their God, and the charge of the purification, and so did the singers and the porters, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son. ​
46
For in the days of David and Asaph of old there was a chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.
47
And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, as every day required: and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Nehemiah 12

Verse 1

went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua — Zerubbabel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak built the altar together (Ezra 3:2), and Haggai addresses them as 'governor of Judah' and 'the high priest' (Hag 1:1). The names that follow are priestly houses. 'Ezra' heads a house whose head a generation later is Meshullam (v.13).

Verse 7

the chief of the priests — Twenty-two names (vv.1–7) are the heads of the priestly houses 'in the days of Jeshua'. David had ordered the priests in twenty-four courses, ending 'the four and twentieth to Maaziah' (1 Chr 24:18). Verses 12–21 name the head of nearly every house again, a generation later.

Verse 8

over the thanksgiving — Huyedah means a choir of singers, and it is found only here. Mattaniah, of Asaph's line (11:17), led it 'he and his brethren'. Jeshua, Kadmiel and Sherebiah, named with him, also lead the Levites' call to prayer in 9:4–5.

Verse 10

Jeshua begat Joiakim — Six high priests are named from Jeshua to Jaddua (vv.10–11). Eliashib, the third, rose up with his brethren and built the sheep gate (Neh 3:1), and later 'preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God' for Tobiah (Neh 13:7). A son of Joiada was son in law to Sanballat (Neh 13:28).

Verse 11

Jonathan begat Jaddua — The line ends with Jaddua. Verse 22 names the same four heads, 'Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua', with Johanan where this verse reads Jonathan. Verse 23 dates the record of the Levites 'even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib'.

Verse 12

in the days of Joiakim — From here the lists give the heads of the priestly houses of vv.1–7 a generation later: 'of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah', on to 'of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethaneel' (v.21). Each house keeps its name and has a new head. Joiakim is the son of Jeshua (v.10).

Verse 22

recorded chief of the fathers — 'Recorded' is kathab, written, and v.23 says where: 'in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib'. The heads of the Levites' houses were registered from Eliashib's days (v.10) to the reign of 'Darius the Persian', a title found only in this verse.

Verse 24

ward over against ward — The chief Levites and their brethren 'over against them' answer one another in turn, 'to praise and to give thanks' (halal, yadah), as David appointed Levites 'to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel' (1 Chr 16:4). 'David the man of God' is the title of 2 Chr 8:14, and his commandment was also 'the commandment of the LORD by his prophets' (2 Chr 29:25).

Verse 26

Nehemiah the governor — One verse names three offices of the time: Joiakim, the priestly head after Jeshua the son of Jozadak (Ezra 3:2); Nehemiah the governor (pechah, the title of Neh 5:14 and of Zerubbabel in Hag 1:1); and Ezra 'the priest, the scribe' (Ezra 7:6, 11). The lists of vv.1–25 reach across all these days.

Verse 27

the dedication of the wall — Chanukkah is the word used for the dedicating of the altar (Num 7:10; 2 Chr 7:9). The Levites are sought 'out of all their places' for 'thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps', the instruments David appointed for the singers (1 Chr 15:16).

Verse 30

purified themselves, and purified the people, and the gates, and the wall — Taher, to cleanse, is the one verb for all four. The priests and Levites cleanse themselves first, as the Levites were cleansed when they were set apart for service (Num 8:6–7, 21).

Verse 31

two great companies of them that gave thanks — The Hebrew behind 'companies of them that gave thanks' is todah, thanksgiving, the word of 'thanksgivings' in v.27, so the two processions are literally two great thanksgivings. One goes right along the wall toward the dung gate, the 'dung port' of Neh 2:13, and the other goes the opposite way (v.38).

Verse 36

the musical instruments of David the man of God — These are the instruments David made for praise: 'four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David' (1 Chr 23:5). Hezekiah's Levites also 'stood with the instruments of David' (2 Chr 29:26). 'Ezra the scribe' goes before this company, with the priests' sons and their trumpets (v.35).

Verse 38

the other company — The first company goes right along the wall toward the dung gate (v.31), and this one goes 'over against them', the other way, with Nehemiah and half the people after it. Its route, 'from beyond the tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall', passes two places built in chapter 3 (3:11; 3:8). The two companies meet when they 'stood… in the house of God' (v.40).

Verse 43

God had made them rejoice — One root, samach, runs through the verse five times (rejoiced, made them rejoice, rejoiced, joy, joy), and the wives and children join in. The joy 'was heard even afar off', as the shout at the foundation of the house was in Ezra 3:13. At the reading of the law the people were told, 'the joy of the LORD is your strength' (Neh 8:10).

Verse 44

the chambers for the treasures — The treasure chambers receive the offerings, firstfruits and tithes, the 'portions of the law' that Num 18:21 gave to the Levites, and that the people had promised in the covenant (Neh 10:37–39). 'That waited' is literally 'that stood', the Levites' own task: 'to stand before the LORD to minister unto him' (Deut 10:8). Treasurers are named again in 13:13.

Verse 45

the ward of the purification — The singers and porters keep two charges, 'the ward of their God' and 'the ward of the purification' (tohorah), the Levites' office in 'the purifying of all holy things' (1 Chr 23:28). The order is David's and Solomon's: Solomon appointed the porters 'by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded' (2 Chr 8:14).

Verse 47

every day his portion — The phrase is that of 11:23, 'due for every day'. The giving has two steps, as the law set it: the people give to the Levites, and the Levites give a tenth of the tithe to the priest (Num 18:26–28). The verse names 'the days of Zerubbabel, and… the days of Nehemiah', so the arrangement was kept across both.