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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Nehemiah 12:1 - 12:26
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Priests and Levites who came up with Zerubbabel
v. 1. Now, these are the priests and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, in the preceding century, the names being taken from ancient records: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
v. 2. Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
v. 3. Schechaniah (or Shebaniah), Rehum (or Harim), Meremoth (or Meraioth),
v. 4. Iddo, Ginnetho, Abijah,
v. 5. Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,
v. 6. Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,
v. 7. Sallu (or Sallai), Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chief of the priests and of their brethren in the days of Joshua, the heads of the courses which remained of the twenty-four into which the priesthood was divided at the time of David, 1Ch_24:1-20. The four courses which had returned from the captivity had either been increased by later additions or had been subdivided, those not appearing in the list being such as had become extinct during the exile. No significance should be attached to the names, since the identity with those of a later day is often accidental.
v. 8. Moreover, the Levites: Joshua, Binnul, Kadmid, Sherebiah, ludah, and Mattaniah, which was over the thanksgiving, the choirmaster, or the leader in striking up the psalms of thanksgiving, as sung in the Temple services, he and his brethren.
v. 9. Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, were over against them in the watches, either stationed opposite them in the Temple or alternating with them in the office of guarding the Temple entrances.
v. 10. And Jeshua begat Joiakim, Joiakim also begat Eliashib, and Eliashib begat Joiada,
v. 11. and Joiada begat Jonathan, and Jonathan begat Jaddua.
v. 12. And in the days of Joia-kim, who was high priest at the time when Nehemiah was governor, were priests, the chief of the fathers, the heads of the priestly courses: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;
v. 13. of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;
v. 14. of Melicu, called Malluch above, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;
v. 15. of Harim, called Rehum above, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;
v. 16. of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;
v. 17. of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;
v. 18. of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;
v. 19. and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
v. 20. of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;
v. 21. of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethaneel. It seems, then, that the course of Hattush became extinct, and that the name of the representative of Miniamin has dropped out.
v. 22. The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan (called Jonathan above),and Jaddua were recorded chief of the fathers, they were entered into the registers under the names of their chiefs until the time of Alexander the Great; also the priests, to the reign of Darius the Persian.
v. 23. The sons of Levi, the chief of the fathers, were written in the book of the chronicles, the public registers in which the genealogical lists were kept, even until the days of Johanan, the son of Eliashib.
v. 24. And the chief of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua, the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, leaders of the singers among the Levites, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David, the man of God, 1 Chronicles 23-26,ward over against ward, as in verse 9.
v. 25. Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were porters, although the names of some singers are included, keeping the ward at the thresholds of the gates, at the chambers for storage attached to the various gates, where the people could immediately deposit their gifts.
v. 26. These were in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Joshua, the son of Jozadak, that is, when Jehoiakim was high priest, and in the days of Nehemiah, the governor, and of Ezra, the priest, the scribe. To hold office as priest or Levite it was necessary that a man could prove his descent from Levi. At the present time the call of the congregation is necessary in order that a man may officiate as preacher or teacher.