Nehemiah 12:22

22 A record was kept of the heads of the Levite families and of the priestly families during the lifetimes of the following High Priests: Eliashib, Joiada, Jonathan, and Jaddua. This record was finished when Darius was emperor of Persia.

Nehemiah 12:22 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 12:22

The Levites, in the days of Eliashib The third priest of the second temple:

Joiada;
he was the son of Eliashib, and the fourth high priest:

and Johanan;
the same with Jonathan, ( Nehemiah 12:11 ) and whom Josephus ^F15 also calls Joannes:

and Jaddua;
the same as in ( Nehemiah 12:10 ) in the days of each of these were

recorded chief of the fathers;
the principal men among the Levites:

also the priests, to the reign of Darius the Persian;
thought to be Darius Codomannus, the last king of the Persian monarchy, whom Alexander conquered; and if so, this verse must be inserted after the death of Nehemiah, and as the next verse also seems to be; for these two verses interrupt the natural order of the relation: an account is given of the priests in the times of Joiakim, ( Nehemiah 12:12-21 ) , these verses being inserted, the account goes on, ( Nehemiah 12:24 ) of the chief of the Levites in the times of Joiakim only.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 Antiqu. l. 11. c. 7. sect. 1.

Nehemiah 12:22 In-Context

22 A record was kept of the heads of the Levite families and of the priestly families during the lifetimes of the following High Priests: Eliashib, Joiada, Jonathan, and Jaddua. This record was finished when Darius was emperor of Persia.

23 The heads of the Levite families, however, were recorded in the official records only until the time of Jonathan, the grandson of Eliashib.

24 Under the direction of Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, and Kadmiel, the Levites were organized into groups. Two groups at a time praised God responsively and gave thanks to him, in accordance with the instructions given by King David, the man of God.