Nehemiah 12:1-26

The Priests and Levites Who Returned

1 Now these are the priests and Levites who went up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

2 Amariah, Malluch, ^[a] Hattush,

3 Shecaniah, Rehum, ^[b] Meremoth,

4 Iddo, Ginnethon, ^[c] Abijah,

5 Mijamin, ^[d] Maadiah, ^[e] Bilgah, ^[f]

6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua.

8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who, with his associates, led the songs of thanksgiving.

9 Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood across from them in the services.

10 Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim was the father of Eliashib, Eliashib was the father of Joiada,

11 Joiada was the father of Jonathan, ^[g] and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.

12 In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families: of the family of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

14 of Malluchi, ^[h] Jonathan; of Shebaniah, ^[i] Joseph;

15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, ^[j] Helkai;

16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

17 of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin and of Moadiah, ^[k] Piltai;

18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jonathan;

19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

20 of Sallai, ^[l] Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; and of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

22 In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, ^[m] and Jaddua, during the reign of Darius the Persian, the heads of the families of the Levites and priests were recorded.

23 As for the descendants of Levi, the family heads up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles. ^[n]

24 The leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, ^[o] along with their associates, who stood across from them to give praise and thanksgiving as one section alternated with the other, as prescribed by David the man of God.

25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates.

26 They served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, ^[p] and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe.

Nehemiah 12:1-26 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NEHEMIAH 12

This chapter gives an account of the chief of the priests and Levites in the days of Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Joiakim, Eliashib, and Nehemiah, Ne 12:1-26, of the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, and of the joy expressed on that occasion, Ne 12:27-43, and of the appointment of some persons over the treasuries for the priests, Levites, singers, and porters, Ne 12:44-47.

Footnotes

• [a]. Malluch is a variant of Malluchi; see verse 14.
• [b]. Rehum is a variant of Harim; see verse 15, Nehemiah 7:42, and Ezra 2:39.
• [c]. Many Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate (see also verse 16); most MT manuscripts Ginnethoi
• [d]. Mijamin is a variant of Miniamin; see verse 17.
• [e]. Maadiah is a variant of Moadiah; see verse 17.
• [f]. Bilgah is a variant of Bilgai; also in verse 18; see Nehemiah 10:8.
• [g]. Jonathan is a variant of Johanan; see verse 22.
• [h]. Malluchi is a variant of Malluch; see verse 2.
• [i]. Shebaniah is a variant of Shecaniah; see verse 3; see also Syriac and some Hebrew and LXX manuscripts.
• [j]. Meraioth is a variant of Meremoth; see verse 3 and also some LXX manuscripts.
• [k]. Moadiah is a variant of Maadiah; see verse 5.
• [l]. Sallai is a variant of Sallu; see verse 7.
• [m]. Johanan is a variant of Jonathan; see verse 11.
• [n]. Or the Book of the Annals or the Book of the Historical Events
• [o]. Or Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, and Kadmiel
• [p]. Jozadak is a variant of Jehozadak; see 1 Chronicles 6:14.