Nehemiah 12

1 Now these are the Kohanim and the Levites who went up with Zerubbavel the son of She'alti'el, and Yeshua: Serayah, Yirmeyahu, Ezra,
2 Amaryah, Mallukh, Hattush,
3 Shekhanyahu, Rechum, Meremot,
4 `Iddo, Ginnetoi, Aviyah,
5 Miyamin, Ma`adyah, Bilgah,
6 Shemayah, and Yoiariv, Yedayah.
7 Sallu, `Amok, Hilkiyah, Yedayah. These were the chiefs of the Kohanim and of their brothers in the days of Yeshua.
8 Moreover the Levites: Yeshua, Binnui, Kadmi'el, Sherevyah, Yehudah, [and] Mattanyah, who was over the thanksgiving, he and his brothers.
9 Also Bakbukyah and Unno, their brothers, were over against them according to their offices.
10 Yeshua became the father of Yoiakim, and Yoiakim became the father of Elyashiv, and Elyashiv became the father of Yoiada,
11 and Yoiada became the father of Yonatan, and Yonatan became the father of Yaddua.
12 In the days of Yoiakim were Kohanim, heads of fathers' [houses]: of Serayah, Merayah; of Yirmeyahu, Hananyah;
13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amaryah, Yehochanan;
14 of Malluchi, Yonatan; of Shevanyah, Yosef;
15 of Harim, `Adna; of Merayot, Helkai;
16 of `Iddo, Zekharyah; of Ginneton, Meshullam;
17 of Aviyah, Zikhri; of Minyamin, of Mo`adyah, Piltai;
18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemayah, Yehonatan;
19 and of Yoiariv, Mattenai; of Yedayah, `Uzzi;
20 of Sallai, Kallai; of `Amok, `Ever;
21 of Hilkiyah, Hashavyah; of Yedayah, Netan'el.
22 As for the Levites, in the days of Elyashiv, Yoiada, and Yochanan, and Yaddua, there were recorded the heads of fathers' [houses]; also the Kohanim, in the reign of Daryavesh the Parsian.
23 The sons of Levi, heads of fathers' [houses], were written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Yochanan the son of Elyashiv.
24 The chiefs of the Levites: Hashavyah, Sherevyah, and Yeshua the son of Kadmi'el, with their brothers over against them, to praise and give thanks, according to the mitzvah of David the man of God, watch next to watch.
25 Mattanyah, and Bakbukyah, `Ovadyah, Meshullam, Talmon, `Akkuv, were porters keeping the watch at the store-houses of the gates.
26 These were in the days of Yoiakim the son of Yeshua, the son of Yotzadak, and in the days of Nechemyah the governor, and of Ezra the Kohen the Sofer.
27 At the dedication of the wall of Yerushalayim they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Yerushalayim, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with giving thanks, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.
28 The sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain round about Yerushalayim, and from the villages of the Netofati;
29 also from Beit-Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geva and `Azmavet: for the singers had built them villages round about Yerushalayim.
30 The Kohanim and the Levites purified themselves; and they purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.
31 Then I brought up the princes of Yehudah on the wall, and appointed two great companies who gave thanks and went in procession; [whereof one went] on the right hand on the wall toward the dung gate:
32 and after them went Hosha`yah, and half of the princes of Yehudah,
33 and `Azaryah, Ezra, and Meshullam,
34 Yehudah, and Binyamin, and Shemayah, and Yirmeyahu,
35 and certain of the Kohanim' sons with trumpets: Zekharyah the son of Yonatan, the son of Shemayah, the son of Mattanyah, the son of Mikhayahu, the son of Zakkur, the son of Asaf;
36 and his brothers, Shemayah, and `Azar'el, Milalai, Gilalai, Ma`ai, Netan'el, and Yehudah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God; and Ezra the Sofer was before them.
37 By the spring 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 to the water gate eastward.
38 The other company of those who gave thanks went to meet them, and I after them, with the half of the people, on the wall, above the tower of the furnaces, even to the broad wall,
39 and above the gate of Efrayim, and by the old gate, and by the fish gate, and the tower of Hanan'el, and the tower of Hammeah, even to the sheep gate: and they stood still in the gate of the guard.
40 So stood the two companies of those who gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me;
41 and the Kohanim, Elyakim, Ma`aseyah, Minyamin, Mikhayahu, Elyo`enai, Zekharyah, and Hananyah, with trumpets;
42 and Ma`aseyah, and Shemayah, and El`azar, and `Uzzi, and Yehochanan, and Malkiyah, and `Elam, and Etzer. The singers sang loud, with Yizrachyah their overseer.
43 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 Yerushalayim was heard even afar off.
44 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 Kohanim and Levites: for Yehudah rejoiced for the Kohanim and for the Levites who waited.
45 They kept the charge of their God, and the charge of the purification, and [so did] the singers and the porters, according to the mitzvah of David, and of Shlomo his son.
46 For in the days of David and Asaf of old there was a chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
47 All Yisra'el in the days of Zerubbavel, and in the days of Nechemyah, 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 Aharon.

Nehemiah 12 Commentary

Chapter 12

The priests and Levites that returned. (1-26) The dedication of the wall. (27-43) The officers of the temple settled. (44-47)

Verses 1-26 It is a debt we owe to faithful ministers, to remember our guides, who have spoken to us the word of God. It is good to know what our godly predecessors were, that we may learn what we should be.

Verses 27-43 All our cities, all our houses, must have holiness to the Lord written upon them. The believer should undertake nothing which he does not dedicate to the Lord. We are concerned to cleanse our hands, and purify our hearts, when any work for God is to pass through them. Those that would be employed to sanctify others, must sanctify themselves, and set themselves apart for God. To those who are sanctified, all their creature-comforts and enjoyments are made holy. The people greatly rejoiced. All that share in public mercies, ought to join in public thanksgivings.

Verses 44-47 When the solemnities of a thanksgiving day leave such impressions on ministers and people, that both are more careful and cheerful in doing their duty, they are indeed acceptable to the Lord, and turn to good account. And whatever we do, must be purified by the blood of sprinkling, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit, or it cannot be acceptable to God.

Chapter Summary

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.

Nehemiah 12 Commentaries

The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.