Nehemiah 12

Priests and Levites Who Returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel

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

2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,

5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

6 Shemaiah and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

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

8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah who was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving, he and his brothers.

9 Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, stood opposite them ²in their service divisions.

10 Jeshua became the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim became the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib became the father of Joiada,

11 and Joiada became the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan became the father of Jaddua.

12 Now in the days of Joiakim, the priests, the heads of fathers' households were: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

14 of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

17 of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;

18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

The Chief Levites

22 As for the Levites, the heads of fathers' households were registered in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan and Jaddua; so were the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian.

23 The sons of Levi, the heads of fathers' households, were registered in the Book of the Chronicles * up to the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.

24 The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers opposite them, ³to praise and give thanks, as prescribed by David the man of God, ⁴division corresponding to division.

25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping watch at ⁵the storehouses of the gates.

26 These served in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of ⁶Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.

Dedication of the Wall

27 Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem so that they might celebrate the dedication with gladness, with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs ⁷to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres.

28 So the sons of the singers were assembled from the district around Jerusalem, and from ⁸the villages of the Netophathites,

29 from Beth-gilgal and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem.

30 The priests and the Levites ⁹purified themselves; they also purified the people, the gates and the wall.

Procedures for the Temple

31 Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top * of the wall, and I appointed two great choirs, ¹⁰the first proceeding to the right on top * of the wall toward ¹¹the Refuse Gate.

32 Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed * them,

33 with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

35 and some of the sons of the priests with trumpets; and 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,

36 and his kinsmen, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani, ¹²with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them.

37 At ¹³the Fountain Gate they went directly up ¹⁴the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wall above * the house of David to ¹⁵the Water Gate on the east.

38 ¹⁶The second choir proceeded to the left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, ¹⁷above * the Tower of Furnaces, to ¹⁸the Broad Wall,

39 and above * ¹⁹the Gate of Ephraim, by ²⁰the Old Gate, by the ²¹Fish Gate, ²²the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at ²³the Gate of the Guard.

40 Then the two choirs took their stand in the house of God. So did I and half of the officials with me;

41 and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah, with the trumpets;

42 and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam and Ezer. And the singers sang, with Jezrahiah their leader,

43 and on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because ²⁴God had given them great joy, even the women and children rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.

44 On that day ²⁵men were also appointed over the chambers for the stores, the contributions, the first fruits and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions required by the law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who served.

45 For they performed the worship of their God and the service of purification, together with the singers and the gatekeepers ²⁶in accordance with the command of David and of his son Solomon.

46 For in the days of David and ²⁷Asaph, in ancient times, there were ²⁸leaders of the singers, songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving to God.

47 So all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah gave the portions due the singers and the gatekeepers ²⁹as each day required, and ³⁰set apart the consecrated portion for the Levites, and the Levites set apart the consecrated portion for the sons of Aaron.

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.

Cross References

• 1. Ezra 2:1; Ezra 7:7
• 2. Nehemiah 12:24
• 3. Nehemiah 11:17
• 4. Nehemiah 12:9
• 5. 1 Chronicles 26:15
• 6. Nehemiah 8:9
• 7. 1 Chronicles 15:16, 28
• 8. 1 Chronicles 9:16
• 9. Nehemiah 13:22, 30
• 10. Nehemiah 12:38
• 11. Nehemiah 2:13
• 12. Nehemiah 12:24
• 13. Nehemiah 2:14
• 14. Nehemiah 3:15
• 15. Nehemiah 3:26
• 16. Nehemiah 12:31
• 17. Nehemiah 3:11
• 18. Nehemiah 3:8
• 19. Nehemiah 8:16
• 20. Nehemiah 3:6
• 21. Nehemiah 3:3
• 22. Nehemiah 3:1
• 23. Nehemiah 3:25
• 24. Psalms 9:2; Psalms 92:4
• 25. Neh 13:4, 5, 12, 13
• 26. 1 Chronicles 25:1
• 27. 2 Chronicles 29:30
• 28. 1 Chronicles 9:33
• 29. Nehemiah 11:23
• 30. Numbers 18:21

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "brothers"
• [b]. Lit "over"
• [c]. Lit "begot," and so in vv 11, 12
• [d]. Lit "begot," and so in vv 11, 12
• [e]. Lit "begot," and so in vv 11, 12
• [f]. In Neh 12:2, "Malluch"
• [g]. Lit "in the commandment of"
• [h]. Lit "thanksgiving choirs"
• [i]. Heb "and processions to the right"
• [j]. Lit "brothers"
• [k]. Lit "thanksgiving choir"
• [l]. Lit "front"
• [m]. Lit "caused their voices to be heard"
• [n]. Lit "stood"
• [o]. Lit "service"
• [p]. Lit "heads"

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.