Nehemiah 12:20-30

20 Kallai was leader of the family of Sallu. Eber was leader of the family of Amok.
21 Hashabiah was leader of the family of Hilkiah. Nethanel was leader of the family of Jedaiah.
22 A record of the Levite families was kept during the years when Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua served as high priest. Another record of the priests was kept during the reign of Darius the Persian.
23 A record of the heads of the Levite families was kept in down to the days of Johanan, the grandson of Eliashib.
24 These were the family leaders of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, and other associates, who stood opposite them during the ceremonies of praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as commanded by David, the man of God.
25 This included Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah. Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were the gatekeepers in charge of the storerooms at the gates.
26 These all served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, son of Jehozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.
27 For the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem, the Levites throughout the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres.
28 The singers were brought together from the region around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites.
29 They also came from Beth-gilgal and the rural areas near Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built their own settlements around Jerusalem.
30 The priests and Levites first purified themselves; then they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

Nehemiah 12:20-30 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 5

  • [a]. Hebrew Sallai; compare 12:7 .
  • [b]. Darius the Persian is probably Darius II, who reigned 423–404, or possibly Darius III, who reigned 336–331
  • [c]. Hebrew descendant; compare 12:10-11 .
  • [d]. Hebrew son of (i.e., ben ), which should probably be read here as the proper name Binnui; compare Ezra 3:9 and the note there.
  • [e]. Hebrew Jozadak, a variant spelling of Jehozadak.
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