Nehemiah 12

Priests and Levites who came with Zerubbabel 1
Dedication of the city wall 27
Responsibilities given for contributions 44
Text
Comments
.1 ¶ Now these are the priests and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
.2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 
 3 Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 
 4 Iddo, Ginnetho, Abijah, 
 5 Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, 
 6 Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,
 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chief of the priests and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua.
  1 - These are the priests and Levites The first seven verses show the heads of the priest's houses as of c.536 BC. Another list begins at v12.
 8 Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, which was over the thanksgiving, he and his brethren. 
 9 Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, were over against them in the watches.
.10 And Jeshua begat Joiakim, Joiakim also begat Eliashib, and Eliashib begat Joiada,
 11 And Joiada begat Jonathan, and Jonathan begat Jaddua.
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.12 And in the days of Joiakim were priests, the chief of the fathers: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;
 13 Of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;
 14 Of Melicu, 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 And of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
 20 Of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;
 21 Of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethaneel.
  12 - Days of Joiakim ... priests The third of three priest lists in the book of Nehemiah. This one was those serving at around 490 BC. The second list begins above with v1. and the first is ne1002-8 at around 444 BC.
   The differences in the lists is in what they meant. List 1 are priests who signed the covenant. List 2 are heads of priestly houses, and List 3 names and heads of priestly houses. Names on the lists differ because of the different dates.
.22 The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, were recorded chief of the fathers: also the priests, to the reign of Darius the Persian.
.23 The sons of Levi, the chief of the fathers, were written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.
 24 And the chief of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, ward over against ward.
  23 - Written in the book A document originally listing the Levites. Compare ne0705.
.25 Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were porters keeping the ward at the thresholds of the gates.
 26 These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest, the scribe.
.27 ¶ And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.
  25 - Mattaniah and Bakbukiah See ne1117. Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub Door keepers, implying "guards" ezr0242, ne1119, 1ch0917.
  25 - Thresholds Rather, "treasuries" protected by temple police.
 28 And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem, and from the villages of Netophathi;
 29 Also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had builded them villages round about Jerusalem.
.30 And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.
  28 - Netophathi Archaeologists believe that the area is about 4 mi. / 6.4 km. southeast of Jerusalem, near Bethlehem 2sa2425, ezr2:22. See ezr0620 for human purification. For objects, le1433-53, de2314.
 31 Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks, whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate:
 32 And after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes of Judah,
.33 And Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,
 34 Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,
 35 And certain of the priests' sons with trumpets; namely, Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph:
.36 And his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them.
  31 - Two ... companies "Nehemiah ordered all the leaders of the nation, both secular and ecclesiastical, to mount the wall. Then he divided them into two companies, each composed of both clergy and laity" (SDABC). He took charge of one group and set Ezra in charge of the other. See context.
  36 - Musical instruments See on 1ch2305.
.37 And at the fountain gate, which was over against them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall, above the house of David, even unto the water gate eastward.
 38 And the other company of them that gave thanks went over against them, and I after them, and the half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall;
 39 And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep gate: and they stood still in the prison gate.
 40 So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me:
  37 - Which was These words are not in the Hebrew.
  37 And by the doorway of the fountain and straight in front of them, they went up by the steps of the town of David, at the slope up of the wall, over the house of David, as far as the water-doorway to the east. (BBE)
  38 - Other company Led by Nehemiah. See v31.
 41 And the priests; Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;
 42 And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer. 
 43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.
  43 - Wives also [rejoiced] It is good to see them participating. The only other occasion was with Miriam at the Red Sea ex1520. Even the kids rejoiced. The joy was heard a within a great distance. What might the neighbors have thought? God is to be worshipped in reverence but not always in quietness.
.44 ¶ And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited. 
 45 And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God, and the ward of the purification, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son.
 46 For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.
 47 And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, every day his portion: and they sanctified holy things unto the Levites; and the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron.
  44 - Judah rejoiced 
  44 -  On that day men were appointed over the chambers for the stores, the contributions, the first fruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered. (RSV). The rejoicing was for the restoration of the temple system including rights of the Levites. 
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