Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Nehemiah 12:1

Clarke's Commentary

CHAPTER XII

Account of the priests and Levites that come up with

Zerubbabel, 1-7.

Of the Levites, 8-21.

The Levites in the days of Eliashib, 22-26.

Of the dedication of the wall, and its ceremonies, 27-43.

Different officers appointed, 44-47.

NOTES ON CHAP. XII

Verse Nehemiah 12:1. Now these are the priests — Not the whole, but the chief of them, as we are informed, Nehemiah 12:7; Nehemiah 12:22-24. The Septuagint omit ver. 3, except the word Shechaniah; as also verses Nehemiah 12:4-6, Nehemiah 12:9, Nehemiah 12:37-41. The Arabic omits the first twenty-six verses, and Nehemiah 12:29. Mention is made of Ezra in this verse; and he is generally allowed to be that Ezra whose book the reader has already passed over, and who came to Jerusalem in the time of Cyrus, with Zerubbabel. If this were the same, he must have been at this time upward of a hundred years of age: and this case is not improbable, as an especial providence might preserve such a very useful man beyond the ordinary age of men. See what has been said on the case of Nehemiah, Nehemiah 1:1.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Lists of priests and Levites (12:1-26)

Following the lists of residents of Jerusalem are the lists of priests and Levites. The first of these records the names of those priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel and Joshua (12:1-9). (The Ezra mentioned in this list is not the more commonly known Ezra.) After recording the descendants of Joshua for the next six generations (10-11), the writer returns to record the heads of the other original priestly families (12-21).
Besides dealing with the families of priests, the records also deal with ordinary temple servants. Some of the records extend to an era later than the time of Nehemiah (22-26).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

PRIESTS AND LEVITES WHO CAME UP WITH ZERUBBABEL

"Now these are the priests and Levites who went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah. Jeremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, Mijamin, Maadiah, Bigah, Shemiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu, Antok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chiefs and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua. And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah and Mattaniah, who with his brethren was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. And Bakbukiah and Unno their brethren stood opposite them in the service. And Jeshua was the father of Joiakim,Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada, Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua.

Nehemiah 12:10 and Nehemiah 12:11 are a parenthesis thrown in at this point as an aid in the chronology. The names are those of the first six High Priests in the period after the exile.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

The priests - The number of the names here given, which is 22, is probably to be connected with that of the Davidic “courses,” which was 24 1 Chronicles 24:7-18. Eight names are identical with those of the heads in David’s time. On comparing the present list with that of the families who sealed to Nehemiah’s covenant Nehemiah 10:2-8, we shall find that the first sixteen recur in that document nearly in the same order; but that the last six are absent from it. It would seem that as these six declined to seal to Nehemiah’s covenant, they were placed below the rest here in a sort of supplementary list. Note especially the “and” which connects the second part of the lists with the earlier part, both in Nehemiah 12:6 and in Nehemiah 12:19.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 12

In chapter 12:

Now these are the priests and the Levites ( Nehemiah 12:1 )

And so it gives the names of those priests and Levites that were serving at the time, and it gives their genealogy in verses Nehemiah 12:10-21. And then it tells the chief of the Levites the priests. So when we get to verse Nehemiah 12:27 of chapter 12,

And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all the places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgiving, and with singing, with cymbals, and psalteries, and with harps ( Nehemiah 12:27 ).

And so the time of the dedication of the wall was to be a time of great festivities, a lot of singing, a lot of music, a lot of just excitement and worship as they were dedicating the wall. So gathering the Levites were most of them the musicians among the people, so to gather them together.

And the sons of the singers they gathered themselves together, both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem, and the villages; and also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba ( Nehemiah 12:28-29 )

And so forth. And from all over the people gathered. And then he said,

I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and I appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks, whereof one went on the right hand of the wall toward the dung gate ( Nehemiah 12:31 ):

And those that went down in that direction.

And also that day they offered great sacrifices, they rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: and the wives also of the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off ( Nehemiah 12:43 ).

So a tremendous day dedicating the wall and worshipping God, and just the shout and the joy and the singing was so glorious it was heard for a long distance.

And at that time some were appointed over the chambers of the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields. 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. For in the days of David, Asaph was appointed as the chief singer, to sing songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. 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 the holy things unto the Levites; and the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron ( Nehemiah 12:44-47 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

3. The priests and Levites 12:1-26

The priests and Levites were the most important people who returned from exile because they reestablished worship in the land. Nehemiah 12:1-7 give the names of 22 leaders among them who had returned in 537 B.C. with Zerubbabel and Jeshua (cf. 1 Chronicles 24:7-19). The writer also mentioned eight Levites by name (Nehemiah 12:8-9; cf. Ezra 2:40-42).

The genealogy of the high priest was especially important. Five succeeding descendants of Jeshua appear in the text (Nehemiah 12:10-11). [Note: On the complex problem of the identification of these high priests, see Yamauchi, "Ezra-Nehemiah," pp. 580-83.] This list continues the one in 1 Chronicles 6:3-15 that ends with the Babylonian exile in 586 B.C.

The text also lists heads of 21 priestly families in the generation that followed Jeshua’s (Nehemiah 12:12-21). The names of the heads of the nine Levitical families that Nehemiah referred to in Nehemiah 12:22 appear in Nehemiah 12:24-26. The four high priests he mentioned in Nehemiah 12:22 evidently registered these names. Darius the Persian (Nehemiah 12:22) is probably Darius II (423-404 B.C.). [Note: Whitcomb, p. 443.] The "Book of the Chronicles" (Nehemiah 12:23) is not the canonical Book of Chronicles but another record of names. [Note: Vos, p. 129.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Now these are the priests and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua,.... Who went up from the captivity in Babylon to Jerusalem with them; the one was the prince, the other the high priest, the same with Joshua the high priest, Zechariah 3:1, the names of the priests are given in this and the six following verses:

Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra; not Jeremiah the prophet, who cannot be thought to live so long as through the captivity; but Ezra may be Ezra the priest and scribe, who might come up with Zerubbabel to Jerusalem, and return to Babylon again, and from thence come again as he did, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes, Ezra 7:1, though this by some m is not thought very probable.

m Vid. Rainold de Lib. Apocryph. praelect. 153. p. 402, &c.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      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.   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.   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.   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.   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.

      We have here the names, and little more than the names, of a great many priests and Levites, that were eminent in their day among the returned Jews. Why this register should be here inserted by Nehemiah does not appear, perhaps to keep in remembrance those good men, that posterity might know to whom they were beholden, under God, for the happy revival and re-establishment of their religion among them. Thus must we contribute towards the performance of that promise, Psalms 112:6, The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. Let the memory of the just be blessed, be perpetuated. It is a debt we still owe to faithful ministers to remember our guides, who have spoken to us the word of God,Hebrews 13:7. Perhaps it is intended to stir up their posterity, who succeeded them in the priest's office and inherited their dignities and preferments, to imitate their courage and fidelity. It is good to know what our godly ancestors and predecessors were, that we may learn thereby what we should be. We have here, 1. The names of the priests and Levites that came up with the first out of Babylon, when Jeshua was high priest. Jeremiah and Ezra are mentioned with the first (Nehemiah 12:1; Nehemiah 12:1), but, it is supposed, not Jeremiah the prophet nor Ezra the scribe; the fame of the one was long before and that of the other some time after, though both of them were priests. Of one of the Levites it is said (Nehemiah 12:8; Nehemiah 12:8) that he was over the thanksgiving, that is, he was entrusted to see that the psalms, the thanksgiving psalms, were constantly sung in the temple in due time and manner. The Levites kept their turns in their watches, reliving one another as becomes brethren, fellow-labourers, and fellow-soldiers. 2. The succession of high priests during the Persian monarchy, from Jeshua (or Jesus), who was high priest at the time of the restoration, to Jaddua (or Jaddus), who was high priest when Alexander the Great, after the conquest of Tyre, came to Jerusalem, and paid great respect to this Jaddus, who met him in his pontifical habit, and showed him the prophecy of Daniel, which foretold his conquests. 3. The next generation of priests, who were chief men, and active in the days of Joiakim, sons of the first set. Note, We have reason to acknowledge God's favour to his church, and care of it, in that, as one generation of ministers passes away, another comes. All those who are mentioned Nehemiah 12:1-11; Nehemiah 12:1-11, c., as eminent in their generation, are again mentioned, though with some variation in several of the names, Nehemiah 12:12-24; Nehemiah 12:12-24, c., except two, as having sons that were likewise eminent in their generation--a rare instance, that twenty good fathers should leave behind them twenty good sons (for so many here are) that filled up their places. 4. The next generation of Levites, or rather a latter generation for those priests who are mentioned flourished in the days of Joiakim the high priest, these Levites in the days of Eliashib, Nehemiah 12:22; Nehemiah 12:22. Perhaps then the forementioned families of the priests began to degenerate, and the third generation of them came short of the first two; but the work of God shall never fail for want of instruments. Then a generation of Levites was raised up, who were recorded chief of the fathers (Nehemiah 12:22; Nehemiah 12:22), and were eminently serviceable to the interests of the church, and their service not the less acceptable either to God or to his people for their being Levites only, of the lower rank of ministers. Eliashib the high priest being allied to Tobiah (Nehemiah 13:4; Nehemiah 13:4), the other priests grew remiss; but then the Levites appeared the more zealous, as appears by this, that those who were now employed in expounding (Nehemiah 8:7; Nehemiah 8:7) and in praying (Nehemiah 9:4; Nehemiah 9:5) were all Levites, not priests, regard being had to their personal qualifications more than to their order. These Levites were some of them singers (Nehemiah 12:24; Nehemiah 12:24), to praise and give thanks, others of them porters (Nehemiah 12:25; Nehemiah 12:25), keeping the ward at the thresholds of the gates, and both according to the command of David.