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, Jediah,
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.
Nehemiah 12:11. Jaddua— This was the person who went in his pontifical habit to meet Alexander the Great, as he was advancing towards Jerusalem, after the conquest of Tyre and Gaza. See the note on Exodus 28:2.
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.
Nehemiah 12:22. Also the priests, to the reign of Darius the Persian— This verse, wherein mention is made of Darius Codomanus, and the high-priest Jaddua, affords us a proof, says Mr. Le Clerc, that Nehemiah did not put the finishing hand to this book. For Nehemiah, to be able to speak of Darius, must have lived, according to Huet, at least one hundred and thirty-one years, and at that age have written or enlarged his book; which is not probable. We may therefore conclude, that the book of Nehemiah could not have been published such as it is, till the reign of Darius Codomanus at least; and since one chapter of the book of Nehemiah has been put into that of Ezra, we may very probably suppose, that it did not appear in its present form till about the same time. So that these two books have been collected from the memoirs of three different authors; to which have been added several things for the illustration of the history. See Le Clerc's "Sentimens de "quelques Theologiens," &c. and Houbigant's note on the place.
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.
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.
Nehemiah 12:27. And at the dedication of the wall— Dedication was a religious ceremony, whereby a temple, altar, or vessel thereunto belonging, was, by the pronunciation of a certain form of blessing, consecrated to the service of God; and this dedication extended not only to things sacred, but to cities and their walls, and sometimes to private houses, Deuteronomy 20:5. As, therefore, Moses in the wilderness dedicated the tabernacle, and Solomon the temple, when he had finished it; so Nehemiah, having put things in good order, having built the walls, and set up the gates, thought proper to dedicate the city as a place which God himself had chosen and sanctified by his favour and gracious presence, and by this dedication to restore it to him again, after it had lain waste and been profaned by the heathen.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, The wall being finished, and the gates set up, notwithstanding all the malice of their foes, we have the solemn dedication of the whole to God. Sensible that their security was not walls and bulwarks, but the favour of the Lord of hosts, they would commend all to his protection, and devote to his glory the work of their hands; while with grateful thanksgivings they acknowledge the support that he had afforded in the conclusion of the work, undertaken in humble dependance on his blessing. For this purpose,
1. The Levites from the country were summoned to attend; and, with their brethren the priests, having purified themselves by the necessary ablutions, or sprinkling the water of purification, Num 8:6-21 they purified the people, the walls, and gates; probably with the same ceremony, as typical of that blood of sprinkling which purges our consciences from dead works, and, having cleansed our souls from sin, restores us to the holy use and enjoyment of all God's creatures.
2. They made a solemn procession in two companies; who, separating, surrounded the whole city, and met at the temple, singing and praising God as they went, with instruments of music.
3. They there offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced before God; all the people, even the women and children, uniting their voices in loud shouts of praise; so that the sound was heard afar off. Note; (1.) The mouths of babes and sucklings should be taught to lisp God's praises; for this is the sweetest music in his ears. (2.) They who have received great mercies from God are bound to rejoice before him with great joy; to his glory, as well as their own comfort.
2nd, The good effects of this holy joy appear in the gracious dispositions here mentioned. The priests and Levites, in their several functions, with diligence and zeal discharged their ministrations: the people appeared highly satisfied in them, and blessed God for them; and, as a fresh testimony of their respect, especial care was taken for their liberal maintenance. Note; When ministers labour in the word and doctrine, they will be cheerfully and liberally supported; but no wonder if men grudge that idlers should fatten on the spoil of flocks that they never fed.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.