Nehemiah 12

NOw these are the priests i. e. The chief of the Priests, as they are called here v. 7. to wit, the heads of those Twenty four courses which David appointed by divine direction, 1 Chr. 24. And whereas there are Twenty four, and here but Twenty two, and v. 12, &c. only Twenty, the reason of this difference may possibly be this, because Two of the Twenty four courses were extinct in Babylon, or at least none of them was then returned; and two of the Persons here named, v. 2, 5. to wit, Hattush, and Maodiah, may be omitted in the account of the posterity of these persons, v. 12, &c. because they had no posterity. Possibly these were not the same courses which David had appointed, but others which Zerubbabel and Ioshua had constituted in imitation of that order as far as they could., and the Levites, that went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Serajah, Jeremiah, Ezra Either this was another Ezra, or if it were the same mentioned Ezra 7. he lived to a great Age: which may well be supposed concerning his great Sobriety, and abstinence from those evil practices which shorten Mens Lives, and his great piety to which God promised long Life, and withal the special providence of God continuing him so long in such a season wherein the Church of God did greatly need his help and counsel.,

Amariah, Malluch In the repetition of this and some other mens names hereafter v. 14, &c. there are some small variations, which are very frequent in that language., Hattush,

Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

Iddo, Ginnetho, Abijah The Progenitor of Iohn the Baptist, Luk. 1. 5.,

Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

Shemajah, and Jojarib, and Jedajah,

Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedajah: these were the chief of the priests, and of their brethren i. e. Of the Priests, who were their Brethren. in the days of Jeshua.

Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, which was over the thanksgiving, he and his brethren.

Also Bakbukiah, and Unni, their brethren were over against them in the watches i. e. In the places where they were appointed to stand, and wait, and perform their office, one standing over against another, as it is explained, v. 24. ward over against ward; for the Hebrew word is the same there and here. Others, according to their turns or courses, of which see 1 Chron. 25. 9..

And Jeshua begat Jojakim Here follows a Catalogue of the Jewish High-Priests; which was the more necessary, because their times were now to be measured, not by the years of their Kings as formerly, but by their High-Priests., Jojakim also begat Eliashib Of whom see Nehem. 3. 1. & 13. 4 5., and Eliashib begat Jojada,

And Jojada begat Jonathan, and Jonathan begat Jaddua Generally supposed to be the same man who was High-Priest in the days of Alexander the Great, as Iosephus mentions: whence a great difficulty ariseth, how Nehemiah could mention this man who seems not to have been High-Priest till many years after Nehemiah's death. But it seems not necessary that this Iaddua should be the same Person, for he might be the Father of that Iaddua, both being called by the same name. Or, if he were the same, the blessing of a very long Life might be given to this great and excellent Governour, as it was to Ezra, that famous Scribe, as was noted on v. 1. and that for the very same reason. He might also live to see Iaddua, though not to see him High-Priest, which might be many years after. Or this passage might be put into this Book by some sacred or inspired Pen-man, there being some, though but few, such passages in the foregoing Books of Scripture, which were added by succeeding men of God in after times..

And in the days of Jojakim were priests As their Fathers were Priests in the days of Ioshua, so in the days of Iojakim the son of Ioshua, the sons of those persons executed the Priesthood in their Fathers steads, some of their Fathers probably being yet living, and many of them now dead., the chief of the fathers: of Serajah, Merajah: of Jeremiah, Hananiah.

Of Ezra, Meshullam: of Amariah, Jehohanan:

Of Melicu, Jonathan: of Shebaniah, Joseph:

Of Harim, Adna: of Merajath, Helkai:

Of Iddo, Zechariah: of Ginnethon, Meshullam:

Of Abijah, Zichri: of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai:

Of Bilgah, Shammua: of Shemajah, Jehohanan:

And of Jojarib, Mattenai: of Jedajah Uzzi:

Of Sallai, Kallai: of Amok, Eber:

Of Hilkia, Hashabiah: of Jedaja, Nethaneel.

The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Jojada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, were recorded chief of the fathers: also the priests, to the reign of Darius Either Darius Codomannus, and then what was said concerning Iaddua, v. 11. must be in part repeated and applied here: or, Darius Nothus; and so this Iaddua might be Father to him who was in the days of Darius Codomannus, and of Alexander the Great. the Persian.

The sons of Levi, the chief of the fathers, were written in the Book of the chronicles i. e. In the publick Annals or Registers, in which the Genealogies of the several Families were set down by the Jews with great exactness, as all persons agree., even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.

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 Of which see on v. 9..

Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were porters keeping the ward, at the thresholds of the gates To wit, of the Temple, their watching-place being close by the Thresholds of the Gates, as it now is..

These were in the days of Jojakim, the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governour; and of Ezra the priest, the scribe.

And at the dedication of the wall And of the gates which are mentioned v. 30. and of the City itself within the Gates: which is here dedicated to God, and to his Honour and Service, not only upon a general account, by which we ought to devote our selves, and all that is ours, to God; but upon a more special ground, because this was a place which God himself had chosen, and sanctified by his Temple and gracious presence, and therefore did of right belong to him; whence it is oft called the holy City, as has been observed before. And they restored to God by this dedication, withal imploring the Presence, and Favour, and Blessing of God to this City by solemn Prayers, and Praises, and Sacrifices wherewith this Dedication was accompanied. See Deut. 20. 5. 1 Kin. 8. 63. Ezr. 6. 17. Psal. 30. title. of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places To which they were now retired after that great and general Assembly, ch. 8, & 9, & 10., to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and with singing with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem, and from the villages of Netophathi.

Also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba, and Azmaveth: for the singers had built them villages round about Jerusalem That they might be near at hand for the service of God, and of his House..

And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, and the gates, and the wall Partly by sprinkling the water of Purification upon them by which the Tabernacle and sacred Utensils were purified, Num. 8. and partly by solemn Prayers and Sacrifices..

Then I brought up the princes of Judah And half of the people with them, as it is expressed afterwards, v. 38. upon the wall For the Wall was broad and strong, and so ordered that Men might conveniently walk upon it, as at this day it is in many Cities., and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks, whereof one went on the right hand Towards the South and East. upon the wall toward the dung-gate:

And after them went Hoshajah, and half of the princes of Judah,

And Azariah, Ezra Not the Scribe, as is evident from v. 36. but another Ezra., and Meshullam,

Judah and Benjamin, and Shemajah, and Jeremiah.

And certain of the priests sons with trumpets: namely, Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemajah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michajah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph:

And his brethren, Shemajah, and Azareel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them.

And at the fountain-gate, which was overagainst them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David By which they went up to the hill of Sion, and City of David., at the going up of the wall above the house of David, even unto the water-gate eastward.

And the other company of them that gave thanks, went over against them To wit, on the other side of the City, Northward and Eastward., 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 Which they made thicker and stronger than the rest of the Wall, for some special reason.:

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 Waiting, as also their Brethren did, that they might go together in due order into God's House, there to perfect the solemnity..

So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God i. e. In the Courts of the Temple., and I, and the half of the rulers with me And Ezra, and the other half with him, as appears by comparing this with v. 31, 36.:

And the priests; Eliakim, Maasejah, Miniamin, Michajah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah with trumpets.

And Maasejah, and Shemajah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer: and the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.

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 Either their loud voices and instruments were heard to a great distance: or the fame of it was spread far and near..

And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings Such as they had lately ingaged themselves to give, or other voluntary or prescribed offerings., for the first-fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law i. e. The foresaid first-fruits, and Tithes, and other things which God by his Law appointed for them. for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests, and for the Levites that waited Partly for the eminent Gifts and Graces which they observed in many of them: and partly for the great benefit which they had now received by their Ministry: and therefore for the competent provision which hereby was made for them, that so they might wholly wait upon their office, to the Peoples Edification and Comfort..

And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God i. e. That Ward, or Charge, or Business which God had prescribed to them., and the ward of the purification And in particular the charge of purification, i. e. of taking care that no unclean person or thing might enter into the House or Courts of the Lord: which care did certainly belong to the Porters, as is expressed 2 Chron. 23. 19. and at this time, and in some sort, as it seems to the singers, who, besides their proper imployment were also over the business of the house of God, as is affirmed ch. 11. 22. Which being a general expression, may-well comprehend, if it does not principally design this, that they should take care to keep the House of God free from all pollution. And possibly as the Porters were to take care that no unclean thing might enter there, so if it should through their madvertency enter in, the Singers were to remove it., according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son.

For in the days of David and Asaph m, of old, there were chief of the singers There were some overseers, whose Office it was to see that the Singers were fit for, and diligent in their work: and therefore they took care of it at this time., and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God. n And Heman, and Ieduthun, 1 Chron. 25. 1. but Asaph only is mentioned here, as the most eminent and useful in that work.

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 i. e. They sequestred or set apart the First-fruits and Tithes from their own share, and devoted them to the use of the Levites, to whom they belonged. And so did the Levites by the Tithe of the Tithes. Thus they all conscientiously paid their dues to God or his Assigns, and did not profane those things which God had sanctified, nor take them to their own common use, as divers ungodly or covetous persons had formerly used to do when they had opportunity. unto the Levites, and the Levites sanctified them unto the childeren of Aaron.