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Texts -- Nehemiah 12:1-17 (NET)

Context
The Priests and the Levites Who Returned to Jerusalem
12:1 These are the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua : Seraiah , Jeremiah , Ezra , 12:2 Amariah , Malluch , Hattush , 12:3 Shecaniah , Rehum , Meremoth , 12:4 Iddo , Ginnethon , Abijah , 12:5 Mijamin , Moadiah , Bilgah , 12:6 Shemaiah , Joiarib , Jedaiah , 12:7 Sallu , Amok , Hilkiah , and Jedaiah . These were the leaders of the priests and their colleagues in the days of Jeshua . 12:8 And the Levites : Jeshua , Binnui , Kadmiel , Sherebiah , Judah , and Mattaniah , who together with his colleagues was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving . 12:9 Bakbukiah and Unni , their colleagues , stood opposite them in the services . 12:10 Jeshua was the father of Joiakim , Joiakim was the father of Eliashib , Eliashib was the father of Joiada , 12:11 Joiada was the father of Jonathan , and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua . 12:12 In the days of Joiakim , these were the priests who were leaders of the families : of Seraiah , Meraiah ; of Jeremiah , Hananiah ; 12:13 of Ezra , Meshullam ; of Amariah , Jehohanan ; 12:14 of Malluch , Jonathan ; of Shecaniah , Joseph ; 12:15 of Harim , Adna ; of Meremoth , Helkai ; 12:16 of Iddo , Zechariah ; of Ginnethon , Meshullam ; 12:17 of Abijah , Zicri ; of Miniamin and of Moadiah , Piltai ;

Pericope

NET
  • Neh 12:1-26 -- The Priests and the Levites Who Returned to Jerusalem

Bible Dictionary

  • Zerubbabel

    [isbe] ZERUBBABEL - ze-rub'-a-bel (zerubbabhel, probably a transliteration of the Babylonian name Zeru-Babili, "seed of Babylon"; Zorobabel): 1. Name: Is commonly called the son of Shealtiel (Ezr 3:2,8; 5:2; Neh 12:1; Hag 1:1,12,14...
    [nave] ZERUBBABEL, called also Sheshbazzar. Directs the rebuilding of the altar and temple after his return from captivity in Babylon, Ezra 3:2-8; 4:2, 3; 5:2, 14-16; Hag. 1:12-14. Leads the emancipated Jews back from Babylon, Ezra...

  • Priest

    [nave] PRIEST. Before Moses Melchizedek, Gen. 14:18; Heb. 5:6, 10, 11; 6:20; 7:1-21. Jethro, Ex. 2:16. Priests in Israel before the giving of the law, Ex. 19:22, 24. Called angel, Eccl. 5:6. Mosaic Ex. 28:1-4; 29:9, 44; Num....

  • PRIESTS AND LEVITES

    [isbe] PRIESTS AND LEVITES - (kohen, "priest"; nothing is definitely known as to the origin of the word; Lewi, "Levite," on which see LEVI): I. DIFFERENT VIEWS OF THE HISTORY 1. The Old View 2. The Graf-Wellhausen View 3. Mediating...

  • Nehemiah

    [ebd] comforted by Jehovah. (1.) Ezra 2:2; Neh. 7:7. (2.) Neh. 3:16. (3.) The son of Hachaliah (Neh. 1:1), and probably of the tribe of Judah. His family must have belonged to Jerusalem (Neh. 2:3). He was one of the "Jews of the d...
    [nave] NEHEMIAH 1. Son of Hachaliah, Neh. 1:1. Cupbearer of Artaxerxes, Neh. 1:11; 2:1. Is grieved over the desolation of his country, Neh. 1. Is sent by the king to rebuild Jerusalem, Neh. 2:1-8. Register of the people whom he...

  • Meshullam

    [ebd] befriended. (1.) One of the chief Gadites in Bashan in the time of Jotham (1 Chr. 5:13). (2.) Grandfather of Shaphan, "the scribe," in the reign of Josiah (2 Kings 22:3). (3.) A priest, father of Hilkiah (1 Chr. 9:11; Neh. 1...
    [isbe] MESHULLAM - me-shul'-am (meshullam, "resigned" or "devoted"; compare Arabic Muslim; Mesollam): An Old Testament name very common in post-exilic times. (1) The grandfather of Shaphan (2 Ki 22:3). (2) A son of Zerubbabel (1 Ch...
    [smith] (friend). Ancestor of Shaphan the scribe. (2 Kings 22:3) The son of Zerubbabel. (1 Chronicles 3:19) A Gadite in the reign of Jotham king of Judah. (1 Chronicles 5:13) A Benjamite, of the sons of Elpaal. (1 Chroni...
    [nave] MESHULLAM 1. Grandfather of Shaphan, 2 Kin. 22:3. 2. A son of Zerubbabel, 1 Chr. 3:19. 3. A Gadite of Bashan, 1 Chr. 5:13. 4. Three Benjamites, 1 Chr. 8:17; 9:7, 8. 5. An Aaronite, 1 Chr. 9:11; Neh. 11:11. 6. A priest, ...

  • Levites

    [nave] LEVITES The descendants of Levi. Set apart as ministers of religion, Num. 1:47-54; 3:6-16; 16:9; 26:57-62; Deut. 10:8; 1 Chr. 15:2. Substituted in the place of the firstborn, Num. 3:12, 41-45; 8:14, 16-18; 18:6. Religious ...

  • Jonathan

    [smith] that is, "the gift of Jehovah, " the eldest son of King Saul. (B.C. about 1095-1056.) He was a man of great strength and activity. (2 Samuel 1:23) He was also famous as a warrior, (1 Chronicles 12:2) as is shown by the ...
    [nave] JONATHAN 1. A Levite of Bethlehem, who becomes a priest for Micah; accepts idolatry; joins the Danites, Judg. 17:7-13; 18:1-30. 2. Son of Saul, 1 Sam. 14:49. Victory of, over the Philistine garrison of Geba, 1 Sam. 13:3, 4...

  • Joiada

    [ebd] (whom Jehovah favours) = Jehoiada. (1.) Neh. 3:6. (2.) One of the high priests (12:10, 11, 22).
    [isbe] JOIADA - joi'-a-da (yoyadha`, "Yahweh knows"; compare JEHOIADA): (1) A repairer of the Jerusalem walls (Neh 3:6); the King James Version "Jehoiada." (2) Son of Eliashib the high priest (Neh 12:10,11,22; 13:28).
    [nave] JOIADA, son and successor of Eliashib in the high priesthood, Neh. 12:10, 11, 22; 13:28.

  • Jeshua

    [ebd] (1.) Head of the ninth priestly order (Ezra 2:36); called also Jeshuah (1 Chr. 24:11). (2.) A Levite appointed by Hezekiah to distribute offerings in the priestly cities (2 Chr. 31:15). (3.) Ezra 2:6; Neh. 7:11. (4.) Ezra 2:...
    [smith] (a saviour), another form of the name of Joshua of Jesus. Joshua the son of Nun. (Nehemiah 8:17) [JOSHUA] A priest in the reign of David, to whom the nine course fell by David, to whom the ninth course fell by lot. (1 Chr...
    [nave] JESHUA 1. Called also Jeshuah. A priest, head of the ninth course, 1 Chr. 24:11. Nine hundred and seventy-three of his descendants returned from Babylon, Ezra 2:36; Neh. 7:39. 2. A Levite, had charge of the tithes, 2 Chr. ...

  • JESHUA; JESHUAH

    [isbe] JESHUA; JESHUAH - jesh'-u-a, je-shu'-a (yeshua`, "Yahweh is deliverance" or "opulence"; compare JOSHUA): (1) the King James Version "Jeshuah," head of the 9th course of priests, and possibly of "the house of Jeshua" (1 Ch 24...

  • JEREMIAH

    [smith] Seven other persons bearing the same name as the prophet are mentioned in the Old Testament:-- Jeremiah of Libnah, father of Hamutal wife of Josiah. (2 Kings 23:31) (B.C. before 632.) 2,3,4. Three warriors --two of the tr...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Iddo

    [ebd] (1.) Timely (1 Chr. 6:21). A Gershonite Levite. (2.) Lovely. The son of Zechariah (1 Chr. 27:21), the ruler of Manasseh in David's time. (3.) Timely. The father of Ahinadab, who was one of Solomon's purveyors (1 Kings 4:14)....
    [isbe] IDDO - id'-o: (1) ('iddo (?[~'adhadh, "to be strong"), "hap," "happy" (?), Ezr 8:17): The "chief at the place Casiphia," who provided Ezra with Levites and Nethinim, the head of the Levitical body or school, said to be one o...
    [nave] IDDO 1. Father of Ahinadab, 1 Kin. 4:14. 2. A descendant of Gershom, 1 Chr. 6:21. 3. A son of Zechariah, 1 Chr. 27:21. 4. A prophet, 2 Chr. 9:29; 12:15; 13:22. 5. Ancestor of Zechariah, Ezra 5:1; 6:14; Zech. 1:1, 7. 6. ...

  • Guard

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. tabbah (properly a "cook," and in a secondary sense "executioner," because this office fell to the lot of the cook in Eastern countries), the bodyguard of the kings of Egypt (Gen. 37:36) and Babylon (2 Kings 25:8; ...

  • GENEALOGY, 8 part 2

    [isbe] GENEALOGY, 8 part 2 - I. Primeval Genealogies (1 Chronicals 1:1-54). To show Israel's place among the nations; follows Genesis closely, omitting only the Cainites; boldly, skillfully compressed, as if the omitted facts were ...

  • DARIUS

    [isbe] DARIUS - da-ri'-us: The name of three or four kings mentioned in the Old Testament. In the original Persian it is spelled "Darayavaush"; in Babylonian, usually "Dariamush"; in Susian(?), "Tariyamaush"; in Egyptian "Antaryuas...

  • Chief Priests

    [nave] CHIEF PRIESTS 2 Kin. 25:18; 1 Chr. 27:5; 2 Chr. 19:11; 24:11; 26:20; 31:10; Ezra 7:5; Neh. 12:7, 12; Jer. 52:24; Matt. 2:4; 16:21; 20:18; 21:15, 23, 45; 26:3, 14, 47; 27:1, 41, 62; 28:11; Mark 2:26; 8:31; 10:33; 11:18; 14:1,...

  • Amariah

    [isbe] AMARIAH - am-a-ri'-a ('amaryah and 'amaryahu, "the Lord has said"; compare HPN, 180, 285). (1) A Levite in the line of Aaron-Eleazar; a son of Meraioth and grandfather of Zadok (1 Ch 6:7,52) who lived in David's time. Compar...
    [smith] (the Lord says , i.e. promises). Father of Ahitub according to (1 Chronicles 6:7,52) and son of Meraioth, in the line of the high priests. The high priest in the reign of Jehoshaphat. (2 Chronicles 19:11) He was the so...
    [nave] AMARIAH 1. Two Levites, 1 Chr. 6:7, 52; 23:19; 24:23. 2. Chief priest in the reign of Jehoshaphat, 2 Chr. 19:11. 3. A high priest, father of Ahitub, 1 Chr. 6:11; Ezra 7:3. 4. A Levite, who assisted in distributing temple ...

  • ABIJAH OR ABIJAM

    [smith] (my father is Jehovah). Son and successor of Rehoboam on the throne of Judah. (1 Kings 4:21; 2 Chronicles 12:16) He is called ABIA, ABIAH, OR ABIJAH in Chronicles, ABIJAM in Kings. He began to reign B.C. 959, and reign...

  • ABIJAH

    [ebd] father (i.e., "possessor or worshipper") of Jehovah. (1.) 1 Chr. 7:8. (2.) 1 Chr. 2:24. (3.) The second son of Samuel (1 Sam. 8:2; 1 Chr. 6:28). His conduct, along with that of his brother, as a judge in Beer-sheba, to which...
    [isbe] ABIJAH - a-bi'-ja ('abhiyah or 'abhiyahu (2 Ch 13:20,21), "my father is Yahweh," or "Yahweh is father"): The name of six or more men and two women in the Old Testament. (1) The seventh son of Becher the son of Benjamin (1 Ch...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • The writer evidently chose, under divine inspiration, to open his book with genealogies to help his readers appreciate their heritage and to tie themselves to Adam, Abraham, and David in particular. Adam was important as the ...
  • The years of history the book covers are 445-431 B.C. or perhaps a few years after that.In 445 B.C. (the twentieth year of Artaxerxes' reign, 1:1) Nehemiah learned of the conditions in Jerusalem that led him to request permis...
  • I. The fortification of Jerusalem chs. 1-7A. The return under Nehemiah chs. 1-21. The news concerning Jerusalem 1:1-32. The response of Nehemiah 1:4-113. The request of Nehemiah 2:1-84. The return to Jerusalem 2:9-20B. The re...
  • "The first seven chapters of Nehemiah as well as 12:31-13:31 are written in the first person. This, as well as all or part of Neh 11 and the rest of Neh 12, constitutes what is called the Nehemiah Memoirs. As such it offers a...
  • Eliashib (v. 1) was evidently the grandson of Jeshua (12:10; Ezra 3:2). Construction was an act of consecration because this was a project that God had ordained.Archaeologists are currently studying the exact location of the ...
  • One writer viewed chapters 8-13 (really 7:73-13:37) as the third part of the tripartite structure of Ezra-Nehemiah. Ezra 1:1-4 deals with "potentiality,"the decree to the community to build God's house. Ezra 1:5--Nehemiah 7:7...
  • The names in verses 2-8 are those of the heads of 21 priestly families (cf. 12:12-21). Verses 9-13 record the names of 17 Levites. Then the writer gave the names of 44 heads of other leading families (vv. 14-27)....
  • When the exiles returned to the Promised Land, living in Jerusalem was not an attractive prospect because the city lay in ruins. However with the rebuilding of the temple and the walls the capital became a more desirable plac...
  • The priests and Levites were the most important people who returned from exile because they reestablished worship in the land. Verses 1-7 give the names of 22 leaders among them who had returned in 537 B.C. with Zerubbabel an...
  • The Book of Nehemiah records the fortification of Jerusalem and the restoration of the Jews, two essential steps that were necessary to reestablish God's people in His will and in their land.Nehemiah continued the good work t...
  • 1:1 Yahweh sent a message to Zerubbabel and Joshua through the prophet Haggai, though it went to all the Israelites too (vv. 2, 4). Zerubbabel was the political governor (overseer) of the Persian province of Judah who had led...
  • The title of this book comes from its traditional writer, as is true of all the prophetical books of the Old Testament. The name "Zechariah"(lit. Yahweh remembers) was a common one among the Israelites identifying as many as ...
  • Zechariah's inspired preaching began in the eighth month of 520 B.C. (1:1). His eight night visions followed three months later in 520 B.C. (1:7), when he was a young man (2:4). He delivered the messages in chapters 7-8 in 51...
  • Zechariah began ministering among the Jews who had returned from captivity in Babylon (i.e., the restoration community) two months after Haggai began preaching (1:1; 7:1; cf. Neh. 12:10-16; Hag. 1:1). In a sense, Zechariah's ...
  • That this pericope introduces the whole book seems clear since verse 7 introduces the eight night visions that follow it (1:7-6:8). Its content is also foundational to all that follows."It strikes the keynote of the entire bo...
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