Discovery BoxNehemiah 12:1-26
Context12:1 These are the priests and Levites who returned 1 with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 12:2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 12:3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 12:4 Iddo, Ginnethon, 2 Abijah, 12:5 Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah, 12:6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, 12:7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders 3 of the priests and their colleagues 4 in the days of Jeshua.
12:8 And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who together with his colleagues 5 was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. 12:9 Bakbukiah and Unni, 6 their colleagues, stood opposite them in the services.
12:10 Jeshua was the father of 7 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, 8 Jonathan; of Shecaniah, 9 Joseph; 12:15 of Harim, Adna; of Meremoth, 10 Helkai; 12:16 of Iddo, 11 Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; 12:17 of Abijah, Zicri; of Miniamin and 12 of Moadiah, Piltai; 12:18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; 12:19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; 12:20 of Sallu, 13 Kallai; of Amok, Eber; 12:21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.
12:22 As for the Levites, 14 in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua the heads of families were recorded, as were the priests during the reign of Darius the Persian. 12:23 The descendants of Levi were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles 15 as heads of families up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib. 12:24 And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their colleagues, who stood opposite them to offer praise and thanks, one contingent corresponding to the other, as specified by 16 David the man of God.
12:25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who were guarding the storerooms at the gates. 12:26 These all served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priestly scribe. 17
Nehemiah 12:1
Context12:1 These are the priests and Levites who returned 18 with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
Nehemiah 1:1-11
Context1:1 19 These are the words of Nehemiah 20 son of Hacaliah:
It so happened that in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year, 21 I was in Susa 22 the citadel. 1:2 Hanani, who was one of my relatives, 23 along with some of the men from Judah, came to me, 24 and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped and had survived the exile, and about Jerusalem. 25
1:3 They said to me, “The remnant that remains from the exile there in the province are experiencing considerable 26 adversity and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem lies breached, and its gates have been burned down!” 27
1:4 When I heard these things I sat down abruptly, 28 crying and mourning for several days. I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 1:5 Then I said, “Please, O LORD God of heaven, great and awesome God, who keeps his loving covenant 29 with those who love him and obey 30 his commandments, 1:6 may your ear be attentive and your eyes be open to hear the prayer of your servant that I am praying to you today throughout both day and night on behalf of your servants the Israelites. I am confessing the sins of the Israelites that we have committed 31 against you – both I myself and my family 32 have sinned. 1:7 We have behaved corruptly against you, not obeying the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments that you commanded your servant Moses. 1:8 Please recall the word you commanded your servant Moses: ‘If you act unfaithfully, I will scatter you among the nations. 33 1:9 But if you repent 34 and obey 35 my commandments and do them, then even if your dispersed people are in the most remote location, 36 I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen for my name to reside.’ 1:10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your mighty strength and by your powerful hand. 1:11 Please, 37 O Lord, listen attentively 38 to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take pleasure in showing respect 39 to your name. Grant your servant success today and show compassion to me 40 in the presence of this man.”
Now 41 I was cupbearer for the king.
Nehemiah 1:1
Context1:1 42 These are the words of Nehemiah 43 son of Hacaliah:
It so happened that in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year, 44 I was in Susa 45 the citadel.
[12:1] 1 tn Heb “who went up.”
[12:4] 2 tc Most Hebrew
[12:7] 3 tn Heb “heads” (so also in v. 12).
[12:7] 4 tn Heb “brothers” (also in vv. 8, 9, 24, 36).
[12:8] 5 tn Heb “he and his brothers.”
[12:9] 6 tc The translation reads וְעֻנִּי (vÿ’unni) with the Qere rather than וְעֻנּוֹ (vÿ’uno) of the MT Kethib.
[12:14] 8 tc The present translation reads with the LXX לְמַלּוּךְ (lÿmallukh) rather than לִמְלוּכִי (limlukhi) of the Kethib (by dittography) or לִמְלִיכוּ (limlikhu) of the Qere.
[12:14] 9 tc Most Hebrew
[12:15] 10 tc The present translation reads with the Lucianic Greek recension and the Syriac Peshitta לִמְרֵמוֹת (limremot, cf. NAB, NIV, NCV, NLT “Meremoth”) rather than the MT reading לִמְרָיוֹת (limrayot, cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV, CEV “Meraioth”). Cf. v. 3.
[12:16] 11 tc The present translation (along with most English versions) reads with the Qere and the Syriac Peshitta לְעִדּוֹא (lÿ’iddo’, “Iddo”) rather than the MT reading לַעֲדָיָא (la’adaya’) which probably arose through graphic confusion. Cf. v. 4.
[12:17] 12 tn Or “of Miniamin, …; of Moadiah, Piltai,” where the name of the leader of the family of Miniamin has dropped out of the text due to a problem in transmission.
[12:20] 13 tc The present translation reads סַלּוּ (sallu, cf. NAB, NIV, NCV, NLT “Sallu”) rather than the MT reading סַלַּי (sallai, cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV, CEV “Sallai” ). Cf. v. 7.
[12:22] 14 tn Some scholars delete these words, regarding them as a later scribal addition to the text.
[12:23] 15 tn Or “the Book of the Annals” (so NRSV); NLT “The Book of History.”
[12:24] 16 tn Heb “in [accord with] the commandment of.”
[12:26] 17 tn Heb “the priest, the scribe.”
[12:1] 18 tn Heb “who went up.”
[1:1] 19 sn In ancient Judaism Ezra and Nehemiah were regarded as a single book with dual authorship. According to the Talmud, “Ezra wrote his book” (b. Bava Batra 15a). The Gemara then asks and answers, “And who finished it? Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.” Accordingly, the two are joined in the Leningrad Codex (ca.
[1:1] 20 sn The name Nehemiah in Hebrew (נְחֶמְיָה, nÿkhemyah) means “the
[1:1] 21 tn That is, the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign (cf. 2:1).
[1:2] 24 tn The Hebrew text does not include the words “to me”; these words were supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
[1:2] 25 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:3] 27 tn Heb “have been burned with fire” (so also in Neh 2:17). The expression “burned with fire” is redundant in contemporary English; the translation uses “burned down” for stylistic reasons.
[1:4] 28 tn Heb “sat down.” Context suggests that this was a rather sudden action, resulting from the emotional shock of the unpleasant news, so “abruptly” has been supplied in the present translation.
[1:5] 29 tn Heb “the covenant and loyal love.” The phrase is a hendiadys: the first noun retains its full nominal sense, while the second noun functions adjectivally (“loyal love” = loving). Alternately, the first might function adjectivally and the second noun function as the noun: “covenant and loyal love” = covenant fidelity (see Neh 9:32).
[1:5] 30 tn Heb “keep.” The Hebrew verb שָׁמַר (shamar, “to observe; to keep”) is often used as an idiom that means “to obey” the commandments of God (e.g., Exod 20:6; Deut 5:16; 23:24; 29:8; Judg 2:22; 1 Kgs 2:43; 11:11; Ps 119:8, 17, 34; Jer 35:18; Ezek 17:14; Amos 2:4). See BDB 1036 s.v. 3.c.
[1:6] 31 tn Heb “have sinned.” For stylistic reasons – to avoid redundancy in English – this was translated as “committed.”
[1:6] 32 tn Heb “the house of my father.”
[1:9] 35 tn Heb “keep.” See the note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.
[1:9] 36 tn Heb “at the end of the heavens.”
[1:11] 37 tn The interjection אָנָּא (’anna’) is an emphatic term of entreaty: “please!” (BDB 58 s.v.; HALOT 69-70 s.v.). This term is normally reserved for pleas for mercy from God in life-and-death situations (2 Kgs 20:3 = Isa 38:3; Pss 116:4; 118:25; Jonah 1:14; 4:2) and for forgiveness of heinous sins that would result or have resulted in severe judgment from God (Exod 32:31; Dan 9:4; Neh 1:5, 11).
[1:11] 38 tn Heb “let your ear be attentive.”
[1:11] 40 tn Heb “grant compassion.” The words “to me” are supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness and style in English.
[1:11] 41 tn The vav (ו) on וַאֲנִי (va’ani, “Now, I”) introduces a disjunctive parenthetical clause that provides background information to the reader.
[1:1] 42 sn In ancient Judaism Ezra and Nehemiah were regarded as a single book with dual authorship. According to the Talmud, “Ezra wrote his book” (b. Bava Batra 15a). The Gemara then asks and answers, “And who finished it? Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.” Accordingly, the two are joined in the Leningrad Codex (ca.
[1:1] 43 sn The name Nehemiah in Hebrew (נְחֶמְיָה, nÿkhemyah) means “the
[1:1] 44 tn That is, the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign (cf. 2:1).
