This chapter gives an account of the chief of the priests and Levites in the days of Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Joiakim, Eliashib, and Nehemiah, Neh 12:1, of the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, and of the joy expressed on that occasion, Neh 12:27, and of the appointment of some persons over the treasuries for the priests, Levites, singers, and porters, Neh 12:44.
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, Ezr 7:1, though this by some (m) is not thought very probable.
(m) Vid. Rainold de Lib. Apocryph. praelect. 153. p. 402, &c.
Shechaniah, called Shebaniah, Neh 12:14 and so in Neh 10:4
Rehum, who, by transposition of letters, is Harim, Neh 12:15, and so in Neh 10:5.
Meremoth, called Meraioth, Neh 12:15,
Iddo, Ginnetho, read Ginnethon, Neh 12:16 so in Neh 10:6.
Abijah; there was a course of a priest of this name, of which Zechariah the father of John the Baptist was, Luk 1:5.
Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah; the first two are called Miniamin and Moadiah, Neh 12:17.
Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu; called Sallai, Neh 12:20.
Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah these were the chief of the priests, and of their brethren, in the days of Jeshua; heads of courses; or, however, priests of the greatest note in the times of Jeshua the high priest.
Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah; most of these are made mention of in Neh 8:7, the last of them is said to be
over the thanksgiving, he and his brethren; he was the precentor, or had the directing and conducting of the songs of the temple, particularly the thanksgiving song at the daily sacrifices; Jarchi takes the word here used to be the name of a musical instrument.
their brethren, were over against them in the watches; the Levites were divided into twenty four wards, and these were placed one against another, Ch1 23:6.
(n) Antiqu. l. 11. c. 8. sect. 5.
Joiada; he was the son of Eliashib, and the fourth high priest:
and Johanan; the same with Jonathan, Neh 12:11 and whom Josephus (o) also calls Joannes:
and Jaddua; the same as in Neh 12:10 in the days of each of these were
recorded chief of the fathers; the principal men among the Levites:
also the priests, to the reign of Darius the Persian; thought to be Darius Codomannus, the last king of the Persian monarchy, whom Alexander conquered; and if so, this verse must be inserted after the death of Nehemiah, and as the next verse also seems to be; for these two verses interrupt the natural order of the relation: an account is given of the priests in the times of Joiakim, Neh 12:12, these verses being inserted, the account goes on, Neh 12:24, &c. of the chief of the Levites in the times of Joiakim only.
(o) Antiqu. l. 11. c. 7. sect. 1.
until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib; from whence Dr. Lightfoot (p) concludes, that the Chronicles were written by Ezra in the times of this Johanan.
(p) Works, vol. 1. p. 146.
Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel; these were singers, since it follows:
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; which office of theirs they performed by turns in courses, as David under a divine direction ordered, see Ch1 23:5.
keeping the ward, at the thresholds of the gates; of the temple, where they stood and watched; or "at the collection of the gates", meaning either where the people were gathered together, or where money gathered was laid up; and so some render it, "the treasuries of the gates": unless a place called Asuppim should be meant, Ch1 26:15.
and in the days of Nehemiah the governor; the writer of this book:
and of Ezra the priest, the scribe; who was contemporary with him.
they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness; to assist in the solemnity of the day both with vocal and instrumental music, as follows:
both with thanksgiving and with singing; with songs of praise and thankfulness vocally, that they had been able, notwithstanding all the malice of their enemies, to build the wall in so short a time; or with a song, perhaps the thirtieth psalm was sung on this occasion:
with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps; some playing on one, and some on another, which were the three principal instruments of music used by them, see Ch1 15:16.
(q) Megillath Thainith, c. 3. apud Selden. de Synedr. l. 3. c. 13. sect. 12.
both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem the plain of Jordan by Jericho, and the plain of Saron and Lydda:
and from the villages of Netophathi: see Ch1 9:16, here they dwelt, when not in their courses, to minister in the temple; but on this public occasion were summoned together.
and out of the fields of Geba; which was a Levitical city in the tribe of Benjamin, Jos 21:17
and Azmaveth; the same with Bethazmaveth, Neh 7:28 where it follows Anathoth and Netophah, as it does in Ezr 2:24, and was very probably in the tribe of Benjamin:
for the singers had builded them villages round about Jerusalem; that they might be near it, to do their duty when required; by which it appears that the said places were near Jerusalem.
and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks; he divided the people who were met together to praise God on this occasion into two companies: whereof
one went on the right hand upon the wall; that is, on the southern part of it:
towards the dung gate; of which see Neh 2:13 some Jewish writers, as Jarchi and Ben Melech, give a different sense of , which we render "two companies", and take them to be two eucharistical loaves of leavened bread, with which a rite or ceremony was performed at the enlargement of a court or city; at the utmost boundary of which those were carried, and one was eaten and the other burnt (r); which rite is thus described by Maimonides (s),"how do they add to a city? the sanhedrim make two eucharistical sacrifices, and they take the leavened bread in them, and the sanhedrim go after the two eucharistical sacrifices, which follow one another, and they stand with harps, and psalteries, and cymbals, at every corner and at every stone in Jerusalem, and say, I will extol thee, for thou hast lifted up, &c. (#Ps 30:1) until they come to the end of the place they consecrate, there they stand and eat the thanksgiving loaf, one of the two, and the other is burnt.''
(r) Miss. Shebuot, c. 2. sect. 2. & Maimon, & Bartenora in ib. (s) Hilchot, Beth-habechirah, c. 6. sect. 12. Vid. Selden. de Synedr. l. 3. c. 13. sect. 6.
and Shemaiah and Jeremiah; who were two others.
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; not the Levite, but a priest of this name.
Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God; which were invented by him, and ordered by him to be used in religious service, under the divine direction:
and Ezra the scribe before them; for he being a priest also, and a man of great eminence, was placed at the head of them in this procession.
they went up; that is, one of the two companies, that which took to the right on the wall, Neh 12:31 with which these words are to be connected:
by the stairs of the city of David; which went up to the city of Zion, built on an eminence:
at the going up of the wall, above the house of David; where the wall was higher, and there was an ascent to it:
even unto the water gate eastward; of which see Neh 3:26 turning from the south to the east, and so drew nigh the temple.
and I after them; Nehemiah, he brought up the rear of his company, as Ezra led the van of his:
and the half of the people upon the wall; the chief of them, for all could not walk upon it:
from beyond the tower of the furnaces; where they baked their bread, or their bricks, see Neh 3:11,
even unto the broad wall; where the wall was broader than common, for some reason or another, see Neh 3:8.
and above the old gate; of which mention is made, Neh 3:6
and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep gate; of all which see Neh 3:1, and they stood still in the prison gate; which was not a gate of the city, but of the court of the prison, Neh 3:25, which was near both the king's palace and the temple, see Jer 20:1.
and I, and the half of the rulers with me; Nehemiah, and the other half with Hoshaiah, Neh 12:32.
Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; to sound on this occasion.
and the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer; these were the Levites, that sung the songs of praise vocally, and raised their voices very high, Jezrahiah being precentor, who led the tune, as well as played on instruments.
for God had made them rejoice with great joy; on account of the wall being set up all around, and so were in greater safety from their enemies:
the wives also and the children rejoiced; while the priests blew the trumpets, and the singers sung and played on their instruments, the women and children gave loud shouts for joy:
so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off; as at the laying of the foundation of the temple, Ezr 3:13.
for the 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 for the priests and Levites; what by the law of God were assigned them for their maintenance, and which the people had lately bound themselves to bring in, Neh 10:35,
for Judah rejoiced for the priests, and for the Levites that waited; at the temple, and performed their services there; they were so pleased with their ministrations that day, that they were determined to take care of them, and provide well for them, and that nothing should be wanting to them, enjoined by the law of God, and that they might not be obliged to dwell in fields and villages for the sake of their living, Neh 12:28.
according to the commandment of David, and Solomon his son; who made very good rules and orders relative to the better and more regular performance of service by them; see Ch1 25:1.
and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God; such were made by them, some under divine inspiration, which bear the names of David and Asaph, as may be observed in the book of Psalms.
and they sanctified holy things unto the Levites; set them apart for their use, and brought them to them, their offerings, firstfruits, and tithes: and the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron; the Levites set apart the tenth part of the tithes, and delivered them to the priests, and so each had what belonged to them.