Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 12:1-26
We have here the names, and little more than the names, of a great many priests and Levites, that were eminent in their day among the returned Jews. Why this register should be here inserted by Nehemiah does not appear, perhaps to keep in remembrance those good men, that posterity might know to whom they were beholden, under God, for the happy revival and re-establishment of their religion among them. Thus must we contribute towards the performance of that promise, Psa 112:6, The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. Let the memory of the just be blessed, be perpetuated. It is a debt we still owe to faithful ministers to remember our guides, who have spoken to us the word of God, He…
Read the whole note in the consoleAdam Clarke on Nehemiah 12:1
Now these are the priests - Not the whole, but the chief of them, as we are informed, Neh 12:7, Neh 12:22, Neh 12:23, and Neh 12:24. The Septuagint omit Neh 12:3, except the word Shechaniah; as also Neh 12:4, Neh 12:5,Neh 12:6, Neh 12:9,Neh 12:37, Neh 12:38, Neh 12:39, Neh 12:40, and Neh 12:41. The Arabic omits the first twenty-six verses, and Neh 12:29. Mention is made of Ezra in this verse; and he is generally allowed to be that Ezra whose book the reader has already passed over, and who came to Jerusalem in the time of Cyrus, with Zerubbabel. If this were the same, he must have been at this time upward of a hundred years of age: and this case is not improbable, as an especial providence m…
Read the whole note in the consoleJohn Gill on Nehemiah 12:2
Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,.... Whose names are among the sealers of the covenant, Nehemiah 10:3. Malluch is afterwards called Melicu, Nehemiah 12:14,
Shechaniah, called Shebaniah, Nehemiah 12:14 and so in Nehemiah 10:4
Rehum, who, by transposition of letters, is Harim, Nehemiah 12:15, and so in Nehemiah 10:5.
Meremoth, called Meraioth, Nehemiah 12:15,
Iddo, Ginnetho, read Ginnethon, Nehemiah 12:16 so in Nehemiah 10:6.
Abijah; there was a course of a priest of this name, of which Zechariah the father of John the Baptist was, Luke 1:5.
Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah; the first two are called Miniamin and Moadiah, Nehemiah 12:17.
Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu; called Sallai, Nehemiah 12:20.…
