Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes Codex Leningradensis (1008).^{[6][lower-alpha 1]}

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^S; 4th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (A; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^A; 5th century).^[8]

Verse 1

Now these are the priests and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua:

Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,^[10]

• "Zerubbabel" was the leader of the group and of Davidic line (1 Chronicles 3:19), so he is associated with the messianic hope in the book of Zechariah, although this association is not mentioned in this book.^[11] His office is not named in this book, but he is identified as the "governor of Judah" in Haggai 1:1, 14; 2:2.^[12]
• "Jeshua": or "Joshua".^[13] His office is not named in this book, but he is identified as the "high priest" in Haggai 1:1, 12, 14; 2:2; Zechariah 3:1.^[12]

Verse 3

Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,^[14]

• "Shecaniah": the name of the tenth of "24 Priestly Divisions" in 1 Chronicles 24.^[15] This name appears in a stone inscription that was found in 1970 on a partially buried column in a mosque, in the Yemeni village of Bayt al-Ḥaḍir, among the ten names of priestly wards and their respective towns and villages. This "Yemeni inscription" is the longest roster of names of this sort ever discovered, unto this day. The names legible on the stone column discovered by Walter W. Müller.^[16] It is spelled as "Shebaniah" in Nehemiah 12:14 (cf. Nehemiah 10:4; 1 Chronicles 3:21).^[15][17]
• "Rehum": spelled as "Harim" in Nehemiah 12:15.^[18]
• "Meremoth": spelled as "Meraioth" in Nehemiah 12:15.^[19]

Verse 4

Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,^[20]

• "Ginnethoi": spelled as "Ginnethon" in a number of Hebrew manuscripts and the Latin Vulgate version (cf. Nehemiah 12:16 and NIV, NCV, NLT).^[21][22]
• "Abijah": the name of the eighth of "24 Priestly Divisions" in 1 Chronicles 24.^[15] Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, was a member of this division (Luke 1:5; also spelled as "Abia").^[15] This name appears in the "Yemeni inscription", found in 1970 in the Yemeni village of Bayt al-Ḥaḍir, among the ten names of priestly wards and their respective towns and villages (cf. verse 3 "Shecaniah").^[16]

Verse 5

Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,^[23]

• "Mijamin": from Hebrew מִיָּמִ֥ין; the name of the sixth of "24 Priestly Divisions" in 1 Chronicles 24 (spelled as מִיָּמִ֖ן).^[15] This name appears in the "Yemeni inscription", found in 1970 in the Yemeni village of Bayt al-Ḥaḍir, among the ten names of priestly wards and their respective towns and villages (cf. verse 3 "Shecaniah").^[16] It is spelled as "Minjamin" (מִ֨נְיָמִ֔ין) in Nehemiah 12:17.^[24]
• "Maadiah": from Hebrew מַֽעַדְיָ֖ה, spelled as "Moadiah" (מוֹעַדְיָ֖ה) in Nehemiah 12:17.^[25] Probably is the same as "Maaziah" (מַֽעַזְיָ֖הוּ), the name of the twenty-fourth of "24 Priestly Divisions" in 1 Chronicles 24.^[26]
• "Bilgah": The name of the fifteenth of "24 Priestly Divisions" in 1 Chronicles 24 (cf. Nehemiah 10:8).^[15]

Verse 15

of Harim, Adna;

of Meraioth, Helkai;^[27]

• "Harim": the name of the third of "24 Priestly Divisions" in 1 Chronicles 24 (cf. Nehemiah 10:5, spelled as "Rehum" in Nehemiah 12:3^[28]).^[15] One fragment of Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q325; "Mishmarot D") mentions:

The beginning of the se[cond] month is [on the si]xth [day] of the course of Jedaiah. On the second of the month is the Sabbath of the course of Harim....^[29]

• "Meraioth": spelled as "Meremoth" in Nehemiah 12:3 (cf. Nehemiah 10:5).^[30]

Verse 17

of Abijah, Zichri;

the son of Minjamin;

of Moadiah, Piltai;^[31]

• "Abijah": the name of the eighth of "24 Priestly Divisions" in 1 Chronicles 24.^[15] Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, was a member of this division (Luke 1:5; also spelled as "Abia").^[32] This name appears in the "Yemeni inscription", found in 1970 in the Yemeni village of Bayt al-Ḥaḍir, among the ten names of priestly wards and their respective towns and villages (cf. verse 3 "Shecaniah").^[16]
• "Minjamin": from Hebrew מִ֨נְיָמִ֔ין; spelled as "Mijamin" (מִיָּמִ֥ין) in Nehemiah 12:5,^[33] the name of the sixth of "24 Priestly Divisions" in 1 Chronicles 24 (spelled as מִיָּמִ֖ן).^[15] This name appears in the "Yemeni inscription" among the ten names of priestly wards and their respective towns and villages (cf. verse 3 "Shecaniah").^[16]
• "Moadiah": from Hebrew מוֹעַדְיָ֖ה; spelled as "Maadiah" (מַֽעַדְיָ֖ה) in Nehemiah 12:5.^[34] Probably is the same as "Maaziah" (מַֽעַזְיָ֖הוּ), the name of the twenty-fourth of "24 Priestly Divisions" in 1 Chronicles 24.^[26]

Verse 36

And his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God,

and Ezra the scribe before them.^[37]

• "Of David": or "prescribed by David" (NIV, NLT); TEV "of the kind played by David," but 'the precise relationship of these musical instruments to David is not clear'.^[38]

The appearance of "Ezra, the scribe" (verse 36b) provides the primary evidence for the contemporaneity of Ezra and Nehemiah.^[36]

Verse 39

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.^[39]

• "Tower of Hananeel": a well-known landmark, which is mentioned also in Nehemiah 3:1; Jeremiah 31:38; Zechariah 14:10, standing midway between "the sheep gate" and "the fish gate", at the northeast corner of Jerusalem, then from this point, the wall which had run northwestern from the sheep gate now turned to west.^[32]

Verse 42

And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.^[40]

• "Sang loud": in Hebrew literally "made their voice to be heard".^[41]

Verse 43

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.^[42]

The words "joy" and "rejoice" occur five times in this sentence: "this verse is full of joy; but before the rejoicing comes the abundant offering of sacrifices."^[43] Methodist commentator Joseph Benson notes that the security of the walls meant that "they could praise the Lord there without disturbance or fear".^[44]

Verse 44

And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, 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: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.^[47]

• "Out of the fields": The translation reads מִשְּׂדֵי (missede, "from the fields") rather than the MT reading לִשְׂדֵי (lisde, "to the fields").^[48]
• "For Judah": here in the sense of "the people of Judah", as "Judah" can be 'a proper name as well as a place name'.^[49]
• "Waited": Hebrew: "stood", NKJV: "ministered";^[50] or "standing", NET Bible: "were ministering".^[51]