Nehemiah
Chapter 12

Viewing the original 1611 KJV with archaic English spelling.
Click to switch to the Standard KJV.



+     Text Size    

1 Now these are the Priests and the Leuits that went vp with Zerubbabel the sonne of Shealtiel, and Ieshua: Seraiah, Ieremiah, Ezra,

2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Merimoth,

4 Iddo, Ginnetho, Abiiah,

5 Miamin, Madish, Bilgah,

6 Shemaiah, & Ioiarib, Iedaiah,

7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Iedaiah: these were the chiefe of the Priests, and of their brethren in the dayes of Ieshua.

8 Moreouer the Leuites: Ieshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Iudah, and Mattaniah, which was ouer the thankesgiuing, he and his brethren.

9 Also Bakbukiah, and Unni; their brethren, were ouer against them in the watches.

10 ¶ And Ieshua begate Ioiakim, Ioiakim also begate Eliashib, and Eliashib begate Ioiada,

11 And Ioiada begate Ionathan, and Ionathan begate Iaddua.

12 And in the dayes of Ioiakim, were Priests the chiefe of the fathers: of Seraiah, Meraiah: of Ieremiah, Hananiah:

13 Of Ezra, Meshullam: of Amariah, Iehohanan:

14 Of Melicu, Ionathan: of Shebaniah, Ioseph:

15 Of Harim, Adna: of Meraioth, Helkai:

16 Of Iodo, Zechariah: of Ginnethon, Meshullam:

17 Of Abijah, Zichri: of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai:

18 Of Bilgah, Shammua: of Shemaiah, Iehonathan:

19 And of Ioiarib, Mattenai: of Iedaiah, Uzzi:

20 Of Sallai, Kallai: of Amok, Eber:

21 Of Hilkiah, Hashabiah: of Iedaiah, Nethanael.

22 ¶ The Leuites in the dayes of Eliashib, Ioiada, and Iohanan, and Iaddua, were recorded chiefe of the fathers: also the Priests, to the reigne of Darius the Persian.

23 The sonnes of Leui, the chiefe of the fathers, were written in the booke of the Chronicles, euen vntill the dayes of Iohanan the sonne of Eliashib.

24 And the chiefe of the Leuites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Ieshua the sonne of Kadmiel, with their brethren ouer against them, to praise and to giue thankes, according to the commandement of Dauid the man of God, ward ouer against ward.

25 Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were porters keeping the ward, at the thresholds of the gates.

26 These were in the dayes of Ioiakim, the sonne of Ieshua, the sonne of Iozadak, and in the dayes of Nehemiah the gouernour, and of Ezra the Priest, the Scribe.

27 ¶ And at the dedication of the wall of Ierusalem, they sought the Leuites out of all their places, to bring them to Ierusalem, to keepe the dedication with gladnesse, both with thankesgiuings and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harpes.

28 And the sonnes of the Singers gathered themselues together, both out of the plaine countrey round about Ierusalem, and from the villages of Netophathi.

29 Also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba, and Azmaueth: for the Singers had builded them villages round about Ierusalem.

30 And the Priests and the Leuites purified themselues, and purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.

31 Then I brought vp the princes of Iudah vpon the wall, and appointed two great companies of them that gaue thankes, whereof one went on the right hand vpon the wall toward the dounggate:

32 And after them went Hoshaiah, and halfe of the Princes of Iudah,

33 And Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

34 Iudah, and Beniamin, and Shemaiah, and Ieremiah,

35 And certaine of the Priests sonnes with trumpets: namely, Zechariah the sonne of Ionathan, the sonne of Shemaiah, the sonne of Mattaniah, the sonne of Michaiah, the sonne of Zaccur, the sonne of Asaph:

36 And his brethren, Shemaiah, and Asarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanael, and Iudah, Hanani, with the musicall instruments of Dauid the man of God; and Ezra the Scribe before them.

37 And at the fountaine-gate, which was ouer against them, they went vp by the staires of the citie of Dauid, at the going vp of the wall, aboue the house of Dauid, euen vnto the water-gate, Eastward.

38 And the other company of them that gaue thankes, went ouer against them, and I after them, and the halfe of the people vpon the wall, from beyond the towre of the fornaces, euen vnto the broad wall,

39 And from aboue the gate of Ephraim, and aboue the olde gate, and aboue the fish-gate, and the towre of Hananeel, and the towre of Meah, euen vnto the sheepegate; and they stood still in the prison gate.

40 So stood the two companies of them that gaue thankes in the house of God, and I, and the halfe of the rulers with me:

41 And the Priests: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zachariah, and Hananiah with trumpets:

42 And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Iehohanan, and Malchiiah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the Singers sang loud, with Iezrahiah their ouerseer.

43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and reioyced; for God had made them reioyce with great ioy: the wiues also and the children reioyced: so that the ioy of Ierusalem was heard euen afarre off.

44 ¶ And at that time were some appointed ouer the chambers for the treasures, 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 Leuites: for Iudah reioyced for the Priests, & for the Leuites that waited.

45 And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God, and the ward of the purification, according to the commandement of Dauid, and of Solomon his sonne.

46 For in the dayes of Dauid and Asaph of old, there were chiefe of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiuing vnto God.

47 And all Israel in the dayes of Zerubbabel, and in the dayes of Nehemiah, gaue the portions of the singers, and the porters, euery day his portion, and they sanctified holy things vnto the Leuites, and the Leuites sanctified them vnto the children of Aaron.

Viewing the original 1611 KJV with archaic English spelling
Click to switch to the Standard KJV.


Commentary for Nehemiah 12

The priests and Levites that returned. (1-26) The dedication of the wall. (27-43) The officers of the temple settled. (44-47)1-26 It is a debt we owe to faithful ministers, to remember our guides, who have spoken to us the word of God. It is good to know what our godly predecessors were, that we may learn what we should be.

27-43 All our cities, all our houses, must have holiness to the Lord written upon them. The believer should undertake nothing which he does not dedicate to the Lord. We are concerned to cleanse our hands, and purify our hearts, when any work for God is to pass through them. Those that would be employed to sanctify others, must sanctify themselves, and set themselves apart for God. To those who are sanctified, all their creature-comforts and enjoyments are made holy. The people greatly rejoiced. All that share in public mercies, ought to join in public thanksgivings.

44-47 When the solemnities of a thanksgiving day leave such impressions on ministers and people, that both are more careful and cheerful in doing their duty, they are indeed acceptable to the Lord, and turn to good account. And whatever we do, must be purified by the blood of sprinkling, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit, or it cannot be acceptable to God.

Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.

Bible Options

Sponsored Links