Study notes

Nehemiah 12

Introducing NehemiahWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

11:1–12:43 Section

The book of Nehemiah records one more time when Jews throughout Judah gathered in Jerusalem. They gathered to set apart the wall that had been built around the city.

Ezra and other priests and Levites were there. They made themselves, the people, the wall and the gates pure and clean. Being pure and clean was necessary because God is holy and God was present with them.

The Levites and priests celebrated by marching, playing music, singing and offering sacrifices. Those who played instruments followed the instructions David had given when he was king. This showed that they worshipped God faithfully the way their people from long ago had.

The men, women and children who had gathered were full of joy. The joyful noise they made could be heard from far away. There were many reasons to be happy. God had brought his people back from exile. They had built a second temple and worshipped God there. They were living according to the Law of Moses in the Mount Sinai covenant.

Jerusalem was full of people because many people and leaders agreed to live there. Jerusalem had a strong wall around it again. Earlier in the book of Nehemiah the people had been ashamed. Now they were glad.

12:1–9

priests and Levites who went up with Zerubbabel...with Jeshua: See Ezra 1:1–5. Only those who could prove their priestly lineage could serve at the temple. Therefore, maintaining an accurate genealogical record of these families was important.

12:1–26

These lists of priests and Levites include those who originally returned from exile with Zerubbabel (Nehemiah 12:1–9), a chronological list of high priests (12:10–11), and the priests and Levites who served during Joiakim's time, the high priest during Nehemiah and Ezra's era (12:12–26).

12:7

leaders of the priests: Compare Ezra 2:36–39.
Jeshua was the high priest in Jerusalem when the people returned from captivity shortly after 538 BC (Ezra 2:2; 3:2, 8; 4:3). He continued serving in 520 BC when Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people to complete the temple (Ezra 5:1; Haggai 1:1; Zechariah 3:1).

12:8–9

their associates, stood across: To perform antiphonal singing (a call-and-response style) as described in Nehemiah 12:24 and Ezra 3:1–11.

12:10–11

Joiakim likely served during the early years of Ezra's service.
Eliashib and Joiada served during Nehemiah's time (Nehemiah 3:1; 13:4, 28).
Jonathan: An Aramaic papyrus document from a Jewish colony in Elephantine, Egypt (around 410 BC). Josephus (Antiquities 11.5.4, AD 93) also mentions Jonathan serving after Nehemiah's time.

12:12–21

This list was likely compiled when Joiakim was the high priest (Nehemiah 12:12) to confirm the legitimacy of the priests and Levites in office. Except for the omission of Hattush (see Nehemiah 12:2), this list includes the same names as Nehemiah 12:1–7.

12:27–29

Since few Levites had returned to live in Jerusalem (see Ezra 2:40–42; 8:15–19), leaders recruited all Levites throughout the land to form two impressive choirs and orchestras.
Netophathites came from near Bethlehem (1 Chronicles 2:54).
Beth-gilgal was near Jericho.
Geba and Azmaveth were in the territory of Benjamin.

12:27–43

The dedication of the new wall likely occurred soon after it was finished (Nehemiah 6:15–19). This account likely came from Nehemiah’s personal writings.

12:30

The dedication ceremony required the priests and Levites to be purified and ready to enter the temple area (see Exodus 19:10; Numbers 8:5–7).

12:31–37

The impressive march moved south along the top of the wall to the Dung Gate at the city's southern end (Nehemiah 3:13–14). Then the procession went north on the wall along the east side of the city, past the ruins of the house of David, and up to the Water Gate (Nehemiah 3:26; 8:1) near the temple.

12:35

Long, slender, metal trumpets were played for joyful celebrations (1 Chronicles 13:8; 15:23; 16:6, 42; Ezra 3:10) by Asaph's descendants.

12:38–39

The second choir went north along the western wall, passing:
- The Broad Wall (Nehemiah 3:8)
- The Old City Gate (Nehemiah 3:6)
- The Fish Gate (Nehemiah 3:3)
They continued along the northern side of the wall until they reached the Sheep Gate (Nehemiah 3:1) at the northeast corner of the temple.
The Guard Gate might be the Inspection Gate (Nehemiah 3:31).

12:43

This community celebration included everyone. God was the true source of their great joy because his power helped them rebuild the walls. Psalm 147 might have been written for this occasion.

12:44–47

On the day of the wall's dedication (Nehemiah 12:44; 13:1), men were appointed to manage the tithes and gifts for the priests and Levites' needs. Their duties included collecting people's gifts for the priests and Levites (Nehemiah 10:32–39; see also Exodus 30:11–16; 38:25–26), performing services for God (probably sacrifices; see Leviticus 1–5), and overseeing the purification of unclean people. They also purified pans, knives, and clothing used in temple worship as described in Leviticus 11–15 (see also 1 Chronicles 23:28).

12:44–13:31 Section

For some time the priests, Levites and people followed the Law of Moses carefully. The priests and Levites did their duties like they did when David and Solomon were kings. The Jews stopped allowing outsiders who didn’t worship God to be part of the community.

This didn’t mean that no Ammonite or Moabite could ever be part of God’s people. Some of David’s mighty warriors had been from Ammon and Moab (1 Chronicles 11:26–47). It meant that those who worshipped false gods couldn’t be full members of the community.

But then the priests, Levites and people stopped doing what they had agreed to do. The people stopped giving to the priests and Levites a tenth of what they owned. This led to the Levites stopping their work in the temple. A priest allowed Tobiah to use a room in the temple for his own work. Tobiah was an Ammonite who wasn’t fully committed to God.

Jewish men in Judah married women who didn’t worship God. This meant that they didn’t teach their children to worship only God. And the Jews started working, buying, selling and trading on the Sabbath day.

All these things happened after Nehemiah returned to Susa to continue serving Artaxerxes. These things showed that God’s people were once again acting like the people groups around them. They weren’t living as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Nehemiah had worked very hard to help them live the way God wanted them to. But he couldn’t force them to love God and serve God with their whole heart.

12:46

David gave instructions for organizing the music at the temple (1 Chronicles 23–26). He put Asaph, along with Heman and Jeduthun, in charge of the music (1 Chronicles 25:2–5).

12:47

From the time the first people returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel in 538 BC (Ezra 3:1) until Nehemiah's time around 445 BC, Israelites provided food for temple workers. Most Levites lived in cities across the country. They collected a tithe and brought a tenth of it to the temple in Jerusalem to support its ministry (see Nehemiah 10:38–39).

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources