Nehemiah 12:1

Now these … Jeshua Cf. Ezra 2:1.

For the list beginning with Seraiah, see the parallel list of names in Nehemiah 10:3-9 and Nehemiah 12:12-21. The Ezra mentioned in this verse and Nehemiah 12:13 must not be confounded with -the Scribe:" he appears in Nehemiah 10:3 as Azariah.

The following table gives a comparison of the three lists:

Nehemiah 10:3-9.

Nehemiah 12:1-7.

Nehemiah 12:12-21.

(1) Seraiah

Seraiah

Seraiah

(2) Azariah

Jeremiah

Jeremiah

(3) Jeremiah

Ezra

Ezra

(4) Pashhur

Amariah

Amariah

(5) Amariah

Malluch

Malluchi

(6) Malchijah

Hattush

(wanting)

(7) Hattush

Shecaniah

Shebaniah

(8) Shebaniah

Rehum

Harim

(9) Malluch

Meremoth

Meraioth

(10) Harim

Iddo

Iddo

(11) Meremoth

Ginnethoi

Ginnethon

(12) Obadiah

Abijah

Abijah

(13) Daniel

Mijamin

Miniamin

(14) Ginnethon

Maadiah

Moadiah

(15) Baruch

Bilgah

Bilgah

(16) Meshullam

Shemaiah

Shemaiah

(17) Abijah

and Joiarib

Joiarib

(18) Mijamin

Jedaiah

Jedaiah

(19) Maaziah

Sallu

Sallai

(20) Bilgai

Amok

Amok

(21) Shemaiah

Hilkiah

Hilkiah

(22)

Jedaiah

Jedaiah

We have, therefore, 22 priestly houses recorded, and there can be little doubt that the number 24 had been restored, but that two of the names have dropped out either in the course of transcription or in consequence of the defectiveness of the original lists. Of the four priestly houses who are mentioned in the lists of Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 as having gone up out of the captivity with Zerubbabel, i.e. Jedaiah, Immer, Pashhur, Harim, we find here the names of (22) Jedaiah and (8) Rehum = Harim. Immer may possibly be concealed in the name of (4) Amariah. Pashhur has dropped out entirely. The opinion of some is that the similarity of names in these lists is accidental, and that the three lists give us the names of individuals living at three different periods, Nehemiah 12:1-7 in the days of Zerubbabel, Nehemiah 10:1-8 in the days of Eliashib, Nehemiah 12:12-21 in the days of Joiakim, which happen very often to resemble one another. But the improbability of this needs no demonstration.