Neh 12:1-26 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Neh 12:1-26: 12:1-26 These lists of priests and Levites include a list of those who originally returned from exile with Zerubabbel (12:1-9 ), a chronological list of high priests (12:10-11 ), and the priests and Levites who served at the time of Joiakim, the high priest at the time of Nehemiah and Ezra (12:12-26 ). Summary for Neh 12:1-9: 12:1-9 priests and Levites who returned with Zerubabbel ... and Jeshua: See Ezra 1:1-5 . Only those who could prove their priestly lineage could serve at the Temple, so it was important to maintain an accurate genealogical record of these families.

Summary for Neh 12:1-26: 12:1-26 ^a These lists of priests and Levites include a list of those who originally returned from exile with Zerubabbel (12:1-9 ^b), a chronological list of high priests (12:10-11 ^c), and the priests and Levites who served at the time of Joiakim, the high priest at the time of Nehemiah and Ezra (12:12-26 ^d).
Summary for Neh 12:1-9: 12:1-9 ^e priests and Levites who returned with Zerubabbel ... and Jeshua: See Ezra 1:1-5 ^f. Only those who could prove their priestly lineage could serve at the Temple, so it was important to maintain an accurate genealogical record of these families.
12:7 ^g leaders of the priests: Cp. Ezra 2:36-39 ^h.

• Jeshua was the high priest in Jerusalem when the people returned from captivity shortly after 538 BC (Ezra 2:2 ⁱ; 3:2 ^j, 8 ^k; 4:3 ^l). He was still serving in 520 BC when Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people to finish building the Temple (Ezra 5:1 ^m; Hag 1:1 ⁿ; Zech 3:1 ^o).
Summary for Neh 12:8-9: 12:8-9 ^p Their associates ... stood opposite: To provide antiphonal singing (12:24 ^q; Ezra 3:1-11 ^r).
Summary for Neh 12:10-11: 12:10-11 ^s Joiakim probably served in the early years of Ezra’s service.

• Eliashib and Joiada served during Nehemiah’s time (3:1 ^t; 13:4 ^u, 28 ^v).

• Johanan: An Aramaic papyrus document from a Jewish colony that settled in Elephantine, Egypt (about 410 BC) and Josephus (Antiquities 11.5.4, AD 93) both mention Johanan serving after Nehemiah’s time.
Summary for Neh 12:12-21: 12:12-21 ^w This list was probably compiled when Joiakim was high priest (12:12 ^x) to verify the legitimacy of the priests and Levites who were in office. Except for the omission of Hattush (see 12:2 ^y), this list contains the same names as 12:1-7 ^z.