UNROLL
A long line of Levite singers in white linen walks away along the flat top of a rough-stone wall, small against the sky, lyres and cymbals in their hands; above, a calm, clear dawn sky.

The Book of

Nehemiah 12

Two choirs, one wall, and a joy they could hear from far away.

47 verses≈ 7 min4 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–2The callA cupbearer prays and is sent
  2. 3–6The wallBuilt under fire in 52 days
  3. 7The peopleThe families remembered
  4. 8–10The WordRead, confessed, sworn
  5. 11–12The citySettled and dedicatedChapter 12
  6. 13The endingPromises broken, reforms again

The Priests and Levites Who Returned

Priests

Who went up with Zerubbabel

  1. Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra

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

    Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

  2. Amariah, Malluch, Hattush

    Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

  3. Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth

    Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

  4. Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah

    Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,

  5. Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah

    Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

  6. Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah

    Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

  7. Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah

    Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah.

  8. Leaders in the days of Jeshua

    These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua.

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The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who, with his associates, led the songs of thanksgiving. Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood across from them in the services.

Family line

Jeshua to Jaddua

  1. JeshuaJoiakimEliashibJoiada

    High priests

    Jeshua was the father of Joiakim,

    Joiakim was the father of Eliashib,

    Eliashib was the father of Joiada,

  2. JonathanJaddua

    Joiada was the father of Jonathan,

    and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.

Priestly families

Family heads under Joiakim

  1. Meraiah, Hananiah

    In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families:

    of the family of Seraiah, Meraiah;

    of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

  2. Meshullam, Jehohanan

    of Ezra, Meshullam;

    of Amariah, Jehohanan;

  3. Jonathan, Joseph

    of Malluchi, Jonathan;

    of Shebaniah, Joseph;

  4. Adna, Helkai

    of Harim, Adna;

    of Meraioth, Helkai;

  5. Zechariah, Meshullam

    of Iddo, Zechariah;

    of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

  6. Zichri, Piltai

    of Abijah, Zichri;

    of Miniamin and of Moadiah, Piltai;

  7. Shammua, Jonathan

    of Bilgah, Shammua;

    of Shemaiah, Jonathan;

  8. Mattenai, Uzzi

    of Joiarib, Mattenai;

    of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

  9. Kallai, Eber

    of Sallai, Kallai;

    of Amok, Eber;

  10. Hashabiah, Nethanel

    of Hilkiah, Hashabiah;

    and of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, during the reign of Darius the Persian, the heads of the families of the Levites and priests were recorded.

As for the descendants of Levi, the family heads up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles.

as one section alternated with the other

Nehemiah 12:24

Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates. They served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe.

Reflect

Names

Four generations of names, and most of them we know nothing else about. They were written down because each one served. Who passed the faith on to you? Write their name, and thank God for them.

The Dedication of the Wall

Two choirs, one house

first choir, to therightsecond choir, to theleftTheybeginhereprobably nearthe ValleyGateDung GateFountain GateWater Gateon the eastThe BroadWallSheep GateThe house ofGod

Whiteboard

Two lines leave one place, walk opposite ways around the city on top of the wall, and end in one house. The text never names the starting point, and the positions are approximate.

Then I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and I appointed two great thanksgiving choirs. One was to proceed along the top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.

The first choir

To the right, along the wall

  1. Hoshaiah and half the leaders

    Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed,

  2. Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam

    along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

  3. Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah

    Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

  4. Of Asaph’s line

    Priests with trumpets; Zechariah

    and some of the priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,

  5. David’s instruments

    Eight musicians

    and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani—with the musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God.

An older scribe in white linen and a dark-blue mantle walks at the head of a white-robed line along the flat top of the wall, a rolled scroll held to his chest, the valley far below.

Ezra the scribe led the procession.

At the Fountain Gate they went directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.

The second thanksgiving choir proceeded to the left, and I followed it with half the people along the top of the wall, past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. And they stopped at the Gate of the Guard.

The two thanksgiving choirs then stood in the house of God, as did I, along with the half of the officials accompanying me,

as well as the priests with their trumpets—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah— and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. Then the choirs sang out under the direction of Jezrahiah.

Women and children on a flat roof sing and lift their hands; beyond them the small town, altar smoke rising straight up, and across the valley a tiny shepherd turned toward the sound.

On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.

0:11

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Pray

Heard from afar

Thank God for the joy He gives; verse 43 says “God had given them great joy.” Pray that His people would be heard for it, and thank Him for those who lead you in praise.

Provisions for Temple Worship

And on that same day men were appointed over the rooms that housed the supplies, contributions, firstfruits, and tithes. The portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites were gathered into these storerooms from the fields of the villages, because Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who were serving.

They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, as David and his son Solomon had prescribed. For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there were directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

So in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside daily portions for the Levites, and the Levites set aside daily portions for the descendants of Aaron.

Question

Quick question

They set off in opposite directions along the top of the wall.

How did the two choirs end the day’s procession?

You’ve experienced

Nehemiah 12

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A verse to carry with you

On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.

Nehemiah 12:43

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