This part records the several lists of priests and Levites to document the genuineness of the Jewish community and its religious authority, in order to give legitimacy in this postexilic community. The list starts with those said to have returned with
Zerubbabel in the first wave at the time of the Persian king,
Cyrus (verses 1–9), but this list is quite different from the one in
Ezra 2. After listing the high priests from the last one at the time of exile, Jozadak, the father of Jeshua, until Jaddua (verses 10–11), it records those returning at the time of
Ezra (verses 12–21), with a careful note on its sources (verses 22–23).
Verse 1 :
Now these are the priests and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: ::
Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, • "
Zerubbabel" was the leader of the group and of
Davidic line (), so he is associated with the messianic hope in the
book of Zechariah, although this association is not mentioned in this book. His office is not named in this book, but he is identified as the "governor of Judah" in
Haggai 1:1, ; . • "
Jeshua": or "Joshua". His office is not named in this book, but he is identified as the "
high priest" in
Haggai 1:1, , ; ; .
Verse 3 :
Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, • "
Shecaniah": the name of the tenth of
"24 Priestly Divisions" in
1 Chronicles 24. It is spelled as "Shebaniah" in Nehemiah 12:14 (cf. Nehemiah 10:4; 1 Chronicles 3:21). • "Rehum": spelled as "Harim" in
Nehemiah 12:15. • "Meremoth": spelled as "Meraioth" in
Nehemiah 12:15.
Verse 4 :
Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, • "Ginnethoi": spelled as "Ginnethon" in a number of Hebrew manuscripts and the Latin
Vulgate version (cf. Nehemiah 12:16 and NIV, NCV, NLT). • "
Abijah": the name of the eighth of
"24 Priestly Divisions" in
1 Chronicles 24. • "
Mijamin": from Hebrew ; the name of the sixth of
"24 Priestly Divisions" in
1 Chronicles 24 (spelled as ). This name appears in the
"Yemeni inscription", found in 1970 in the Yemeni village of Bayt al-Ḥaḍir, among the ten names of priestly wards and their respective towns and villages (cf.
verse 3 "Shecaniah"). • "Maadiah": from Hebrew , spelled as "Moadiah" () in
Nehemiah 12:17. Probably is the same as "
Maaziah" (), the name of the twenty-fourth of
"24 Priestly Divisions" in
1 Chronicles 24. • "
Bilgah": The name of the fifteenth of
"24 Priestly Divisions" in
1 Chronicles 24 (cf.
Nehemiah 10:8). • "
Harim": the name of the third of
"24 Priestly Divisions" in
1 Chronicles 24 (cf.
Nehemiah 10:5, spelled as "Rehum" in
Nehemiah 12:3).
Verse 17 :
of Abijah, Zichri; :
the son of Minjamin; :
of Moadiah, Piltai; • "
Abijah": the name of the eighth of
"24 Priestly Divisions" in
1 Chronicles 24. the name of the sixth of
"24 Priestly Divisions" in
1 Chronicles 24 (spelled as ). Probably is the same as "
Maaziah" (), the name of the twenty-fourth of
"24 Priestly Divisions" in
1 Chronicles 24. ==Joyous dedication (12:27–43)==