Nehemiah 12:23
in Nehemiah 12As 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The sons of Levi, heads of fathers’ houses, were written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.
KJV
The sons of Levi, the chief of the fathers, were written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.
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This verse in Nehemiah 12
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThe sons of Levi, the chief of the fathers, were written in the book of the chronicles,.... Some think this refers to 1Ch 9:14, &c. until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib; from whence Dr. Lightfoot (p) concludes, that the Chronicles were written by Ezra in the times of this Johanan. (p) Works, vol. 1. p. 146.
This site's exposition
during the reign of Darius the Persian
on Nehemiah 12:22-23
The record closes with a dating notice: the heads of families were recorded "during the reign of Darius the Persian". Darius reigned after Nehemiah's governorship, so the register was kept current past the events of this chapter. The "Book of the Chronicles" is a separate register of the priesthood.
This site's exposition
recorded in the Book of the Chronicles
Gill records a second view: some refer this to the Levite roll at 1 Chronicles 9:14. Lightfoot concluded from it that Ezra wrote Chronicles in the days of Johanan. Ezra 10:6 names a chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The book of the chronicles - This is not the book of Chronicles which we have now, no such list being found in it; but some other book or register, which is lost.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The sons of Levi . . . were written in the book of the chronicles--that is, the public registers in which the genealogies were kept with great regularity and exactness.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
even until the days of Johanan All those who were the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites until the days of Johanan the High Priest were enumerated in the chronicles.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
a watch opposite a watch for they were divided into their watches to recite the song.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בְּנֵ֤י | benei | [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| לֵוִי֙ | levi | Levi | H3878 → | |
| רָאשֵׁ֣י | rashei | [the] leaders of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| הָֽאָב֔וֹת | haavot | the fathers | H1 → | 1212 times |
| כְּתוּבִ֕ים | ketuvim | [were] recorded | H3789 → | 224 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| סֵ֖פֶר | sefer | [the] scroll of | H5612 → | 186 times |
| דִּבְרֵ֣י | divrei | [the] matters of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַיָּמִ֑ים | haiyamim | the days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| וְעַד־ | vead- | and until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| יְמֵ֖י | yemei | [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| יֽוֹחָנָ֥ן | yochanan | Johanan | H3110 → | |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֶלְיָשִֽׁיב׃ | ʾelyashiv | Eliashib | H475 → | 17 times |
בְּנֵ֤י[the] descendants of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
לֵוִי֙Levi
leviH3878 →
רָאשֵׁ֣י[the] leaders of
rasheiH7218 →599 times
הָֽאָב֔וֹתthe fathers
haavotH1 →1212 times
כְּתוּבִ֕ים[were] recorded
ketuvimH3789 →224 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
סֵ֖פֶר[the] scroll of
seferH5612 →186 times
דִּבְרֵ֣י[the] matters of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
הַיָּמִ֑יםthe days
haiyamimH3117 →2304 times
וְעַד־and until
vead-H5704 →1261 times
יְמֵ֖י[the] days of
yemeiH3117 →2304 times
יֽוֹחָנָ֥ןJohanan
yochananH3110 →
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אֶלְיָשִֽׁיב׃Eliashib
ʾelyashivH475 →17 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Nehemiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament.