וְאֵלֶּה הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם אֲשֶׁר עָלוּ עִם־זְרֻבָּבֶל בֶּן־שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל וְיֵשׁוּעַ שְׂרָיָה יִרְמְיָה עֶזְרָא׃   12:1

Nehe. 12:1   And these were the priests and Levites who went up with Zarubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua:  Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

The Ezra mentioned here is not the priest and scribe Ezra of the book by that name.  Ezra, the priest and scribe,  arrived in Jerusalem some eight years later.

אֲמַרְיָה מַלּוּךְ חַטּוּשׁ׃   12:2

Nehe. 12:2   Amariah, malluch, Hattush,

שְׁכַנְיָה רְחֻם מְרֵמֹת׃   12:3

Nehe. 12:3   Shecaniah, Rahum, Meremoth,

עִדּוֹא גִנְּתוֹי אֲבִיָּה׃   12:4

Nehe. 12:4   Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,

מִיָּמִין מַעַדְיָה בִּלְגָּה׃   12:5

Nehe. 12:5   Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

שְׁמַעְיָה וְיוֹיָרִיב יְדַעְיָה׃   12:6

Nehe. 12:6   Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

סַלּוּ עָמוֹק חִלְקִיָּה יְדַעְיָה אֵלֶּה רָאשֵׁי הַכֹּהֲנִים וַאֲחֵיהֶם בִּימֵי יֵשׁוּעַ׃   12:7

Nehe. 12:7   Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah.  These were the heads of the priests, and their brethren, in the days of Jeshua.

וְהַלְוִיִּם יֵשׁוּעַ בִּנּוּי קַדְמִיאֵל שֵׁרֵבְיָה יְהוּדָה מַתַּנְיָה עַל־הֻיְּדוֹת הוּא וְאֶחָיו׃   12:8

Nehe. 12:8   And the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, Mattaniah -- he was over the thanksgiving with his brethren –

וּבַקְבֻּקְיָה (וְעֻנֹּו) [וְעֻנִּי] אֲחֵיהֶם לְנֶגְדָּם לְמִשְׁמָרֹות׃   12:9

Nehe. 12:9   and Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, were near them for various functions.

The word in the parentheses is the name Unni, and it is misspelled.  In the correction in the brackets, the vav is replaced by a yad.

וְיֵשׁוּעַ הוֹלִיד אֶת־יוֹיָקִים וְיוֹיָקִים הוֹלִיד אֶת־אֶלְיָשִׁיב וְאֶלְיָשִׁיב אֶת־יוֹיָדָע׃   12:10

Nehe. 12:10   Now Jeshua begot Joiakim, and Joiakim begot Eliashib, and Eliashib, Joiada,

וְיוֹיָדָע הוֹלִיד אֶת־יוֹנָתָן וְיוֹנָתָן הוֹלִיד אֶת־יַדּוּעַ׃   12:11

Nehe. 12:11   and Joiada begot Jonathan, and Jonathan begot Jaddua.

וּבִימֵי יוֹיָקִים הָיוּ כֹהֲנִים רָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לִשְׂרָיָה מְרָיָה לְיִרְמְיָה חֲנַנְיָה׃   12:12

Nehe. 12:12   And in the days of Joiakim priests were heads of households; of Seraiah's was Meraiah; of Jeremiah's was Hananiah;

לְעֶזְרָא מְשֻׁלָּם לַאֲמַרְיָה יְהוֹחָנָן׃   12:13

Nehe. 12:13   of Ezra's was Meshullam; of Amariah's was Jehohanan;

לִמְלוּכִי) [לִמְלִיכוּ] יֹונָתָן לִשְׁבַנְיָה יֹוסֵף׃   12:14

Nehe. 12:14   of Melicu's was Jonathan; of Shebaniah's was Joseph;

The word before the left parenthesis is the name Melicu, which is misspelled.  In the correction in the brackets, the vav and the yad are interchanged.

לְחָרִם עַדְנָא לִמְרָיֹות חֶלְקָי׃   12:15

Nehe. 12:15   of Harim's was Adna; of Meraioth's was Helkai;

לַעֲדָיָא) [לְעִדֹּוא] זְכַרְיָה לְגִנְּתֹון מְשֻׁלָּם׃   12:16

Nehe. 12:16   of Iddo's was Zechariah; of Ginnethon's was Meshullam;

The word before the left parenthesis is the name Iddo, which is misspelled.  In the correction in the brackets, the yad is replaced by a vav.

לַאֲבִיָּה זִכְרִי לְמִנְיָמִין לְמוֹעַדְיָה פִּלְטָי׃   12:17

Nehe. 12:17   of Abijah's was Zichri; of Miniamin's, of Moadiah's, was Piltai;

לְבִלְגָּה שַׁמּוּעַ לִשְׁמַעְיָה יְהוֹנָתָן׃   12:18

Nehe. 12:18   of Bilgah's was Shammua; of Shemaiah's was Jehonathan;

וּלְיוֹיָרִיב מַתְּנַי לִידַעְיָה עֻזִּי׃   12:19

Nehe. 12:19   and of Joiarib"s was Mattenai; of Jedaiah's was Uzzi;

לְסַלַּי קַלָּי לְעָמוֹק עֵבֶר׃   12:20

Nehe. 12:20   of Sallai's was Kallai; of Amok's was Ebed;

לְחִלְקִיָּה חֲשַׁבְיָה לִידַעְיָה נְתַנְאֵל׃   12:21

Nehe. 12:21   of Hilkiah's was Hashabiah; of Jedaiah's was Nethanel.

הַלְוִיִּם בִּימֵי אֶלְיָשִׁיב יוֹיָדָע וְיוֹחָנָן וְיַדּוּעַ כְּתוּבִים רָאשֵׁי אָבוֹת וְהַכֹּהֲנִים עַל־מַלְכוּת דָּרְיָוֶשׁ הַפָּרְסִי׃   12:22

Nehe. 12:22   Of the Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada and Johanan and Jaddua had been recorded heads of households, the priests too by the reign of Darius, the Persian.

בְּנֵי לֵוִי רָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים וְעַד־יְמֵי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן־אֶלְיָשִׁיב׃   12:23

Nehe. 12:23   Of the sons of Levi, the heads of households are recorded upon the book of the chronicles and up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib.

וְרָאשֵׁי הַלְוִיִּם חֲשַׁבְיָה שֵׁרֵבְיָה וְיֵשׁוּעַ בֶּן־קַדְמִיאֵל וַאֲחֵיהֶם לְנֶגְדָּם לְהַלֵּל לְהוֹדוֹת בְּמִצְוַת דָּוִיד   12:24

אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים מִשְׁמָר לְעֻמַּת מִשְׁמָר׃

Nehe. 12:24   And the heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their brethren were near them to praise, to give thanks according to the precept of David, the man of God, ward by ward.

מַתַּנְיָה וּבַקְבֻּקְיָה עֹבַדְיָה מְשֻׁלָּם טַלְמוֹן עַקּוּב שֹׁמְרִים שׁוֹעֲרִים מִשְׁמָר בַּאֲסֻפֵּי הַשְּׁעָרִים׃   12:25

Nehe. 12:25   Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were porters keeping the ward at the storehouses of the gates.

אֵלֶּה בִּימֵי יוֹיָקִים בֶּן־יֵשׁוּעַ בֶּן־יוֹצָדָק וּבִימֵי נְחֶמְיָה הַפֶּחָה וְעֶזְרָא הַכֹּהֵן הַסּוֹפֵר׃   12:26

Nehe. 12:26   These were in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua son of Jozadak and in the days of Nehemiah, the governor, and Ezra, the priest, the scribe.

Notice that Ezra and Nehemiah are mentioned here as being for a time contemporaries in Jerusalem.  Notice also that Nehemiah’s title is now expressed in the Hebrew as governor.  Could this mean that a different scribe entered this verse or chapter?

וּבַחֲנֻכַּת חוֹמַת יְרוּשָׁלִַם בִּקְשׁוּ אֶת־הַלְוִיִּם מִכָּל־מְקוֹמֹתָם לַהֲבִיאָם לִירוּשָׁלִָם לַעֲשֹׂת חֲנֻכָּה   12:27

  וְשִׂמְחָה וּבְתוֹדוֹת וּבְשִׁיר מְצִלְתַּיִם נְבָלִים וּבְכִנֹּרוֹת׃

Nehe. 12:27   And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought to get the Levites from all their places to bring them to Jerusalem to enhance the dedication and the gladness, and with thanksgivings and with the song of cymbals, lutes, and harps.

וַיֵּאָסְפוּ בְּנֵי הַמְשֹׁרְרִים וּמִן־הַכִּכָּר סְבִיבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם וּמִן־חַצְרֵי נְטֹפָתִי׃   12:28

Nehe. 12:28   And the sons of the singers gathered themselves, and from the plain around Jerusalem, and from the villages of the Netophathite,

וּמִבֵּית הַגִּלְגָּל וּמִשְּׂדוֹת גֶּבַע וְעַזְמָוֶת כִּי חֲצֵרִים בָּנוּ לָהֶם הַמְשֹׁרֲרִים סְבִיבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃   12:29

Nehe. 12:29   and from Beth-gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem.

וַיִּטַּהֲרוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם וַיְטַהֲרוּ אֶת־הָעָם וְאֶת־הַשְּׁעָרִים וְאֶת־הַחוֹמָה׃   12:30

Nehe. 12:30   And the priests and the Levites purified themselves; then they purified the people and the gates and the wall.

וָאַעֲלֶה אֶת־שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה מֵעַל לַחוֹמָה וָאַעֲמִידָה שְׁתֵּי תוֹדֹת גְּדוֹלֹת וְתַהֲלֻכֹת לַיָּמִין מֵעַל לַחוֹמָה   12:31

לְשַׁעַר הָאַשְׁפֹּת׃

Nehe. 12:31   And I had the princes of Judah come up upon the wall, and I set up two great thanksgiving choirs and processions to the right upon the wall toward the dung gate.

Two more exceptions to my theory of inverting vavs.  The first word, translated as and I had come up, is in error according to me.  The Hebrew should be עַָלַהתִי וַאֲנִי:.  And the Hebrew of the seventh word in the top line, translated as and I set up, should be וַאֲנִי אָמַרְתִי.

וַיֵּלֶךְ אַחֲרֵיהֶם הוֹשַׁעְיָה וַחֲצִי שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה׃   12:32

Nehe. 12:32   Then Hoshaiah went after them, and half the princes of Judah,

וַעֲזַרְיָה עֶזְרָא וּמְשֻׁלָּם׃   12:33

Nehe. 12:33   and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן וּשְׁמַעְיָה וְיִרְמְיָה׃   12:34

Nehe. 12:34   Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

וּמִבְּנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת זְכַרְיָה בֶן־יוֹנָתָן בֶּן־שְׁמַעְיָה בֶּן־מַתַּנְיָה בֶּן־מִיכָיָה בֶּן־זַכּוּר בֶּן־אָסָף׃   12:35

Nehe. 12:35   and some of the sons of the priests with trumpets, Zechariah son of Jonathan son of Shemaiah son of Mattaniah son of Micaiah son of maccur son of Asaph,

וְאֶחָיו שְׁמַעְיָה וַעֲזַרְאֵל מִלֲלַי גִּלֲלַי מָעַי נְתַנְאֵל וִיהוּדָה חֲנָנִי בִּכְלֵי־שִׁיר דָּוִיד אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וְעֶזְרָא   12:36

 הַסּוֹפֵר לִפְנֵיהֶם׃

Nehe. 12:36   and his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, and Judah, Hanani with implements of the song of David, the man of God.  And Ezra, the scribe, was in front of them.

וְעַל שַׁעַר הָעַיִן וְנֶגְדָּם עָלוּ עַל־מַעֲלוֹת עִיר דָּוִיד בַּמַּעֲלֶה לַחוֹמָה מֵעַל לְבֵית דָּוִיד וְעַד שַׁעַר הַמַּיִם   12:37

 מִזְרָח׃

Nehe. 12:37   And by the fountain gate and opposite them they went up by the stairs of the city of David on the incline to the wall above the house of David and eastward to the water gate.

וְהַתּוֹדָה הַשֵּׁנִית הַהוֹלֶכֶת לְמוֹאל וַאֲנִי אַחֲרֶיהָ וַחֲצִי הָעָם מֵעַל לְהַחוֹמָה מֵעַל לְמִגְדַּל הַתַּנּוּרִים   12:38

  וְעַד הַחוֹמָה הָרְחָבָה׃

Nehe. 12:38   And the other thanksgiving choir went in front, and I was after it.  And half of the people were upon the wall above the tower of furnaces and as far as the broad wall,

וּמֵעַל לְשַׁעַר־אֶפְרַיִם וְעַל־שַׁעַר הַיְשָׁנָה וְעַל־שַׁעַר הַדָּגִים וּמִגְדַּל חֲנַנְאֵל וּמִגְדַּל הַמֵּאָה וְעַד שַׁעַר   12:39

 הַצֹּאן וְעָמְדוּ בְּשַׁעַר הַמַּטָּרָה׃

Nehe. 12:39   even above the gate of Ephraim and by the old gate and by the fish gate and the tower of Hananel and the tower of Hammeah and up to the sheep gate, and they stood at the gate of the guard.

וַתַּעֲמֹדְנָה שְׁתֵּי הַתּוֹדֹת בְּבֵית הָאֱלֹהִים וַאֲנִי וַחֲצִי הַסְּגָנִים עִמִּי׃   12:40

Nehe. 12:40   So both of the choirs stood at the house of God; I also, and half the rulers with me,

וְהַכֹּהֲנִים אֶלְיָקִים מַעֲשֵׂיָה מִנְיָמִין מִיכָיָה אֶלְיוֹעֵינַי זְכַרְיָה חֲנַנְיָה בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת׃   12:41

Nehe. 12:41   and the priests, Eliakim, Masseiah, Minjamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, Hananiah, with trumpets,

וּמַעֲשֵׂיָה וּשְׁמַעְיָה וְאֶלְעָזָר וְעֻזִּי וִיהוֹחָנָן וּמַלְכִּיָּה וְעֵילָם וָעָזֶר וַיַּשְׁמִיעוּ הַמְשֹׁרְרִים וְיִזְרַחְיָה הַפָּקִיד׃   12:42

Nehe. 12:42   and Maaseiah, and Shamaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer, and the singers sang, and Jezrahiah, the overseer.

וַיִּזְבְּחוּ בַיּוֹם־הַהוּא זְבָחִים גְּדוֹלִים וַיִּשְׂמָחוּ כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים שִׂמְּחָם שִׂמְחָה גְדוֹלָה וְגַם הַנָּשִׁים    12:43

וְהַיְלָדִים שָׂמֵחוּ וַתִּשָּׁמַע שִׂמְחַת יְרוּשָׁלִַם מֵרָחוֹק׃

Nehe. 12:43   And they offered on that day great numbers of sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God caused them to rejoice a great rejoicing.   And also the women and the children rejoiced, so that the rejoicing of Jerusalem was heard for a long distance.

וַיִּפָּקְדוּ בַיּוֹם הַהוּא אֲנָשִׁים עַל־הַנְּשָׁכוֹת לָאוֹצָרוֹת לַתְּרוּמוֹת לָרֵאשִׁית וְלַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת לִכְנוֹס בָּהֶם   12:44

 לִשְׂדֵי הֶעָרִים מְנָאוֹת הַתּוֹרָה לַכֹּהֲנִים וְלַלְוִיִּם כִּי שִׂמְחַת יְהוּדָה עַל־הַכֹּהֲנִים וְעַל־הַלְוִיִּם הָעֹמְדִים׃

Nehe. 12:44   And men were appointed on that day over the chambers for the treasures, for the heave offerings, for the first fruit, and for the tithes, to gather them in according to the fields of the cities the portions instructed for the priests and the Levites, because of the joy of Judah over the priests and over the remaining Levites.

וַיִּשְׁמְרוּ מִשְׁמֶרֶת אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וּמִשְׁמֶרֶת הַטָּהֳרָה וְהַמְשֹׁרְרִים וְהַשֹּׁעֲרִים כְּמִצְוַת דָּוִיד שְׁלֹמֹה בְנֹו׃   12:45

Nehe. 12:45   And they kept the service of their God and the service of purification, and the singers and the porters, according to the commandment of David, of Solomon, his son.

כִּי־בִימֵי דָוִיד וְאָסָף מִקֶּדֶם (רֹאשׁ) [רָאשֵׁי] הַמְשֹׁרְרִים וְשִׁיר־תְּהִלָּה וְהֹדֹות לֵאלֹהִים׃   12:46

Nehe. 12:46   For in the days of David and of Asaph from of old there was a chief of the singers, and song of praise and thanksgiving to God.

The word in the parentheses, translated as a chief, is not misspelled according to me.  The alleged correction in the brackets makes the word plural, to be translated as chiefs.  I believe the phrase “in the days ... of Asaph, ... there was a chief ....” refers to Asaph himself and his successors and not to any others who were subordinate to him.

וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּימֵי זְרֻבָּבֶל וּבִימֵי נְחֶמְיָה נֹתְנִים מְנָיוֹת הַמְשֹׁרְרִים וְהַשֹּׁעֲרִים דְּבַר־יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ   12:47

 וּמַקְדִּשִׁים לַלְוִיִּם וְהַלְוִיִּם מַקְדִּשִׁים לִבְנֵי אַהֲרֹן׃

Nehe. 12:47   And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, were giving the portions of the singers and the porters, a daily occupation, and they were consecrating for the Levites, and the Levites were consecrating for the sons of Aaron.

What a time of holy ritual, spiritual joy, and great festivities!  I can’t think of a time when it was better, even if only for a short few years.

 

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