Nehemiah 12:21

It will be observed that the names in Neh_12:1-9 appear again with but a few changes in Neh_12:12-21, and many of them are also identical with names in the list of Neh_10:1-13. According to Keil, “the difference between the names in the two lists of chapters 10 and 12 is to be explained simply by the fact that the names of those who sealed the covenant, Nehemiah 10, are names neither of orders nor houses, but of heads of houses living in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. Of these names a portion coincides, indeed, with the names of the orders and houses, while the rest are different. The sameness of names does not, however, prove that the individuals belonged to the house whose name they bore. On the contrary, it appears from Neh_12:13; Neh_12:16, that of two Meshullams, one was the head of the house of Ezra, the other of the house of Ginnethon.”

The names of the priests in Neh_12:1-7 are twenty-two, all descendants of Jedaiah, Immer, Pashur, and Harim, named in Neh_7:39-42. According to the Talmud, “four divisions of priests returned from captivity, namely, Jedaiah, Harim, Pashur, and Immer. These the prophets of the returned captives again divided into twenty-four; whereupon their names were written upon tickets and put in an urn, from which Jedaiah drew five, and each of the other three before-named divisions as many. It was then ordained by those prophets that even if the division of Jehoiarib (1Ch_24:7) should return, Jedaiah should, nevertheless, retain his position, and Jehoiarib should be associated with him.” In all this we observe how the returned exiles struggled to restore and preserve their ancient institutions and orders.