Nehemiah 12:20 kjv
Of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;
Nehemiah 12:20 nkjv
of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;
Nehemiah 12:20 niv
of Sallu's, Kallai; of Amok's, Eber;
Nehemiah 12:20 esv
of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;
Nehemiah 12:20 nlt
Kallai was leader of the family of Sallu.
Eber was leader of the family of Amok.
Nehemiah 12 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Neh 12:1-26 | "Now these are the priests and the Levites that went up..." | Context of lists for temple service organization. |
| Ezra 2:36-39 | "The priests: the children of Jedaiah... Immar..." | Priestly families returning with Zerubbabel. |
| Neh 7:39-42 | "The priests: the children of Jedaiah... Pashur..." | Parallel list of priestly families who returned from exile. |
| 1 Chr 9:10-13 | "And of the priests... also Adaiah... their brethren..." | Details on priests dwelling in Jerusalem after the exile. |
| Num 3:10 | "And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait..." | Establishing Aaron's family for priesthood. |
| Exod 29:9 | "and the priesthood shall be theirs for a perpetual statute..." | Priestly office as a perpetual covenant for Aaron's lineage. |
| Lev 21:10 | "And he that is the high priest among his brethren..." | Emphasizes the required purity and lineage of priests. |
| Heb 7:11-14 | "If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood..." | Contrasts the changing priesthood from Levi to Judah's line (Christ). |
| Heb 7:23-24 | "And they truly were many priests... but this man, because he continueth..." | The temporal nature of the Levitical priesthood vs. Christ's eternal one. |
| 1 Chr 24:1-19 | "Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron..." | David's organization of priestly divisions for orderly temple service. |
| 1 Cor 14:40 | "Let all things be done decently and in order." | Principle of divine order in worship and church administration. |
| Ezra 8:1-20 | "These are now the chief of their fathers, and this is the genealogy..." | Ezra's careful recording of genealogies for those returning. |
| Luke 3:23-38 | "Jesus... being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph..." | Jesus' genealogy establishing His royal lineage from David. |
| Matt 1:1-17 | "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David..." | Importance of lineage for Messianic claims. |
| Zech 3:7 | "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways..." | Encouragement for the high priest Jeshua (Joshua) to maintain faithfulness. |
| Rev 20:12 | "And the dead were judged out of those things which were written..." | Divine record-keeping in the books of heaven. |
| Rev 21:27 | "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth..." | Emphasis on names being recorded in the Book of Life for salvation. |
| Isa 43:7 | "Every one that is called by my name, whom I have created..." | God knows and identifies His people. |
| Rom 11:5 | "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according..." | The concept of a faithful remnant preserved by divine grace. |
| Phil 4:3 | "and Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names..." | Mention of names being in the book of life as a mark of God's people. |
| Ps 87:5-6 | "And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her..." | God's sovereign knowledge and registry of His people. |
Nehemiah 12 verses
Nehemiah 12 20 Meaning
Nehemiah 12:20 serves as a detailed entry in the historical record of the returned Jewish community. It meticulously lists the heads of specific ancestral priestly families ("Sallai", "Amok", "Hilkiah") and the names of the individuals ("Kallai", "Eber", "Hashabiah") who were their representatives or chief family members "in the days of Jeshua." This verse underscores the rigorous attention to lineage and established order within the re-forming post-exilic Israelite society, especially concerning the vital role of the priesthood in temple service.
Nehemiah 12 20 Context
Nehemiah chapter 12 focuses on the return to proper order and function within the Jewish community in Jerusalem after the rebuilding of the wall. Following the successful reconstruction under Nehemiah's leadership, the chapter lists the priests and Levites who returned from Babylonian exile in two main phases: first, with Zerubbabel and Jeshua (vv. 1-9); then, it details their successors in subsequent generations, particularly "in the days of Jeshua" the high priest (vv. 12-21, where verse 20 fits) and "in the days of Joiakim" (vv. 22-26). This detailed genealogical record was essential for ensuring the legitimacy and proper administration of temple services, particularly priestly duties and the collection of tithes, thus re-establishing the foundational elements of Israel's covenant life with God. The overall historical context is the post-exilic period (mid-5th century BC), when the identity and religious purity of the returning community were paramount.
Nehemiah 12 20 Word analysis
Of (מִן, min): This preposition indicates origin or association. In this context, it functions as "from the family of," "from the house of," or "affiliated with." It signifies the ancestral priestly division to which the subsequent name belongs.
Sallai (סַלָּי, Sallay): Mentioned earlier in Neh 12:7 as one of the chief priests who came back with Zerubbabel. Here, "Sallai" likely represents an ancestral head or the name of a priestly house. The precise purpose of the pairing (e.g., ancestor-descendant, or division head-chief within division) varies across scholarly interpretations but always signifies an established line of ministry.
Kallai (כַּלָּי, Kallay): This is the individual priest listed as heading the priestly line associated with Sallai during the specific time period (the days of Jeshua, the high priest). The careful listing of individuals succeeding earlier figures highlights continuity and proper succession.
Amok (עָמוֹק, 'Amoq): Similar to Sallai, Amok is another ancestral priestly name found in Neh 12:7. It signifies an established priestly family or lineage. The Hebrew term evokes a sense of depth or profundity, perhaps reflecting the deep roots of this family in the priestly tradition.
Eber (עֵבֶר, 'Ever): The name means "the region beyond" or "the other side." It's a common biblical name, famously the ancestor of Abraham (Gen 10:21-25), indicating deep Semitic roots. Here, Eber is the priest leading the Amok line. The name emphasizes ancient heritage.
Hilkiah (חִלְקִיָּה, Chilqiyah): Meaning "My portion is Yah" or "Yah is my portion." This is a significant name, notably borne by the high priest who discovered the Book of the Law during King Josiah's reign (2 Kgs 22:8). In this context, it represents another distinguished ancestral priestly house.
Hashabiah (חֲשַׁבְיָה, Chasabya): The name translates to "Yah has accounted" or "Yah has esteemed." This individual heads the priestly line of Hilkiah. The recurrence of "Yah" (YHWH, the Lord) in these priestly names often reflects the parents' faith and a deep theological meaning behind the identity of those consecrated to divine service.
"Of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber; of Hilkiah, Hashabiah": This pattern of pairing names signifies a systematic organizational record. It connects specific current leaders (Kallai, Eber, Hashabiah) to their foundational ancestral lines (Sallai, Amok, Hilkiah). This structure ensures that priestly duties, tithes, and lineage integrity are maintained across generations, critical for re-establishing proper temple worship and Israel's covenant relationship with God. It represents an organized, hierarchical structure rooted in tradition and divinely ordained patterns.
Nehemiah 12 20 Bonus section
The lists in Nehemiah, including this verse, emphasize divine faithfulness. Despite the exile, God preserved a remnant and orchestrated their return and the re-establishment of their national and spiritual identity. This precise recording stands as a testament to God's commitment to His promises regarding the continuation of Israel as His people, entrusted with divine revelation and the ministry of reconciliation. It also highlights the Israelites' practical commitment to obeying Torah, where lineage and order were paramount. This diligence in record-keeping for the priestly lines contrasts starkly with the spiritual disarray that characterized previous generations and underscores a renewed commitment to God's order for His house and His people.
Nehemiah 12 20 Commentary
Nehemiah 12:20, seemingly a mere list of names, holds profound significance. It reflects the meticulous care taken by the post-exilic community to re-establish and preserve the Levitical priesthood according to God's precise instructions. This detailed record-keeping was not for human pride but to ensure the purity, legitimacy, and functional order of temple worship, crucial for the spiritual health of a people reconnecting with their divine covenant. It testifies to the importance of accurate lineage for validating those who would stand before God on behalf of the nation. Beyond historical detail, this precise ordering foreshadows the meticulous nature of God's redemptive plan, which culminates in the ultimate Priesthood of Christ, not dependent on human lineage, but on divine appointment (Heb 7). The chapter as a whole demonstrates that true revival encompasses not only spiritual zeal but also practical order and adherence to God's established patterns for corporate worship and community life.