Nehemiah 12:23

Neh 12:23 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.

Ver. 23. In the book of the chronicles] sc. 1Ch 9:10, &c.

Johanan the son of Eliashib] That is, Jonathan, the grandchild of Eliashib, and the son of Joiada.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Neh 12:23-25. Written in the book of the Chronicles — That is, in the public annals or registers, in which the genealogies of the several families were recorded by the Jews with great exactness, as all persons agree. Ward over against ward — Or, by turns, one coming in when another went out, to attend in their courses, which are called wards. At the thresholds of the gates — To wit, of the temple, where the holy things were laid up, their watching-place being close by the thresholds of the gates.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 23. 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.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. The sons of Levi] Here we have the heading or title of another enrolment. The expression ‘the sons of Levi’ is to be noted, and compared with the mention of ‘the Levites’ in Neh_12:8; Neh_12:22. The whole house of Levi is probably intended, priests and Levites together.

in the book of the chronicles] Clearly not the same as our ‘Chronicles,’ although the title is the same; ‘the words of the days’ was the regular Hebrew term for annals of any kind. The book here referred to seems to have been an official document, and to have been brought down to the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib, hence presumably down to the close of the fifth century b.c.

even until the days … Eliashib] Some connect with the following verse.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the chief of the Levites,.... Here the thread of the history of Nehemiah, interrupted by the insertion of the two preceding verses, is carried from the priests to the Levites in the times of the third high priest:

Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel; these were singers, since it follows:

with their brethren over against them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, ward over against ward; which office of theirs they performed by turns in courses, as David under a divine direction ordered, see Ch1 23:5.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Chronicles. Not those which are now extant: but some records which regarded the families of the priests. See 1 Esdras ii. 61. --- The son, or grandson of Eliasib. The author refers to others records, ver. 26. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

In the book of the chronicles, i.e. in the public annals or registers, in which the genealogies of the several families were set down by the Jews with great exactness, as all persons agree.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. The sons of Levi — This expression comprehends both priests and Levites, and is therefore more general than the term the Levites, which is used in distinction from the priests.

The book of the Chronicles — Not our present book of “Chronicles,” but the public annals of the Jewish nation, from which all these registers were probably derived.

Until the days of Johanan — The preceding verse mentions registers kept until the reign of Darius the Persian, a date apparently later than the time of Johanan; and this favours the opinion of some that the mention of Darius and Jaddua is a later interpolation. But if this Persian king were Darius Nothus, then his reign and the days of Johanan were contemporaneous, and Nehemiah himself may have written these words.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Even until the days of Johanan. Why the practice of inserting the names in the book of the chronicles ceased at this date it is impossible to say, unless it was that the chronicles themselves ceased to be compiled. There certainly appears to be a long gap in the authentic Jewish annals between the close of the Old Testament canon and the composition of the First Book of the Maccabees. Johanan, the son of Eliashib. The "grandson" really, as appears by vers. 10, 11.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.