Verses 9-13
The Names Of The Leading Levites Who Sealed The Agreement (Nehemiah 10:9-13 ).
‘And the Levites:’
Next come the names of the leading Levites. But they were much more involved with the people than the priests (as chapter 9 has made clear). Thus their heading comes prior to their names.
‘Namely, Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel;’
The three chief Levites are named first. Compare for these names Nehemiah 8:7, where these three also come first, and Nehemiah 12:8 which makes clear that they are family names (for that three came with Zerubbabel).
They are then followed by ‘their brothers’.
‘And their brothers, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,’ 10:11 ‘Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,’ 10:12 ‘Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,’ 10:13 ‘Hodiah, Bani, Beninu.’
Note how six of these are named among the Levites involved in the expounding of the Law in chapter Nehemiah 8:7, namely Jeshua, Bani (Binnui), Sherebiah, Hodiah (Hodijah), Kelita, Hanan (Hanin). Furthermore a Sherebiah was a prominent Levite member of Ezra’s expedition (Ezra 8:18). The repetition of names such as Shebaniah and Hodiah is an indication of how common such names were, especially among the Levites.
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