Nehemiah 10:1

THOSE WHO SEALED THE COVENANT; TERMS OF THE COVENANT

This writer finds it impossible to believe the flat declaration of Bowman that, "Nehemiah 10:1-27 are interpolated,"[1] there being no historical evidence whatever of such a thing. The critical scholars seek to connect those verses with the Book of Ezra, but that notion is refuted absolutely by the fact that, of the families who returned (in the Book of Ezra), only fourteen of them are found in the list here of those who sealed the covenant; therefore these twenty seven verses belong exactly where they are in the Book of Nehemiah. We have already noted the defense of Y. Kaufmann who maintained that this chapter is a unit with Nehemiah 8 and Nehemiah 9, and that it belongs exactly where it is.[2]

The last verse of Nehemiah 9 states that, "Our princes, our Levites, and our priests seal unto it" (Nehemiah 9:38); and some scholars state that the list of these appears in reverse order,[3] but the principle difference is that in Nehemiah 10 (1) the princes are first (Nehemiah the governor), (2) then the priests, and (3) then the Levites. Thus, the principal difference is the reversal of the position of the priests and Levites, which is explained by the fact that in Nehemiah 9 the Levites are clearly the religious leaders of the confession and prayer, whereas in Nehemiah 10, where the sealing of the document takes place, the priests, who ranked higher than the Levites, naturally had preference in the order of their signing.

The actual signing of the covenant was apparently made by various groups, heads of houses, and officials, including some individuals, who affixed their seal instead of writing a signature. "The large number of such seals uncovered in recent excavations in Palestine shows that there is nothing improbable about this."[4]

We have noted already the reluctance of the priesthood, and even the treachery of some of them; but it is not surprising that they, seeing the popularity of the covenant, and following the lead of the governor Nehemiah, readily affixed their seals to it.

THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO SEALED

"Now those that sealed were Nehemiah, the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, Hattasuh, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Maremoth, Obadiah, Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah: these were the priests. And the Levites: namely, Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the son of Henadad, Kadmiel; and their brethren, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, Micah, Rehob, Hashabiah, Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Bani, Beninu. The chiefs of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, Hariph, Anathoth, Nobai, Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, and Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, Malluch, Harim, Baanah."

"Zedekiah" (Nehemiah 10:1). The identity of this person is not known. Some have supposed him to have been the same as Zadok (but Zadok is found in Nehemiah 10:21); others have imagined that he must have been the governor's secretary, which is as good a guess as any.

For all who wonder where the name of Ezra may be in this list, Cook's opinion offers the solution that, "The seal of the high-priestly house of Seraiah was probably appended, either by Ezra personally, or by Eliashib, both of whom were members of that house."[5]