Nehemiah 12:19 — Word Study
WLCוּלְיוֹיָרִ֣יב מַתְּנַ֔י לִֽידַֽעְיָ֖ה עֻזִּֽי׃
BSAof JoiaribYôwyârîyb [Jehovah contends, a priestly clan] MattenaiMattᵉnay [a priest's name] of JedaiahYᵉdaʻyâh [known by Jehovah, a ruler's name] UzziʻUzzîy [strong, a Levite's name]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וּלְיוֹיָרִ֣יב | and of Joiarib | Conjunction, preposition, noun proper masculine |
| מַתְּנַ֔י | Mattenai | Noun proper masculine |
| לִֽידַֽעְיָ֖ה | of Jedaiah | Preposition, noun proper masculine |
| עֻזִּֽי׃ | Uzzi | Noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; |
| KJV | And of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; |
| ASV | and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; |
| YLT | and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; |
| WEB | of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; |
| BBE | And of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; |
The translations agree on the names in this verse, reflecting a consistent rendering across versions.
The verse is structured as a list of names, with each name introduced by a preposition, emphasizing their roles in the community.
2 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Nehemiah 12:19
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Genealogy of the Priests and Levitesgenerated
Nehemiah 12:19 lists the names of priests and Levites, emphasizing their roles and connections to the community after the exile. This verse is part of a larger genealogy that serves to establish the continuity of the priestly line and the importance of these figures in the restoration of worship in Jerusalem. The context reflects the efforts of Ezra and Nehemiah to re-establish the community's identity and religious practices.
Cross References
The Key Word — יוֹיָרִיב, u.le.yo.ya.Rivgenerated
The name יוֹיָרִיב (Yowyariyb) means 'Jehovah contends' and is associated with a priestly clan. It appears five times in the Hebrew Bible, indicating its significance among the Israelites, particularly during the Exile and Return period. The parsing shows it as a proper masculine noun, highlighting its role as a name rather than a common noun.
Joiarib was the head of the first of the 24 priestly courses established by David, linking this name to the priestly duties and responsibilities in the temple service. The name suggests a divine connection, emphasizing the role of God in the life of this clan.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In this study, the verse is read in the Berean Standard Bible, which translates the names straightforwardly.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of this verse consists of a series of noun phrases connected by prepositional phrases, indicating the lineage of each name. The finite verb is absent here, as the focus is on the listing of names rather than an action.
The order of names reflects a traditional Hebrew structure, where the conjunction 'and' introduces each new element, emphasizing the continuity of the priestly and Levitical lines.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יוֹיָרִיב as ιωιαριβ, maintaining the connection to the Hebrew name. This choice reflects a direct transliteration rather than a semantic shift, preserving the original meaning.
The translation of מַתְּנַי as μαθθαναι also shows a similar approach, focusing on the preservation of names within the genealogical context.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Nehemiah 12:19 lists the names of Joiarib, Mattenai, Jedaiah, and Uzzi, showing their importance as priests and Levites in the returning community. These names connect the people to their heritage and roles in the temple service.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Joiarib means 'Jehovah contends' and represents a priestly clan that played a significant role in the temple service.
Mattenai is a name meaning 'gift of Jehovah' and refers to several individuals, including a priest during the time of Ezra.
Jedaiah means 'Jehovah has known' and is associated with several figures in the Bible, including a priest and a ruler.
Uzzi means 'strong' and refers to a Levite mentioned in Nehemiah, indicating his strength and role in the community.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do the names in this verse reflect the identity of the community after the exile?
- What significance do you think these genealogical records hold for the people of Israel?
- In what ways can understanding our heritage strengthen our faith today?
- How can we honor the legacy of those who have served in spiritual leadership in our communities?
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Nehemiah 12:19 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryOf Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Nehemiah 12 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(12-26) List of representatives of Zerubbabel’s priests in the days of Joiakim; to which is added an account of the Levites in his day. Between these there is an interpolation (Nehemiah 12:22-23).
Read Charles John Ellicott on Nehemiah 12 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
Tyndale line
And of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
And of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
Vnder Ioiarib, Mattenai, vnder Iedaiah, Vzzi,
Strictly literal
and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
And of Joyarib, Matthenai; of Jeda'yah, 'Uzzi;
Mattenai was the leader of Joiarib, Uzzi was the leader of Jedaiah,
From the Latin
Of Joiarib, Mathanai: of Jodaia, Azzi:
Simplified
of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
And of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the names listed in this verse, with the Septuagint providing a direct word-for-word correspondence. There are no significant variations between these witnesses.
וּלְיוֹיָרִ֣יב מַתְּנַ֔י לִֽידַֽעְיָ֖ה עֻזִּֽי׃
4 of the 4 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Nehemiah 12:19
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
יוֹיָרִיב (Yowyariyb) refers to Joiarib, a name associated with several individuals from the tribe of Levi during the Exile and Return period. The name means 'Jehovah contends.' Notably, Joiarib was the head of the first of the 24 priestly courses in David's time and is mentioned in connection with Ezra and Nehemiah.
יְהוֹיָרִיב, יוֹיָרִיב n.pr.m. (י׳ pleadeth, or contendeth)
name of a priestly family
teacher in Ezra’s time
a Judaite
base
H3114 יְהוֹיָרִיב, יוֹיָרִיב
3114 Yowyariyb yo-yaw-reeb'
a form of 3080; Jojarib, the name of four
Israelites:--Joiarib.
see HEBREW for 03080
יוֹיָרִיב (yo.ya.riv) — Joiarib.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at 1Ch.9.10;
father of: Jedaiah (H3048); also called Jehoiarib at 1Ch.9.10;
Also named: ye.ho.ya.riv (יְהוֹיָרִיב "Jehoiarib" H3080H)
§ Joiarib = "Jehovah contends"
1) the head of the 1st of the 24 courses of priests in David's time
2) a teacher in the time of Ezra
3) a Judaite in the time of Nehemiah
יוֹיָרִיב (yo.ya.riv) — Joiarib.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.8.16
§ Joiarib = "Jehovah contends"
1) the head of the 1st of the 24 courses of priests in David's time
2) a teacher in the time of Ezra
3) a Judaite in the time of Nehemiah
יוֹיָרִיב (yo.ya.riv) — Joiarib.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.11.5;
son of: Zechariah (H2148W);
father of: Adaiah (H5718M)
Conj | Prep | N-proper — Conjunction · preposition · noun proper masculineHC/R/Npm
Joiarib
(whom Jehovah defends) = Jehoiarib. (1.) The founder of one of the courses of the priests (Neh. 11:10).
(2.) Neh. 11:5; a descendant of Judah.
(whom Jehovah defends.) A layman who returned form Babylon with Ezra. (Ezra 8:16) (B.C. 459.) The founder of one of the courses of priests, elsewhere called in full JEHOIARIB. (Nehemiah 12:6,19) A Shilonite --i.e. probably a descendant of Shelah the son of Judah. (Nehemiah 11:5) (B.C. before 536.)
chiding, or multiplying, of the Lord
מַתְּנַי (Mattnay) refers to a name meaning "gift of Jehovah." It denotes a priest and two Israelites mentioned during the time of Exile and Return, specifically in Ezra and Nehemiah, who had foreign wives. The word is derived from a root meaning "liberal." There are three distinct individuals named Mattenai in the biblical texts.
מַתְּנַי n.pr.m. (abbrev. fr. foregoing [n.gg.am]
a priest
name of two who took strange wives
base
H4982 מַתְּנַי
4982 Mattnay mat-ten-ah'ee
from 4976; liberal; Mattenai, the name of three
Israelites:--Mattenai.
see HEBREW for 04976
מַתְּנַי (mat.t.nay) — Mattenai.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.10.33
§ Mattenai = "gift of Jehovah"
1) a priest, son of Joiarib, in the time of Joiakim
2) an Israelite who had and put away his foreign wife in the time of Ezra
3) another Israelite who had and put away his foreign wife in the time of Ezra
מַתְּנַי (mat.t.nay) — Mattenai.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.10.37
§ Mattenai = "gift of Jehovah"
1) a priest, son of Joiarib, in the time of Joiakim
2) an Israelite who had and put away his foreign wife in the time of Ezra
3) another Israelite who had and put away his foreign wife in the time of Ezra
מַתְּנַי (mat.t.nay) — Mattenai.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.12.19
§ Mattenai = "gift of Jehovah"
1) a priest, son of Joiarib, in the time of Joiakim
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
(gift of Jehovah), a contraction of Mattaniah. Two Israelites who divorced their Gentile wives after the return from the Babylonish captivity. (Ezra 10:33,37) (B.C. 469.) A priest, son of Joiarib, in the time of Joiakim. (Nehemiah 12:19) (B.C. after 536.)
יְדַעְיָה (Yedaiah) means "Jehovah has known" and refers to a name associated with several individuals in the Old Testament, particularly priests. The name is derived from the roots for 'know' and 'Jah' (a form of Jehovah). It is linked to multiple figures, including a priest in Jerusalem and a man who returned with Zerubbabel, as noted in various passages.
יְדַעְיָה n.pr.m. priestly name
base
H3048 יְדַעְיָה
3048 Ykda`yah yed-ah-yaw'
from 3045 and 3050; Jah has known; Jedajah, the name of two
Israelites:--Jedaiah.
see HEBREW for 03045
see HEBREW for 03050
יְדַעְיָה (ye.da.yah) — Jedaiah.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at 1Ch.9.10;
son of: Joiarib (H3114)
§ Jedaiah = "Jehovah has known"
1) a priest in Jerusalem
2) a man who returned with Zerubbabel
3) a ruler of the priests in the days of Jeshua
4) a post exilic priest
5) one honoured by Jehovah, perhaps one of the above
יְדַעְיָה (ye.da.yah) — Jedaiah.
A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.7
§ Jedaiah = "Jehovah has known"
1) a priest in Jerusalem
2) a man who returned with Zerubbabel
3) a ruler of the priests in the days of Jeshua
4) a post exilic priest
5) one honoured by Jehovah, perhaps one of the above
יְדַעְיָה (ye.da.yah) — Jedaiah.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Neh.12.7
§ Jedaiah = "Jehovah has known"
1) a priest in Jerusalem
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculineHR/Npm
Jedaiah
(1.) Invoker of Jehovah. The son of Shimri, a chief Simeonite (1 Chr. 4:37).
(2.) One of those who repaired the walls of Jerusalem after the return from Babylon (Neh. 3:10).
(3.) Knowing Jehovah. The chief of one of the courses of the priests (1 Chr. 24:7).
(4.) A priest in Jerusalem after the Exile (1 Chr. 9:10).
A Simeonite, forefather of Ziza. (1 Chronicles 4:37) Son of Harumaph; a man who did his part in the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 3:10) (B.C. 446.)
the hand of the Lord; confessing the Lord
The Hebrew word עֻזִּי (Uzziy) means 'strong' and refers to several individuals in the Old Testament. It is derived from a root meaning 'forceful' and is associated with multiple figures, including Levites and members of the tribes of Issachar and Benjamin. The entries indicate that Uzzi is a name shared by at least six Israelites, but they do not provide significant disagreement among lexicons.
עֻזִּי n.pr.m.
Levites
name in Issachar
Benjamite name
base
H5813 עֻזִּי
5813 `Uzziy ooz-zee'
from 5810; forceful; Uzzi, the name of six
Israelites:--Uzzi.
see HEBREW for 05810
עֻזִּי (uz.zi) — Uzzi.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.6.5;
son of: Bukki (H1231H);
father of: Zerahiah (H2228)
§ Uzzi = "strong"
1) a Levite, son of Bukki and father of Zerahiah in the line of the high priest although apparently never high priest himself
2) son of Tola and grandson of Issachar
3) a Benjamite, son of Bela and head of a family of Benjamin
4) son of Michri and father of Elah and an ancestor of a family of returned exiles settling in Jerusalem. Maybe same as 3
5) a Levite, son of Bani, and an overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah
6) a priest, chief of the father's house of Jedaiah, in the time of Joiakim the high priest
7) one of the priests who helped Ezra in the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem. Maybe same as 6
עֻזִּי (uz.zi) — Uzzi.
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
uz'-i ('uzzi, perhaps "my strength"):
(1) A descendant of Aaron and high priest, unknown apart from these sources (1Ch 6:5,6,51 (Hebrew 5:31,32; 6:36); Ezr 7:4).
(2) An eponym of a family of Issachar (1Ch 7:2,3).
(3) Head of a Benjamite family (1Ch 7:7), or more probably of a Zebulunite family (see Curtis, Chron., 145-49).
Uzzi
The Lord is my strength. (1.) The son of Bukki, and a descendant of Aaron (1 Chr. 6:5, 51; Ezra 7:4).
(2.) A grandson of Issachar (1 Chr. 7:2, 3).
(3.) A son of Bela, and grandson of Benjamin (1 Chr. 7:7).
(4.) A Benjamite, a chief in the tribe (1 Chr. 9:8).
(5.) A son of Bani. He had the oversight of the Levites after the return from captivity (Neh. 11:22).
(6.) The head of the house of Jedaiah, one of “the chief of the priests” (Neh. 12:19).
(strong). Son of Bukki and father of Zerahiah, in the line of the high priests. (1 Chronicles 6:5,61; Ezra 7:4) Though Uzzi was the lineal ancestor of Zadok, it does not appear that he was ever high priest. He must have been contemporary with, but rather earlier than, Eli. (B.C. before 1161.) Son of Tola the son of Issachar. (1 Chronicles 7:2,3) (B.C. 1706.) Son of Bela, of the tribe of Benjamin. (1 Chronicles 7:7) (B.C. 1706.) Another, or the same, from whom descended some Benjamite houses, which were settled at Jerusalem after the return from captivity. (1 Chronicles 9:8) A Levite, son of Bani and overseer of the Levites…
my strength; my kid