And in the days of Joiakim were priests, the heads of the fathers' houses: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;
All Commentaries on Nehemiah 12:12 Go To Nehemiah 12
Bede
AD 735
And in the days of Joiakim, these were the priests and heads of the families: of Seraiah's family, Meraiah, and so on. After the succession of the high priests has been described, a catalogue of the lesser priests and Levites who existed in their time is also added so that we may know that after many citizens were gathered in Jerusalem, there was also an excellent and most noble assembly of priests and Levites sufficient to provide for the services of the temple and altar, to confess and praise God, for the guardianship of the temple and city, and to educate the people. And it was not done without the understanding of a more sacred mystery that the rebuilt city of Jerusalem deserved a greater multitude of citizens in every rank and order than it is ever said to have lost when the enemy was attacking and destroying it. For in the same way the Holy Church often receives greater gains from her losses when, by one person's lapse through carelessness into sin, many are frightened by his example and become more careful to continue steadfastly in the purity of the faith; often these same people who have sinned begin, after they have done penance, to bear greater fruits of good works than they used to bear before the invasion of sin; often, when the Church has been ravaged by heretics and after she recovers the light of truth through the perseverance of catholic teachers, /1525/ she has given birth to more sons in order that they might come to know and uphold the reason of this same truth which has been restored. For never would the blessed Fathers Athanasius, Ambrose, Hilary, Augustine and others like them have composed so many and such splendid treatises on Holy Scripture if so much manifold error of heretics had not arisen against the true faith. But as long as heretics were striving to build their falsehood onto the testimonies of the Scriptures, the Fathers from the opposite side were forced to refute them by the authority of these same Scriptures and to discuss how the words of these should be understood rightly. We too, by re-reading these writings of theirs today, receive as it were more vigilant guardians at the gates and vestibules of the holy city and temple and more numerous servants for the office of the altar and sacrifices of the Lord, because through their sayings we are educated for the guardianship of the faith and of good works and for serving attentively in the sight of the divine majesty.1 This also can be understood mystically concerning the persecution by the Gentiles by which “378” the Holy Church was very often shaken: for though with the killing of the martyrs she seemed to be on the point of complete destruction, she was built up even better when they were crowned in secret. As miraculous happenings shone forth after their death, even more people would flock to the profession of the faith until the very pinnacle of the worldly empire also agreed to submit its neck to Christ's most agreeable yoke,2 so that the state of the holy city (i.e. Christ's Church), which had long been assaulted by unbelieving kings, was at last aided and propagated by the perseverance of believing kings and rulers of this world, just as the kings /1550/ of the Chaldeans (whose name means 'ferocious' or 'like demons')3 destroyed the city of Jerusalem but the kings of the Persians (who are said to mean 'tempted')4 restore it with same people who have sinned begin, after they have done penance, to bear greater fruits of good works than they used to bear before the invasion of sin; often, when the Church has been ravaged by heretics and after she recovers the light of truth through the perseverance of catholic teachers, /1525/ she has given birth to more sons in order that they might come to know and uphold the reason of this same truth which has been restored. For never would the blessed Fathers Athanasius, Ambrose, Hilary, Augustine and others like them have composed so many and such splendid treatises on Holy Scripture if so much manifold error of heretics had not arisen against the true faith. But as long as heretics were striving to build their falsehood onto the testimonies of the Scriptures, the Fathers from the opposite side were forced to refute them by the authority of these same Scriptures and to discuss how the words of these should be understood rightly. We too, by re-reading these writings of theirs today, receive as it were more vigilant guardians at the gates and vestibules of the holy city and temple and more numerous servants for the office of the altar and sacrifices of the Lord, because through their sayings we are educated for the guardianship of the faith and of good works and for serving attentively in the sight of the divine majesty.1 This also can be understood mystically concerning the persecution by the Gentiles by which “378” the Holy Church was very often shaken: for though with the killing of the martyrs she seemed to be on the point of complete destruction, she was built up even better when they were crowned in secret. As miraculous happenings shone forth after their death, even more people would flock to the profession of the faith until the very pinnacle of the worldly empire also agreed to submit its neck to Christ's most agreeable yoke,2 so that the state of the holy city (i.e. Christ's Church), which had long been assaulted by unbelieving kings, was at last aided and propagated by the perseverance of believing kings and rulers of this world, just as the kings /1550/ of the Chaldeans (whose name means 'ferocious' or 'like demons')3 destroyed the city of Jerusalem but the kings of the Persians (who are said to mean 'tempted')4 restore it with Lord, and confess to the remembrance of his holiness.1 For they celebrate the dedication with song and thanksgiving when with a mind rejoicing in the Lord they welcome whatever has happened in the world, be it adverse or favorable; they celebrate too with cymbals, harps and lyres when they cause the pleasing sounds of good works to ascend to the ears of their Creator and when they also enkindle the hearts of their neighbors with these to the love of this Creator and Savior.
