The Names Of The Leaders Of Families Who Sealed The Sure Agreement (Nehemiah 10:1).
‘Now those who sealed were:'
Literally ‘on the seal were --.' The names are now given of the family heads who sealed the agreement. As we would expect the name of the Governor came first.
The Governor (Nehemiah 10:1 b).
‘ Nehemiah the governor (tirshatha), the son of Hacaliah,'
Nehemiah is named as the Tirshatha, a Persian title used of him elsewhere in this book (Nehemiah 8:9). It is used, probably of Sheshbazzar, in Nehemiah 7:65; Nehemiah 7:70 and in Ezra 2:63. Unusually for the list, where patronyms are not given, his father's name is given, but that was probably because he used the name with pride, and saw it as a matter of honour. It is the name by which he was identified when the book was introduced. It denoted his high status (Nehemiah 1:1).
‘And Zidkijah.' This may have been the name of Nehemiah's Scribe, or of his Deputy Governor. Compare Ezra 4:17; Ezra 4:23; Ezra 6:13 where the chancellor's scribe is referred to along with the chancellor. Alternately he could be the first of the priestly families, but this would go contrary to the parallel lists.