Nehemiah 12:1 - Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Priests — The chief of the priests, the heads of those twenty four courses which David appointed by divine direction, 1 Chronicles 24:1-19. And whereas there were twenty four, and here but twenty — two, and Nehemiah 12:12, &c. only twenty, the reason of this difference may be, because two of the twenty four courses were extinct in Babylon, and two of the persons here named, Nehemiah 12:2, Nehemiah 12:5, Hattush, and Maadiah, may be omitted in the account of the posterity of these, Nehemiah 12:12, &c. because they had no posterity. Ezra — Either this was another Ezra, or if it were the same mentioned Ezra 7:1, he lived to a great age; which may well be supposed, considering his great sobriety, and his great piety to which God promised long life, and withal the special providence of God continuing him so long in such a season, wherein the church of God did greatly need his help and counsel.