Nehemiah 10:2

Seraiah. The 21 names following those of Nehemiah and his secretary are designated as “priests” (v. 8). Among these, the high priestly house of Seraiah had, appropriately, precedence. Of all the 21 names, 15 occur in ch. 12:2-7 as leading priests who came up with Jeshua and Zerubbabel from Babylon, and in ch. 12:12-21 as heads of priestly houses. Hence it is obvious these 21 men who signed the agreement did so as heads of their respective families and courses (see on Neh. 12; Luke 1:5).