Organisation of the Levites (first account) Two accounts are given of David's organisation of the Levites. According to the first the Levites were admitted to service at thirty years of age; 1 Chronicles 23:3; cp. Numbers 4:3; Numbers 4:23; Numbers 4:30, where the period from thirty to fifty is fix... [ Continue Reading ]
_by their polls_ Lit. _by their skulls_. "Poll" is an almost obsolete word for "head," retained in the compound word, "poll-tax." _thirty and eight thousand_ A great increase since the time of Moses; the males from a month old and upwards are reckoned at 22,000 in Numbers 3:39 and at 23,000 in Numb... [ Continue Reading ]
_twenty and four thousand_ These were divided into courses (1 Chronicles 23:6), serving by turn, apparently twenty-four in number, consisting each of a thousand men. The priests also were divided into a corresponding number of courses (1 Chronicles 24:4; 1 Chronicles 24:18). _to set forward the work... [ Continue Reading ]
_porters_ R.V. DOORKEEPERS. The courses and duties of these are given in 1 Chronicles 26:1-19. _four thousand praised the Lord_ Cp. 1 Chronicles 25:1-31, from which it appears that there was also a picked choir consisting of 288 persons, divided into twenty-four courses, whose special duty was psal... [ Continue Reading ]
_the sons of Levi_ Cp. 1Ch 6:1; 1 Chronicles 6:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Laadan and Shimei_ For "Laadan" (R.V. LADAN) here and in 1 Chronicles 26:21 we have in 1 Chronicles 6:17 and Exodus 6:17 "Libni.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The sons of Shimei_ This Shimei in distinction from the Shimei of 1 Chronicles 23:7; 1 Chronicles 23:10 was probably a descendant of Ladan or a client of his house.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Zina_ In 1 Chronicles 23:11 _Zizah_; the two words are readily confused in Hebrew writing.... [ Continue Reading ]
_they were in one reckoning, according to_their _father's house_ R.V. THEY BECAME A FATHERS" HOUSE IN ONE RECKONING.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The sons of Kohath_ Cp. 1 Chronicles 6:2; 1 Chronicles 6:18; Exodus 6:18. 13 _separated_ i.e. set apart, sometimes with the additional meaning of making a distinction between sacred and common. Cp. Romans 1:1, where St Paul describes himself as _separated unto the gospel of God_; Acts 13:2; Galati... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now_concerning _Moses_ R.V. BUT AS FOR MOSES. _of the tribe of Levi_ R.V. AMONG THE TRIBE OF LEVI. The descendants of Moses as distinguished from those of Aaron had the standing, not of priests but of Levites.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Gershom and Eliezer_ Cp. Exodus 18:3-4.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Of the sons_ R.V. THE SONS. Cp. 1 Chronicles 2:31, where the plural, _The sons_, is thrice followed by a single name only. _Shebuel_ In 1 Chronicles 24:20 Shubael; so LXX. here.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Rehabiah_ Cp. 1 Chronicles 24:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Shelomith_ In 1 Chronicles 24:22, _Shelomoth_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Of _the sons of Hebron_ R.V. THE SONS OF HEBRON. Cp. 1 Chronicles 24:23.... [ Continue Reading ]
Of _the sons of Uzziel_ R.V. THE SONS OF UZZIEL. Cp. 1 Chronicles 24:24. Nine Kohathite families seem to be here reckoned.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The sons of Merari_ Cp. 1 Chronicles 24:26. _The sons of Mahli_ Cp. 1 Chronicles 24:28-29.... [ Continue Reading ]
_their brethren_ Their kinsmen. _took them_ R.V. TOOK THEM TO WIFE.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The sons of Mushi_ Cp. 1 Chronicles 24:30.... [ Continue Reading ]
_after the house of their fathers_; even _the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names_ R.V. AFTER THEIR FATHERS" HOUSES, EVEN THE HEADS OF THE FATHERS" HOUSES OF THOSE OF THEM THAT WERE COUNTED, IN THE NUMBER OF NAMES.... [ Continue Reading ]
Organization of the Levites (second account) Cp. note at the beginning of the last paragraph.... [ Continue Reading ]
_that they may dwell_ R.V. AND HE DWELLETH. More literally, _and he hath taken up his abode_, LXX. καὶ κατεσκήνωσεν.... [ Continue Reading ]
_unto the Levites_; they _shall no_more _carry_ R.V. THE LEVITES SHALL NO MORE HAVE NEED TO CARRY.... [ Continue Reading ]
_by the last words of David, the Levites_were _numbered, from twenty_etc.] Render, IN THE LAST ACTS OF DAVIT IS contained THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF LEVI FROM TWENTY YEARS OLD AND UPWARD.... [ Continue Reading ]
Duties of the Levites 28. _their office_was _to wait on_ Literally, _their station was at the hand of_. For the phrase _at the hand of_cp. Psalms 123:2, _as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their master_. _the chambers_ Cp. 1 Chronicles 9:26, note.... [ Continue Reading ]
_for the shewbread_ i.e. for the preparation of the shewbread. _meat offering_ R.V. MEAL OFFERING. Cp. Leviticus 2:1; Leviticus 2:4-5. _and for the unleavened cakes, and for_that which is baked in _the pan_ R.V. WHETHER OF UNLEAVENED WAFERS, OR OF THAT WHICH IS BAKED IN THE PAN. _and for that whi... [ Continue Reading ]
_every morning … and likewise at even_ Corresponding with the daily morning and evening sacrifice; cp. Exodus 29:38-39.... [ Continue Reading ]
_to offer_ The Levites" duty was to give any help short of actually offering the victim on the altar and sprinkling the blood. See 2 Chronicles 29:21-27; 2 Chronicles 30:16-17; 2 Chronicles 35:10-11. _the set feasts_ i.e. the three yearly feasts; Exodus 23:14-17. _by number, according to the order... [ Continue Reading ]
_the tabernacle of the congregation_ R.V. THE TENT OF MEETING. _the charge of the holy_place] The limits within which this charge was confined are given Numbers 4:15. Not all Levites, but only the sons of Kohath had this particular charge. _the charge of the sons of Aaron_ Cp. Numbers 18:1-7.... [ Continue Reading ]