INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 23
In this chapter David makes Solomon king, 1 Chronicles 23:1, calls
together the princes, priests, and Levites, numbers the latter, and
assigns them their proper work, 1 Chronicles 23:2, divides them into
three classes, 1 Chronicles 23:6, when the number of them was t... [ Continue Reading ]
SO WHEN DAVID WAS OLD AND FULL OF DAYS,.... Perhaps was now in the
last year of his age, about seventy years old, though before he was
bedridden; see 1 Chronicles 28:2,
HE MADE SOLOMON HIS SON KING OVER ISRAEL; declared him to be his
successor; this was before the affair of Adonijah, for then he or... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE GATHERED TOGETHER ALL THE PRINCES OF ISRAEL,.... Ordered them
to be assembled, partly to acquaint them with his will and pleasure,
that Solomon should succeed him in the kingdom; and partly to settle
the order of the work and service of the temple; and therefore these
were convened
WITH THE... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE LEVITES WERE NUMBERED FROM THE AGE OF THIRTY YEARS, AND
UPWARD,.... So they were numbered in the days of Moses, and by his
order, and so they were now at first; though afterwards there was a
new reckoning of them, 1 Chronicles 23:24
AND THEIR NUMBER BY THEIR POSTS; or, according to their he... [ Continue Reading ]
OF WHICH TWENTY AND FOUR THOUSAND WERE TO SET FORWARD THE WORK OF THE
HOUSE OF THE LORD,.... To prepare for the work of the priests by
slaying the sacrifices, flaying them, cutting them in pieces, and
washing them, and bringing them to the altar; 1000 of these served
weekly in their turns:
AND SIX... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER FOUR THOUSAND WERE PORTERS,.... At the east, north, and south
gates of the temple, in their turns;
AND FOUR THOUSAND PRAISED THE LORD WITH THE INSTRUMENTS; were singers
in the temple, which in all made up 38,000:
WHICH I MADE, SAID DAVID, TO PRAISE THEREWITH; which instruments he
devised... [ Continue Reading ]
AND DAVID DIVIDED THEM INTO COURSES AMONG THE SONS OF LEVI,.... Into
three classes, according to the number of them, which follow: namely,
GERSHON, KOHATH, AND MERARI; see Exodus 6:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THE GERSHONITES WERE LAADAN AND SHIMEI. These two were the
immediate posterity of Gershon; are the same with Libni and Shimhi,
and heads of families, Exodus 6:17.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF LAADAN; THE CHIEF WAS JEHIAH, AND ZETHAM, AND JOEL. Not
his immediate sons, but some that descended from him.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF SHIMEI,.... Not him that was the son of Gershon, but a
descendant of Laadan, his son, as Kimchi observes:
SHELOMITH, AND HAZIEL, AND HARAN, THESE WERE THE CHIEF OF THE FATHERS
OF LAADAN; of the families that sprang from him.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SONS OF SHIMEI,.... The son of Gershon, and brother of Laadan,
according to Kimchi, which seems right:
WERE JAHATH, ZINA, AND JEUSH, AND BERIAH; THESE FOUR WERE THE SONS OF
SHIMEI; descendants of his in the times of David.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JAHATH WAS THE CHIEF,.... The prince and head of a family:
AND ZIZA THE SECOND; the same with Zina in 1 Chronicles 23:10, and is
there read Ziza in the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions:
BUT JEUSH AND BERIAH HAD NOT MANY SONS; so as to constitute distinct
families:
THEREFORE THEY WERE IN... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF KOHATH,.... The second son of Levi:
AMRAM, IZHAR, HEBRON, AND UZZIEL, FOUR; see Exodus 6:18.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF AMRAM; AARON AND MOSES,.... A son of Kohath, 1 Chronicles
23:2
AND AARON WAS SEPARATED; from the children of Israel, Exodus 28:1,
THAT HE SHOULD SANCTIFY THE MOST HOLY THINGS, HE AND HIS SONS FOR
EVER; by an holy use of them, and keeping them from all unholy and
profane uses; and this... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW CONCERNING MOSES THE MAN OF GOD,.... Raised up by him as a
prophet, admitted to great familiarity with him, a lawgiver from him,
and the ruler and guide of Israel under him through the wilderness:
HIS SONS WERE NAMED OF THE TRIBE OF LEVI; were only common Levites;
Moses had no ambition to grati... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF MOSES WERE GERSHOM AND ELIEZER. See Exodus 18:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THE SONS OF GERSHOM, SHEBUEL WAS THE CHIEF. Of the posterity of
Gershom in the times of David, called Shubael, 1 Chronicles 24:20, the
Targum makes him to be the same with Jonathan, Judges 18:30. l
l So in Hieron. Trad. Heb. in Paralipom. fol. 84. c.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SONS OF ELIEZER WERE REHABIAH THE CHIEF,.... The first and
only begotten, as it follows:
AND ELIEZER HAD NONE OTHER SONS; before nor after him:
BUT THE SONS OF REHABIAH WERE VERY MANY; or greatly multiplied; not,
as the Targum says, above 600,000; the number of Israel, as the Jewish
writer... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THE SONS OF IZHAR,.... Another son of Kohath, the son of Levi, 1
Chronicles 23:12.
SHELOMITH THE CHIEF; the principal descendant of Izhar at this time.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 19-21. OF THE SONS OF HEBRON,.... A third son of Kohath, 1
Chronicles 23:12,
JERIAH THE FIRST, AMARIAH THE SECOND, JAHAZIEL THE THIRD, AND JEKAMEAM
THE FOURTH: OF THE SONS OF UZZIEL; another son of Kohath, 1 Chronicles
23:12,
MICAH THE FIRST, JESIAH THE SECOND: THE SONS OF MERARI, MAHLI AND
M... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Chronicles 23:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Chronicles 23:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ELEAZAR DIED, AND HAD NO SONS, BUT DAUGHTERS,.... And so none to
succeed him in his office and service:
AND THEIR BRETHREN THE SONS OF KISH TOOK THEM; married them, their
uncle's sons, their own cousins.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SONS OF MUSHI,.... The other son of Merari:
MAHLI; so called from his uncle, his father's brother:
AND EDER AND JERIMOTH, THREE; mentioned again 1 Chronicles 24:30.... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE WERE THE SONS OF LEVI, AFTER THE HOUSE OF THEIR FATHERS,....
According to the three classes of them, as descending from the three
sons of Levi:
[EVEN] THE CHIEF OF THE FATHERS; or heads of families:
AS THEY WERE COUNTED BY NUMBER OF NAMES BY THEIR POLLS; or according
to their heads, one by o... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR DAVID SAID,.... As a reason why he ordered a new account to be
taken:
THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL HATH GIVEN REST UNTO HIS PEOPLE: from all their
enemies round about, and settled rest in the land, so that there was
no danger of being carried captive, as they were time after time in
the days of the J... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALSO UNTO THE LEVITES,.... Or with respect to them:
THEY SHALL NO MORE CARRY THE TABERNACLE: on their shoulders, from
place to place, as they had done:
NOR ANY VESSELS OF IT FOR THE SERVICE THEREOF; and so the service of
it did not require men at their full strength, but such as were but
twent... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR BY THE LAST WORDS OF DAVID,.... Or therefore by the last orders he
gave before his death:
THE LEVITES WERE NUMBERED FROM TWENTY YEARS OLD AND ABOVE; as able and
sufficient to do the work of their office.... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE THEIR OFFICE WAS TO WAIT ON THE SONS OF AARON,.... The
priests:
FOR THE SERVICE OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD; to assist them therein, and
not to bear burdens as in times past; the Targum is,
"wherefore the place of their habitations was by the side of the sons
of Aaron, for the worship of the... [ Continue Reading ]
BOTH FOR THE SHEWBREAD,.... Also to make and get that ready every week
for the priests to set on the shewbread table, when they took off the
other that had stood a week, see 1 Chronicles 9:32
AND FOR THE FINE FLOUR FOR MEAT OFFERING, AND FOR THE UNLEAVENED
CAKES, AND FOR THAT WHICH IS BAKED IN THE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TO STAND EVERY MORNING TO THANK AND PRAISE THE LORD,.... The
office of others of them was to sing the praises of God, both vocally
and with instruments of music, at the time of the morning sacrifice:
AND LIKEWISE AT EVEN; at the time of the evening sacrifice, by way of
thankfulness for the merc... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TO OFFER ALL BURNT SACRIFICES UNTO THE LORD,.... This was the work
of the priests to offer such sacrifices, and not the Levites; but the
meaning is, according to the Targum, and so Kimchi, that these not
only sung the praises of God morning and evening, but at all times
when burnt offerings were... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THAT THEY SHOULD KEEP THE CHARGE OF THE TABERNACLE OF THE
CONGREGATION,.... That no unclean persons entered into it, and that
none of the vessels were carried out of it; this was the business of
the porters:
AND THE CHARGE OF THE HOLY PLACE; of things that belonged unto it, the
vessels in it, a... [ Continue Reading ]