Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1 Chronicles 23

Introduction

1  David in his old age makes Solomon king.
2  The number and distribution of the Levites.
7  The families of the Gershonites.
12  The sons of Kohath.
21  The sons of Merari.
24  The office of the Levites.
Verse 1

So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.
A. M. 2989. B.C. 1015. An. Ex. Is. 476. old
29:28, Genesis 25:8, 35:29, 1 Kings 1:1, Job 5:26
he made
28:5, 29:22-25, 1 Kings 1:33-39
Verse 2

And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.
he gathered
13:1, 28:1, Joshua 23:2, 24:1, 2 Chronicles 34:29,30
Verse 3

Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.
the Levites
Numbers 4:2,3,23,30,35,43,47
thirty and eight
Numbers 4:48
Verse 4

Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges:
twenty
28-32, 6:48, 9:28-32, 26:20-27
set forward
or, oversee.
Nehemiah 11:9,22, Acts 20:28
officers and judges
26:29-31, Deuteronomy 16:18, 17:8-10, 2 Chronicles 19:8, Malachi 2:7
Verse 5

Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.
porters
9:17-27, 15:23,24, 16:38, 26:1-12, 2 Chronicles 8:14, 35:15, Ezra 7:7, Nehemiah 7:73
praised
6:31-48, 9:33, 15:16-22, 16:41,42, 25:1-7, 2 Chronicles 20:19-21, Psalms 87:7
the instruments
1 Kings 10:12, 2 Chronicles 29:25,26, Amos 6:5
Verse 6

And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
divided
2 Chronicles 8:14, 29:25, 31:2, 35:10, Ezra 6:18
courses
Heb. divisions.
24:1, 26:1
Gershon
Gershon, is called Gershom, in the parallel passage, simply by the mutation of noon, into mem.
6:1,16
Gershom
Exodus 6:16-24, Numbers 26:57,58
Verse 7

Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei.
Gershonites
6:17-20, 15:7, 26:21
Laadan
Laadan and Libni, seem to have been two distinct names of this person; but the variation of Shimi and Shimei exists only in the translation, the original being uniformly.
Exodus 6:17
Libni, Shimi
Verse 8

The sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.
Jehiel
15:18,20,21
Joel
6:33,34, 15:7,11,17
Verse 10

And the sons of Shimei were, Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.
Zina
Zina seems to be a mistake for Zizah; for both the LXX. and Vulgate read uniformly [Ziza] Ziza.
Zizah
Verse 11

And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father's house.
Zizah
had not many sons
Heb. did not multiply sons.
Verse 12

The sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.
sons of Kohath
6:2, Exodus 6:18, Numbers 3:27, 26:58
Verse 13

The sons of Amram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for ever.
The sons
6:3, Exodus 6:20, Numbers 3:27, 26:59
separated
Exodus 28:1-14, Numbers 18:1, Psalms 99:6, 106:16, Acts 13:2, Romans 1:1, Galatians 1:15, Hebrews 5:4
sanctify
Exodus 29:33-37,44, 40:9-15, Leviticus 10:10,17,18, 16:11-19,32,33, 17:2-6, Numbers 18:3-8
to burn incense
Exodus 30:6-10,34-38, Leviticus 10:1,2, 16:12,13, Numbers 16:16-18,35-40,46,47, 1 Samuel 2:28, 2 Chronicles 26:18-21, Luke 1:9, Revelation 8:3
to bless
Leviticus 9:22,23, Numbers 6:23-27, Deuteronomy 21:5
Verse 14

Now concerning Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.
the man
Deuteronomy 33:1, Psalms 90:1; *title
his sons
26:23-25
Verse 15

The sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eliezer.
Gershom
Exodus 2:22, 4:20, 18:3,4
Verse 16

Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief.
Shebuel
24:20, 25:20
Shubael
26:24
Verse 17

And the sons of Eliezer were, Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
the chief
or, the first.
26:25
were very many
Heb. were highly multiplied.
Verse 18

Of the sons of Izhar; Shelomith the chief.
Shelomith
24:22
Shelomoth
26:26
Verse 19

Of the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
Hebron
12, 15:9, 24:23
Verse 21

The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and Kish.
Merari
6, 6:20,30, 24:26-30
Mahli
Exodus 6:19
Mahali
Verse 22

And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters: and their brethren the sons of Kish took them.
had no sons
24:28
brethren
or, kinsmen. took them.
Numbers 36:6-8
Verse 23

The sons of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
Jeremoth
24:30
Jerimoth
Verse 24

These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward.
the sons of Levi
Numbers 10:17,21
after the house
Numbers 1:4, 2:32, 3:15,20, 4:34-49
by their polls
Numbers 1:2,18,22, 3:47
from the age
At first David appointed the Levites to serve from thirty years old and upwards; but considering, probably, that the temple which was about to be built, with its courts, chambers, etc., would require a more numerous ministry, he fixed this period, by this subsequent regulation, at twenty years and upwards. In the time of Moses, the age was from thirty years to fifty: here this latter period is not mentioned, probably because the service was not so laborious now; for the ark being fixed, they had no longer any burdens to carry; and therefore even an old man might continue to serve. See the Note on Nu 8:24.
twenty
3,27, Numbers 1:3, 4:3, 8:24, Ezra 3:8
Verse 25

For David said, The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever:
The Lord
22:18, 2 Samuel 7:1,11
that they may dwell in Jerusalem
or, and he dwelleth in Jerusalem.
1 Kings 8:13,27, Psalms 9:11, 68:16,18, 132:13,14, 135:21, Isaiah 8:18, Joel 3:21, Zechariah 8:3, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Colossians 2:9
Verse 26

And also unto the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof.
carry
Numbers 4:5,49, 7:9
Verse 27

For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above:
by the last
3,24, 2 Samuel 23:1, Psalms 72:20
numbered
Heb. numbers.
Verse 28

Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God;
office was to wait, etc
Heb. station was at the hand of Aaron.
18:17; *marg:; Nehemiah 11:24
for the service
4, 28:13, Numbers 3:6-9, 1 Kings 6:5, 2 Chronicles 31:11, Ezra 8:29, Nehemiah 13:4,5,9, Jeremiah 35:4, Ezekiel 41:6-11,26, 42:3,13
purifying
9:28,29, 2 Chronicles 29:5,18,19, 35:3-6,11-14
Verse 29

Both for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size;
for the shewbread
It was the priests' office to place this bread before the Lord; and it was their privilege to feed on the old loaves when they were replaced by the new.
9:31,32, Exodus 25:30, Leviticus 24:5-9, 1 Kings 7:48, 2 Chronicles 13:11, 29:18, Nehemiah 10:33, Matthew 12:4, Hebrews 9:2
the fine flour
9:29-34, Leviticus 6:20-23
unleavened
Leviticus 2:4-7, 7:9
pan
or, flat plate. for all manner of measure. The standards of all weights and measures were in the sanctuary; and therefore the Levites had the inspection of weights and measures of every kind, that no fraud might in this way be committed. Honesty is inseparably connected with piety; and hence the Levites, being sufficiently numerous, were employed to superintend the former, as well as the latter.
Leviticus 19:35,36, Numbers 3:50
Verse 30

And to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even;
stand
6:31-33, 9:33, 16:37-42, 25:1-7, 2 Chronicles 29:25-28, 31:2, Ezra 3:10,11, Psalms 135:1-3,19,20, 137:2-4, Revelation 5:8-14, 14:3
every morning
Exodus 29:39-42, Psalms 92:1-3, 134:1,2
Verse 31

And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD:
in the sabbaths
Leviticus 23:24,39, Numbers 10:10, Psalms 81:1-4, Isaiah 1:13,14
set feasts
Leviticus 23:1-17, Numbers 28:1-29
Verse 32

And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the LORD.
keep
9:27, Numbers 1:53, 1 Kings 8:4
the charge of the sons
Numbers 3:6-9,38

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