1 Chronicles 23:1-7

1 David had now grown old; he had lived many years; so he made Shlomo his son king over Isra'el.

2 Then he assembled all the leaders of Isra'el, with the cohanim and L'vi'im.

3 A census of L'vi'im thirty years old and over was taken, and their number came to 38,000.

4 Of these, 24,000 were to oversee the work on the house of ADONAI, while 6,000 were officials and judges

5 4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 sang praise to ADONAI "with the instruments I made for the purpose of singing praise."

6 David organized them into divisions named after the sons of Levi - Gershon, K'hat and M'rari.

7 For the Gershuni: La'dan and Shim'i.

1 Chronicles 23:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 23

In this chapter David makes Solomon king, 1Ch 23:1, calls together the princes, priests, and Levites, numbers the latter, and assigns them their proper work, 1Ch 23:2-5, divides them into three classes, 1Ch 23:6-23, when the number of them was taken from twenty years of age, and upwards; the reasons of which are given, partly from the rest the land enjoyed, and partly from the several branches of their work and office in the temple, 1Ch 23:24-32.