1 Chronicles 9:1-34

The Genealogy of Returned Exiles

1 So all Israel was enrolled in genealogy. And behold, they were written in the book of the kings of Israel. And Judah was taken away to Babylon on account of their sin.
2 Now the first inhabitants who [were settled] on their property in their cities [in] Israel [were] the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants.
3 And some of the people of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem:
4 Uthai the son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, from the sons of Perez, the son of Judah.
5 And from the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn and his sons.
6 And from the sons of Zerah: Jeuel and their brethren, six hundred and ninety.
7 And from the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah;
8 Ibneah the son of Jeroham; Elah the son of Uzzi, son of Michri; Meshullam the son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah;
9 and their brethren according to their generations, nine hundred and fifty-six. All these men [were] the heads of the {families} in the house of their fathers.
10 And from the priests: Jedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jakin;
11 Azariah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the commander of the house of God;
12 Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malkijah; Maasai the son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer;
13 and their kinsmen, heads of the house of their fathers, one thousand seven hundred and sixty mighty men [for] the work of the service of the house of God.
14 And from the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, from the sons of Merari;
15 Bakbakkar; Heresh; Galal; Mattaniah the son of Mica, son of Zicri, son of Asaph;
16 Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah the son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of Netophathite.
17 And the gatekeepers [were] Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brethren (Shallum [was] the chief);
18 until then they [were] gatekeepers at the gate of the king on the east [side] toward the camps of the Levites.
19 And Shallum the son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his kinsmen of the house of his fathers, the Korahites, [were] over the work of the service, the guardians of the entrances to the tent, and their fathers [were] over the camp of Yahweh, guardians of the entrance.
20 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the leader over them {in time past}; Yahweh [was] with him.
21 Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah [was] gatekeeper at the doorway to the tent of assembly.
22 All of them were chosen as gatekeepers at the entrances, two hundred and twelve. They were enrolled by genealogies in their villages. They [were] established [by] David and Samuel the seer on account of their faithfulness.
23 So they and their sons [were] over the gates of the house of Yahweh at the house of the tent as guards.
24 The gatekeepers [were] on four sides: east, west, north, and south.
25 And their brethren in their villages [were] to come [every] seven days {by turn} [to be] with these.
26 For the four mighty gatekeepers, they who [were] Levites, {were entrusted} and [were] over the chambers and over the storerooms of the house of God.
27 And they lodged all around the house of God, for upon them [was] a responsibility. And {they had charge of opening [the house of God] every morning}.
28 And some of them [were] over the utensils of the service, for {they count them} [when] they are brought in and {they count them} [when] they are brought out.
29 And some of them were appointed over the objects, over the objects of the sanctuary, and over the wheat flour and the wine, the olive oil, the frankincense, and the spices.
30 And some of the sons of the priests mixed the fragrant ointment for the spices.
31 And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite and {was entrusted} with the work of the pan breads.
32 And from the sons of the Kohathites, some of their kinsmen [were] over the {showbread} to prepare [it] {every Sabbath}.
33 Now these [were] the singers; the heads of the {families} of the Levites [were] in the chambers free from other service, for day and night [they were] over them on the service.
34 These [were] the heads of the {families} of the Levites according to their genealogies, leaders. These lived in Jerusalem.

1 Chronicles 9:1-34 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 9

The genealogies of the several tribes being given, according as they were written in the books of the kings of Israel, 1Ch 9:1, an account follows of those who first settled in Jerusalem after their return from the Babylonish captivity; of the Israelites, 1Ch 9:2-9, of the priests, 1Ch 9:10-13 of the Levites, and of the charge and offices of several of the priests and Levites, 1Ch 9:14-34, and the chapter is concluded with a repetition of the genealogy of the ancestors and posterity of Saul king of Israel, 1Ch 9:35-44.

Footnotes 15

  • [a]. According to the reading tradition (Qere)
  • [b]. According to the reading tradition (Qere)
  • [c]. Literally "fathers"
  • [d]. Or "before"
  • [e]. Or "meeting"
  • [f]. Literally "from time to time"
  • [g]. Literally "they in their faithfulness"
  • [h]. Literally "they [were] over the key and to morning to morning"
  • [i]. Literally "in number"
  • [j]. Literally "in number"
  • [k]. Literally "in faithfulness"
  • [l]. Literally "bread of the rows"
  • [m]. Literally "Sabbath Sabbath"
  • [n]. Literally "fathers"
  • [o]. Literally "fathers"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.