1 Chronicles 23:1-23

The Levites

1 When David was old and full of years, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.
2 He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites.
3 The Levites thirty years old or more were counted, and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand.
4 David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand are to be in charge of the work of the temple of the LORD and six thousand are to be officials and judges.
5 Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the LORD with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose.”
6 David separated the Levites into divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

Gershonites

7 Belonging to the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.
8 The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the first, Zetham and Joel—three in all.
9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel and Haran—three in all. These were the heads of the families of Ladan.
10 And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Ziza,[a] Jeush and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei—four in all.
11 Jahath was the first and Ziza the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons; so they were counted as one family with one assignment.

Kohathites

12 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel—four in all.
13 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart, he and his descendants forever, to consecrate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices before the LORD, to minister before him and to pronounce blessings in his name forever.
14 The sons of Moses the man of God were counted as part of the tribe of Levi.
15 The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.
16 The descendants of Gershom: Shubael was the first.
17 The descendants of Eliezer: Rehabiah was the first. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.
18 The sons of Izhar: Shelomith was the first.
19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth.
20 The sons of Uzziel: Micah the first and Ishiah the second.

Merarites

21 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.
22 Eleazar died without having sons: he had only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them.
23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth—three in all.

1 Chronicles 23:1-23 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.

Cross References 27

  • 1. 1 Kings 1:33-39; 1 Chronicles 22:9; 1 Chronicles 28:5; 2 Chronicles 1:8
  • 2. S 1 Kings 1:30; 1 Chronicles 29:28
  • 3. ver 24; Numbers 8:24
  • 4. 1 Chronicles 21:7
  • 5. Numbers 4:3-49
  • 6. Ezra 3:8
  • 7. 2 Chronicles 34:13; Nehemiah 4:10
  • 8. 1 Chronicles 26:29; 2 Chronicles 19:8; Ezekiel 44:24
  • 9. S 1 Chronicles 15:16; Psalms 92:3
  • 10. Nehemiah 12:45
  • 11. 2 Chronicles 8:14; 2 Chronicles 23:18; 2 Chronicles 29:25
  • 12. S Numbers 3:17; 1 Chronicles 24:20
  • 13. 1 Chronicles 6:71
  • 14. S Genesis 46:11; S Exodus 6:18
  • 15. Exodus 6:20; Exodus 28:1
  • 16. Exodus 30:7-10; Deuteronomy 21:5
  • 17. S 1 Chronicles 15:2
  • 18. S Numbers 6:23
  • 19. Deuteronomy 33:1
  • 20. Exodus 18:4
  • 21. 1 Chronicles 26:24-28
  • 22. 1 Chronicles 24:21
  • 23. 1 Chronicles 26:25
  • 24. 1 Chronicles 24:23; 1 Chronicles 26:31
  • 25. S 1 Chronicles 6:19; 1 Chronicles 24:26
  • 26. S Exodus 6:19
  • 27. Numbers 36:8

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint and Vulgate (see also verse 11); most Hebrew manuscripts "Zina"
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