1 Chronicles 23

1 And David was old and full of days; and he made Solomon his son king over Israel.
2 And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.
3 And the Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward; and their number, by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand.
4 Of these, twenty-four thousand were to preside over the work of the house of Jehovah; and six thousand were officers and judges
5 and four thousand were doorkeepers; and four thousand praised Jehovah with the instruments which I made, [said David,] to praise [therewith].
6 And David divided them into courses according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
7 Of the Gershonites: Laadan and Shimei.
8 The sons of Laadan: the head was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.
9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief fathers of Laadan.
10 And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Ziza, and Jeush, and Beriah. These were the four sons of Shimei.
11 And Jahath was the head, and Ziza the second; and Jeush and Beriah had not many sons: as father's house, therefore, they were reckoned as one.
12 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Jizhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.
13 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was separated, that he should be hallowed as most holy, he and his sons for ever, to offer before Jehovah, to do service to him, and to bless in his name for ever.
14 -- And as to Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi
15 The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.
16 The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the head.
17 And the sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the head; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
18 -- The sons of Jizhar: Shelomith the head.
19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the head, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth
20 The sons of Uzziel: Micah the head, and Jishijah the second.
21 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish
22 And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters; and their brethren the sons of Kish took them.
23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
24 These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers' houses, the chief fathers, as they were reckoned, by number of names by their polls, who did the work of the service of the house of Jehovah, from twenty years old and upward.
25 For David said, Jehovah the God of Israel has given rest to his people, and he will dwell in Jerusalem for ever;
26 and the Levites also have no more to carry the tabernacle, nor any of its vessels for its service.
27 For by the last words of David was this [done], -- the numbering of the sons of Levi from twenty years old and upward.
28 For their place was by the side of the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of Jehovah, over the courts, and over the chambers, and over the purifying of all holy things, and [for] the work of the service of the house of God;
29 and for the loaves to be set in rows, and for the fine flour for the oblation, and for the unleavened cakes, and for [what is baked in] the pan, and for that which is saturated [with oil], and for all measure of capacity and size;
30 and to stand every morning to thank and praise Jehovah, and likewise at even;
31 and for all burnt-offerings offered up to Jehovah on the sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the ordinance concerning them, continually, before Jehovah;
32 and they kept the charge of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of Jehovah.

1 Chronicles 23 Commentary

Chapter 23

David declares Solomon his successor. (1-23) The office of the Levites. (24-32)

Verses 1-23 David, having given charge concerning the building of the temple, settles the method of the temple service, and orders the officers of it. When those of the same family were employed together, it would engage them to love and assist one another.

Verses 24-32 Now the people of Israel were so many, there should be more employed in the temple service, that every Israelite who brought an offering might find a Levite ready to help him. When more work is to be done, it is pity but there should be more workmen. A new heart, a spiritual mind, which delights greatly in God's commandments, and can find a refreshing feast in his ordinances, forms the great distinction between the true Christian and all other men in the world. To the spiritual man every service will yield satisfaction. He will be ever abounding in the work of the Lord; being never so happy as when employed for such a good Master, in so pleasant a service. He will not regard whether he is called to take the lead, or to keep the charge of others who are placed over him. May we seek and serve the Lord uprightly, and leave all the rest to his disposal, by faith in his word.

Footnotes 6

  • [a]. See Deut. 1.15.
  • [b]. Or 'the first.'
  • [c]. Or 'the first.'
  • [d]. Lit. 'to burn incense;' but it includes also all that was burned as a sweet savour, as the burnt-offering, and the fat: see Lev. 1.9.
  • [e]. Or 'at the hand of.'
  • [f]. Or '(and) on.'

Chapter Summary

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.

1 Chronicles 23 Commentaries

The Darby Translation is in the public domain.