1 Chronicles 9:20

20 Phinehas son of Eleazar - may the Lord be with him! - had supervised them at one time.

1 Chronicles 9:20 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 9:20

And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in
time past
Over the host, over the Levites, and the chief of them; which is to be understood of Phinehas the son of Eleazar, in the time of Moses, who succeeded his father in that post, see ( Numbers 3:32 ) though some think, as Kimchi observes, that this was not Phinehas the priest, but a certain Levite of this name in this post; but since he is said to be in time past, it may very well be understood of him: and it also is observed,

and the Lord was with him;
inspiring him with zeal for his honour and glory, assisting and strengthening him to do his will and work, as particularly in the affair of Zimri, ( Numbers 25:7 Numbers 25:8 ) , the Targum is,

``the Word of the Lord was for his help;''

this may be said for the encouragement of him that was in the same office now.

1 Chronicles 9:20 In-Context

18 Down to that time members of their clans had been stationed at the eastern entrance to the King's Gate. Formerly they had stood guard at the gates to the camps of the Levites.

19 Shallum, the son of Kore and grandson of Ebiasaph, together with his fellow members of the clan of Korah, was responsible for guarding the entrance to the Tent of the Lord's presence, just as their ancestors had been when they were in charge of the Lord's camp.

20 Phinehas son of Eleazar - may the Lord be with him! - had supervised them at one time.

21 Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was also a guard at the entrance to the Tent of the Lord's presence.

22 In all, 212 men were chosen as guards for the entrances and gates. They were registered according to the villages where they lived. It was King David and the prophet Samuel who had put their ancestors in these responsible positions.