1 Chronicles 23

Solomon Reigns

1 ¹Now when David reached old age, ²he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

2 And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levites.

Offices of the Levites

3 ³The Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward, and ⁴their number by census of men was 38,000 * *.

4 Of these, 24,000 * * were ⁵to oversee the work of the house of the LORD; and 6,000 * were ⁶officers and judges

5 and 4,000 * were gatekeepers, and ⁷ 4,000 * were praising the LORD with the instruments which David made for giving praise.

6 David divided them into divisions ⁸according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Gershonites

7 Of the Gershonites were Ladan and Shimei.

8 The sons of Ladan were Jehiel the first and Zetham and Joel, three.

9 The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth and Haziel and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers' households of Ladan.

10 The sons of Shimei were Jahath, Zina, Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.

11 Jahath was the first and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became a father's household, one class.

Kohathites

12 The sons of Kohath were four: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

13 ⁹The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And ¹⁰Aaron was set apart to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever *, ¹¹to burn incense before the LORD, to minister to Him and to bless in His name forever *.

14 But as for ¹²Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi

15 The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer.

16 The son of Gershom was Shebuel the chief.

17 The son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

18 The son of Izhar was Shelomith the chief.

19 The sons of Hebron were Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth

20 The sons of Uzziel were Micah the first and Isshiah the second.

Merarites

21 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish

22 Eleazar died and had no sons, but daughters only, so their brothers, the sons of Kish, took them as wives.

23 The sons of Mushi were three: Mahli, Eder and Jeremoth.

Duties Revised

24 ¹³These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers' households, even the heads of the fathers' households of those of them who were counted, in the number of names by their census, doing the work for the service of the house of the LORD, ¹⁴from twenty years old and upward.

25 For David said, "The LORD God of Israel ¹⁵has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever *.

26 "Also, ¹⁶the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its utensils for its service."

27 For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward.

28 For their office is to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts and in the chambers and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God,

29 ¹⁷and with the showbread *, and ¹⁸the fine flour for a grain offering, and unleavened wafers, or ¹⁹what is baked in the pan or ²⁰what is well-mixed, and ²¹all measures of volume and size.

30 They are to stand every morning to thank and to praise the LORD, and likewise at evening,

31 and to offer all burnt offerings to the LORD, ²²on the sabbaths, the new moons and ²³the fixed festivals in the number set by the ordinance concerning them, continually before the LORD.

32 Thus ²⁴they are to keep charge of the tent of meeting, and charge of the holy place, and ²⁵charge of the sons of Aaron their relatives, for the service of the house of the LORD.

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.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Chronicles 29:28
• 2. 1 Kings 1:1-40; 1 Kings 2:12; 1 Chronicles 28:5; 1 Chronicles 29:22
• 3. Numbers 4:3-49
• 4. Numbers 4:48; 1 Chronicles 23:24
• 5. Ezra 3:8, 9
• 6. 1 Chronicles 26:29
• 7. 1 Chronicles 15:16
• 8. 1 Chronicles 6:1
• 9. Exodus 6:20
• 10. Exodus 28:1
• 11. Exodus 30:6-10
• 12. Deuteronomy 33:1; Ps 90: title
• 13. Numbers 10:17, 21
• 14. 1 Chronicles 23:3
• 15. 1 Chronicles 22:18
• 16. Numbers 4:5, 15; Numbers 7:9; Deuteronomy 10:8
• 17. Leviticus 24:5-9
• 18. Leviticus 6:20
• 19. 1 Chronicles 9:31
• 20. Leviticus 6:21
• 21. Leviticus 19:35, 36
• 22. Isaiah 1:13, 14
• 23. Leviticus 23:2-4
• 24. Numbers 1:53; 1 Chronicles 9:27
• 25. Num 3:6-9, 38

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "became old and sated with days"
• [b]. Lit "their heads"
• [c]. Lit "I made"
• [d]. In Ex 6:17, "Libni"
• [e]. In v 11, "Zizah"
• [f]. Lit "mustering"
• [g]. Lit "sons"
• [h]. In ch 24:20, "Shubael"
• [i]. Lit "sons...were"
• [j]. Lit "sons"
• [k]. In ch 24:22, "Shelomoth"
• [l]. Lit "mustered"
• [m]. Lit "heads"
• [n]. Lit "at the hand of"
• [o]. Lit "brothers"

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.