1 Chronicles 23:1-7

1 After David had lived long and was old, he made his son Solomon the new king of Israel.

2 David gathered all the leaders of Israel, along with the priests and Levites.

3 He counted the Levites who were thirty years old and older. In all, there were thirty-eight thousand Levites.

4 David said, "Of these, twenty-four thousand Levites will direct the work of the Temple of the Lord, six thousand Levites will be officers and judges

5 four thousand Levites will be gatekeepers, and four thousand Levites will praise the Lord with musical instruments I made for giving praise."

6 David separated the Levites into three groups that were led by Levi's three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

7 From the people of Gershon, there were Ladan and Shimei.

1 Chronicles 23:1-7 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.