1 Chronicles 9:20

20 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, was the duke of them before the Lord. (And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, had been their leader before, the Lord be with him!)

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 till to that time they kept by their whiles in the gate of the king at the east, of the sons of Levi. (until that time, they had all been guards, or doorkeepers, in the companies of the Levites, at the King's Gate, on the east.)

19 Shallum forsooth, the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, with his brethren, and with the house of his father; these be the sons of Korah upon the works of the service, keepers of the porches of the tabernacle, and the families of them kept by whiles, or times, the entering of the castles of the Lord. (And Shallum, the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, with his kinsmen, of the house of his father; these Korahites were in charge of the guards at the entrance to the Tabernacle; for their families had long guarded the entrances to the tents, or to the camp, of the Lord.)

20 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, was the duke of them before the Lord. (And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, had been their leader before, the Lord be with him!)

21 And Zechariah, the son of Meshelemiah, was porter of the gate of the tabernacle of witnessing. (And Zechariah, the son of Meshelemiah, was the guard at the gate to the Tabernacle of the Witnessing.)

22 All these chosen into porters by (the) gates were two hundred and twelve, and they were described, or presented, in their own towns, which deacons, or ministers, David and Samuel, the prophet, ordained in their faith, (All these chosen to be guards at the gates were two hundred and twelve, and they were listed in their own towns, and David, and the prophet Samuel, had ordained these Levites, or these ministers, for their faithfulness,)