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1 Chronicles 6

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The Sons of Levi and the Priestly Line 1–15

1
The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ​
2
And the sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.
3
And the children of Amram: Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. And the sons of Aaron: Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ​
4
Eleazar begat Phinehas, Phinehas begat Abishua,
5
and Abishua begat Bukki, and Bukki begat Uzzi,
6
and Uzzi begat Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begat Meraioth,
7
Meraioth begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub,
8
and Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Ahimaaz,
9
and Ahimaaz begat Azariah, and Azariah begat Johanan,
10
and Johanan begat Azariah (he it is that executed the priest’s office in the house that Solomon built in Jerusalem), ​
11
and Azariah begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub,
12
and Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Shallum,
13
and Shallum begat Hilkiah, and Hilkiah begat Azariah,
14
and Azariah begat Seraiah, and Seraiah begat Jehozadak;
15
And Jehozadak went into captivity, when Jehovah carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. ​

Detailed Genealogies of the Levitical Clans 16–30

16
The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. ​
17
And these are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei.
18
And the sons of Kohath were Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.
19
The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses.
20
Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son,
21
Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son.
22
The sons of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,
23
Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son,
24
Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son.
25
And the sons of Elkanah: Amasai, and Ahimoth.
26
As for Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah: Zophai his son, and Nahath his son,
27
Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son.
28
And the sons of Samuel: the first-born, Joel, and the second Abijah. ​
29
The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son,
30
Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son.

The Chief Ministers of Song 31–48

31
And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of Jehovah, after that the ark had rest. ​
32
And they ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of Jehovah in Jerusalem: and they waited on their office according to their order. ​
33
And these are they that waited, and their sons. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, ​
34
the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah,
35
the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai,
36
the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah,
37
the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,
38
the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.
39
And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea, ​
40
the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah,
41
the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,
42
the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,
43
the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi.
44
And on the left hand their brethren the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, ​
45
the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah,
46
the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer,
47
the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.
48
And their brethren the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

The Exclusive Duties of the Priesthood 49–53

49
But Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of burnt-offering, and upon the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. ​
50
And these are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son,
51
Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son,
52
Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son,
53
Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son.

Distribution of Levitical Cities 54–81

54
Now these are their dwelling-places according to their encampments in their borders: to the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites (for theirs was the first lot), ​
55
to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah, and the suburbs thereof round about it;
56
but the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
57
And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge, Hebron; Libnah also with its suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa with its suburbs, ​
58
and Hilen with its suburbs, Debir with its suburbs,
59
and Ashan with its suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with its suburbs;
60
and out of the tribe of Benjamin, Geba with its suburbs, and Allemeth with its suburbs, and Anathoth with its suburbs. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities.
61
And unto the rest of the sons of Kohath were given by lot, out of the family of the tribe, out of the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, ten cities. ​
62
And to the sons of Gershom, according to their families, out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. ​
63
Unto the sons of Merari were given by lot, according to their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.
64
And the children of Israel gave to the Levites the cities with their suburbs.
65
And they gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities which are mentioned by name.
66
And some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their borders out of the tribe of Ephraim.
67
And they gave unto them the cities of refuge, Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim with its suburbs; Gezer also with its suburbs, ​
68
and Jokmeam with its suburbs, and Beth-horon with its suburbs,
69
and Aijalon with its suburbs, and Gath-rimmon with its suburbs;
70
and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Aner with its suburbs, and Bileam with its suburbs, for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath.
71
Unto the sons of Gershom were given, out of the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its suburbs, and Ashtaroth with its suburbs;
72
and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kedesh with its suburbs, Daberath with its suburbs,
73
and Ramoth with its suburbs, and Anem with its suburbs;
74
and out of the tribe of Asher, Mashal with its suburbs, and Abdon with its suburbs,
75
and Hukok with its suburbs, and Rehob with its suburbs;
76
and out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its suburbs, and Hammon with its suburbs, and Kiriathaim with its suburbs. ​
77
Unto the rest of the Levites, the sons of Merari, were given, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmono with its suburbs, Tabor with its suburbs;
78
and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, were given them, out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer in the wilderness with its suburbs, and Jahzah with its suburbs,
79
and Kedemoth with its suburbs, and Mephaath with its suburbs;
80
and out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its suburbs, and Mahanaim with its suburbs,
81
and Heshbon with its suburbs, and Jazer with its suburbs.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Chronicles 6

Verse 1

Gershon, Kohath, and Merari — These are the three sons of Levi, as in Gen 46:11 and Ex 6:16. The chapter's lines descend from each: Kohath carries the priests (vv.2–15) and Heman (v.33), Gershon gives Asaph (v.39), Merari gives Ethan (v.44). Verse 16 repeats the list with 'Gershom'.

Verse 3

Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam — These are Amram's three children, named in Ex 6:20 and Ex 15:20 (Miriam 'the prophetess'). Only Aaron's line is traced as priests. Nadab and Abihu, who offered 'strange fire' (Lev 10:1), 'had no children' (Num 3:4), so the succession runs through Eleazar and Ithamar.

Verse 10

executed the priest's office — Kahan, to serve as priest (the verb of the noun kohen), said of this Azariah 'in the temple that Solomon built'. A priest of the same name opposed king Uzziah with 'fourscore priests of the LORD' (2 Chr 26:17); the list gives the line, not every generation.

Verse 15

Jehozadak went into captivity — The line ends with exile: 'the LORD carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar'. Galah, to uncover and so to exile (captives being usually stripped), is the verb behind 'carried away'. His son Joshua 'the son of Josedech, the high priest' appears after the return (Hag 1:1).

Verse 16

Gershom, Kohath, and Merari — The list of v.1 begins again, now for the Levites at large, with Gershon spelled Gershom (the form also given to Moses' son, Ex 2:22). The chapter turns from the priestly line of Aaron to the families of Gershom (v.17), Kohath (v.18) and Merari (v.19).

Verse 28

the sons of Samuel — Samuel is placed in Kohath's line through Elkanah (vv.26–27; 1 Sam 1:1). Here his sons are 'the firstborn Vashni, and Abiah'; 1 Sam 8:2 gives 'Joel' as the firstborn, and Heman the singer is 'the son of Joel' (v.33), so the prophet's grandson serves in the choir.

Verse 31

the service of song — Shir, song; David set Levites over it 'after that the ark had rest' (manoach, a settled resting place). The ark was set in the tent David pitched (2 Sam 6:17), and he appointed singers 'with instruments of musick' (1 Chr 15:16).

Verse 32

ministered before the dwelling place — Sharath, to attend as a servant or worshipper. The singers served at the 'tabernacle of the congregation' (ohel moed, tent of meeting) until Solomon built the house, then kept 'their order' there, the same service in a new place.

Verse 33

Heman a singer — The first of the three leaders, a Kohathite, 'the son of Joel' as in 1 Chr 15:17, where the Levites appoint him. Shir is here the verb 'to sing' used as a title. His line runs back through Elkanah, Izhar and Kohath to 'Levi, the son of Israel' (v.38).

Verse 39

Asaph, who stood on his right hand — He was a Gershomite ('the son of Berachiah', traced to Gershom in v.43) and stood at Heman's right. Psalms are headed with his name, among them 'A Psalm of Asaph' at Ps 50:1 and Ps 73:1; 'the children of Asaph' later returned as singers (Ezra 2:41).

Verse 44

the sons of Merari stood on the left hand — Ethan 'the son of Kishi', of Merari (v.47), completes the three with Heman and Asaph, named together in 1 Chr 15:19 as appointed 'to sound with cymbals of brass'. Ps 89 is headed 'Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite'.

Verse 49

Aaron and his sons offered — This is set against the Levites' 'all manner of service' in v.48, and only Aaron's house burned offerings on the altars and served in 'the place most holy'. 'Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense' (Ex 30:7); it 'appertaineth' to 'the priests the sons of Aaron' (2 Chr 26:18).

Verse 54

their castles — Tirah, a fenced dwelling or encampment, the word used of Ishmael's 'castles' (Gen 25:16). The Kohathites of Aaron's house had 'the first lot' (Josh 21:10). The cities came from each tribe's own inheritance (Num 35:8) and are listed here to v.81.

Verse 57

Hebron, the city of refuge — Miqlat, a refuge for the manslayer. Hebron, 'in the mountain of Judah' (Josh 20:7), was given to Aaron's sons (Josh 21:13), though its fields and villages went to Caleb (v.56; Josh 14:13). Libnah, Jattir and Eshtemoa follow.

Verse 61

ten cities — These cities are for the rest of Kohath's sons, who were not of Aaron's house. Joshua gives the source as Ephraim, Dan and 'the half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities' (Josh 21:5). This verse names Manasseh, v.66 Ephraim, and v.70 the Manasseh cities Aner and Bileam.

Verse 62

thirteen cities — The Gershomites received them from Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan, the same four tribes and number as Josh 21:6, 33. Merari's twelve (v.63) bring the Levites' total to the 'forty and eight' of Josh 21:41.

Verse 67

Shechem in mount Ephraim — It is listed 'of the cities of refuge' among the Kohathite cities; Josh 20:7 names it with Kedesh and Hebron, and Josh 21:21 gives it to the Kohathites with Gezer. Miqlat is the refuge-city word (v.57). Bethhoron and Aijalon follow in vv.68–69.

Verse 76

Kedesh in Galilee — This is a Gershomite city in Naphtali, named a refuge in Josh 20:7 ('Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali') and so given in Josh 21:32. Hammon, the next name, means a warm spring. Another Kedesh, in Issachar, is in v.72.