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1 Chronicles 23

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David Appoints Solomon and Gathers Leaders 1–2

1
So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel. ​
2
And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

Census and Classification of the Levites 3–5

3
Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand. ​
4
Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges: ​
5
Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith. ​

Divisions by Levite Families 6–23

6
And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
7
Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei.
8
The sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.
9
The sons of Shimei; Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan.
10
And the sons of Shimei were, Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.
11
And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father's house.
12
The sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.
13
The sons of Amram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for ever. ​
14
Now concerning Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi. ​
15
The sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eliezer.
16
Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief.
17
And the sons of Eliezer were, Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
18
Of the sons of Izhar; Shelomith the chief.
19
Of the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
20
Of the sons of Uzziel; Michah the first, and Jesiah the second.
21
The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and Kish.
22
And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters: and their brethren the sons of Kish took them. ​
23
The sons of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

Reorganization of Levite Service 24–32

24
These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward. ​
25
For David said, The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever: ​
26
And also unto the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof. ​
27
For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above:
28
Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God; ​
29
Both for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size;
30
And to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even; ​
31
And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD:
32
And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the LORD. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Chronicles 23

Verse 1

full of days — Saba yamim, the words used of Isaac, ‘old and full of days’ (Gen 35:29). David seats Solomon before the order of the Levites that follows in chs 23–27. The people ‘made Solomon the son of David king the second time’ (29:22), the first being told in 1 Kgs 1:32–40.

Verse 3

from the age of thirty years and upward — The starting age is that of Moses’ count of the Levites for the tabernacle, ‘thirty years old and upward even until fifty’ (Num 4:3), which then reached 8,580 (Num 4:48). No upper age is given here. ‘Polls’ (gulgoleth) is the head-count of Num 1:2.

Verse 4

to set forward the work — Natsach, to superintend; the same phrase is used when the Levites ‘from twenty years old and upward’ were appointed ‘to set forward the work of the house of the LORD’ (Ezra 3:8). ‘Officers and judges’ are the pair of Deut 16:18, set ‘in all thy gates’.

Verse 5

porters — Sho’er, gatekeepers, 4,000 of them. The 4,000 who praised did so ‘with the instruments which I made, said David’. The instruments are still called David’s long after: ‘the instruments of David’ (2 Chr 29:26) and ‘the musical instruments of David the man of God’ (Neh 12:36).

Verse 13

Aaron was separated — Badal, set apart, to sanctify ‘the most holy things’, to ‘burn incense’, to minister and to ‘bless in his name’. The priesthood was promised ‘throughout their generations’ as an ‘everlasting priesthood’ (Ex 40:15). Amram’s wife Jochebed bore both Aaron and Moses (Ex 6:20).

Verse 14

Moses the man of God — The title is Moses’ own in Deut 33:1 and the Psalm heading of Ps 90. His sons are ‘named of the tribe of Levi’ (qara, called, reckoned): only Aaron’s line is priestly (v.13), so Gershom and Eliezer count among the Levites (vv.15–17). Shebuel of Gershom later ruled the treasures (26:24).

Verse 22

had no sons, but daughters — This Eleazar is the son of Mahli, a Merarite (v.21), not Aaron’s son. His daughters married their cousins, the sons of Kish, which keeps to the rule given for Zelophehad’s daughters: ‘only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry’ (Num 36:6).

Verse 24

from the age of twenty years and upward — Moses set the Levites’ service at thirty (Num 4:3) or twenty-five (Num 8:24). Here the age is twenty, and v.27 gives the authority: ‘by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above’.

Verse 25

hath given rest unto his people — Nuach, the rest of 22:9 and 22:18. ‘Dwell’ is shakan, the root of the word for the tabernacle (mishkan), so the people dwell where the LORD does: ‘This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell’ (Ps 132:14).

Verse 26

no more carry the tabernacle — In the wilderness the Kohathites bore the holy things ‘upon their shoulders’ (Num 7:9), and Levi was separated ‘to bear the ark of the covenant’ (Deut 10:8). With the ark at rest in Jerusalem the Levites’ work is turned to the service of vv.28–32.

Verse 28

to wait on the sons of Aaron — ‘Office’ is ma’amad, a standing place or post, here alongside the priests. The work is in ‘the courts, and in the chambers’ (lishkah), and in ‘the purifying of all holy things’ (tohorah). Josiah’s passover and Nehemiah’s reform show the same duties (Neh 13:9; 2 Chr 35:11).

Verse 30

every morning… and likewise at even — The two times are those of the daily burnt offering: ‘The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even’ (Ex 29:39). ‘Thank’ is yadah and ‘praise’ halal. Ps 92:1–2 sets thanks ‘in the morning’ and ‘every night’.

Verse 32

the charge of the tabernacle — Mishmereth, a charge or watch, the word of Num 1:53, where the Levites camp round the tabernacle ‘that there be no wrath upon the congregation’. Three charges are named: the tabernacle, the holy place, and ‘the sons of Aaron their brethren’.