(KJV) 1 Chronicles 231

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⥃The Divisions of the Levites

[1] So when David was old2 and full of days, he made3 Solomon his son king over Israel.4

[2] [¶]And he gathered5 together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites. [3] Now the Levites6 were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight7 thousand. [4] Of which, twenty8 and four thousand [were] to set forward9 the work of the house of the Lord; and six thousand [were] officers and judges10: [5] Moreover four thousand [were] porters11; and four thousand praised12 the Lord with the instruments13 which I made, [said David], to praise [therewith].14 [6] And David divided15 them into courses16 among the sons of Levi, [namely], Gershon17, Kohath, and Merari.

⥃The Gershonites [ Numbers 3:21–26 † Numbers 4:21–28 ]

[7] [¶]Of the Gershonites18 [were], Laadan19, and Shimei. [8] The sons of Laadan; the chief [was] Jehiel20, and Zetham, and Joel21, 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, Zina22, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four [were] the sons of Shimei. [11] And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah23 the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons24; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to [their] father’s house.

⥃The Kohathites [ Numbers 3:27–32 † Numbers 4:1–20 ]

[12] [¶]The sons of Kohath25; Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. [13] The sons26 of Amram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was separated27, that he should sanctify28 the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense29 before the Lord, to minister unto him, and to bless30 in his name for ever. [14] Now [concerning] Moses the man31 of God, his sons32 were named of the tribe of Levi. [15] The sons of Moses [were], Gershom33, and Eliezer. [16] Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel34 [was] the chief. [17] And the sons of Eliezer [were], Rehabiah the chief35. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many36. [18] Of the sons of Izhar; Shelomith37 the chief. [19] Of the sons of Hebron38; 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.

⥃The Merarites [ Numbers 3:33–37 † Numbers 4:29–33 ]

[21] [¶]The sons of Merari39; Mahli40, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and Kish. [22] And Eleazar died, and had no sons41, but daughters: and their brethren42 the sons of Kish took them43. [23] The sons of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth44, three.

⥃Levite Duties Revised

[24] These [were] the sons of Levi45 after the house46 of their fathers; [even] the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls47, that did the work for the service of the house of the Lord, from the age48 of twenty49 years and upward. [25] For David said, The Lord50 God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem51 for ever: [26] And also unto the Levites; they shall no [more] carry52 the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof. [27] For by the last53 words of David the Levites [were] numbered54 from twenty years old and above: [28] Because their office [was] to wait55 on the sons of Aaron for the service56 of the house of the Lord, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying57 of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God; [29] Both for the shewbread58, and for the fine flour59 for meat offering, and for the unleavened60 cakes, and for [that which is baked in] the pan61, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure62 and size; [30] And to stand63 every morning64 to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at even; [31] And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the Lord in the sabbaths65, in the new moons, and on the set feasts66, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the Lord: [32] And that they should keep67 the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy [place], and the charge of the sons68 of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the Lord.

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  1. 1Chr 23:1, David in his old age makes Solomon king; 1Chr 23:2, The number and distribution of the Levites; 1Chr 23:7, The families of the Gershonites; 1Chr 23:12, The sons of Kohath; 1Chr 23:21, The sons of Merari; 1Chr 23:24, The office of the Levites. ↩

  2. 1Chr 29:28; Gen 25:8, Gen 35:29; 1Kgs 1:1; Job 5:26 ↩

  3. 1Chr 28:5, 1Chr 29:22-25; 1Kgs 1:33-39 ↩

  4. am 2989, bc 1015, An, Ex, Is, 476 ↩

  5. 1Chr 13:1, 1Chr 28:1; Josh 23:2, Josh 24:1; 2Chr 34:29-30 ↩

  6. Num 4:2-3, Num 4:23, Num 4:30, Num 4:35, Num 4:43, Num 4:47 ↩

  7. Num 4:48 ↩

  8. 1Chr 23:28-32, 1Chr 6:48, 1Chr 9:28-32, 1Chr 26:20-27 ↩

  9. or, oversee, Neh 11:9, Neh 11:22; Acts 20:28 ↩

  10. 1Chr 26:29-31; Deut 16:18, Deut 17:8-10; 2Chr 19:8; Mal 2:7 ↩

  11. 1Chr 9:17-27, 1Chr 15:23-24, 1Chr 16:38, 1Chr 26:1-12; 2Chr 8:14, 2Chr 35:15; Ezra 7:7; Neh 7:73 ↩

  12. 1Chr 6:31-48, 1Chr 9:33, 1Chr 15:16-22, 1Chr 16:41-42, 1Chr 25:1-7; 2Chr 20:19-21; Ps 87:7 ↩

  13. 1Kgs 10:12; 2Chr 29:25-26 ↩

  14. Amos 6:5 ↩

  15. 2Chr 8:14, 2Chr 29:25, 2Chr 31:2, 2Chr 35:10; Ezra 6:18 ↩

  16. Heb. divisions, 1Chr 24:1, 1Chr 26:1 ↩

  17. Gershon, βψωΡεο ( ‎גֵּרְשֹׁם‎ ), is called βψωΡν ( ‎גֵּרְשׁוֹן‎ ), Gershom, in the parallel passage, simply by the mutation of π, noon, into ξ, mem. 1Chr 6:1, 1Chr 6:16, Gershom, Exod 6:16-24; Num 26:57-58 ↩

  18. 1Chr 6:17-20, 1Chr 15:7, 1Chr 26:21 ↩

  19. Laadan and Libni, seem to have been two distinct names of this person; but the variation of Shimi and Shimei exists only in the translation, the original being uniformly ωΡξςι ( ‎שִׁמְעִי‎ ). Exod 6:17, Libni, Shimi ↩

  20. 1Chr 15:18, 1Chr 15:20-21 ↩

  21. 1Chr 6:33-34, 1Chr 15:7, 1Chr 15:11, 1Chr 15:17 ↩

  22. Zina seems to be a mistake for Zizah; for both the LXX and Vulgate read uniformly Ζιζα, Ziza. 1Chr 23:11, Zizah ↩

  23. 1Chr 23:10 ↩

  24. Heb. did not multiply sons ↩

  25. 1Chr 6:2; Exod 6:18; Num 3:27, Num 26:58 ↩

  26. 1Chr 6:3; Exod 6:20; Num 3:27, Num 26:59 ↩

  27. Exod 28:1-14; Num 18:1; Ps 99:6, Ps 106:16; Acts 13:2; Rom 1:1; Gal 1:15; Heb 5:4 ↩

  28. Exod 29:33-37, Exod 29:44, Exod 40:9-15; Lev 10:10, Lev 10:17-18, Lev 16:11-19, Lev 16:32-33, Lev 17:2-6; Num 18:3-8 ↩

  29. Exod 30:6-10, Exod 30:34-38; Lev 10:1-2, Lev 16:12-13; Num 16:16-18, Num 16:35-40, Num 16:46-47; 1Sam 2:28; 2Chr 26:18-21; Luke 1:9; Rev 8:3 ↩

  30. Lev 9:22-23; Num 6:23-27; Deut 21:5 ↩

  31. Deut 33:1; Ps 90:1 *title ↩

  32. 1Chr 26:23-25 ↩

  33. Exod 2:22, Exod 4:20, Exod 18:3-4 ↩

  34. 1Chr 24:20, 1Chr 25:20, Shubael, 1Chr 26:24 ↩

  35. or, the first, 1Chr 26:25 ↩

  36. Heb. were highly multiplied ↩

  37. 1Chr 24:22, Shelomoth, 1Chr 26:26 ↩

  38. 1Chr 23:12, 1Chr 15:9, 1Chr 24:23 ↩

  39. 1Chr 23:6, 1Chr 6:20, 1Chr 6:30, 1Chr 24:26-30 ↩

  40. Exod 6:19, Mahali ↩

  41. 1Chr 24:28 ↩

  42. or, kinsmen ↩

  43. Num 36:6-8 ↩

  44. 1Chr 24:30, Jerimoth ↩

  45. Num 10:17, Num 10:21 ↩

  46. Num 1:4, Num 2:32, Num 3:15, Num 3:20, Num 4:34-49 ↩

  47. Num 1:2, Num 1:18, Num 1:22, Num 3:47 ↩

  48. At first David appointed the Levites to serve from thirty years old and upwards; but considering, probably, that the temple which was about to be built, with its courts, chambers, etc., would require a more numerous ministry, he fixed this period, by this subsequent regulation, at twenty years and upwards. In the time of Moses, the age was from thirty years to fifty. Here this latter period is not mentioned, probably because the service was not so laborious now; for the ark being fixed, they had no longer any burdens to carry; and therefore even an old man might continue to serve. See note on Num 8:24. ↩

  49. 1Chr 23:3, 1Chr 23:27; Num 1:3, Num 4:3, Num 8:24; Ezra 3:8 ↩

  50. 1Chr 22:18; 2Sam 7:1, 2Sam 7:11 ↩

  51. or, and he dwelleth in Jerusalem, 1Kgs 8:13, 1Kgs 8:27; Ps 9:11, Ps 68:16, Ps 68:18, Ps 132:13-14, Ps 135:21; Isa 8:18; Joel 3:21; Zech 8:3; 2Cor 6:16; Col 2:9 ↩

  52. Num 4:5, Num 4:49, Num 7:9 ↩

  53. 1Chr 23:3, 1Chr 23:24; 2Sam 23:1; Ps 72:20 ↩

  54. Heb. numbers ↩

  55. etc. Heb. station was at the hand of Aaron, 1Chr 18:17 *marg. Neh 11:24 ↩

  56. 1Chr 23:4, 1Chr 28:13; Num 3:6-9; 1Kgs 6:5; 2Chr 31:11; Ezra 8:29; Neh 13:4-5, Neh 13:9; Jer 35:4; Ezek 41:6-11, Ezek 41:26, Ezek 42:3, Ezek 42:13 ↩

  57. 1Chr 9:28-29; 2Chr 29:5, 2Chr 29:18-19, 2Chr 35:3-6, 2Chr 35:11-14 ↩

  58. It was the priests' office to place this bread before the Lord; and it was their privilege to feed on the old loaves when they were replaced by the new. 1Chr 9:31-32; Exod 25:30; Lev 24:5-9; 1Kgs 7:48; 2Chr 13:11, 2Chr 29:18; Neh 10:33; Matt 12:4; Heb 9:2 ↩

  59. 1Chr 9:29-34; Lev 6:20-23 ↩

  60. Lev 2:4-7, Lev 7:9 ↩

  61. or, flat plate ↩

  62. The standards of all weights and measures were in the sanctuary; and therefore the Levites had the inspection of weights and measures of every kind, that no fraud might in this way be committed. Honesty is inseparably connected with piety; and hence the Levites, being sufficiently numerous, were employed to superintend the former, as well as the latter. Lev 19:35-36; Num 3:50 ↩

  63. 1Chr 6:31-33, 1Chr 9:33, 1Chr 16:37-42, 1Chr 25:1-7; 2Chr 29:25-28, 2Chr 31:2; Ezra 3:10-11; Ps 135:1-3, Ps 135:19-20, Ps 137:2-4; Rev 5:8-14, Rev 14:3 ↩

  64. Exod 29:39-42; Ps 92:1-3, Ps 134:1-2 ↩

  65. Lev 23:24, Lev 23:39; Num 10:10; Ps 81:1-4; Isa 1:13-14 ↩

  66. Lev 23:1-17; Num. 28:1-29:40 ↩

  67. 1Chr 9:27; Num 1:53; 1Kgs 8:4 ↩

  68. Num 3:6-9, Num 3:38 ↩