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1
Chronicles Chapter Twenty-three
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 23
In
this chapter David makes Solomon king
1 Chronicles 23:1
calls together the princes
priests
and Levites
numbers the latter
and
assigns them their proper work
1 Chronicles 23:2
divides them into three classes
1 Chronicles 23:6
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
1 Chronicles 23:24.
1 Chronicles
23:1 So when David
was old and full of days
he made his son Solomon king over Israel.
YLT
1And David is old
and
satisfied with days
and causeth his son Solomon to reign over Israel
So when David was old and full of days
.... Perhaps
was now in the last year of his age
about seventy years old
though before he
was bedridden; see 1 Chronicles 28:2
he made Solomon his son king over Israel; declared him
to be his successor; this was before the affair of Adonijah
for then he
ordered him to be anointed king
and placed on the throne; and this aggravated
the rebellion of Adonijah
that it was against the declared and known will of
his father.
1 Chronicles 23:2 2 And he gathered together
all the leaders of Israel
with the priests and the Levites.
YLT
2and gathereth all the heads
of Israel
and the priests
and the Levites;
And he gathered together all the princes of Israel
.... Ordered
them to be assembled
partly to acquaint them with his will and pleasure
that
Solomon should succeed him in the kingdom; and partly to settle the order of
the work and service of the temple; and therefore these were convened
with the priests and Levites; to assign to them their
respective places and offices.
1 Chronicles 23:3 3 Now the Levites were
numbered from the age of thirty years and above; and the number of individual
males was thirty-eight thousand.
YLT
3and the Levites are
numbered from a son of thirty years and upward
and their number
by their
polls
is of mighty men thirty and eight thousand.
Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years
and
upward
.... So they were numbered in the days of Moses
and by his
order
and so they were now at first; though afterwards there was a new
reckoning of them
1 Chronicles 23:24.
and their number by their posts; or
according to their
heads:
man by man
was thirty and eight thousand; which vastly
exceeds the number in the times of Moses; see Numbers 4:47
but
then those above fifty years of age were not numbered
as they now might; since
their work in the temple would be much more easy
no burdens to carry
as the
ark
the vessels
&c.
1 Chronicles 23:4 4 Of these
twenty-four
thousand were to look after the work of the house of the Lord
six thousand were
officers and judges
YLT
4Of these to preside over
the work of the house of Jehovah [are] twenty and four thousand
and officers
and judges six thousand
Of which twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of
the house of the Lord
.... To prepare for the work of the priests by slaying the
sacrifices
flaying them
cutting them in pieces
and washing them
and
bringing them to the altar; 1000 of these served weekly in their turns:
and six thousand were officers and judges: that acted as
justices of the peace in the several parts of the country
heard causes and
administered justice to the people
being trained up in and acquainted with the
laws of God
civil as well as ecclesiastic; some were more properly judges
and
others executioners of their sentence; see Deuteronomy 16:18.
1 Chronicles 23:5 5 four thousand were
gatekeepers
and four thousand praised the Lord with musical
instruments
“which I made
” said David
“for giving praise.”
YLT
5and four thousand
gatekeepers
and four thousand giving praise to Jehovah
`with instruments that
I made for praising
' [saith David.]
Moreover four thousand were porters
.... At the east
north
and south gates of the temple
in their turns:
and four thousand praised the Lord with the instruments; were singers
in the temple
which in all made up 38
000:
which I made
said David
to praise therewith; which
instruments he devised and ordered to be made to praise the Lord with; see 2 Chronicles 29:26.
1 Chronicles 23:6 6 Also David separated them
into divisions among the sons of Levi: Gershon
Kohath
and Merari.
YLT
6And David distributeth them
into courses: Of the sons of Levi: of Gershon
Kohath
and Merari.
And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi
.... Into
three classes
according to the number of them
which follow: namely:
Gershon
Kohath
and Merari; see Exodus 6:16.
1 Chronicles 23:7 7 Of the Gershonites: Laadan[a] and
Shimei.
YLT
7Of the Gershonite: Laadan
and Shimei.
Of the Gershonites were Laadan and Shimei. These two were
the immediate posterity of Gershon; are the same with Libni and Shimhi
and
heads of families
Exodus 6:17.
1 Chronicles 23:8 8 The sons of Laadan: the
first Jehiel
then Zetham and Joel—three in all.
YLT
8Sons of Laadan: the head
[is] Jehiel
and Zetham
and Joel
three.
The sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiah
and Zetham
and Joel. Not his
immediate sons
but some that descended from him.
1 Chronicles 23:9 9 The sons of Shimei:
Shelomith
Haziel
and Haran—three in all. These were the heads of the
fathers’ houses of Laadan.
YLT
9Sons of Shimei [are]
Shelomith
and Haziel
and Haran
three; these [are] heads of the fathers of
Laadan.
The sons of Shimei
.... Not him that was the son of Gershon
but a descendant of Laadan
his son
as Kimchi observes:
Shelomith
and Haziel
and Haran
these were the chief of the
fathers of Laadan; of the families that sprang from him.
1 Chronicles 23:10 10 And the sons of Shimei:
Jahath
Zina
[b] Jeush
and
Beriah. These were the four sons of Shimei.
YLT
10And sons of Shimei [are]
Jahath
Zina
and Jeush
and Beriah; these [are] sons of Shimei
four.
And the sons of Shimei
.... The son of Gershon
and brother of Laadan
according to Kimchi
which seems right:
were Jahath
Zina
and Jeush
and Beriah; these four were the sons
of Shimei; descendants of his in the times of David.
1 Chronicles 23:11 11 Jahath was the first and
Zizah the second. But Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons; therefore they
were assigned as one father’s house.
YLT
11And Jahath is the head
and
Zizah the second
and Jeush and Beriah have not multiplied sons
and they
become the house of a father by one numbering.
And Jahath was the chief
.... The prince and head
of a family:
and Ziza the second; the same with Zina in 1 Chronicles 23:10
and is there read Ziza in the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions:
but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; so as to
constitute distinct families:
therefore they were in one reckoning
according to their father's
house; made one family with their brethren.
1 Chronicles 23:12 12 The sons of Kohath: Amram
Izhar
Hebron
and Uzziel—four in all.
YLT
12Sons of Kohath [are] Amram
Izhar
Hebron
and Uzziel
four.
The sons of Kohath
.... The second son of Levi:
Amram
Izhar
Hebron
and Uzziel
four; see Exodus 6:18.
1 Chronicles 23:13 13 The sons of Amram: Aaron
and Moses; and Aaron was set apart
he and his sons forever
that he should
sanctify the most holy things
to burn incense before the Lord
to minister
to Him
and to give the blessing in His name forever.
YLT
13Sons of Amram: Aaron and
Moses; and Aaron is separated for his sanctifying the holy of holies
he and
his sons -- unto the age
to make perfume before Jehovah
to serve Him
and to
bless in His name -- unto the age.
The sons of Amram; Aaron and Moses
.... A son of Kohath
1 Chronicles 23:2.
and Aaron was separated; from the children of
Israel
Exodus 28:1
that he should sanctify the most holy things
he and his sons for
ever; by an holy use of them
and keeping them from all unholy and
profane uses; and this they were to do as long as the Aaronic priesthood
lasted:
to burn incense before the Lord; in the holy place
on
the altar of incense; which none but priests descended from Aaron might do:
to minister unto him; both at the altar of
burnt offering and of incense; and the high priest in the holy of holies:
and to bless his name for ever
or "in his
name"; that is
the people in his name; see Numbers 6:23.
1 Chronicles 23:14 14 Now the sons of Moses the
man of God were reckoned to the tribe of Levi.
YLT
14As to Moses
the man of
God
his sons are called after the tribe of Levi.
Now concerning Moses the man of God
.... Raised up by him as
a prophet
admitted to great familiarity with him
a lawgiver from him
and the
ruler and guide of Israel under him through the wilderness:
his sons were named of the tribe of Levi; were only
common Levites; Moses had no ambition to gratify; he sought no honour for his
posterity; the civil government was left to Joshua
and the priesthood to
Aaron.
1 Chronicles 23:15 15 The sons of Moses were
Gershon[c] and
Eliezer.
YLT
15Sons of Moses: Gershom and
Eliezer.
The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. See Exodus 18:3.
1 Chronicles 23:16 16 Of the sons of Gershon
Shebuel[d] was
the first.
YLT
16Sons of Gershom: Shebuel
the head.
Of the sons of Gershom
Shebuel was the chief. Of the posterity
of Gershom in the times of David
called Shubael
1 Chronicles 24:20
the Targum makes him to be the same with Jonathan
Judges 18:30.F12So
in Hieron. Trad. Heb. in Paralipom. fol. 84. c. .
1 Chronicles 23:17 17 Of the descendants of
Eliezer
Rehabiah was the first. And Eliezer had no other sons
but the sons of
Rehabiah were very many.
YLT
17And sons of Eliezer are
Rehabiah the head
and Eliezer had no other sons
and the sons of Rehabiah have
multiplied exceedingly.
And the sons of Eliezer were Rehabiah the chief
.... The first
and only begotten
as it follows:
and Eliezer had none other sons; before nor after him:
but the sons of Rehabiah were very many; or greatly
multiplied; not
as the Targum says
above 600
000; the number of Israel
as
the Jewish writersF13T. Bab Beracot
fol. 7. 1
2
Bemidbar Rabba
sect. 16. fol. 220. 4. fancy; which they gather from Exodus 1:7
and
that though Moses deprecated the multiplication of his seed
God fulfilled it.
1 Chronicles 23:18 18 Of the sons of Izhar
Shelomith was the first.
YLT
18Sons of Izhar: Shelomith
the head.
Of the sons of Izhar
.... Another son of
Kohath
the son of Levi
1 Chronicles 23:12.
Shelomith the chief; the principal descendant
of Izhar at this time.
1 Chronicles 23:19 19 Of the sons of Hebron
Jeriah was the first
Amariah the second
Jahaziel the third
and
Jekameam the fourth.
YLT
19Sons of Hebron: Jeriah the
head
Amariah the second
Jahaziel the third
and Jekameam the fourth.
Verses 19-21
Of the sons of Hebron
.... A third son of
Kohath
1 Chronicles 23:12
Jeriah the first
Amariah the second
Jahaziel the third
and
Jekameam the fourth: of the sons of Uzziel; another son of Kohath
1 Chronicles 23:12
Micah the first
Jesiah the second: the sons of Merari
Mahli and
Mushi
Exodus 6:19
the sons of Mahli
Eleazar and Kish: of whom see 1 Chronicles 24:28.
1 Chronicles 23:20 20 Of the sons of Uzziel
Michah was the first and Jesshiah the second.
YLT
20Sons of Uzziel: Micah the
head
and Ishshiah
the second.
1 Chronicles 23:21 21 The sons of Merari were
Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish.
YLT
21Sons of Merari: Mahli and
Mushi; sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.
1 Chronicles 23:22 22 And Eleazar died
and had no
sons
but only daughters; and their brethren
the sons of Kish
took them as
wives.
YLT
22And Eleazar dieth
and he
had no sons
but daughters
and sons of Kish their brethren take them.
And Eleazar died
and had no sons
but daughters
.... And so none
to succeed him in his office and service:
and their brethren the sons of Kish took them; married them
their uncle's sons
their own cousins.
1 Chronicles 23:23 23 The sons of Mushi were
Mahli
Eder
and Jeremoth—three in all.
YLT
23Sons of Mushi: Mahli
and
Eder
and Jerimoth
three.
And the sons of Mushi
.... The other son of
Merari:
Mahli; so called from his uncle
his father's brother:
and Eder and Jerimoth
three; mentioned again 1 Chronicles 24:30.
1 Chronicles 23:24 24 These were the sons
of Levi by their fathers’ houses—the heads of the fathers’ houses as
they were counted individually by the number of their names
who did the work
for the service of the house of the Lord
from the age of twenty
years and above.
YLT
24These [are] sons of Levi
by the house of their fathers
heads of the fathers
by their appointments
in
the number of names
by their polls
doing the work for the service of the
house of Jehovah
from a son of twenty years and upward
These were the sons of Levi
after the house of their fathers
.... According
to the three classes of them
as descending from the three sons of Levi:
even the chief of
the fathers; or heads of families:
as they were counted by number of names by their polls; or according
to their heads
one by one:
that did the work for the service of the house of the Lord; the
particulars of which are in 1 Chronicles 23:28.
from the age of twenty years
and upwards; they were
first numbered thirty and upwards
1 Chronicles 23:3
but David before his death ordered they should be numbered from twenty and
upwards
1 Chronicles 23:27
because the Israelites being increased
there would be more work for the
priests in the temple
which would require the assistance of more Levites. The
reasons follow.
1 Chronicles 23:25 25 For David said
“The Lord God of Israel
has given rest to His people
that they may dwell in Jerusalem forever”;
YLT
25for David said
`Jehovah
God of Israel
hath given rest to His people
and He doth tabernacle in
Jerusalem unto the age;'
For David said
.... As a reason why he ordered a new
account to be taken:
the Lord God of Israel hath given rest unto his people: from all
their enemies round about
and settled rest in the land
so that there was no
danger of being carried captive
as they were time after time in the days of
the Judges
and whereby they became more numerous:
that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever; where the
temple would always continue
and not be removed
as the ark and tabernacle had
been
and where all Israel would appear three times in the year continually.
1 Chronicles 23:26 26 and also to the Levites
“They
shall no longer carry the tabernacle
or any of the articles for its service.”
YLT
26and also of the Levites
`None [are] to bear the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service;'
And also unto the Levites
.... Or with respect to
them:
they shall no more carry the tabernacle: on their
shoulders
from place to place
as they had done:
nor any vessels of it for the service thereof; and so the
service of it did not require men at their full strength
but such as were but
twenty years of age might be employed in it.
1 Chronicles 23:27 27 For by the last words of
David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above;
YLT
27for by the last words of
David they [took] the number of the sons of Levi from a son of twenty years and
upward
For by the last words of David
.... Or therefore by the
last orders he gave before his death:
the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above; as able and
sufficient to do the work of their office.
1 Chronicles 23:28 28 because their duty was
to help the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the Lord
in the courts
and in the chambers
in the purifying of all holy things and the work of the
service of the house of God
YLT
28for their station [is] at
the side of the sons of Aaron
for the service of the house of Jehovah
over
the courts
and over the chambers
and over the cleansing of every holy thing
and the work of the service of the house of God
Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron
.... The
priests:
for the service of the house of the Lord; to assist
them therein
and not to bear burdens as in times past; the Targum
is
"wherefore the place of their habitations was by the side of the sons
of Aaron
for the worship of the sanctuary 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; to keep the
house
and all the apartments in it
courts and chambers
clean
by sweeping
and washing them
and carrying out all the filth thereof made by the
sacrifices
and otherwise.
1 Chronicles 23:29 29 both with the showbread
and the fine flour for the grain offering
with the unleavened cakes and what
is baked in the pan
with what is mixed and with all kinds of measures and
sizes;
YLT
29and for the bread of the
arrangement
and for fine flour for present
and for the thin unleavened cakes
and for [the work of] the pan
and for that which is fried
and for all
[liquid] measure and [solid] measure;
Both for the shewbread
.... Also to make and get
that ready every week for the priests to set on the shewbread table
when they
took off the other that had stood a week
see 1 Chronicles 9:32.
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; to deliver
out the flour of which these several things were made
see 1 Chronicles 9:31
and Leviticus 2:1
and for all manner of measures and size; as the hin and the ephah
and the
several parts of them for things both liquid and dry
which were in their
keeping
and according to which they gave out the proper quantity of oil
and
wine
and fine flour
upon occasion.
1 Chronicles 23:30 30 to stand every morning to
thank and praise the Lord
and likewise at evening;
YLT
30and to stand
morning by
morning
to give thanks
and to give praise to Jehovah
and so at evening;
And to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord
.... The
office of others of them was to sing the praises of God
both vocally and with
instruments of music
at the time of the morning sacrifice:
and likewise at even; at the time of the
evening sacrifice
by way of thankfulness for the mercies of the night and of
the day.
1 Chronicles 23:31 31 and at every presentation
of a burnt offering to the Lord on the Sabbaths and on
the New Moons and on the set feasts
by number according to the ordinance
governing them
regularly before the Lord;
YLT
31and for all the
burnt-offerings -- burnt-offerings to Jehovah for sabbaths
for new moons
and
for appointed seasons
by number
according to the ordinance upon them
continually
before Jehovah.
And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the Lord
.... This was
the work of the priests to offer such sacrifices
and not the Levites; but the
meaning is
according to the Targum
and so Kimchi
that these not only sung
the praises of God morning and evening
but at all times when burnt offerings
were offered to the Lord; besides
some of them helped the priests at such
times in slaying the sacrifices
and bringing them to the altar: and especially
their service was requisite
in the sabbaths
in the new moons
and on the set feasts
by
number; because
besides the daily sacrifices
there were additional
offerings at those times:
according to the order commanded unto them continually before the
Lord; see Numbers 28:1.
1 Chronicles 23:32 32 and that they should
attend to the needs of the tabernacle of meeting
the needs of the holy place
and the needs of the sons of Aaron their brethren in the work of the house of
the Lord.
YLT
32And they have kept the
charge of the tent of meeting
and the charge of the sanctuary
and the charge
of the sons of Aaron
their brethren
for the service of the house of Jehovah.
And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the
congregation
.... That no unclean persons entered into it
and that none of
the vessels were carried out of it; this was the business of the porters:
and the charge of the holy place; of things that belonged
unto it
the vessels in it
and what was requisite for it
and used there: and
the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren; the priests
whatever they
should command them to do: in the service of the house of the Lord; in any part
and branch of it before specified.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)