1 So all Israel were reckoned by genealogies; and, behold, they were written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah, who were carried away to Babylon for their transgression.
2 Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were, the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the Nethinims.
3 And in Jerusalem dwelt of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim, and Manasseh;
4 Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the children of Pharez the son of Judah.
5 And of the Shilonites; Asaiah the firstborn, and his sons.
6 And of the sons of Zerah; Jeuel, and their brethren, six hundred and ninety.
7 And of the sons of Benjamin; Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hasenuah,
8 And Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, and Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephathiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah;
9 And their brethren, according to their generations, nine hundred and fifty and six. All these men were chief of the fathers in the house of their fathers.
10 And of the priests; Jedaiah, and Jehoiarib, and Jachin,
11 And Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God;
12 And Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchijah, and Maasiai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;
13 And their brethren, heads of the house of their fathers, a thousand and seven hundred and threescore; very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.
14 And of the Levites; Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;
15 And Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Micah, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph;
16 And Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, that dwelt in the villages of the Netophathites.
17 And the porters were, Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brethren: Shallum was the chief;
18 Who hitherto waited in the king's gate eastward: they were porters in the companies of the children of Levi.
19 And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: and their fathers, being over the host of the LORD, were keepers of the entry.
20 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in time past, and the LORD was with him.
21 And Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
22 All these which were chosen to be porters in the gates were two hundred and twelve. These were reckoned by their genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their set office.
23 So they and their children had the oversight of the gates of the house of the LORD, namely, the house of the tabernacle, by wards.
24 In four quarters were the porters, toward the east, west, north, and south.
25 And their brethren, which were in their villages, were to come after seven days from time to time with them.
26 For these Levites, the four chief porters, were in their set office, and were over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God.
27 And they lodged round about the house of God, because the charge was upon them, and the opening thereof every morning pertained to them.
28 And certain of them had the charge of the ministering vessels, that they should bring them in and out by tale.
29 Some of them also were appointed to oversee the vessels, and all the instruments of the sanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.
30 And some of the sons of the priests made the ointment of the spices.
31 And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the set office over the things that were made in the pans.
32 And other of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the shewbread, to prepare it every sabbath.
33 And these are the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free: for they were employed in that work day and night.
34 These chief fathers of the Levites were chief throughout their generations; these dwelt at Jerusalem.
35 And in Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon, Jehiel, whose wife's name was Maachah:
36 And his firstborn son Abdon, then Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Ner, and Nadab.
37 And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zechariah, and Mikloth.
38 And Mikloth begat Shimeam. And they also dwelt with their brethren at Jerusalem, over against their brethren.
39 And Ner begat Kish; and Kish begat Saul; and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal.
40 And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal: and Meribbaal begat Micah.
41 And the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tahrea, and Ahaz.
42 And Ahaz begat Jarah; and Jarah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza;
43 And Moza begat Binea; and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.
44 And Azel had six sons, whose names are these, Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan: these were the sons of Azel.
1 So all Israel H3478 were reckoned by genealogies; H3187 and, behold, they were written H3789 in the book H5612 of the kings H4428 of Israel H3478 and Judah, H3063 who were carried away H1540 to Babylon H894 for their transgression. H4604
2 Now the first H7223 inhabitants H3427 that dwelt in their possessions H272 in their cities H5892 were, the Israelites, H3478 the priests, H3548 Levites, H3881 and the Nethinims. H5411
3 And in Jerusalem H3389 dwelt H3427 of the children H1121 of Judah, H3063 and of the children H1121 of Benjamin, H1144 and of the children H1121 of Ephraim, H669 and Manasseh; H4519
4 Uthai H5793 the son H1121 of Ammihud, H5989 the son H1121 of Omri, H6018 the son H1121 of Imri, H566 the son H1121 of Bani, H1137 of the children H1121 of Pharez H6557 the son H1121 of Judah. H3063
5 And of the Shilonites; H7888 Asaiah H6222 the firstborn, H1060 and his sons. H1121
6 And of the sons H1121 of Zerah; H2226 Jeuel, H3262 and their brethren, H251 six H8337 hundred H3967 and ninety. H8673
7 And of the sons H1121 of Benjamin; H1144 Sallu H5543 the son H1121 of Meshullam, H4918 the son H1121 of Hodaviah, H1938 the son H1121 of Hasenuah, H5574
8 And Ibneiah H2997 the son H1121 of Jeroham, H3395 and Elah H425 the son H1121 of Uzzi, H5813 the son H1121 of Michri, H4381 and Meshullam H4918 the son H1121 of Shephathiah, H8203 the son H1121 of Reuel, H7467 the son H1121 of Ibnijah; H2998
9 And their brethren, H251 according to their generations, H8435 nine H8672 hundred H3967 and fifty H2572 and six. H8337 All these men H582 were chief H7218 of the fathers H1 in the house H1004 of their fathers. H1
10 And of the priests; H3548 Jedaiah, H3048 and Jehoiarib, H3080 and Jachin, H3199
11 And Azariah H5838 the son H1121 of Hilkiah, H2518 the son H1121 of Meshullam, H4918 the son H1121 of Zadok, H6659 the son H1121 of Meraioth, H4812 the son H1121 of Ahitub, H285 the ruler H5057 of the house H1004 of God; H430
12 And Adaiah H5718 the son H1121 of Jeroham, H3395 the son H1121 of Pashur, H6583 the son H1121 of Malchijah, H4441 and Maasiai H4640 the son H1121 of Adiel, H5717 the son H1121 of Jahzerah, H3170 the son H1121 of Meshullam, H4918 the son H1121 of Meshillemith, H4921 the son H1121 of Immer; H564
13 And their brethren, H251 heads H7218 of the house H1004 of their fathers, H1 a thousand H505 and seven H7651 hundred H3967 and threescore; H8346 very able H2428 men H1368 for the work H4399 of the service H5656 of the house H1004 of God. H430
14 And of the Levites; H3881 Shemaiah H8098 the son H1121 of Hasshub, H2815 the son H1121 of Azrikam, H5840 the son H1121 of Hashabiah, H2811 of the sons H1121 of Merari; H4847
15 And Bakbakkar, H1230 Heresh, H2792 and Galal, H1559 and Mattaniah H4983 the son H1121 of Micah, H4316 the son H1121 of Zichri, H2147 the son H1121 of Asaph; H623
16 And Obadiah H5662 the son H1121 of Shemaiah, H8098 the son H1121 of Galal, H1559 the son H1121 of Jeduthun, H3038 and Berechiah H1296 the son H1121 of Asa, H609 the son H1121 of Elkanah, H511 that dwelt H3427 in the villages H2691 of the Netophathites. H5200
17 And the porters H7778 were, Shallum, H7967 and Akkub, H6126 and Talmon, H2929 and Ahiman, H289 and their brethren: H251 Shallum H7967 was the chief; H7218
18 Who hitherto waited in the king's H4428 gate H8179 eastward: H4217 they were porters H7778 in the companies H4264 of the children H1121 of Levi. H3878
19 And Shallum H7967 the son H1121 of Kore, H6981 the son H1121 of Ebiasaph, H43 the son H1121 of Korah, H7141 and his brethren, H251 of the house H1004 of his father, H1 the Korahites, H7145 were over the work H4399 of the service, H5656 keepers H8104 of the gates H5592 of the tabernacle: H168 and their fathers, H1 being over the host H4264 of the LORD, H3068 were keepers H8104 of the entry. H3996
20 And Phinehas H6372 the son H1121 of Eleazar H499 was the ruler H5057 over them in time past, H6440 and the LORD H3068 was with him.
21 And Zechariah H2148 the son H1121 of Meshelemiah H4920 was porter H7778 of the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150
22 All these which were chosen H1305 to be porters H7778 in the gates H5592 were two hundred H3967 and twelve. H8147 H6240 These were reckoned by their genealogy H3187 in their villages, H2691 whom H1992 David H1732 and Samuel H8050 the seer H7200 did ordain H3245 in their set office. H530
23 So they and their children H1121 had the oversight of the gates H8179 of the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 namely, the house H1004 of the tabernacle, H168 by wards. H4931
24 In four H702 quarters H7307 were the porters, H7778 toward the east, H4217 west, H3220 north, H6828 and south. H5045
25 And their brethren, H251 which were in their villages, H2691 were to come H935 after seven H7651 days H3117 from time H6256 to time H6256 with them.
26 For these Levites, H3881 the four H702 chief H1368 porters, H7778 were in their set office, H530 and were over the chambers H3957 and treasuries H214 of the house H1004 of God. H430
27 And they lodged H3885 round about H5439 the house H1004 of God, H430 because the charge H4931 was upon them, and the opening H4668 thereof every morning H1242 pertained to them.
28 And certain of them had the charge of H5921 the ministering H5656 vessels, H3627 that they should bring them in H935 and out H3318 by tale. H4557 H4557
29 Some of them also were appointed H4487 to oversee the vessels, H3627 and all the instruments H3627 of the sanctuary, H6944 and the fine flour, H5560 and the wine, H3196 and the oil, H8081 and the frankincense, H3828 and the spices. H1314
30 And some of the sons H1121 of the priests H3548 made H7543 the ointment H4842 of the spices. H1314
31 And Mattithiah, H4993 one of the Levites, H3881 who was the firstborn H1060 of Shallum H7967 the Korahite, H7145 had the set office H530 over the things that were made H4639 in the pans. H2281
32 And other of their brethren, H251 of the sons H1121 of the Kohathites, H6956 were over the shewbread, H3899 H4635 to prepare H3559 it every sabbath. H7676
33 And these are the singers, H7891 chief H7218 of the fathers H1 of the Levites, H3881 who remaining in the chambers H3957 were free: H6362 H6359 for they were employed in that work H4399 day H3119 and night. H3915
34 These chief H7218 fathers H1 of the Levites H3881 were chief H7218 throughout their generations; H8435 these dwelt H3427 at Jerusalem. H3389
35 And in Gibeon H1391 dwelt H3427 the father H1 of Gibeon, H1391 H25 Jehiel, H3273 whose wife's H802 name H8034 was Maachah: H4601
36 And his firstborn H1060 son H1121 Abdon, H5658 then Zur, H6698 and Kish, H7027 and Baal, H1168 and Ner, H5369 and Nadab, H5070
37 And Gedor, H1446 and Ahio, H283 and Zechariah, H2148 and Mikloth. H4732
38 And Mikloth H4732 begat H3205 Shimeam. H8043 And they also dwelt H3427 with their brethren H251 at Jerusalem, H3389 over against their brethren. H251
39 And Ner H5369 begat H3205 Kish; H7027 and Kish H7027 begat H3205 Saul; H7586 and Saul H7586 begat H3205 Jonathan, H3083 and Malchishua, H4444 and Abinadab, H41 and Eshbaal. H792
40 And the son H1121 of Jonathan H3083 was Meribbaal: H4807 and Meribbaal H4810 begat H3205 Micah. H4318
41 And the sons H1121 of Micah H4318 were, Pithon, H6377 and Melech, H4429 and Tahrea, H8475 and Ahaz.
42 And Ahaz H271 begat H3205 Jarah; H3294 and Jarah H3294 begat H3205 Alemeth, H5964 and Azmaveth, H5820 and Zimri; H2174 and Zimri H2174 begat H3205 Moza; H4162
43 And Moza H4162 begat H3205 Binea; H1150 and Rephaiah H7509 his son, H1121 Eleasah H501 his son, H1121 Azel H682 his son. H1121
44 And Azel H682 had six H8337 sons, H1121 whose names H8034 are these, Azrikam, H5840 Bocheru, H1074 and Ishmael, H3458 and Sheariah, H8187 and Obadiah, H5662 and Hanan: H2605 these were the sons H1121 of Azel. H682
1 So all Israel were reckoned by genealogies; and, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel: and Judah was carried away captive to Babylon for their transgression.
2 Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim.
3 And in Jerusalem dwelt of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim and Manasseh:
4 Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the children of Perez the son of Judah.
5 And of the Shilonites: Asaiah the first-born, and his sons.
6 And of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel, and their brethren, six hundred and ninety.
7 And of the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah,
8 and Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, and Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah;
9 and their brethren, according to their generations, nine hundred and fifty and six. All these men were heads of fathers' `houses' by their fathers' houses.
10 And of the priests: Jedaiah, and Jehoiarib, Jachin,
11 and Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God;
12 and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah, and Maasai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;
13 and their brethren, heads of their fathers' houses, a thousand and seven hundred and threescore; very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.
14 And of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;
15 and Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph,
16 and Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, that dwelt in the villages of the Netophathites.
17 And the porters: Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brethren (Shallum was the chief),
18 who hitherto `waited' in the king's gate eastward: they were the porters for the camp of the children of Levi.
19 And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of his father's house, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent: and their fathers had been over the camp of Jehovah, keepers of the entry.
20 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was ruler over them in time past, `and' Jehovah was with him.
21 Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was porter of the door of the tent of meeting.
22 All these that were chosen to be porters in the thresholds were two hundred and twelve. These were reckoned by genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their office of trust.
23 So they and their children had the oversight of the gates of the house of Jehovah, even the house of the tent, by wards.
24 On the four sides were the porters, toward the east, west, north, and south.
25 And their brethren, in their villages, were to come in every seven days from time to time to be with them:
26 for the four chief porters, who were Levites, were in an office of trust, and were over the chambers and over the treasuries in the house of God.
27 And they lodged round about the house of God, because the charge `thereof' was upon them; and to them pertained the opening thereof morning by morning.
28 And certain of them had charge of the vessels of service; for by count were these brought in and by count were these taken out.
29 Some of them also were appointed over the furniture, and over all the vessels of the sanctuary, and over the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.
30 And some of the sons of the priests prepared the confection of the spices.
31 And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the first-born of Shallum the Korahite, had the office of trust over the things that were baked in pans.
32 And some of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the showbread, to prepare it every sabbath.
33 And these are the singers, heads of fathers' `houses' of the Levites, `who dwelt' in the chambers `and were' free `from other service'; for they were employed in their work day and night.
34 These were heads of fathers' `houses' of the Levites, throughout their generations, chief men: these dwelt at Jerusalem.
35 And in Gibeon there dwelt the father of Gibeon, Jeiel, whose wife's name was Maacah:
36 and his first-born son Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Ner, and Nadab,
37 and Gedor, and Ahio, and Zechariah, and Mikloth.
38 And Mikloth begat Shimeam. And they also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against their brethren.
39 And Ner begat Kish; and Kish begat Saul; and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal.
40 And the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal; and Merib-baal begat Micah.
41 And the sons of Micah: Pithon, and Melech, and Tahrea, `and Ahaz'.
42 And Ahaz begat Jarah; and Jarah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza;
43 and Moza begat Binea; and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.
44 And Azel had six sons, whose names are these: Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan: these were the sons of Azel.
1 And all Israel have reckoned themselves by genealogy, and lo, they are written on the book of the kings of Israel and Judah -- they were removed to Babylon for their trespass.
2 And the first inhabitants, who `are' in their possession, in their cities, of Israel, `are' the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim.
3 And in Jerusalem dwelt of the sons of Judah, and of the sons of Benjamin, and of the sons of Ephraim and Manasseh:
4 Uthai son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, of the sons of Pharez, son of Judah.
5 And of the Shilonite: Asaiah the first-born, and his sons.
6 And of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel, and their brethren, six hundred and ninety.
7 And of the sons of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah,
8 and Ibneiah son of Jeroham, and Elah son of Uzzi, son of Michri, and Meshullam son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah.
9 And their brethren, according to their generations, `are' nine hundred and fifty and six. All these `are' men, heads of fathers, according to the house of their fathers.
10 And of the priests: Jedaiah, and Jehoiarib, and Jachin,
11 and Azariah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, leader in the house of God;
12 and Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah, and Maasai son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer.
13 And their brethren, heads to the house of their fathers, a thousand and seven hundred and sixty, mighty in valour, `are' for the work of the service of the house of God.
14 And of the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hashshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;
15 and Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal, and Mattaniah son of Micah, son of Zichri, son of Asaph;
16 and Obadiah son of Shemariah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah, son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who is dwelling in the villages of the Netophathite.
17 And the gatekeepers `are' Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brethren -- Shallum `is' the head;
18 and hitherto they `are' at the gate of the king eastward; they `are' the gatekeepers for the companies of the sons of Levi.
19 And Shallum son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, `are' over the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent, and their fathers `are' over the camp of Jehovah, keepers of the entrance;
20 and Phinehas son of Eleazar hath been leader over them formerly; Jehovah `is' with him.
21 Zechariah son of Meshelemiah `is' gatekeeper at the opening of the tent of meeting.
22 All of those who are chosen for gatekeepers at the thresholds `are' two hundred and twelve; they `are' in their villages, by their genealogy; they whom David and Samuel the seer appointed in their office.
23 And they and their sons `are' over the gates of the house of Jehovah, even of the house of the tent, by watches.
24 At four sides are the gatekeepers, east, west, north, and south.
25 And their brethren in their villages `are' to come in for seven days from time to time with these.
26 For in office `are' the four chiefs of the gatekeepers, they are Levites, and they have been over the chambers, and over the treasuries of the house of God,
27 and round about the house of God they lodge, for on them `is' the watch, and they `are' over the opening, even morning by morning.
28 And `some' of them `are' over the vessels of service, for by number they bring them in, and by number they take them out.
29 And `some' of them are appointed over the vessels, even over all the vessels of the sanctuary, and over the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.
30 And `some' of the sons of the priests are mixing the mixture for spices.
31 And Mattithiah, of the Levites (he `is' the first-born to Shallum the Korahite), `is' in office over the work of the pans.
32 And of the sons of the Kohathite, `some' of their brethren `are' over the bread of the arrangement, to prepare `it' sabbath by sabbath.
33 And these who sing, heads of fathers of the Levites, in the chambers, `are' free, for by day and by night `they are' over them in the work.
34 These heads of the fathers of the Levites throughout their generations `are' heads. These have dwelt in Jerusalem.
35 And in Gibeon dwelt hath the father of Gibeon, Jehiel, and the name of his wife `is' Maachah;
36 and his son, the first-born, `is' Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Ner, and Nadab,
37 and Gedor, and Ahio, and Zechariah, and Mikloth.
38 And Mikloth begat Shimeam, and they also, over-against their brethren, have dwelt in Jerusalem with their brethren.
39 And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchi-Shua, and Abinadab, and Esh-Baal.
40 And a son of Jonathan `is' Merib-Baal, and Merib-Baal begat Micah.
41 And sons of Micah: Pithon, and Melech, and Tahrea,
42 and Ahaz -- he begat Jaarah, and Jaarah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri, and Zimri begat Moza,
43 and Moza begat Binea, and Rephaiah `is' his son. Eleasah his son, Azel his son.
44 And to Azel `are' six sons, and these their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan: these `are' sons of Azel.
1 And all Israel were registered by genealogy; and behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel. And Judah was carried away to Babylon because of their transgression.
2 And the inhabitants that were first in their possessions in their cities were the Israelites, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim.
3 And in Jerusalem dwelt of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim, and Manasseh:
4 Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the children of Pherez the son of Judah.
5 And of the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn, and his sons.
6 And of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel; and their brethren, six hundred and ninety.
7 And of the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah,
8 and Jibneiah the son of Jeroham, and Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Jibnijah;
9 and their brethren, according to their generations, nine hundred and fifty-six. All these men were chief fathers in their fathers' houses.
10 And of the priests: Jedaiah, and Jehoiarib, and Jachin,
11 and Azariah the son of Hilkijah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God;
12 and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah, and Masai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;
13 and their brethren, heads of their fathers' houses, a thousand and seven hundred and sixty; able men for the work of the service of the house of God.
14 And of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;
15 and Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal; and Mattaniah the son of Micah, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph;
16 and Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who dwelt in the villages of the Netophathites.
17 And the doorkeepers: Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brethren; Shallum was the chief.
18 And they have been hitherto in the king's gate eastward: they were the doorkeepers in the camps of the children of Levi.
19 And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent, and their fathers, set over the camp of Jehovah, were keepers of the entrance.
20 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them formerly; Jehovah was with him.
21 Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was doorkeeper at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
22 All these chosen to be doorkeepers at the thresholds were two hundred and twelve. These were registered by genealogy according to their villages: David and Samuel the seer had instituted them in their trust.
23 And they and their sons were at the gates of the house of Jehovah, the house of the tent, to keep watch there.
24 At the four quarters were the doorkeepers, toward the east, west, north, and south.
25 And their brethren, in their villages, were to come after [every] seven days from time to time with them.
26 For in their trust these four were the chief doorkeepers: they were Levites; and they were over the chambers and over the treasuries of the house of God;
27 for they stayed round about the house of God during the night, because the charge was upon them, and the opening thereof every morning [pertained] to them.
28 And [part] of them had the charge of the instruments of service, for by number they brought them in and by number they brought them out.
29 [Part] of them also were appointed over the vessels, and over all the holy instruments, and over the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.
30 And it was [some one] of the sons of the priests who compounded the ointment of the spices.
31 And Mattithiah of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was in trust over the things that were made in the pans.
32 And [some] of the sons of the Kohathites, their brethren, were over the loaves to be set in rows, to prepare them every sabbath.
33 And these were the singers, chief fathers of the Levites, [who were] in the chambers free from service; for they were employed day and night.
34 These are the chief fathers of the Levites, heads according to their families; these dwelt in Jerusalem.
35 And at Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon, Jeiel, and his wife's name was Maachah.
36 And his son, the firstborn, was Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Ner, and Nadab,
37 and Gedor, and Ahio, and Zechariah, and Mikloth;
38 and Mikloth begot Shimeam. And they also dwelt beside their brethren in Jerusalem, with their brethren.
39 And Ner begot Kish; and Kish begot Saul; and Saul begot Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Esh-baal.
40 And the son of Jonathan was Merib-Baal; and Merib-Baal begot Micah.
41 And the sons of Micah: Pithon, and Melech, and Tahrea.
42 And Ahaz begot Jarah: and Jarah begot Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begot Moza;
43 and Moza begot Binea; and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.
44 And Azel had six sons, and these are their names: Azrikam, Bochru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan; these were the sons of Azel.
1 So all Israel were reckoned by genealogies; and, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel: and Judah was carried away captive to Babylon for their disobedience.
2 Now the first inhabitants who lived in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim.
3 In Jerusalem lived of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim and Manasseh:
4 Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the children of Perez the son of Judah.
5 Of the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn, and his sons.
6 Of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel, and their brothers, six hundred ninety.
7 Of the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah,
8 and Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, and Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah;
9 and their brothers, according to their generations, nine hundred fifty-six. All these men were heads of fathers' [houses] by their fathers' houses.
10 Of the priests: Jedaiah, and Jehoiarib, Jachin,
11 and Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God;
12 and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah, and Maasai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;
13 and their brothers, heads of their fathers' houses, one thousand seven hundred sixty; very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.
14 Of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;
15 and Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph,
16 and Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.
17 The porters: Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brothers (Shallum was the chief),
18 who hitherto [waited] in the king's gate eastward: they were the porters for the camp of the children of Levi.
19 Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brothers, of his father's house, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent: and their fathers had been over the camp of Yahweh, keepers of the entry.
20 Phinehas the son of Eleazar was ruler over them in time past, [and] Yahweh was with him.
21 Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was porter of the door of the tent of meeting.
22 All these who were chosen to be porters in the thresholds were two hundred and twelve. These were reckoned by genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their office of trust.
23 So they and their children had the oversight of the gates of the house of Yahweh, even the house of the tent, by wards.
24 On the four sides were the porters, toward the east, west, north, and south.
25 Their brothers, in their villages, were to come in every seven days from time to time to be with them:
26 for the four chief porters, who were Levites, were in an office of trust, and were over the chambers and over the treasuries in the house of God.
27 They lodged round about the house of God, because the charge [of it] was on them; and to them pertained the opening of it morning by morning.
28 Certain of them had charge of the vessels of service; for by count were these brought in and by count were these taken out.
29 Some of them also were appointed over the furniture, and over all the vessels of the sanctuary, and over the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.
30 Some of the sons of the priests prepared the confection of the spices.
31 Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the office of trust over the things that were baked in pans.
32 Some of their brothers, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the show bread, to prepare it every Sabbath.
33 These are the singers, heads of fathers' [houses] of the Levites, [who lived] in the chambers [and were] free [from other service]; for they were employed in their work day and night.
34 These were heads of fathers' [houses] of the Levites, throughout their generations, chief men: these lived at Jerusalem.
35 In Gibeon there lived the father of Gibeon, Jeiel, whose wife's name was Maacah:
36 and his firstborn son Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Ner, and Nadab,
37 and Gedor, and Ahio, and Zechariah, and Mikloth.
38 Mikloth became the father of Shimeam. They also lived with their brothers in Jerusalem, over against their brothers.
39 Ner became the father of Kish; and Kish became the father of Saul; and Saul became the father of Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal.
40 The son of Jonathan was Merib Baal; and Merib Baal became the father of Micah.
41 The sons of Micah: Pithon, and Melech, and Tahrea, [and Ahaz].
42 Ahaz became the father of Jarah; and Jarah became the father of Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri became the father of Moza;
43 and Moza became the father of Binea; and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.
44 Azel had six sons, whose names are these: Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan: these were the sons of Azel.
1 So all Israel was listed by their families; and, truly, they are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel. And Judah was taken away as prisoners to Babylon because of their sin.
2 Now the first to take up their heritage in their towns were: Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim.
3 And in Jerusalem there were living some of the sons of Judah, and of Benjamin, and of Ephraim and Manasseh;
4 Uthai, the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the sons of Perez, the son of Judah.
5 And of the Shilonites: Asaiah the oldest, and his sons.
6 And of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel, and their brothers, six hundred and ninety.
7 And of the sons of Benjamin: Sallu, the son of Meshullam, Judah, the son of Hassenuah,
8 And Ibneiah, the son of Jeroham, and Elah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah;
9 And their brothers, in the list of their generations, nine hundred and fifty-six. All these men were heads of families, listed by the names of their fathers.
10 And of the priests: Jedaiah and Jehoiarib and Jachin
11 And Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God;
12 And Adaiah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah, and Maasai, the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;
13 And their brothers, heads of their families, a thousand and seven hundred and sixty: able men, doing the work of the house of God.
14 And of the Levites: Shemaiah, the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;
15 And Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal, and Mattaniah, the son of Mica, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph;
16 And Obadiah, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah, the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who were living in the small towns of the Netophathites.
17 And the door-keepers: Shallum and Akkub and Talmon and Ahiman and their brothers: Shallum was the chief.
18 Up till then they had been at the king's door to the east. They were door-keepers for the tents of the sons of Levi.
19 And Shallum, the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brothers, of his family, the Korahites, were responsible for everything which had to be done in connection with the order of worship, keepers of the doors of the Tent; their fathers had had the care of the tents of the Lord, being keepers of the doorway.
20 In the past Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, had been ruler over them; may the Lord be with him!
21 Zechariah, the son of Meshelemiah, was keeper of the door of the Tent of meeting.
22 There were two hundred and twelve whose business it was to keep the doorway. These were listed by families in the country places where they were living, whom David and Samuel the seer put in their responsible positions.
23 So they and their sons had the care of the doors of the house of the Lord, the house of the Tent, as watchers.
24 There were keepers of the doors on the four sides, to the east, west, north, and south.
25 And their brothers, in the country places where they were living, were to come in every seven days to be with them from time to time.
26 For the four chief door-keepers, who were Levites, had a special position, looking after the rooms and the store-houses of the house of God.
27 Their sleeping-rooms were round the house of God, for they had the care of it, and were responsible for opening it morning by morning.
28 Certain of them had the care of the vessels used in worship, to keep an account of them when they came in and when they were taken out again.
29 And some of them were responsible for the holy things and for the vessels of the holy place, and the meal and the wine and the oil and the perfume and the spices.
30 And some of the sons of the priests were responsible for crushing the spices.
31 And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the oldest son of Shallum the Korahite, was responsible for cooking the flat cakes.
32 And some of their brothers, sons of the Kohathites, were responsible for the holy bread which was put in order before the Lord, to get it ready every Sabbath.
33 And these were those who had the ordering of the music and songs, heads of families of the Levites, who were living in the rooms, and were free from other work, for their work went on day and night.
34 These were heads of families of the Levites in their generations, chief men; they were living at Jerusalem.
35 And in Gibeon was living the father of Gibeon, Jeiel, whose wife's name was Maacah;
36 And Abdon his oldest son, and Zur and Kish and Baal and Ner and Nadab
37 And Gedor and Ahio and Zechariah and Mikloth
38 Mikloth was the father of Shimeam. They were living with their brothers in Jerusalem opposite their brothers.
39 And Ner was the father of Kish; and Kish was the father of Saul; and Saul was the father of Jonathan and Malchi-shua and Abinadab and Eshbaal.
40 And the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal; and Merib-baal was the father of Micah.
41 And the sons of Micah: Pithon and Melech and Tahrea and Ahaz.
42 And Ahaz was the father of Jarah; and Jarah was the father of Alemeth and Azmaveth and Zimri; and Zimri was the father of Moza.
43 And Moza was the father of Binea; and Rephaiah was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.
44 And Azel had five sons, whose names are: Azrikam, his oldest son, and Ishmael and Sheariah and Obadiah and Hanan: these were the sons of Azel.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 9
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 9 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
1 Chronicles 9:1-3 form the transition from the genealogies to the enumeration of the former inhabitants of Jerusalem in vv. 4-34.
1 Chronicles 9:1-2
“And all the Israelites were registered; and, behold, they were written in the book of the kings of Israel, and Judah was led away to Babylon for her transgressions.” The lxx and Vulg. have erroneously connected ויהוּדה with the preceding words, and render, “in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah,” and then have translated the following words וגו הגלוּ arbitrarily. Not less incorrect is Bertheau's opinion, that Israel here denotes only the tribes of the northern kingdom, because Israel is contrasted with Judah, and kings of Israel are spoken of, for both reasons are quite worthless. “The book of the kings of Israel” is cited in 2 Chronicles 20:34 (cf. 2 Chronicles 33:18), and is declared by Bertheau himself to be identical with the historical work cited as the “book of the kings of Israel and Judah” (2 Chronicles 27:7; 2 Chronicles 35:27; 2 Chronicles 36:8), or as the “book of the kings of Judah and Israel” (2 Chronicles 16:11; 2 Chronicles 25:26, and elsewhere). How then can it be inferred from the shortened title, “book of the kings of Israel,” that kings of the northern kingdom are spoken of? Then, as to the contrast between Israel and Judah, it might, when looked at by itself, be adduced in favour of taking the name in its narrower sense; but when we consider the grouping together in 1 Chronicles 9:10 of “Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim,” we see clearly that Israel in 1 Chronicles 9:2 incontrovertibly denotes the whole Israel of the twelve tribes. In 1 Chronicles 9:1, Israel is used in the same sense as in 1 Chronicles 9:2; and the contrast between Israel and Judah, therefore, is analogous to the contrast “Judah and Jerusalem,” i.e., Israel is a designation of the whole covenant people, Judah that of one section of it. The position of our verse also at the end of the genealogies of all the tribes of Israel, and not merely of the ten tribes of the northern kingdom, requires that the name Israel should be understood to denote the whole covenant people. That 1 Chronicles 9:1 forms the transition from the genealogies to the enumeration of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and so is properly the conclusion of the genealogies in 1 Chron 2-8, is so manifest that Bertheau cannot adduce a single tenable ground for his assertion to the contrary, that “the verse forms clearly quite a new beginning.” For the assertion, “We recognise in it a short introduction to the historical statements regarding the tribe of Judah or the Israelites after the exile,” cannot be adduced in support of his view, since it not only contradicts his former assertion that Israel here denotes the northern kingdom, but is also irreconcilable with the words of the verse.
(Note: Bertheau ' s further remark, “ 1 Chronicles 9:1 cannot have been written by our historian, because he did not consider it sufficient to refer his readers to the work he quotes from, but thought himself bound to communicate genealogical registers of the tribes of the northern kingdom (1 Chron 5-7), which he must have extracted from older registers prepared in the time of the kings (cf. 1 Chronicles 6:1), perhaps even out of the work here named, ” is quite incomprehensible by me. Notwithstanding repeated consideration of it clause by clause, I have not succeeded in comprehending the logic of this argument.)
The statement, “Judah was led captive to Babylon for her transgressions,” corresponds to the statement 1 Chronicles 5:25., 1 Chronicles 6:15. But when, after this statement, our writer continues, “And the former inhabitants which (lived) in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim; and in Jerusalem there dwelt of the sons of Judah,” etc., the “former inhabitants” can only be those who dwelt in their possessions before Judah was led captive into Babylon. This could hardly be misunderstood by any commentator, if the right interpretation of our passage were not obscured by the similarity of the register of the inhabitants of Jerusalem which follows to that contained in Neh 11, - a similarity which has led some to believe that both registers treat of the post-exilic inhabitants of Jerusalem. Bertheau, e.g., comes to the following decision as to the relation of our register, vv. 2-34, to that in Neh 11:3-24: “As the result of the comparison, we have found that both registers correspond exactly in their plan, and agree as to all the main points in their contents.” The first point in this result has some foundation; for if we turn our attention only to the enumeration of chiefs dwelling in Jerusalem, then the registers in 1 Chronicles 9:4-17 of our chapter and in Neh 11:3-19 are identical in plan. But if we consider the whole of the registers, as found in 1 Chron 9:2-34 and Neh 11:3-24, we see that they do differ in plan; for in ours, the enumeration of the inhabitants of Jerusalem is introduced by the remark, 1 Chronicles 9:2, “The former inhabitants in their possessions in their cities, were Israel, the priests,” etc., according to which the following words, 1 Chronicles 9:3, “And in Jerusalem there dwelt of the sons of Judah,” etc., can only be understood of the pre-exilic inhabitants. When Bertheau refers, in opposition to this, to Nehemiah 5:15, where the time between Zerubbabel and Ezra is called the time of the former governors ( הראשׁנים הפּחות ), with whom Nehemiah contrasts himself, the later governor, to prove that according to that the former inhabitants in our passage may very well denote the inhabitants of the land in the first century of the restored community, he forgets that the governors were changed within short periods, so that Nehemiah might readily call his predecessors in the office “former governors;” while the inhabitants of the cities of Judah, on the contrary, had not changed during the period from Zerubbabel to Ezra, so as to allow of earlier and later inhabitants being distinguished. From the fact that the inhabitants “of their cities” are not contrasted as the earlier, with the inhabitants of Jerusalem as the later, but that both are placed together in such a way as to exclude such a contrast, it is manifest that the conclusion drawn by Movers and Bertheau from Nehemiah 11:1, that the “former inhabitants in their possessions in their cities” are those who dwelt in Jerusalem before it was peopled by the inhabitants of the surrounding district, is not tenable. In Neh 11, on the contrary, the register is introduced by the remark, 1 Chronicles 9:3, “These are the heads of the province who dwelt in Jerusalem; and they dwelt in the cities of Judah, each in his possession in their cities, Israel, the priests,” etc. This introduction, therefore, announces a register of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the other cities of Judah, at that time, i.e., at the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. To this corresponds the manner in which the register has been made out, as in vv. 3-24 the inhabitants of Jerusalem are enumerated, and in 1 Chronicles 9:25-36 the inhabitants of the other cities. The register in our chapter, on the contrary, deals only with the inhabitants of Jerusalem (vv. 3-19 a ), while in vv. 19 b -34 there follow remarks as to the duties devolving upon the Levites. No mention is made in the register of the inhabitants of other cities, or of Israelites, priests, and Levites, who dwelt in their cities outside of Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 9:2), because all that was necessary had been already communicated in the preceding genealogies (1 Chron 2-8).
1 Chronicles 9:3
1 Chronicles 9:3, too, is not, as Bertheau and others think, “the superscription of the register of those dwelling in Jerusalem;” for were it that, mention must have been made in it of the priests and Levites, the enumeration of whom fills up the greater part of the following register, vv. 10-33. 1 Chronicles 9:3 corresponds rather to 1 Chronicles 9:35, and serves to introduce the contents of the whole chapter, and with it commences the enumeration itself. In Neh 11, consequently, we have a register of the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, while our chapter contains only a register of the former inhabitants of Jerusalem. Only in so far as it treats of the inhabitants of Jerusalem does Nehemiah's register resemble ours in plan; that is, to this extent, that the sons of Judah, the sons of Benjamin, priests and Levites, are enumerated seriatim as dwelling in Jerusalem, that is, that heads of the fathers'-houses of these inhabitants, as is stated by Nehemiah in the superscription 1 Chronicles 11:3, and in our chapter, at the end of the respective paragraphs, 1 Chronicles 9:9, 1 Chronicles 9:13, and in the subscription, 1 Chronicles 9:33 and 1 Chronicles 9:34.
But if we examine the contents of the two catalogues more minutely, their agreement is shown by the identity of several of the names of these heads. On this point Bertheau thus speaks: “Of the three heads of Judah, Uthai, Asaiah, and Jeuel, 1 Chronicles 9:4-6, we recognise the first two in Athaiah and Maaseiah, Nehemiah 11:4-5; only the third name, Jeuel, is omitted. Of the five heads of Benjamin, 1 Chronicles 9:5-7, it is true, we meet with only two, Sallu and Hodaviah, in Nehemiah 11:7-9; but it is manifest that there was no intention to communicate in that place a complete enumeration of the hereditary chiefs of Benjamin. The names of the six heads of the divisions of the priests, Jedaiah and Jehoiarib, Jachin, Azariah (Seriah occupies his place in the book of Nehemiah), Adaiah and Maasiai (represented in Nehemiah by Amashai), are enumerated in both places in the same order. Among the Levites there occur the names of Shemaiah and Mattaniah as representatives of the great Levitic divisions of Merari and Gershon-Asaph, and we easily recognise our עבדיה in the עבדּא of the book of Nehemiah. Only the two first of the four chiefs of the doorkeepers, Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, and Ahiman, are named in the abridged enumeration of the book of Nehemiah, while the two others are only referred to in the added ואחיהם .” Now, even according to this statement of the matter, the difference is seen to be almost as great as the agreement; but in reality, as a more exact comparison of the catalogues shows, the true state of the case is very different. According to 1 Chronicles 9:3, there dwelt in Jerusalem also sons of Ephraim and Manasseh; but the catalogue from 1 Chronicles 9:4 onwards contains only sons of Judah and Benjamin, and not a single Ephraimite or Manassite. The reason of that is probably this, that only single families and individuals from among the latter dwelt there, while the register only makes mention of the heads of the larger family groups in the population of Jerusalem.
In the same place there dwelt, of the sons of Judah, three chiefs of the three most important families of Judah, that of Pharez, that of Shelah, and that of Zerah; cf. 1 Chronicles 2:3-4. Of the family of Pharez was Uthai, whose descent is traced back in 1 Chronicles 9:4 to Bani, of the children of Pharez. The Kethibh בן־בנימן־בּני is clearly to be read according to the Keri מן־בּני בן־בּני . The name Bani occurs, 1 Chronicles 6:31, among the Merarites; while in the genealogies of Judah, 1 Chron 2-4, neither Bani nor Uthai, nor any one of his ancestors who are here named, is mentioned. In Nehemiah 11:4, on the contrary, there is named of the sons of Pharez, Athaiah ( עתיה , perhaps only another form of עוּתי ), with quite other ancestors; while not a single one of the five names of the persons through whom his race is traced back to Mahalaleel, of the sons of Pharez, coincides with the ancestors of Uthai.
1 Chronicles 9:5
Of the family of Shelah, Asaiah the first-born, and his other) sons. בּנין , after הבּכור , can only be understood of the other sons or descendants. But the epithet give to Asaiah, השּׁילני , is surprising, for it is a formation from שׁילה or שׁילן , and appears to denote a native of Shiloh, a well-known city of Ephraim. This derivation, however, is not suitable, since here the sons (descendants) of Judah are enumerated; and no connection between the inhabitants of Judah and the Ephraimite city Shiloh can either be proved or is at all likely. The older commentators, therefore, have suggested the reading השּׁלני , as in Numbers 26:20, where the family of Shelah, the third sons of Judah, is so called. This suggestion is doubtless correct, and the erroneous punctuation השּׁילני has probably arisen only from the scriptio plena of the word שׁילה instead of שׁלה . This supposition is confirmed by the fact that the form השּׁלני is found in Nehemiah 11:5, although it also is pointed השּׁלני . In Neh. loc. cit. , instead of Asaiah, Maaseiah is introduced as בּן־השּׁלני in the seventh generation, while no ancestors whatever of our Asaiah are mentioned. The name עשׂיה , moreover, is not unfrequent, and occurs in 1 Chronicles 4:36 among the Simeonites; in 1 Chronicles 6:15; 1 Chronicles 15:6, 1 Chronicles 15:11, among the Levites; in 2 Kings 22:12, 2 Kings 22:14 and 2 Chronicles 34:20, as עבד of the King Josiah. מעשׁיה is the name of many persons, e.g., in 1 Chronicles 15:18, 1 Chronicles 15:20, and likewise in 2 Chronicles 23:1; Jeremiah 21:1; Jeremiah 29:21; Jeremiah 35:4; and elsewhere it is used of men of other tribes: so that even should Maaseiah have been written instead of Asaiah merely by an error of transcription, we are not warranted in identifying our Asaiah with the Maaseiah of Nehemiah.
1 Chronicles 9:6
“Of the sons of Zerah, Jeuel;” also the name of various persons; cf. 1 Chronicles 5:7; 2 Chronicles 26:11 : the register in Neh 11 notices no descendants of Zerah. “And their brethren, 690 (men).” The plural suffix in אחיהם cannot be referred, as Bertheau thinks, to Jeuel, for that name, as being that of the head of a father's-house, cannot be a collective. The suffix most consequently refer to the three heads mentioned in 1 Chronicles 9:4-6, Uthai, Asaiah, and Jeuel, whose brethren are the other heads of fathers'-houses of the three families descended from Judah; cf. 1 Chronicles 9:9, where the number of the אחים mentioned refers to all the heads who had formerly been spoken of.
Of the sons of Benjamin, i.e., of the Benjamites, four heads are named, Sallu, Ibneiah, Elah, and Meshullam; and of the first and fourth of these, three generations of ancestors are mentioned, of the second only the father, of the third the father and grandfather. “And their brethren according to their generations, 956;” cf. on 1 Chronicles 9:6. “All these men” are not the brethren whose number is given, but the heads who have been mentioned by name. Now, if we compare this with Neh 11, we meet in 1 Chronicles 9:7-9 with only one of the four heads of Benjamin, Sallu, and that too, as in the Chronicle, as a son of Meshullam, while the ancestors of both are different. Instead of the three others in 1 Chronicles 9:8, we have סלּי גּבּי , 928; and in 1 Chronicles 9:9, as overseer (prefect), and Jehudah as ruler over the city.
The priests. - The three names Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, and Jachin (1 Chronicles 9:10) denote three classes of priests (cf. 1 Chronicles 24:7, 1 Chronicles 24:17), who accordingly dwelt in Jerusalem. There also dwelt there (1 Chronicles 9:11) Azariah the son of Hilkiah, etc., the prince of the house of God; cf. 2 Chronicles 31:13. This is the Azariah mentioned in 1 Chronicles 6:13, the son of Hilkiah, etc., the grandfather of the Jehozadak who was led captive into Babylon. then in 1 Chronicles 9:12 we have two other heads of the priestly fathers'-houses, with an enumeration of their ancestors, through whom they are traced back to the classes of priests to which they belonged respectively, viz., Adaiah to the class Malchijah ( 1 Chronicles 24:9), and Maasiai to the class Immer (1 Chronicles 24:14). According to this, therefore, there dwelt at Jerusalem, of the priesthood, the three classes Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, and Jachin, Azariah the prince of the temple, and of the classes Malchijah and Immer, the fathers'-houses Adaiah and Maasiai. In 1 Chronicles 9:13 the whole number is estimated at 1760. A difficulty is raised by the first words of this verse, “And their brethren, heads of their fathers'-houses, 1760,” which can hardly be taken in any other sense than as denoting that the number of the heads of the fathers'-houses amounted to 1760. This, however, is not conceivable, as “fathers'-houses” are not single households, but larger groups of related families. Moreover, אחיהם , which is co-ordinate with the heads of the fathers'-houses, can only denote, as in 1 Chronicles 9:6, 1 Chronicles 9:9, the heads of the families which belonged to or constituted the fathers'-houses. To arrive at this meaning, however, we must transpose the words ואחיהם and לבית־אבותם ראשׁים , connecting לבית־אבותם ר with 1 Chronicles 9:12, and אחיהם with the number, thus: heads of fathers'-houses, etc., were those mentioned in 1 Chronicles 9:12, and their brethren 1760 (men), valiant heroes in the work of the service of the house of God. Before מלאכת one would expect the word עשׁי , as in 1 Chronicles 23:24 and Nehemiah 11:12, but its presence is not so absolutely necessary as to warrant us in supposing that it has been dropped out, and in inserting it. מלאכת may be also taken as an accusative of relation, “valiant heroes in reference to the work;” or at most a ל a tso may be supplied before מלאכת , as it might easily have been omitted by a clerical error after the immediately preceding חיל . On comparing our passage with Nehemiah 11:10-14, we find there, if בּן־יויריב in 1 Chronicles 9:10 be altered into יהויריב , the same three classes of priests; but instead of Azariah, Seraiah is prince of the house of God, 1 Chronicles 9:11 : thereafter we have 822 brethren, performing the work of the house (of God). Then follows Adaiah of the class Malchijah (as in the Chronicles), but with the addition, “his brethren 242;” and then Amashai of the class Immer, but with other ancestors than those of the Maasiai of the Chronicles, and with the addition, “and their brethren, valiant heroes, 128;” and finally, Zabdiel Ben Hagdolim as overseer (president over them).
The sum of the three numbers is 1192, as contrasted with the 1760 of the Chronicle.
The Levites. - Of these there dwelt in Jerusalem, Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of, etc., a Merarite; and (1 Chronicles 9:15) Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal; and Mattaniah the son of Micah, a descendant of Asaph, and consequently a Gershonite (1 Chronicles 9:16); and Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, as descendant of Jeduthun, consequently also a Merarite; and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who dwelt in the villages of the Netophathite, i.e., of the lord or possessor of Netopha, a locality in the neighbourhood of Bethlehem; cf. Nehemiah 7:26. This remark does not refer to Shemaiah, who cannot have dwelt at the same time in Jerusalem and in the village of the Netophathite, but to his grandfather or ancestor Elkanah, who is thereby to be distinguished from the other men who bore this name, which often occurs in the family of Kohath. All these men are, according to the analogy of the other names in our register, and according to the express statement of the superscription, 1 Chronicles 9:34, to be regarded as heads of Levitic fathers'-houses, and were probably leaders of the music, since those mentioned in 1 Chronicles 9:15, 1 Chronicles 9:16 were descendants of Asaph and Jeduthun, and may therefore with certainty be assumed to have belonged to the Levitic musicians. A confirmation of this supposition is found in the superscription, 1 Chronicles 9:33, inasmuch as the mention of the singers in the first line goes to show that the enumeration of the Levites began with the singers. If we compare Nehemiah 11:15-18 with our passage, we find that these two, Shemaiah and Mattaniah, are mentioned, and on the whole their forefathers have the same names, 1 Chronicles 9:15 and 1 Chronicles 9:17; but between the two we find Shabbethai and Jozabad of the chief of the Levites set over the external service of the house of God. After Mattaniah, who is chief of the Asaphites there also, mention is made of Bakbukiah as the second among his brethren, and Abda the son of Shammua, a descendant of Jeduthun (1 Chronicles 9:17); according to which, even if we identify Bakbakkar with Bakbukiah, and Abda with Obadiah, the Heresh, Galal, and Berechiah of the Chronicles are wanting in Nehemiah, and instead of these three, only Jozabad is mentioned.
“The doorkeepers, Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brethren: Shallum the chief.” The service was so divided among the four just named, that each along with his brethren performed the duty of watching by one of the four sides and chief entrances of the temple (cf. 1 Chronicles 9:24 and 1 Chronicles 9:26), and these four were consequently heads of those divisions of the Levites to whom was committed the duty of the watch. In Nehemiah 11:20, on the contrary, the doorkeepers mentioned are Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren, 172 (men); but the other two chiefs named in the Chronicle are there omitted, while in the Chronicle no number is given. Here the agreement between the two registers ceases. In the Chronicle there follows first of all, in 1 Chronicles 9:18-26 , some remarks on the service of the doorkeepers; and then in 1 Chronicles 9:26-32 the duties of the Levites in general are spoken of; and finally, in 1 Chronicles 9:32 and 1 Chronicles 9:34 we have subscriptions. In Nehemiah, on the other hand, we find in 1 Chronicles 9:20 the statement that the remaining Israelites, priests, and Levites dwelt in their cities; and after some statements as to the service of the Levites, the enumeration of these cities is introduced.
In glancing back over the two catalogues, it is seen that the differences are at least as great as the coincidences. But what conclusions are we to deduce from that fact? Bertheau thinks “from this it is certain that both catalogues cannot have been drawn up independently of each other,” and “that both have been derived from one and the same source, which must have been much more complete, and much richer in names, than our present catalogues; cf. Movers, S. 234.” We, however, judge otherwise. The discrepancies are much too great to allow us to refer them to free handling by epitomizers of some hypothetical more detailed catalogue, or to the negligence of copyists. The coincidence, in so far as it actually exists, does not justify us in accepting such far-fetched suppositions, but may be satisfactorily explained in another way. It consists indeed only in this, that in both registers, (1) sons of Judah and Benjamin, priests and Levites, are enumerated; (2) that in each of these four classes of the inhabitants of Jerusalem some names are identical. The first of these coincidences clearly does not in the least prove that the two catalogues are derived from the same source, and treat of the same time; for the four classes enumerated constituted, both before and after the exile, the population of Jerusalem. But neither does the identity of some of the names prove in the slightest degree the identity of the two catalogues, because the names denote, partly classes of inhabitants, and partly heads of fathers'-houses, i.e., of groups of related households, which did not change with each generation, but sometimes continued to exist for centuries; and because, א priori , we should expect that those who returned from exile would, as far as it was possible, seek out again the dwelling-places of their pre-exilic ancestors; and that consequently after the exile, on the whole, the same families who had dwelt at Jerusalem before it would again take up their abode there. In this way the identity of the names Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, and Jachin in the two catalogues may be accounted for, as these names do not denote persons, but classes of priests, which existed both before and after the exile. A similar explanation would also apply to the names of the doorkeepers Akkub and Talmon (1 Chronicles 9:17; Nehemiah 11:19), as not merely the priests, but also the other Levites, were divided for the service according to their fathers'-houses into classes which had permanent names (cf. 1 Chron 25 and 26). Of the other names in our register only the following are identical: of the Benjamites, Sallu the son of Meshullam (1 Chronicles 9:7; Nehemiah 11:7); of the priests, Adaiah (1 Chronicles 9:12; Nehemiah 11:12), with almost the same ancestors; and of the Levites, Shemaiah and Mattaniah (1 Chronicles 9:10.; Nehemiah 11:15, Nehemiah 11:17). All the other names are different; and even if among the priests Maasiai (1 Chronicles 9:12) should be identical with Amashai (Nehemiah 11:13), and among the Levites Bakbakkar and Obadiah (1 Chronicles 9:16 and 1 Chronicles 9:15) with Bakbukiah and Abda (Nehemiah 11:17), we cannot identify the sons of Judah, Uthai and Azaiah (1 Chronicles 9:4.), with Athaiah and Maaseiah (Nehemiah 11:4.), for their ancestors are quite different. The similarity or even the identity of names, were it in two or three generations, cannot of itself prove the identity of the persons, as we have already seen, in the genealogy of the line of Aaron 1 Chronicles 6:3.), that, e.g., the series Amariah, Ahitub, and Zadok recurs at various times; cf. 1 Chronicles 6:11. and 1 Chronicles 6:12. Everywhere in the genealogical lines the same names very often recur, as it was the custom to give the children the names of their ancestors; cf. Tob. 1:9, Luke 1:59. Win. bibl. R. W . ii. S. 133; Hהvern. Einl . ii. 1, S. 179f. But if, on the one hand, the identity of these names in the two catalogues is not at all a valid proof of the identity of the catalogues, and by no means justifies us in identifying similarly-sounding names by supposing errors of transcription, on the other hand we must hold that the register refers to the pre-exilic population of Jerusalem, both because of the wide discrepancies in all points, and in accordance with the introductory statements in 1 Chronicles 9:2. This interpretation is also demanded by the succeeding remarks in reference to the service of the Levites, since they throughout refer to the pre-exilic time.
The duties of the Levites. - 1 Chronicles 9:18. The first half of this verse, “And until now (is he) in the king's gate eastward,” must be referred to Shallum (Berth.). To imagine a reference to all the doorkeepers, “until now are they,” does not suit 1 Chronicles 9:24-26, according to which the doorkeepers kept guard upon all the four sides. The eastern gate of the temple was called the king's gate, because by this gate the king went in and out to the temple; cf. Ezekiel 46:1-2; Ezekiel 41:3. The remark, “until now is Shallum watcher,” etc., presupposes the existence of the temple at the time of the preparation of this register, and points to the pre-exilic time. Against this Bertheau has raised the objection that the name king's gate may have been retained even in the post-exilic times for the eastern gate. This must of course be in general admitted, but could only be accepted if it were proved that Shallum lived after the exile. This proof Bertheau obtains by taking the words, “until now is Shallum in the king's gate,” to mean, “that, according to the ancient arrangement, Shallum, the chief of all the doorkeepers, had still to guard the eastern entrance; according to which Shallum would be the collective designation of the whole series of the chiefs of the doorkeepers who lived from David's time till after the exile;” but the words cannot be thus interpreted. Such an interpretation cannot be made plausible by identifying the name Shallum with Meshelemiah or Shelemiah, to whose lot it fell in the time of David to be doorkeeper to the eastward (1 Chronicles 26:1, 1 Chronicles 26:14); for in doing so, we would overlook the fact that in 1 Chronicles 9:21 of our chapter also he bears the name Meshelemiah. The circumstance that both Shallum and Meshelemiah are called Ben-Kore, of the sons of Abiasaph, by no means justifies the identification of these two quite different names; for it is neither necessary nor probable that בּן should here be taken in its narrower sense, and Kore regarded as the immediate father of both. The name קרא is repeated in the family of the east doorkeepers, as we learn from 2 Chronicles 31:14, where it is stated that this office was held by a Kore ben Jimna. “These (who are named in 1 Chronicles 9:17) are the doorkeepers for the camp of the sons of Levi” (of the Levites), - an antiquated expression, bringing to remembrance the time of Moses, when the Levites, on the journey through the wilderness, were encamped about the tabernacle (Numbers 3:21.).
1 Chronicles 9:19
1 Chronicles 9:19 gives more exact information as to Shallum's person and his official position. He, the descendant of Kore, the son (descendant) of Abiasaph, a Korahite, and his brethren according to his father's-house (i.e., called brethren because they, like him, belonged to the father's-house of Korah), were over the work of the service, viz., keepers of the thresholds of the tent, i.e., of the house of God, of the temple, which, according to the ancient custom, was called tent, because God's house was formerly a tent-the tabernacle. “And his fathers (the ancestors of Shallum) were by the encampment of Jahve, guardians of the entrance.” With these words the author of this register goes back into the ancient time; and we learn that Shallum's ancestors, of the father's-house of the Korahite Abiasaph, had held the office of guardian of the entrance to the house of God from the time of the conquest of Canaan and the setting up of the tabernacle in Shiloh. The remark in 1 Chronicles 9:20, that Phinehas the son of Eleazar was prince over them in time past, points to the same period. In the book of Joshua and the older books there is no record of the matter; but since the Korahites were descended through Ishhar from Kohath, and the Kohathites held, according to Numbers 4:4., the first place among the servants of the holy place, and were responsible for the holiest vessels, we cannot doubt that the statement here rests upon accurate historical tradition. The “encampment of Jahve” is the holy place of the tabernacle, the dwelling of Jahve in the midst of His people. This designation also is derived from the circumstances of the Israelites in their wandering in the Arabian desert, and is likewise employed in 2 Chronicles 31:2 in reference to Solomon's temple; but in our verse the tabernacle is intended. It had only one entrance, מבוא , the guarding of which was entrusted to the above-mentioned Korahites.
1 Chronicles 9:20
Phinehas was prince over them, not as high priest, but during the high-priesthood of his father Eleazar, i.e., in the time of Joshua, just as Eleazar, under the high-priesthood of Aaron in the time of Moses, had the oversight of the keepers of the holy place, as prince of the princes of Levi (Numbers 3:32). The words עמּו יהוה do not contain a historical remark, “Jahve was with him,” for then the conjunction w would stand before it, as in 1 Chronicles 11:9; they are a blessing - “Jahve be with him” - in reference, probably, to the covenant of peace entered into with him and his descendants by Jahve (Numbers 25:11-13).
1 Chronicles 9:21
1 Chronicles 9:21 is quite unconnected with the preceding context, the conjunction w being omitted, and its contents also present considerable difficulties. Zechariah, the son of Meshelemiah, can only be the Zechariah who is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 26:2 as the first-born of Meshelemiah, and who lived in the time of David; for at the time when David divided the porters into classes, there fell to him the lot towards midnight, i.e., the duty of waiting at the door on the north side of the holy place (1 Chronicles 26:14). With this, indeed, the general statement of our verse, “he was porter of the door (or the entrance) of the tent of the covenant,” is not inconsistent. But what purpose does this general statement serve? With what design is Zechariah, and he alone, mentioned? We have no means of giving a definite answer to this question; but he may perhaps be named as being the person who, before David's division of the Levites into classes was carried out, had charge of the porters' service in the tabernacle. But even if this conjecture be accepted as well grounded, the abrupt way in which it is mentioned still remains enigmatical.
1 Chronicles 9:22
With 1 Chronicles 9:22 the narrative seems to return to the enumeration begun in 1 Chronicles 9:17-19, so that the reflections on the earlier times, 1 Chronicles 9:19-21, are to be regarded as a parenthesis. 1 Chronicles 9:22 runs: “They all who were chosen for doorkeepers for the thresholds, 212 (men): they, in their villages were they registered; they were ordained by David and Samuel the seer on their fidelity.” The infinitive התיחשׂ is used substantively, “in reference to them, in their villages as their genealogical registration accomplished.” If 1 Chronicles 9:22 be the continuation of 1 Chronicles 9:17-21 , then the number given (212) will refer to the doorkeepers in active service at the time of the preparation of the register. With this hypothesis, however, the last clause of the verse, which states that David and Samuel had appointed them, does not seem to harmonize. But if we consider that the four men mentioned in 1 Chronicles 9:17 are heads of fathers'-houses, and that their fathers'-houses were not extinguished at the death of their temporary heads, and performed the same service from generation to generation, it might well be said of the generation performing the service at the time of the preparation of our register, that David had appointed them to their office. The case would of course be similar, if, as we have above supposed, the four names in 1 Chronicles 9:17 are designations of the classes of doorkeepers, for these classes also performed the same service continually. The statements of our 22nd verse cannot be referred to the time of David, for in 1 Chronicles 26:8-10 the number of the doorkeepers appointed by David amounted only to eighty, viz., sixty-two of the sons of Obed-Edom, and eighteen of the sons of Meshelemiah, which, with the addition of thirteen Merarites (1 Chronicles 26:10-11), gives a total of ninety-three, while in our verse the number is 212. According to Ezra 2:42, the number of doorkeepers who returned with Zerubbabel was 139 men; and in the register, Nehemiah 11:19, the number is stated to be 172. From the remark that they were registered in their villages ( חצריהם , as in 1 Chronicles 6:41; Joshua 13:23, and elsewhere), we learn that the doorkeepers dwelt in villages near Jerusalem, whence they came to the city so often as their service required, as the singers also did in the post-exilic time, Nehemiah 12:29. יסּד , to found, set, ordain, and so appoint to an office. “David and Samuel the seer:” הראה , the ancient designation of the prophets, for which at a later time נביא was the more usual word; cf. 1 Samuel 9:9. Nowhere else do we find any record of Samuel's having taken any part in David's arrangement of the service of the Levites in the holy place. Samuel, moreover, was no longer living when David began to arrange the worship at the time when the ark was brought to Jerusalem, for he died before Saul, and consequently before the beginning of David's reign; cf. 1 Samuel 25:1 with 1 Samuel 28:3. Bertheau is consequently of opinion that this statement of our historian rests merely upon the general recollection, according to which the worship was organized afresh, and established in its newer form, in the time of David and Samuel. This is of course possible, but there is no cogent reason against accepting the much less remote supposition that the chronicler took this remark from his authority. The mention of Samuel after David has not a chronological signification, but David is named first on account of his connection with the matter in hand; for the thorough re-organization of the worship, and the classification of the persons engaged in carrying it on, originated with David. For these arrangements of David, however, Samuel had prepared the way in his struggle for the restoration of the theocracy, and of the worship which had fallen into desuetude under Eli and his profligate sons. To do this in any measure, he must have, without doubt, ordained trustworthy men to the individual offices, and thus have prepared the way for King David. בּאמוּנתם is found in 1 Chronicles 9:26, 1 Chronicles 9:31 without the suffix, with the meaning “in good faith” (cf. 2 Kings 12:16; 2 Kings 22:7; 2 Chronicles 31:12), and accordingly is here upon their fidelity, i.e., because they had been recognised to be faithful.
1 Chronicles 9:23-24
They (those ordained by David) and their sons (descendants) were at the doors of the house of Jahve-of the tent-house ( האהל בּית is added to בּית־יהוה , in order that the latter might not be confined to Solomon's temple); for the watch ( משׁמרות of persons, as in Nehemiah 12:9; Nehemiah 4:3, Nehemiah 4:16), according to the four winds (quarters) were they, i.e., the doorkeepers stood so, in accordance with the arrangement made by David; cf. 1 Chronicles 26:14.
1 Chronicles 9:25-26
“And their brethren in their villages (cf. 1 Chronicles 9:22) were bound to come the seventh day, from time to time, with these.” The infinitive בּוא with ל expresses duty, as in 1 Chronicles 5:1. The seventh day is the Sabbath of the week, on which each class in order had to take charge of the services. אלּה עם are the chiefs mentioned in 1 Chronicles 9:17 who dwelt in Jerusalem, and of whom it is said in 1 Chronicles 9:26, “for they are on their fidelity, the four mighty of the doorkeepers.” In explanation of the גּבּרי , Bertheau very fittingly compares σταρτηγοῖ τοῦ Ἱεροῦ , Luke 22:52. The words הלויּם הם , which may be translated, “they are the Levites,” or “they (viz., the Levites),” are somewhat surprising. The Masoretic punctuation demands the latter translation, when the words would be an emphatic elucidation of the preceding המּה . Were they a subscription, we should expect אלּה instead of הם ; while, on the other hand, the circumstance noticed by Bertheau, that in the following verses the duties not merely of the doorkeepers, but of the Levites in general, are enumerated, would seem to favour that sense. Even in the second half of the 1 Chronicles 9:22 it is not the doorkeepers who are spoken of, but the Levites in general. May we not suppose that the text originally stood היוּ הלויּם וּמן (cf. 1 Chronicles 9:14) instead of והיוּ הויּם והם , and that the reading of our present text, having originated in a transcriber's error, found acceptance from the circumstance that 1 Chronicles 9:27 apparently still treats of, or returns to, the service of the doorkeepers? So much is certain, that from 1 Chronicles 9:26 onward the duties of the Levites in general, no longer those of the doorkeepers, are spoken of, and that consequently we must regard the Levites ( הלויּם ), and not the before-mentioned four doorkeepers, as the subject of והיוּ : “and the Levites were over the cells of the storehouses of the house of God.” The cells in the outbuildings of the temple served as treasure-chambers and storehouses for the temple furniture. האוצרות with the article in the stat. constr. (Ew. §290, d.), because of the looser connection, since the genitive בּית־הא also belongs to הלּשׁכוה .
1 Chronicles 9:27
1 Chronicles 9:27 refers again to the doorkeepers. They passed the night around the house of God, because the care of or watch over it was committed to them, and “they were over the key, and that every morning,” i.e., they had to open the door every morning. מפתּח occurs again in Judges 3:25 and Isaiah 22:22, in the signification key, which is suitable here also.
1 Chronicles 9:28
And of them (the Levites), some were over the vessels of the service, by which we are probably to understand the costly vessels, e.g., the golden cups for the libations, etc., which were brought from the treasure-chamber only for a short time for use in the service. They were brought, according to the number, into the place where the service took place, and after being again numbered, were again carried forth; and according to 1 Chronicles 9:29, other Levites were set over הכּלים and over הקּדשׁ כּלי .
1 Chronicles 9:29
And of them, others were set over the vessels (in general), and over all the holy vessels which were used for the daily sacrificial service, and over the fine flour ( סלת , vide on Leviticus 2:1), wine, oil, and incense which was required therein for the meat and drink offerings, and the בּשׂמים , spicery, for the holy perfumes (frankincense, cf. Exodus 25:6).
1 Chronicles 9:30
And of the priests' sons were preparers of the ointments for the spices. It is the preparation from various spices of the holy anointing oil, Exodus 30:23-25, which is meant, and which consequently was part of the priest's duty.
1 Chronicles 9:31
Mattithiah, the first-born of the Korahite Shallum ( vide 1 Chronicles 9:19), was on good faith over the panbakings (pastry) for the meat-offerings, over the preparation of which he was to watch. To the name Mattithiah מן־הלויּם is added, in contrast to the הכּהנים מן־בּני in 1 Chronicles 9:30. The word החבתּים (pastry, panbaking) occurs here only; cf. מחבת , pan of sheet iron, Exodus 4:3.
1 Chronicles 9:32
Finally, to some of the Kohathites was committed the preparation of the shew-bread, which required to be laid on the table fresh every Sabbath; cf. Leviticus 24:5-8. The suffix אחיהם refers back to the Levites of the father's-house of Korah in 1 Chronicles 9:32.
1 Chronicles 9:33-34
1 Chronicles 9:33, 1 Chronicles 9:34 contain subscriptions to the section vv. 14-32. Since the enumeration of the Levites dwelling in Jerusalem in 1 Chronicles 9:14-16 began with the Levitic singer families, so here we find that the singers are mentioned in the first subscription, “these are the singers, heads of fathers'-houses of the Levites,” with an additional remark as to their service: “In the cells free, for day and night it is incumbent upon them to be in service,” which is somewhat obscure. פּטוּרים , from פּטר , in later Hebrew, let loose, set free. Rashi and Kimchi have already translated it, immunes ab aliis nempe ministeriis , or ab omni alio officio . Adopting this linguistically assured translation, we must supply with בּלּשׁכת , dwelling or waiting in the cells of the courts of the temple, freed from every other business in order that they may apply themselves wholly to their service, for they are wholly busied therewith day and night. Day and night is not to be pressed, but signifies perpetually, continually. Bertheau translates בּמּלאכה עליהם , “they were over them in the service,” i.e., had to take the oversight of the singers subordinate to them. but this can hardly be correct; and the passage quoted to justify this translation, 2 Chronicles 34:12, proves nothing, because there מפקד is used along with it. We therefore prefer to take עליהם in the signification “it is incumbent upon them,” although we should then expect המּלאכה instead of בּמּלאכה ; cf. 1 Chronicles 9:27. Yet בּמּלאכה can in this connection quite well be used elliptically or concisely for “to be in service,” i.e., to carry on their musical duties. The second subscription (1 Chronicles 9:34) refers to all the Levites, and is similar in contents and form to that in 1 Chronicles 8:28.
The family of King Saul . - This register has already occurred in 1 Chronicles 8:29-38, along with those of other families of the tribe of Benjamin, and is repeated here only to connect the following history of the kingship with the preceding genealogical lists. It forms here the introduction to the narrative of Saul's death in 1 Chronicles 10:1-14, which in turn forms the transition to the kingship of David. The deviations of this register from that in 1 Chronicles 8:29-38, show that it has been derived from another document in more complete preservation than that in 1 Chron 8, which had been handed down in connection with other genealogies of the Benjamite families, and had suffered considerably in its text. See the commentary on 1 Chronicles 8:29-38.