1 Chronicles 23 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

1 Chronicles 23

David Organizes the Levites

23:1 When David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

2 David¹ assembled all the leaders of Israel and the priests and the Levites. 3 The Levites, thirty years old and upward, were numbered, and the total was 38,000 men. 4 “Twenty-four thousand of these,” David said,² “shall have charge of the work in the house of the LORD, 6,000 shall be officers and judges, 5 4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 shall offer praises to the LORD with the instruments that I have made for praise.” 6 And David organized them in divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

7 The sons of Gershon³ were Ladan and Shimei. 8 The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, and Zetham, and Joel, three. 9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ houses of Ladan. 10 And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. 11 Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, therefore they became counted as a single father’s house.

12 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. 13 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to dedicate the most holy things, that he and his sons forever should make offerings before the LORD and minister to him and pronounce blessings in his name forever. 14 But the sons of Moses the man of God were named among the tribe of Levi. 15 The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. 16 The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief. 17 The sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18 The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief. 19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. 20 The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief and Isshiah the second.

21 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. 22 Eleazar died having no sons, but only daughters; their kinsmen, the sons of Kish, married them. 23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

24 These were the sons of Levi by their fathers’ houses, the heads of fathers’ houses as they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from twenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the LORD. 25 For David said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26 And so the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service.” 27 For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward. 28 For their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, having the care of the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy, and any work for the service of the house of God. 29 Their duty was also to assist with the showbread, the flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baked offering, the offering mixed with oil, and all measures of quantity or size. 30 And they were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the LORD, and likewise at evening, 31 and whenever burnt offerings were offered to the LORD on Sabbaths, new moons, and feast days, according to the number required of them, regularly before the LORD. 32 Thus they were to keep charge of the tent of meeting and the sanctuary, and to attend the sons of Aaron, their brothers, for the service of the house of the LORD.

Footnotes

[1] 23:2 Hebrew He
[2] 23:4 Hebrew lacks David said
[3] 23:7 Vulgate (compare Septuagint, Syriac); Hebrew to the Gershonite

Commentary

v1: David stood down as king, and Solomon was made king, as in 1 Kings 1. In 1 Kings 1.1-2,9, Solomon reigned while David was still alive. Chronicles does not deal with the rebellion of Adonijah.

v2-6: Solomon's leadership required the support of other leaders and priests. 38,000 Levites were organised; 24,000 to supervise the work of the temple, 6,000 officers and judges, 4,000 gate keepers, and 4,000 who led the worship with musical instruments.

v7-23: The Levites were divided into 24 divisions, with leaders from the families of Eleazar and Ithamar (24.1-18).

There were 9 from the family of Gershon (v7-11), Jehiel, Zetham, Joel, Shelomith, Haziel, Haran, Jahath, Zina, Jeush and Beriah together.

There were 9 from the family of Kohath (v12-20), Shebuel, Rehabiah, Shelomith, Jeriah, Amariah, Jahaziel, Jekameam, Michah, Jeshiah.

There were 5 from the family of Merari (v21-23), Eleazar, Kish, Mahli, Eder, Jeremoth.

In addition, there was the family of Aaron.

v24-27: David listed the names of the Levites. There was a new type of service, since the ark had no longer to be carried. He was confident that God had made Jerusalem His dwelling place. David actually abolished rules laid down by God in Numbers 3-4; the law given by God was thus never intended to be eternal.

For the Christian, heaven means a new type of service for God, earthly service having ended.

The age at which priests began to serve was reduced from 30 to 25, and now 20. This seems to reflect the changing circumstances of being settled in the land, rather than travelling through the wilderness in Numbers.

v28-32: The various duties of the Levites. Individual abilities were evidently recognised and used; but personal preference and ambitions were laid aside.