1 Chronicles 23:7 — Word Study
WLCלַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֖י לַעְדָּ֥ן וְשִׁמְעִֽי׃ ס
BSAThe GershonitesGêrᵉshunnîy [descendants of Gershon, from the tribe of Levi] LadanLaʻdân [a Levite, son of Gershon] and ShimeiShimʻîy [a common Israelite name, brother of many]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֖י | of the Gershonite[s] | Preposition, noun gentilic masculine singular absolute |
| לַעְדָּ֥ן | Ladan | Noun proper masculine |
| וְשִׁמְעִֽי׃ ס | and Shimei | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei. |
| KJV | ¶ Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei. |
| ASV | Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei. |
| YLT | Of the Gershonite: Laadan and Shimei. |
| WEB | Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei. |
| BBE | Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei. |
All translations agree on the identification of the Gershonites and the names listed.
The structure is simple, listing the Gershonites followed by their names, emphasizing their identity.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 1 Chronicles 23:7
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Division of the Levitesgenerated
1 Chronicles 23:7 identifies the Gershonites as a specific clan within the Levites, detailing their lineage through Ladan and Shimei. This section is part of a larger narrative where David organizes the Levites into divisions based on their family lines, emphasizing the structure and order within the priestly duties. The mention of these names connects to the broader Levitical responsibilities outlined throughout the Chronicles.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Chronicles 6:17–20 | These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei. |
| 2 | 1 Chronicles 15:7 | from the Gershomites, Joel the chief and 130 of his relatives; |
| 3 | 1 Chronicles 26:21 | From the descendants of Ladan, who were Gershonites through Ladan and heads of the families of Ladan the Gershonite, were Jehieli, |
| 4 | Exodus 6:17 | The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimei, by their clans. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — גֵּרְשֻׁנִּי, la.ge.re.shu.Nigenerated
The term גֵּרְשֻׁנִּי (Gershunniy) denotes a member of the Gershonite clan, a descendant of Gershon, the son of Levi. This word is formed from the root that indicates lineage and is used to describe those who belong to this specific family within the Levitical tribe.
The parsing as a noun gentilic masculine singular absolute indicates that it refers to a single individual or member of the Gershonite clan, highlighting their identity and connection to the Levitical priesthood.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main structure of the verse is straightforward, with the finite verb implied in the context of listing. The noun phrases לַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּי, of the Gershonites, לַעְדָּן, Ladan, and וְשִׁמְעִי, and Shimei, are presented as a series, indicating the members of this clan.
The Hebrew word order emphasizes the Gershonites first, establishing their identity before naming the specific individuals.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the term for Gershonites is rendered as εδαν, which simplifies the identification of the clan. This choice reflects a straightforward translation without additional commentary, focusing on the names themselves.
The translation does not provide a direct equivalent for all Hebrew terms, indicating a possible simplification or adaptation for the Greek-speaking audience.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 23:7 tells us about the Gershonites, specifically naming Ladan and Shimei. These names are part of the family lineage of the Levites, showing the organization of the Levitical tribe.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The Gershonites were descendants of Gershon, one of the sons of Levi, and they played a role in the Levitical priesthood.
Ladan was a Levite and son of Gershon, recognized for his role in the Levitical lineage.
Shimei is a common name among Israelites, and in this context, he is noted as a member of the Gershonite clan.
This verse illustrates how David organized the Levites into clans, highlighting the importance of family lineage in their roles.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn from the organization of the Levites about the importance of structure in our communities?
- How does understanding the lineage of the Gershonites enhance our comprehension of the Levitical roles?
- What significance do names have in our understanding of identity and heritage?
- In what ways can we apply the lessons of order and organization from this passage to our own lives?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 23:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleOf 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.
Read John Gill on 1 Chronicles 23 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryOf the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei. The Gershonites. They had nine fathers' houses, six descended from Laadan and three from Shimei.
Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 23 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(7) Of the Gershonites.—1 Chronicles 23:7-11 give the names of nine Gershonite houses, or guilds. David’s “courses” of Levites were formed according to the natural divisions already existing: i.e., they coincided with the father-houses. They were doubtless twenty-four in number, like those of their brethren the musicians (1 Chronicles 25:31), and like the priestly classes (1 Chronicles 24:4). So states Josephus (Ant. vii. 14, 7). Laadan, and Shimei.—See 1 Chronicles 6:2, where the two principal branches of the Gershonites are called “Libni” and Shimei. “Laadan” is hardly the same as Libni, but a branch prominent in the time of David.
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 23 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges7. Laadan and Shimei] For “Laadan” (R.V. Ladan) here and in 1 Chronicles 26:21 we have in 1 Chronicles 6:17 and Exodus 6:17 “Libni.”
Read Cambridge on 1 Chronicles 23 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.
Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.
The Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.
The Gershonites included Ladan and Shimei.
Tyndale line
¶ Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei.
Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.
Of the Gershonites; Ladan and Shimei.
Of the Gershonites, were , Laadan and Shimei.
Of the Gershonites were Laadan and Shimei.
Strictly literal
Of the Gershonites: Laadan and Shimei.
Of the Gershonite: Laadan and Shimei.
Of the Gershonite: Laadan and Shimei.
Of the Gershunites: La'dan, and Shim'i.
From the clans descended from Gershon, there were Ladan and Shimei.
From the Latin
The sons of Gerson were Leedan and Semei.
Simplified
The sons of Gershon: Ladan and Shimei.
Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads לַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֖י לַעְדָּ֥ן וְשִׁמְעִֽי׃ ס, and the Septuagint matches 2 of the 3 words, though the overall structure and order differ. The primary names are preserved, indicating agreement on the key figures mentioned.
לַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֖י לַעְדָּ֥ן וְשִׁמְעִֽי׃ ס
2 of the 3 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 1 Chronicles 23:7
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
גֵּרְשֻׁנִּי (Gershunniy) refers to a Gershonite, a descendant of Gershon, the firstborn son of Levi. This term is used to describe members of the Levitical tribe, specifically those related to Gershon, and is linked to the family structure in the Old Testament, particularly in Genesis 46:11.
גֵּרְשֻׁנִּי adj.gent. c. art. as subst. collect.
base
H1649 גֵּרְשֻׁנִּי
1649 Gershunniy gay-resh-oon-nee'
patronymically from 1648; a Gereshonite or descendant of
Gereshon:--Gershonite, sons of Gershon.
see HEBREW for 01648
גֵּרְשֻׁנִּי (ge.re.shun.ni) — Gershonite.
Someone descended from Gershon who was a man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.11;
son of: Levi (H3878);
brother of: Kohath (H6955), Merari (H4847) and Jochebed (H3115);
father of: Libni (H3845) and Shimei (H8096); also called Gershom at 1Ch.6.16,17,20,43,62,71; 15.7;
Group of ge.re.shon (גֵּרְשׁוֹן "Gershon" H1648)
§ Gershonite , of Geshur
a descendant of Gershon, firstborn son of Levi
Prep | Ngmsa — Preposition · noun gentilic masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ngmsa
לַעְדָּן (La`dan) refers to a name associated with two Israelites, specifically a Levite from the tribe of Gershon and an Ephraimite ancestor of Joshua. The name is linked to the idea of 'putting in order.' It first appears in Exodus 6:17 and is also mentioned in 1 Chronicles.
לַעְדָּן n.pr.m.
an Ephraimite
a Gershonite
base
H3936 לַעְדָּן
3936 La`dan lah-dawn'
from the same as 3935; Ladan, the name of two
Israelites:--Laadan.
see HEBREW for 03935
לַעְדָּן (la.dan) — Ladan.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.6.17;
son of: Gershon (H1648);
brother of: Shimei (H8096G);
father of: Jehieli= Jehiel (H3171H), Zetham (H2241), Joel (H3100O); also called Jahath at 1Ch.6.43; Libni;
§ Laadan = "put in order"
1) an Ephraimite ancestor of Joshua, son of Nun
2) a Levite son of Gershom; also 'Libni'
לַעְדָּן (la.dan) — Ladan.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.6.17;
son of: Gershon (H1648);
brother of: Shimei (H8096);
father of: Jahath (H3189H), Libni (H3936H), Shimei (H8096G); also called Jahath at 1Ch.6.43; Ladan (KJV: Laadan) at 1Ch.23.7,9; 26.21;
Another name of liv.ni (לִבְנִי "Libni" H3845G)
§ Laadan = "put in order"
1) an Ephraimite ancestor of Joshua, son of Nun
2) a Levite son of Gershom; also 'Libni'
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
The Hebrew word שִׁמְעִי (*Shim'i*) means 'renowned' and refers to various individuals in the Old Testament, primarily from the tribes of Benjamin and Levi. It is associated with several notable figures, including a Levite and a Benjamite, and appears in contexts ranging from the time of David to the post-exilic period. The entries highlight multiple bearers of the name, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicographers.
שִׁמְעִי 43 n.pr.m.
in Benj.
a Ramathite
Levites
brother of Zerub.
in Simeon
in Reuben
1
post-ex. names
grandfather of Mordecai
2
base
H8096 שִׁמְעִי . in Benj.
. a Ramathite
. Levites
. brother of Zerub.
. in Simeon
. in Reuben
. 1
. post-ex. names
. grandfather of Mordecai
. 2
8096 Shim`iy shim-ee'
from 8088; famous; Shimi, the name of twenty
Israelites:--Shimeah (from the margin), Shimei, Shimhi,
Shimi.
see HEBREW for 08088
שִׁמְעִי (shim.i) — Shimei.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.6.17;
son of: Gershon (H1648);
brother of: Libni (H3845G);
father of: Jahath (H3189I), Zizah (H2126), Jeush (H3266J) and Beriah (H1283J)
Also named: shim.i (שִׁמְעִי "Shimeite" H8097)
§ Shimei or Shimhi or Shimi or Shimea = "renowned"
1) a Benjamite, son of Gera of the house of Saul in the time of David
2) a Benjamite, son of Elah and commissariat officer in the time of Solomon
3) the Ramathite in charge of the vineyards of David
4) son of Gershon and grandson of Levi
5) a Levite, son of Jeduthun and chief of the 10th division of singers in the time of David
6) a Levite of the sons of Heman who took part in the purification of the temple in the time of king Hezekiah of Judah
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
shim'-e-i (shim`i, possibly "hear me (El)" or "(Jah)"; Semeei, Semei): A name of frequent occurrence throughout the Old Testament records, sometimes varying slightly in form in English Versions of the Bible. The King James Version has "Shimi" in Ex 6:17; "Shimhi" in 1Ch 8:21; "Shimeah" in 2Sa 21:21. the Revised Version (British and American) has "Shimeites" in Zec 12:13, where the King James Version has "Shimei," and Nu 3:21 for the King James Version "Shimites." English Versions of the Bible has "Shema" in 1Ch 8:13,21 margin for the "Shimei" of 8:21. In all others…
Shimei
Famous. (1.) A son of Gershon, and grandson of Levi (Num. 3:18; 1 Chr. 6:17, 29); called Shimi in Ex. 6:17.
(2.) A Benjamite of the house of Saul, who stoned and cursed David when he reached Bahurim in his flight from Jerusalem on the occasion of the rebellion of Absalom (2 Sam. 16:5-13). After the defeat of Absalom he “came cringing to the king, humbly suing for pardon, bringing with him a thousand of his Benjamite tribesmen, and representing that he was heartily sorry for his crime, and had hurried the first of all the house of Israel to offer homage to the king” (19:16-23). David forgave him; but on his death-bed he gave Solomon special instructions regarding Shimei…
(renowned). Son of Gershon the son of Levi, (Numbers 3:18; 1 Chronicles 6:17,29; 23:7,9,10; Zechariah 12:13) called SHIMI in (Exodus 6:17) (B.C. after 1706.) Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of the house of Saul, who lived at Bahurim. (B.C. 1023.) When David and his suite were seen descending the long defile, on his flight from Absolom, (2 Samuel 16:5-13) the whole feeling of the clan of Benjamin burst forth without restraint in the person of Shimei. He ran along the ridge, cursing and throwing stones at the king and is companions. The next meeting was very different. The king was now returning from his successful…
Shimi, that hears or obeys; my reputation; my fame