1 Chronicles 23

David a little before his death declareth that Salomon his son should be king, vers.1. &c. And he caused the Levites to be numbered from thirty years old and upward: who were found to be eight and thirty thousand in number, 3. They are divided into several officers, according to their Families, 4.&c.

1. Now when David was old and full of days, he made Salomon his son King over Israel.

2. And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, likewise the Priests and the Levites. [To wit, before he declared Salomon king, as may appear below from chapters 28. And 29.]

3. Ands the Levites were numbered from thirty years (old), [Heb. from the son of thirty years; that is, from such as were thirty years old. See hereof a law, Numbers 3:15. and 4.33. and chap.8.vers.24.] and upward: and their number was according to their heads, [Heb.skuls, also below vers. 24. That is, according to the number of their heads] men, eight and thirty thousand.

4. Of these there were four and twenty thousand, to set forward the work of the house of the LORD: And six thousand officers and judges. [See below chap.26.29. and Deut.16.18.]

5. And four thousand porters, and four thousand praisers [Heb. praising] of the LORD with Instruments, [under these are comprehended those that tune the Psalm or song, or the chief Masicians, which were in number 288. Below chap.25.ver.1.7. &c. Hebr. praising the Lord, etc.] which I have made, (said David) to sing praise. [Heb. to praise.]

6. And David divided them into divisions; [Or companies, classes, course. He did this as a Prophets, 2 Chron.8.14. and by Gods appointment by the ministry of Gad and Nathan, 2 Chron. 29.25.] according to the children of Levi, Gerson, Kehath, and Merari. [See Gen.46.11. Exod.6.16. Num.26.57. and 1 Chron.6.1.]

7. Of the Gersonites were Ladan, [Otherwise called Libni, Numb.3.18. and 1 Chron.6.17.] and Simei. [see of this man.on v.20.]

8. The children of Ladan, [That is, the posterity of Ladan, that lived in Davids time, and were heads of their families. So is the word children taken v.9.] were (these) Jehiel the head, [That is, the chief, or chiefest and so forward] and Zetham, and Joel, three.

9. The children of Simei [This Simei was not the son of Garson, but the son of Ladan. Of the posterity of Simei the son of Gerson is spoken v.10.] were Selomith, and Haziel, and Henan, three: These were the heads of the Fathers [that is, of the Fathers families] of Ladan.

10. Now the children of Simei [The brother of Ladan above v.7.] were Jahath, Zina, [otherwise called Ziza v.11.] and Jeus, and Beria: These were the children of Simei, four.

11. And Jahath was the head, and Ziza the second: But Jeus and Beria had not many children, [Heb. did not multiply children] therefore they were but of one reckoning in the Father house. [that is, they were reckoned to be Fathers house, to wit, in the house of their Father Simei.]

12. The children of Kehat were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.

13. The children of Amram were, Aaron and Moseh, Now Aaron was separated, that he should hallow the most holy things, [To wit, that he might handle and administer holy things holy, whereunto they were hallowed and ordained by God. By the holy things may be understood the two altars, the tables, the golden candlestick, the Ark of the covenant, &c. When any of the other priests medled with these things, those things were then said to have been polluted and prophaned. The words rendered here the most holy things, are in the Hebrew, the holiness of holinesses] he, and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the face of the LORD, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name [see the form of blessing Num.6.14.] for ever.

14. Now concerning Moseh, the man of God: His children were numbered among the tribe of Levi. [Intimating that the sons of Moseh in the administration of spiritual things, remained equal with the Levites or Kehathites, which were not of Aarons Priestly house, although their Father was a civil Magistrate. See further below chap.26.on v.29.]

15. The children of Moseh were Gersom, and Eliezer.

16. Of the children of Gersom, Sebuel was the head.

17. Now the children of Eliezer were (these) Rehabja the head: [Here mention is made of children for child, as Gen.46.23. and 1 Chron.2.v.8,31. And he is called the head, that is, the first, though there be no second expressed, because he was his fathers first-born. So it is laid Mat.1.25. That Jesus was the first-born son of Mary; whence no ways can be proved, that the blessed virgin Mary had afterward any more sons or children] And Eliezer had no other children: But the children of Rehabja increased exceedingly.

18. Of the children of Izhar, Selomith was the head.

19. Concerning the children of Hebron Jeria was the head, Amaria the second, Johaziel the third, and Jekamini the fourth.

20. Concerning the children of Uzziel, Micha was the head, and Jassia the second.

21. The children of Merari were Maheli, and Musi: The children of Maheli were Eleazar, and Kis.

22. And Eleazar died, and he had no sons, but daughters: And the children of Kis, their brethren, [That is cousins, to wit, their Fathers brothers sons] took them. [to wit, in marriage, or to be their wives, married them.]

23. The children of Musi were Maheli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

24. These are the children of Levi, according to the house of their Fathers, the heads of the fathers, as they were counted in the number of their heads, doing the work of the ministry of the house of the LORD, from twenty years old, [Hebr. from the son of twenty years] and upward.

25. For David had said, [Or, David said, to wit, after that he had taken the Ark of God home to himself, and cause it to be brought into the strong hold of Zion] The LORD the God of Israel hath given rest unto his people: and he will dwell at Jerusalem for over.

26. And also concerning the Levites, [To wit, had David said] that they should no (more) carry the Tabernacle, nor any of it (pertaining) to the service therefore. [This charge or task was laid upon them, Num.chap.4. but no longer then the Tabernacle was to removed and carried from one place to another. Here David gives the reason why he laid another task upon the Levites in or about the Temple, then they had about the Tabernacle, which sometimes was displaced, was displaced, or removed from one place to another: which was not done after that God had chosen a certain place, where he thence forward would be continually worshipped. And because the Levites were now to have a heavier task and service about the Temple, then when Tabernacle yet stood; therefore more persons were to be used and employed in that function or administration, and therefore there were admitted unto this service such as were of the age of twenty years and upward, v.24.]

27. For according to the last words of David [That is, injunction, ordinance, which he made by the instinct of the holy Ghost, or according to what was brought unto him by the Prophets] the Levites were numbered, [Heb. were these the number of the Levites] from twenty years old and upward.

28. Because their station was at the hand of the sons of Aaron [That is, the Priests. So likewise ver.32.] in the service of the house of the LORD, [see Num.3.6.9. and 18.2,3.] concerning the courts, and concerning the chambers, and concerning the purifying of all the holy things, [Heb. of all holiness] and the work of the service of the house of God.

29. To wit, for the bread of ordering [Which was orderly laid in two rows upon the Table before the vail of the most holy place] and for the meal-flower for the meat-offering, [see Lev.2.1.] and for the unleavened cakes, and for the pans [that is, for that which is baked in pans] and for that which is broiled [oth. Roasted, fryed] and for all measure, [understand this thus, that the Levites were to take heed, that the meat-offering had its just and due measure of fine flower, oil, and wine] and dimension. [that is, they were to take the right measure of the places that were in the Temple, wherein this or that part of Gods worship was to be performed, or where any thing might be done, or not done.]

30. And to stand every morning, [Heb. in morning, in morning] to thank and praise the Lord: And likewise at even.

31. And for all the offering of burnt-offerings of the LORD, on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set high times [Yea they were also to heed daily evening end morning sacrifices, also those, which were offered by the priests for particular persons] in number, according to the manner among them, continually before the face of the LORD.

32. And that they should keep the charge of the Tent of the Congregation, and the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, [That is, their kinsmen] in the service of the house of the LORD.