Offices of the Levites

      3The Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward, and their number by census of men was 38,000. 4Of these, 24,000 were to oversee the work of the house of the LORD; and 6,000 were officers and judges, 5and 4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 were praising the LORD with the instruments which David made for giving praise. 6David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Gershonites

      7Of the Gershonites were Ladan and Shimei. 8The sons of Ladan were Jehiel the first and Zetham and Joel, three. 9The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth and Haziel and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan. 10The sons of Shimei were Jahath, Zina, Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. 11Jahath was the first and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became a father’s household, one class.

Kohathites

      12The sons of Kohath were four: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 13The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was set apart to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister to Him and to bless in His name forever. 14But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi. 15The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. 16The son of Gershom was Shebuel the chief. 17The son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18The son of Izhar was Shelomith the chief. 19The sons of Hebron were Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth. 20The sons of Uzziel were Micah the first and Isshiah the second.

Merarites

      21The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish. 22Eleazar died and had no sons, but daughters only, so their brothers, the sons of Kish, took them as wives. 23The sons of Mushi were three: Mahli, Eder and Jeremoth.

Duties Revised

      24These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers’ households, even the heads of the fathers’ households of those of them who were counted, in the number of names by their census, doing the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from twenty years old and upward. 25For David said, “The LORD God of Israel has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26“Also, the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its utensils for its service.” 27For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward. 28For their office is to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts and in the chambers and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God, 29and with the showbread, and the fine flour for a grain offering, and unleavened wafers, or what is baked in the pan or what is well-mixed, and all measures of volume and size. 30They are to stand every morning to thank and to praise the LORD, and likewise at evening, 31and to offer all burnt offerings to the LORD, on the sabbaths, the new moons and the fixed festivals in the number set by the ordinance concerning them, continually before the LORD. 32Thus they are to keep charge of the tent of meeting, and charge of the holy place, and charge of the sons of Aaron their relatives, for the service of the house of the LORD.

Parallel Verses

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levites.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
He gathered all the officials of Israel and the priests and Levites.

King James Bible
And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, and the priests and Levites.

Darby Bible Translation
And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

English Revised Version
And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he assembled all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

World English Bible
He gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

Young's Literal Translation
and gathereth all the heads of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites;

Cross References

1 Chronicles 23:1 Now when David reached old age, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

1 Chronicles 23:3 The Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward, and their number by census of men was 38,000.

1 Chronicles 28:1 Now David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the commanders of the divisions that served the king, and the commanders of thousands, and the commanders of hundreds, and the overseers of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, with the officials and the mighty men, even all the valiant men.

Commentary

Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Chapter 23

David, having given charge concerning the building of the temple, in this and the following chapters settles the method of the temple-service and puts into order the offices and officers of it. In the late irregular times, and during the wars in the beginning of his reign, we may suppose that, though the Levitical ordinances were kept up, yet it was not in the order, nor with the beauty and exactness, that were desirable. Now David, being a prophet, as well as a prince, by divine warrant and direction, "set in order the things that were wanting." In this chapter we are informed, I. He declared Solomon to be his successor, (v. 1). II. He numbered the Levites, and appointed them to their respective offices (v. 2-5). III. He took an account of the several families of the Levites (v. 6-23). IV. He made a new reckoning of them from twenty years old, and appointed them their work (v. 24-32). And in this he prepared for the temple as truly as when he laid up gold and silver for it; for the place is of small account in comparison with the work.

Verses 1-23

Here we have, I. The crown entailed, according to the divine appointment, v. 1. David made Solomon king, not to reign with him, or reign under him, but only to reign after him. This he did, 1. When he was old and full of days. He was but seventy years old when he died, and yet he was full of days, satur dierum-satisfied with living in this world. When he found himself going off, he made provision for the welfare of the kingdom after his decease, and pleased himself with the hopeful prospect of a happy settlement both in church and state. 2. He did it in parliament, in a solemn assembly of all the princes of Israel, which made Adonijah's attempt to break in upon Solomon's title and set it aside, notwithstanding this public recognition and establishment of it, the more impudent, impious, and ridiculous. Note, The settling or securing of the crown in the interests of the temple is a great blessing to the people and a great satisfaction to those who are themselves leaving the world.

II. The Levites numbered, according to the rule in Moses's time, from thirty years old to fifty, Num. 4:2, 3. Their number in Moses's time. by this rule, was 8580 (Num. 4:47, 48), but now it had increased above four-fold, much more in proportion than the rest of the tribes; for the serviceable men of Levi's tribe were now 38,000, unless we suppose that here those were reckoned who were above fifty, which was not the case there. Joab had not numbered the Levites (ch. 21:6), but David now did, not in pride, but for a good purpose, and then he needed not fear wrath for it.

III. The Levites distributed to their respective posts (v. 4, 5), that every hand might be employed (for, of all men, an idle Levite makes the worst figure), and that every part of the work might be carefully done. Now it was for the honour of God that so great a number of servants attended his house and the business of it. Much of the state of great men consists in the greatness of their retinue. When God kept house in Israel see what a great household he had, and all well fed and well taught. But what were these to the attendants of his throne above, and the innumerable company of angels? It was the happiness of Israel that they had among them such a considerable body of men who were obliged by their office to promote and keep up religion among them. If the worship of God go to decay in Israel, let it not be said that it was for want of due provision for the support of it, but that those who should have done it were careless and false. The work assigned the Levites was four-fold:-1. Some, and indeed far the greater number, were to set forward the work of the house of the Lord: 24,000, almost two-thirds, were appointed for this service, to attend the priests in killing the sacrifices, flaying them, washing them, cutting them up, burning them, to have the meat-offerings and drink-offerings ready, to carry out dirt, and keep all the vessels and utensils of the temple clean, and every thing in its place, that the service might be performed both with expedition and with exactness. These served 1000 a-week, and so went round in twenty-four courses. Perhaps while the temple was in building some of these were employed to set forward that work, to assist the builders, at least to quicken them, and keep good order among them, and the decorum which became temple-work. 2. Others were officers and judges, not in the affairs of the temple, and in the controversies that arose there (for there, we may suppose, the priests presided), but in the country. They were magistrates, to give the laws of God in charge, to resolves difficulties, and to determine controversies that arose upon them. Of these there were 6000, in the several parts of the kingdom, that assisted the princes and elders of every tribe in the administration of justice. 3. Others were porters, to guard all the avenues of the house of God, to examine those that desired entrance, and to resist those that would force an entrance. These were the life-guards of the temple, and probably were armed accordingly. 4. Others were singers and players on instruments, whose business it was to keep up that part of the service; this was a new-erected office.

IV. The Levites mustered, and disposed of into their respective families and kindreds, that an account of them might the better be kept, and those that neglected their duty might be the more easily discovered, by calling over the roll, and obliging them to answer to their names, which each family might do for itself. When those of the same family were employed together it would engage them to love and assist one another. When Christ sent forth his disciples two and two he put together those that were brethren. Two families were here joined in one (v. 11) because they had not many sons. Those that are weak and little, separately, may be put together and appear considerable. That which is most observable in this account of the families of the Levites is that the posterity of Moses (that great man) stood upon the level with common Levites, and had no dignities or privileges at all peculiar to them; whilst the posterity of Aaron were advanced to the priest's office, to sanctify the most holy things, v. 13. It is said indeed of the grandson of Moses, Rehabiah, that his sons were highly multiplied, v. 17, margin. When God proposed to him that, if he would let fall his intercession for Israel, he would make of him a great nation, he generously refused it, in recompence for which his family is here greatly increased, and makes up in number what it wants in figure, in the tribe of Levi. Now, 1. The levelling of Moses' family with the rest is an evidence of his self-denial. Such an interest had he both with God and man that if he had aimed to raise his own family, to dignify and enrich that, he might easily have done so; but he was no self-seeking man, as appears from his leaving to his children no marks of distinction, which was a sign that he had the spirit of God and not the spirit of the world. 2. The elevation of Aaron's family above the rest was a recompence for his self-denial. When Moses (his younger brother) was made a god to Pharaoh, and he only his prophet or spokesman, to observe his orders and do as he was bidden, Aaron never disputed it, nor insisted upon his seniority, but readily took the inferior post God put him in, submitted to Moses, and, upon occasion, called him his lord; and because he thus submitted himself, in his own person, to his junior, in compliance with the will of God, God highly exalted his family, even above that of Moses himself. Those that are content to stoop are in the fairest way to rise. Before honour is humility.

Links

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