1 Chronicles 23

Chapter context

What is happening in 1 Chronicles 23?

memoryworshipgenealogyDavid

1 Chronicles 23 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as temple and liturgical preparations. First Chronicles surveys Israel through genealogies and then retells David’s reign with special attention to worship, Levites, and preparations for the temple. Read this chapter with the wider themes of memory, worship, and genealogy in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel. ² And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites. ³ Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand. ⁴ Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges: ⁵ Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith. ⁶ And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ⁷ Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei. ⁸ The sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three. ⁹ The sons of Shimei; Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan. ¹⁰ And the sons of Shimei were, Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. ¹¹ And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father’s house. ¹² The sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. ¹³ The sons of Amram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for ever. ¹⁴ Now concerning Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi. ¹⁵ The sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eliezer. ¹⁶ Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief. ¹⁷ And the sons of Eliezer were, Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. ¹⁸ Of the sons of Izhar; Shelomith the chief. ¹⁹ Of the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. ²⁰ Of the sons of Uzziel; Micah the first, and Jesiah the second. ²¹ The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and Kish. ²² And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters: and their brethren the sons of Kish took them. ²³ The sons of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three. ²⁴ These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward. ²⁵ For David said, The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever: ²⁶ And also unto the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof. ²⁷ For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above: ²⁸ Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God; ²⁹ Both for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size; ³⁰ And to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even; ³¹ And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD: ³² And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the LORD.

Study helps

Glossary

David Person v. 1, 5-6, 25, 27: Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25 .
Kohath Person v. 6, 12: Assembly, the second son of Levi, and father of Amram ( Gen. 46:11 ). He came down to Egypt with Jacob, and lived to the age of one hundred and thirty-three years ( Ex. 6:18 ).
Levi Person v. 6, 14, 24: Adhesion. (1. ) The third son of Jacob by Leah. The origin of the name is found in Leah’s words ( Gen. 29:34 ).
Merari Person v. 6, 21: Sad; bitter, the youngest son of Levi, born before the descent of Jacob into Egypt, and one of the seventy who accompanied him thither ( Gen. 46:11 ; Ex. 6:16 ).
Shimei Person v. 7, 9-10: Famous. (1. ) A son of Gershon, and grandson of Levi ( Num. 3:18 ; 1 Chr. 6:17 , 29); called Shimi in Ex. 6:17 .
Joel Person v. 8: Jehovah is his God. (1. ) The oldest of Samuel’s two sons appointed by him as judges in Beersheba ( 1 Sam. 8:2 ). (See VASHNI. ) (2. ) A descendant of Reuben ( 1 Chr. 5:4 , 8). (3. ) One of David’s famous warriors.
Beriah Person v. 10-11: A gift, or in evil. (1. ) One of Asher’s four sons, and father of Heber ( Gen. 46:17 ). (2. ) A son of Ephraim.
Jahath Person v. 10-11: Union. (1. ) A son of Shimei, and grandson of Gershom ( 1 Chr. 23:10 ). (2. ) One of the sons of Shelomoth, of the family of Kohath ( 1 Chr. 24:22 ).
Jeush Person v. 10-11: Assembler. (1. ) The oldest of Esau’s three sons by Aholibamah ( Gen. 36:5 , 14, 18). (2. ) A son of Bilhan, grandson of Benjamin ( 1 Chr. 7:10 ). (3. ) A Levite, one of the sons of Shimei ( 1 Chr. 23:10 , 11).
Amram Person v. 12-13: Kindred of the High; i. e., “friend of Jehovah. ” (1. ) The son of Kohath, the son of Levi. He married Jochebed, “his father’s sister,” and was the father of Aaron, Miriam, and Moses ( Ex. 6:18 , 20; Num. 3:19 ).
Gershom Person v. 15-16: Expulsion. (1. ) The eldest son of Levi ( 1 Chr. 6:16 , 17, 20, 43, 62, 71; 15:7)=GERSHON (q. v. ). (2. ) The elder of the two sons of Moses born to him in Midian ( Ex. 2:22 ; 18:3 ).
Shebuel People v. 16: Captive of God. (1. ) One of the descendants of Gershom, who had charge of the temple treasures in the time of David ( 1 Chr. 23:16 ; 26:24 ).
Rehabiah Person v. 17: Enlargement of the Lord, the son of Eliezer, and grandson of Moses ( 1 Chr. 23:17 ; 24:21 ).
Amariah Person v. 19: Said by Jehovah. (1. ) One of the descendants of Aaron by Eleazar ( 1 Chr. 6:7 , 52). He was probably the last of the high priests of Eleazar’s line prior to the transfer of that office to Eli, of the line of Ithamar.
Jahaziel Person v. 19: Beheld by God. (1. ) The third son of Hebron ( 1 Chr. 23:19 ). (2. ) A Benjamite chief who joined David at Ziklag ( 1 Chr. 12:4 ). (3. ) A priest who accompanied the removal of the ark to Jerusalem ( 1 Chr. 16:6 ).
Micah Person v. 20: A shortened form of Micaiah, who is like Jehovah? (1. ) A man of Mount Ephraim, whose history so far is introduced in Judg.
Eleazar Person v. 21-22: God has helped. (1. ) The third son of Aaron ( Ex. 6:23 ). His wife, a daughter of Putiel, bore him Phinehas ( Ex. 6:25 ). After the death of Nadab and Abihu.
Kish Person v. 21-22: A bow. (1. ) A Levite of the family of Merari ( 1 Chr. 23:21 ; 24:29 ). (2. ) A Benjamite of Jerusalem ( 1 Chr. 8:30 ; 9:36 ). (3. ) A Levite in the time of Hezekiah ( 2 Chr. 29:12 ).
Jerusalem Place v. 25: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Tabernacle Object v. 26, 32: (1. ) A house or dwelling-place ( Job 5:24 ; 18:6 , etc. ). (2. ) A portable shrine (comp. Acts 19:24 ) containing the image of Moloch ( Amos 5:26 ; marg. and R. V., “Siccuth”). (3. ) The human body.
Shewbread Object v. 29: Ex. 25:30 (R. V. marg., “presence bread”); 1 Chr. 9:32 (marg., “bread of ordering”); Num. 4:7 : called “hallowed bread” (R. V., “holy bread”) in 1 Sam. 21:1-6 .
Holy Place Place v. 32: Biblical room. Modern identification: appears in multiple locations.