1 Chronicles 26

Chapter context

What is happening in 1 Chronicles 26?

memoryworshipgenealogyDavid

1 Chronicles 26 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 Concerning the divisions of the porters: Of the Korhites was Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph. ² And the sons of Meshelemiah were, Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, ³ Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Elioenai the seventh. ⁴ Moreover the sons of Obededom were, Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, and Sacar the fourth, and Nethaneel the fifth, ⁵ Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peulthai the eighth: for God blessed him. ⁶ Also unto Shemaiah his son were sons born, that ruled throughout the house of their father: for they were mighty men of valour. ⁷ The sons of Shemaiah; Othni, and Rephael, and Obed, Elzabad, whose brethren were strong men, Elihu, and Semachiah. ⁸ All these of the sons of Obededom: they and their sons and their brethren, able men for strength for the service, were threescore and two of Obededom. ⁹ And Meshelemiah had sons and brethren, strong men, eighteen. ¹⁰ Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons; Simri the chief, (for though he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him the chief;) ¹¹ Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth: all the sons and brethren of Hosah were thirteen. ¹² Among these were the divisions of the porters, even among the chief men, having wards one against another, to minister in the house of the LORD. ¹³ And they cast lots, as well the small as the great, according to the house of their fathers, for every gate. ¹⁴ And the lot eastward fell to Shelemiah. Then for Zechariah his son, a wise counsellor, they cast lots; and his lot came out northward. ¹⁵ To Obededom southward; and to his sons the house of Asuppim. ¹⁶ To Shuppim and Hosah the lot came forth westward, with the gate Shallecheth, by the causeway of the going up, ward against ward. ¹⁷ Eastward were six Levites, northward four a day, southward four a day, and toward Asuppim two and two. ¹⁸ At Parbar westward, four at the causeway, and two at Parbar. ¹⁹ These are the divisions of the porters among the sons of Kore, and among the sons of Merari. ²⁰ And of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasures of the house of God, and over the treasures of the dedicated things. ²¹ As concerning the sons of Laadan; the sons of the Gershonite Laadan, chief fathers, even of Laadan the Gershonite, were Jehieli. ²² The sons of Jehieli; Zetham, and Joel his brother, which were over the treasures of the house of the LORD. ²³ Of the Amramites, and the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites: ²⁴ And Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was ruler of the treasures. ²⁵ And his brethren by Eliezer; Rehabiah his son, and Jeshaiah his son, and Joram his son, and Zichri his son, and Shelomith his son. ²⁶ Which Shelomith and his brethren were over all the treasures of the dedicated things, which David the king, and the chief fathers, the captains over thousands and hundreds, and the captains of the host, had dedicated. ²⁷ Out of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to maintain the house of the LORD. ²⁸ And all that Samuel the seer, and Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah, had dedicated; and whosoever had dedicated any thing, it was under the hand of Shelomith, and of his brethren. ²⁹ Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were for the outward business over Israel, for officers and judges. ³⁰ And of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brethren, men of valour, a thousand and seven hundred, were officers among them of Israel on this side Jordan westward in all the business of the LORD, and in the service of the king. ³¹ Among the Hebronites was Jerijah the chief, even among the Hebronites, according to the generations of his fathers. In the fortieth year of the reign of David they were sought for, and there were found among them mighty men of valour at Jazer of Gilead. ³² And his brethren, men of valour, were two thousand and seven hundred chief fathers, whom king David made rulers over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, for every matter pertaining to God, and affairs of the king.

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Glossary

Asaph Person v. 1: Convener, or collector. (1. ) A Levite; one of the leaders of David’s choir ( 1 Chr. 6:39 ). Psalms 50 and 73-83 inclusive are attributed to him. He is mentioned along with David as skilled in music, and a “seer”.
Meshelemiah Person v. 1-2, 9: Friendship of Jehovah, a Levite of the family of the Korhites, called also Shelemiah ( 1 Chr. 9:21 ; 26:1 , 2, 9, 14). He was a temple gate-keeper in the time of David.
Zebadiah Person v. 2: Gift of Jehovah. (1. ) A son of Asahel, Joab’s brother ( 1 Chr. 27:7 ). (2. ) A Levite who took part as one of the teachers in the system of national education instituted by Jehoshaphat ( 2 Chr. 17:7 , 8).
Zechariah Person v. 2, 11, 14: Jehovah is renowned or remembered. (1. ) A prophet of Judah, the eleventh of the twelve minor prophets. Like Ezekiel, he was of priestly extraction. He describes himself (1:1) as.
Elioenai Person v. 3: Toward Jehovah are my eyes, the name of several men mentioned in the Old Testament ( 1 Chr. 7:8 ; 4:36 ; Ezra 10:22 , 27). Among these was the eldest son of Neariah, son of Shemaiah, of the descendants of Zerubbabel.
Jehohanan Person v. 3: Jehovah-granted, Jeroboam II. (1. ) A Korhite, the head of one of the divisions of the temple porters ( 1 Chr. 26:3 ). (2. ) One of Jehoshaphat’s “captains” ( 2 Chr. 17:15 ). (3. ) The father of Azariah ( 2 Chr. 28:12 ).
Jehozabad Person v. 4: Jehovah-given. (1. ) The son of Obed-edom ( 1 Chr. 26:4 ), one of the Levite porters. (2. ) The son of Shomer, one of the two conspirators who put king Jehoash to death in Millo in Jerusalem ( 2 Kings 12:21 ). (3. ) 2 Chr.
Joah Person v. 4: Jehovah his brother; i. e., helper. (1. ) One of the sons of Obed-edom ( 1 Chr. 26:4 ), a Korhite porter. (2. ) A Levite of the family of Gershom ( 1 Chr. 6:21 ), probably the same as Ethan (42).
Nethaneel Person v. 4: Given of God. (1. ) The son of Zuar, chief of the tribe of Issachar at the Exodus ( Num. 1:8 ; 2:5 ). (2. ) One of David’s brothers ( 1 Chr. 2:14 ).
Shemaiah Person v. 4, 6-7: Whom Jehovah heard. (1. ) A prophet in the reign of Rehoboam ( 1 Kings 12:22-24 ). (2. ) Neh. 3:29 . (3. ) A Simeonite ( 1 Chr. 4:37 ). (4. ) A priest ( Neh. 12:42 ). (5. ) A Levite ( 1 Chr. 9:16 ). (6. ) 1 Chr. 9:14 ; Neh. 11:15 .
Ammiel Person v. 5: People of God. (1. ) One of the twelve spies sent by Moses to search the land of Canaan ( Num. 13:12 ). He was one of the ten who perished by the plague for their unfavourable report ( Num. 14:37 ).
Peulthai Person v. 5: Wages of the Lord, one of the sons of Obed-edom, a Levite porter ( 1 Chr. 26:5 ).
Elihu Person v. 7: Whose God is he. (1. ) “The son of Barachel, a Buzite” ( Job 32:2 ), one of Job’s friends.
Obed Person v. 7: Serving; worshipping. (1. ) A son of Boaz and Ruth ( Ruth 4:21 , 22), and the grandfather of David ( Matt. 1:5 ). (2. ) 1 Chr. 2:34-38 . (3. ) 1 Chr. 26:7 . (4. ) 2 Chr. 23:1 .
Othni Person v. 7: A lion of Jehovah, a son of Shemaiah, and one of the temple porters in the time of David ( 1 Chr. 26:7 ). He was a “mighty man of valour. ”.
Merari Person v. 10, 19: 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 ).
Hilkiah Person v. 11: Portion of Jehovah. (1. ) 1 Chr. 6:54 . (2. ) 1 Chr. 26:11 . (3. ) The father of Eliakim ( 2 Kings 18:18 , 26, 37). (4. ) The father of Gemariah ( Jer. 29:3 ). (5. ) The father of the prophet Jeremiah (1:1).
East Gate Place v. 14: Biblical gate. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
North Gate Place v. 14: Biblical gate. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Shelemiah Person v. 14: Whom Jehovah repays. (1. ) Ezra 10:39 . (2. ) The father of Hananiah ( Neh. 3:30 ). (3. ) A priest in the time of Nehemiah (13:13). (4. ) Father of one of those who accused Jeremiah to Zedekiah ( Jer. 37:3 ; 38:1 ).
South Gate Place v. 15: Biblical gate. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Shallecheth Place v. 16: Biblical gate. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
West Gate Place v. 16: Biblical gate. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Parbar Place v. 18: ( 1 Chr. 26:18 ), a place apparently connected with the temple, probably a “suburb”. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Ahijah Person v. 20: Brother (i. e., “friend”) of Jehovah. (1. ) One of the sons of Bela ( 1 Chr. 8:7 , R. V. ). In A. V. called “Ahiah. ” (2. ) One of the five sons of Jerahmeel, who was great-grandson of Judah ( 1 Chr. 2:25 ).
Joel Person v. 22: 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.
Gershom Person v. 24: 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. 24: 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 ).
Joram Person v. 25: =Jeho’ram. (1. ) One of the kings of Israel ( 2 Kings 8:16 , 25, 28). He was the son of Ahab. (2. ) Jehoram, the son and successor of Jehoshaphat on the throne of Judah ( 2 Kings 8:24 ).
Rehabiah Person v. 25: Enlargement of the Lord, the son of Eliezer, and grandson of Moses ( 1 Chr. 23:17 ; 24:21 ).
Zichri Person v. 25: Remembered; illustrious. (1. ) A Benjamite chief ( 1 Chr. 8:19 ). (2. ) Another of the same tribe ( 1 Chr. 8:23 ).
David Person v. 26, 31-32: 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 .
Abner Person v. 28: Father of light; i. e., “enlightening”, the son of Ner and uncle of Saul. He was commander-in-chief of Saul’s army ( 1 Sam. 14:50 ; 17:55 ; 20:25 ).
Joab Person v. 28: Jehovah is his father. (1. ) One of the three sons of Zeruiah, David’s sister, and “captain of the host” during the whole of David’s reign ( 2 Sam. 2:13 ; 10:7 ; 11:1 ; 1 Kings 11:15 ).
Kish Person v. 28: 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 ).
Ner Person v. 28: Light, the father of Kish ( 1 Chr. 8:33 ). 1 Sam. 14:51 should be read.
Samuel Person v. 28: Heard of God. The peculiar circumstances connected with his birth are recorded in 1 Sam. 1:20 .
Saul Person v. 28: Asked for. (1. ) A king of Edom ( Gen. 36:37 , 38); called Shaul in 1 Chr. 1:48 .
Zeruiah Person v. 28: Stricken of the Lord, David’s sister, and the mother of Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.
Jerusalem Place v. 29: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Hashabiah Person v. 30: Regarded by Jehovah. (1. ) Merarite Levite ( 1 Chr. 6:45 ; 9:14 ). (2. ) A son of Jeduthun (25:3, 19). (3. ) Son of Kemuel (26:30). (4. ) One of the chief Levites ( 2 Chr. 35:9 ). (5. ) A Levite ( Neh. 11:22 ).
Jordan Place v. 30, 32: Biblical river. Modern identification: Jordan River.
Gilead Place v. 31: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tell edh Dhahab esh Sherqiyeh.
Jazer Place v. 31: He (God) helps, a city of the Amorites on the east of Jordan, and assigned, with neighbouring places in Gilead, to Gad ( Num. 32:1 , 35; Josh. 13:25 ). It was allotted to the Merarite Levites (21:39). Modern identification: Khirbet Sara.