The First Book of the Chronicles

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 23 -

When David was old and full of years, he installed his son Solomon as king over Israel.

Then he gathered all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites.

The Levites thirty years of age or older were counted, and the total number of men was 38,000.

“Of these,” said David,(a) “24,000 are to oversee the work of the house of the LORD, 6,000 are to be officers and judges,

4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the LORD with the instruments I have made for giving praise.”

Then David divided the Levites into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.

The Gershonites

(Numbers 3:21–26; Numbers 4:21–28)

The Gershonites: Ladan (b) and Shimei.

The sons of Ladan: Jehiel (c) the first, Zetham, and Joel—three in all.

The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran—three in all. These were the heads of the families of Ladan.

And the sons of Shimei:(d) Jahath, Zina,(e) Jeush, and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei—four in all.

Jahath was the first and Zizah was the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were counted as one family and received a single assignment.

The Kohathites

(Numbers 3:27–32; Numbers 4:1–20)

The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four in all.

The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister before Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name forever.

As for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.

The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

The descendants of Gershom: Shebuel was the first.

The descendants of Eliezer: Rehabiah was the first. Eliezer did not have any other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.

The sons of Izhar: Shelomith was the first.

The sons of Hebron: Jeriah was the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

The sons of Uzziel: Micah was the first and Isshiah the second.

The Merarites

(Numbers 3:33–37; Numbers 4:29–33)

The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

Eleazar died without having any sons; he had only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them.

The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth (f)—three in all.

Levite Duties Revised

These were the descendants of Levi by their families—the heads of families, registered individually by name—those twenty years of age or older who worked in the service of the house of the LORD.

For David had said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, has given rest to His people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever.

So now the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles for its service.”

For according to the final instructions of David, the Levites twenty years of age or older were counted,

but their duty was to assist the descendants of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, being responsible for the courts and chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God,

as well as for the rows of the showbread, the fine flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baking, the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size.

They were also to stand every morning to give thanks and praise to the LORD, and likewise in the evening.

Whenever burnt offerings were presented to the LORD on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts, they were to serve regularly before the LORD in the numbers prescribed for them.

So the Levites were to carry out the responsibilities for the Tent of Meeting and the Holy Place, and, under their brothers the descendants of Aaron, the service of the house of the LORD.

Footnotes

(a)23:4 Hebrew does not include said David,

(b)23:7 Ladan is a variant of Libni; also in verses 8 and 9; see 1 Chronicles 6:17.

(d)23:10 Shimei was possibly a son or grandson of the Shimei listed in verse 9.

(e)23:10 Most Hebrew manuscripts; one Hebrew manuscript, LXX, and Vulgate (see also verse 11) Zizah

(f)23:23 Jeremoth is a variant of Jerimoth; see 1 Chronicles 24:30.

Now David was old and full of days; and he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

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

The Levites were counted from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand.

David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of the LORD’s house, six thousand were officers and judges,

four thousand were doorkeepers, and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made for giving praise.”

David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

The Gershonites

(Numbers 3:21–26; Numbers 4:21–28)

Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.

The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, Zetham, and Joel, three.

The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan.

The sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.

Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah didn’t have many sons; therefore they became a fathers’ house in one reckoning.

The Kohathites

(Numbers 3:27–32; Numbers 4:1–20)

The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.

The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was separated that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons forever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister to him, and to bless in his name forever.

But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.

The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief.

The son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

The son of Izhar: Shelomith the chief.

The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief, and Isshiah the second.

The Merarites

(Numbers 3:33–37; Numbers 4:29–33)

The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters only; and their relatives, the sons of Kish, took them as wives.

The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

Levite Duties Revised

These were the sons of Levi after their fathers’ houses, even the heads of the fathers’ houses of those who were counted individually, in the number of names by their polls, who did the work for the service of the LORD’s house, from twenty years old and upward.

For David said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people; and he dwells in Jerusalem forever.

Also the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service.”

For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were counted, from twenty years old and upward.

For their duty was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the LORD’s house—in the courts, in the rooms, and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of God’s house;

for the show bread also, and for the fine flour for a meal offering, whether of unleavened wafers, or of that which is baked in the pan, or of that which is soaked, and for all measurements of quantity and size;

and to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise in the evening;

and to offer all burnt offerings to the LORD on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, in number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually before the LORD;

and that they should keep the duty of the Tent of Meeting, the duty of the holy place, and the duty of the sons of Aaron their brothers for the service of the LORD’s house.