1 Chronicles 23

David Organizes the Levites

1 *ch. 29:28When David was old and full of days, *[ch. 28:5;29:22,28]; See 1 Kgs. 1:33-39he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

2 David*23:2 Hebrew He assembled all the leaders of Israel and the priests and the Levites. 3 The Levites, *Num. 4:3,47thirty years old and upward, were numbered, and *ver. 24;Num. 1:2the total was *[Num. 4:47,48]38,000 men. 4 "Twenty-four thousand of these," David said,*23:4 Hebrew lacks David said*[2 Chr. 2:2,18;34:12;Ezra 3:8,9] "shall have charge of the work in the house of the Lord, 6,000 shall be *ch. 26:29;[Deut. 16:18;2 Chr. 19:8]officers and judges, 5 4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 shall offer praises to the Lord with the instruments *2 Chr. 29:25,26;Neh. 12:36;Amos 6:5that I have made for praise." 6 *[2 Chr. 8:14;23:18;35:4;Ezra 6:18] And David organized them in divisions *ch. 6:1,16;Ex. 6:16;Num. 26:57corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

7 *ch. 26:21The sons of Gershon*23:7 Vulgate (compare Septuagint, Syriac); Hebrew to the Gershonite were Ladan and Shimei. 8 The sons of Ladan: *ch. 15:18;29:8;[ch. 26:21]Jehiel the chief, and Zetham, and Joel, three. 9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ houses of Ladan. 10 And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. 11 Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, therefore they became counted as a single father’s house.

12 *ch. 6:18;26:23;Ex. 6:18;Num. 3:19The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. 13 *Ex. 6:20The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. *Ex. 28:1;[Heb. 5:4] Aaron was set apart to dedicate the most holy things, that he and his sons forever should *Ex. 30:7;Num. 16:40;1 Sam. 2:28make offerings before the Lord and *Deut. 21:5minister to him and *Num. 6:23pronounce blessings in his name forever. 14 But the sons of Moses the *[ch. 26:23-25] man of God were named among the *Deut. 33:1tribe of Levi. 15 The *Ex. 2:22;18:3,4sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. 16 The sons of Gershom: *ch. 26:24Shebuel the chief. 17 The sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18 The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief. 19 The *ch. 24:23;[ch. 26:31]sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. 20 *ch. 24:24,25The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief and Isshiah the second.

21 *ch. 6:19,29;24:26;Ex. 6:19;[Num. 26:58] The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and *ch. 24:29Kish. 22 Eleazar died *ch. 24:28having no sons, but only daughters; their *[Num. 36:6,8]kinsmen, the sons of Kish, married them. 23 *ch. 24:30The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

24 *[Num. 10:17,21] These were the sons of Levi by their fathers’ houses, the heads of fathers’ houses *ver. 3as they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from *2 Chr. 31:17;Ezra 3:8;[ver. 3; Num. 4:3;8:24]twenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the Lord. 25 For David said, "The Lord, the God of Israel, *See ch. 22:18has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26 And so the Levites no longer need *See Num. 4:5-15to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service." 27 For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from *[See ver. 24above]twenty years old and upward. 28 For their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, having the care of the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy, and any work for the service of the house of God. 29 Their duty was also to assist with the *See Lev. 24:5-8showbread, the *ch. 9:29;Lev. 6:20,21flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the *ch. 9:31baked offering, the *Lev. 6:21;7:12offering mixed with oil, and all *[Lev. 19:35]measures of quantity or size. 30 And they were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise at evening, 31 and whenever burnt offerings were offered to the Lord*Isa. 1:13on Sabbaths, *See Num. 28:11new moons, and feast days, *See Lev. 23:2,4according to the number required of them, regularly before the Lord. 32 Thus *Num. 1:53they were to keep charge of the tent of meeting and the sanctuary, and to attend the sons of Aaron, their brothers, for the *See Num. 3:6-9service of the house of the Lord.