1 Chronicles 26

These were the divisions of the gatekeepers. From the Korahite family: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph.

1Concerning the divisions of the porters: Of the Korhites was Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph.

NoteGatekeepers (the King James "porters") were Levites posted at the entrances of the sanctuary: they opened and shut the gates, controlled who was allowed in, and guarded the stores and equipment. "Divisions" means the rotating shifts they served in, the same arrangement described for the priests and the singers in the preceding chapters. The Korahites were a Levite clan descended from Korah; the Asaph named here is probably not Asaph the temple singer but the Korahite ancestor called Ebiasaph elsewhere.

2Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the oldest, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,

2And the sons of Meshelemiah were, Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,

3Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, and Elioenai the seventh.

3Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Elioenai the seventh.

4Obed-edom also had sons: Shemaiah the oldest, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethaneel the fifth,

4Moreover the sons of Obededom were, Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, and Sacar the fourth, and Nethaneel the fifth,

NoteObed-edom is the man in whose house the ark of the covenant (the gold-covered chest that was Israel's holiest object) was left for three months after David's first attempt to bring it to Jerusalem went wrong, and his household prospered while it was there (2 Samuel 6).

5Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, and Peulthai the eighth. God had blessed Obed-edom.

5Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peulthai the eighth: for God blessed him.

NoteIn this period a large and healthy family was read as visible evidence of God's favor, so the eight sons just listed are offered as the proof of the blessing on Obed-edom's household.

6Sons were also born to his son Shemaiah, and they led their father's family, because they were strong, capable men.

6Also unto Shemaiah his son were sons born, that ruled throughout the house of their father: for they were mighty men of valour.

Note"Strong, capable men" renders a Hebrew phrase (literally "mighty men of valour") used of warriors but also more broadly of men of standing and ability. Here it marks men fit for the physical demands of guard duty.

7The sons of Shemaiah were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad. His relatives Elihu and Semachiah were strong men as well.

7The sons of Shemaiah; Othni, and Rephael, and Obed, Elzabad, whose brethren were strong men, Elihu, and Semachiah.

8All of these were descendants of Obed-edom. They, their sons, and their relatives were able men, strong enough for the work. From Obed-edom there were 62 of them.

8All 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.

9Meshelemiah had sons and relatives who were strong men, 18 in all.

9And Meshelemiah had sons and brethren, strong men, eighteen.

10Hosah, from the family of Merari, also had sons. Simri was made the leading son, even though he was not the oldest, because his father put him first.

10Also 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;)

NoteThe oldest son normally held first rank in a family as a matter of course. Naming a younger son as head was a deliberate act by the father, and unusual enough that the text stops to explain it.

11Hilkiah was the second, Tebaliah the third, and Zechariah the fourth. The sons and relatives of Hosah were 13 in all.

11Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth: all the sons and brethren of Hosah were thirteen.

12These were the divisions of the gatekeepers, led by their chief men. They had guard duties assigned alongside one another, to serve in the house of the LORD.

12Among 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.

Note"The house of the LORD" is the temple. It had not been built in David's lifetime, the ark still stood in a tent, but Chronicles presents David as organizing in advance the staff for the building his son Solomon would put up.

13They cast lots for every gate, family by family, the young along with the old.

13And they cast lots, as well the small as the great, according to the house of their fathers, for every gate.

NoteCasting lots meant drawing or shaking out marked stones or sticks. The result was treated as God's decision rather than a human one, which is why the posts could be assigned without regard to which families were senior and which junior, or who was old and who young.

14The lot for the east gate fell to Shelemiah. Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah, a wise adviser, and his lot came out for the north gate.

14And the lot eastward fell to Shelemiah. Then for Zechariah his son, a wise counsellor, they cast lots; and his lot came out northward.

NoteShelemiah is a shortened form of Meshelemiah, the man named in verse 1.

15The south gate fell to Obed-edom, and the storehouse building fell to his sons.

15To Obededom southward; and to his sons the house of Asuppim.

NoteThe Hebrew word behind "storehouse building" (the King James leaves it untranslated as "Asuppim") is obscure. It is usually taken to mean storehouses or a store building on the south side, where supplies and donated goods were kept.

16The lot for the west gate fell to Shuppim and Hosah, along with the Shallecheth gate on the road that goes up. Guards were posted watch beside watch.

16To Shuppim and Hosah the lot came forth westward, with the gate Shallecheth, by the causeway of the going up, ward against ward.

NoteThe road that goes up is a ramp or raised causeway climbing to the temple area from the valley below; Shallecheth is the name of the gate at its head. "Watch beside watch" means guard post set opposite guard post, each covering the next. The name Shuppim is uncertain: it may have arisen from a copying error in Hebrew, and some ancient versions do not have it.

17Each day there were six Levites on the east side, four on the north, four on the south, and at the storehouse two at a time.

17Eastward were six Levites, northward four a day, southward four a day, and toward Asuppim two and two.

NoteThe east side was the main approach to the temple, which is why it takes six guards where the other sides take four or two.

18At the western court there were four men on the road and two in the court itself.

18At Parbar westward, four at the causeway, and two at Parbar.

Note"Western court" translates the obscure Hebrew word left as "Parbar" in the King James. It seems to mean a court, colonnade or outbuilding on the west side of the temple precinct; its exact nature is unknown.

19These were the divisions of the gatekeepers among the descendants of Kore and the descendants of Merari.

19These are the divisions of the porters among the sons of Kore, and among the sons of Merari.

20Among the Levites, Ahijah was in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries holding the gifts set apart for God.

20And of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasures of the house of God, and over the treasures of the dedicated things.

NoteThe treasuries were strongrooms within the temple complex. "Gifts set apart for God" renders a term for dedicated things, property made over permanently to the sanctuary and no longer available for ordinary use. The Hebrew here reads as a personal name, Ahijah; the ancient Greek translation read the same consonants as "their brothers", meaning their fellow Levites, and many modern versions follow that reading.

21As for the descendants of Laadan the Gershonite, the heads of the families that came from Laadan the Gershonite were the family of Jehieli.

21As concerning the sons of Laadan; the sons of the Gershonite Laadan, chief fathers, even of Laadan the Gershonite, were Jehieli.

NoteLevi had three sons (Gershon, Kohath and Merari) and every Levite family traced its line back to one of the three. Laadan's family belongs to the Gershon branch.

22The sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel, were in charge of the treasuries of the house of the LORD.

22The sons of Jehieli; Zetham, and Joel his brother, which were over the treasures of the house of the LORD.

23There were also these Levite families: the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites.

23Of the Amramites, and the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites:

NoteThese four are the branches of the Kohath side of Levi, named after Kohath's sons. Amram was the father of Moses and Aaron, so the Amramites are Moses' own family line.

24Shebuel, a descendant of Gershom son of Moses, was the officer in charge of the treasuries.

24And Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was ruler of the treasures.

NoteGershom was a son of Moses, and is a different person from Gershon son of Levi in verse 21, despite the similar name. "A descendant of" can cover any number of generations; several would have passed between Moses and David's reign.

25His relatives through Eliezer were Rehabiah his son, then Jeshaiah, then Joram, then Zichri, then Shelomith, each the son of the one before him.

25And his brethren by Eliezer; Rehabiah his son, and Jeshaiah his son, and Joram his son, and Zichri his son, and Shelomith his son.

26This Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of all the treasuries holding the gifts set apart for God by King David, by the family heads who commanded units of a thousand and of a hundred, and by the army commanders.

26Which 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.

NoteCommanders of a thousand and of a hundred were the officers of the army's standing units, roughly regiment and company level. The figures are the names of the units rather than exact head counts.

27Some of the goods taken in battle they had set apart as gifts to keep the house of the LORD in good repair.

27Out of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to maintain the house of the LORD.

NoteHanding a share of the plunder taken in war over to the sanctuary was standard practice. Here that fund is what pays for the upkeep and repair of the building.

28Everything set apart by Samuel the seer, a man who received messages from God, and by Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah, along with anything else anyone had given, was in the care of Shelomith and his relatives.

28And 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.

NoteA seer was an older word for a prophet, from the idea of seeing what others do not. Samuel led Israel in the years before it had a king and anointed both Saul and David; Saul was Israel's first king; Abner was Saul's army commander and Joab was David's.

29From the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were given work outside the temple, serving as officials and judges over Israel.

29Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were for the outward business over Israel, for officers and judges.

Note"Outside the temple" renders a phrase meaning outward or external duties: administration and legal cases out among the people, as distinct from service inside the sanctuary.

30From the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his relatives, 1,700 capable men, were officials over Israel west of the Jordan River, handling all the work of the LORD and the service of the king.

30And 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.

NoteThe Jordan River split Israel's territory in two. The bulk of the tribes lived west of it, and two and a half tribes east. This group's responsibility was the western side; verse 32 covers the east.

31Among the Hebronites, Jerijah was the chief, listed according to the family records of his ancestors. In the fortieth year of David's reign the records were searched, and strong, capable men were found among them at Jazer in Gilead.

31Among 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.

NoteDavid reigned forty years, so this is the last year of his reign. "The records were searched" means the family registers were consulted, descent was what established a Levite's line and his eligibility to serve. Jazer lay in Gilead, the hill country east of the Jordan.

32His relatives were 2,700 capable men who were heads of families. King David put them in charge of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, for every matter concerning God and every matter concerning the king.

32And 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.

NoteReuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh were the tribes that settled east of the Jordan, outside the land west of the river dealt with in verse 30.