60 And out of the tribe H4294 of Benjamin; H1144 Geba H1387 with her suburbs, H4054 and Alemeth H5964 with her suburbs, H4054 and Anathoth H6068 with her suburbs. H4054 All their cities H5892 throughout their families H4940 were thirteen H7969 H6240 cities. H5892
The words H1697 of Jeremiah H3414 the son H1121 of Hilkiah, H2518 of the priests H3548 that were in Anathoth H6068 in the land H776 of Benjamin: H1144
And Jonathan H3129 smote H5221 the garrison H5333 of the Philistines H6430 that was in Geba, H1387 and the Philistines H6430 heard H8085 of it. And Saul H7586 blew H8628 the trumpet H7782 throughout all the land, H776 saying, H559 Let the Hebrews H5680 hear. H8085
And unto Abiathar H54 the priest H3548 said H559 the king, H4428 Get H3212 thee to Anathoth, H6068 unto thine own fields; H7704 for thou art worthy H376 of death: H4194 but I will not at this time H3117 put thee to death, H4191 because thou barest H5375 the ark H727 of the Lord H136 GOD H3069 before H6440 David H1732 my father, H1 and because thou hast been afflicted H6031 in all wherein my father H1 was afflicted. H6031
Lift up H6670 thy voice, H6963 O daughter H1323 of H1530 Gallim: H1554 cause it to be heard H7181 unto Laish, H3919 O poor H6041 Anathoth. H6068
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 6
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 6 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 6
Though Joseph and Judah shared between them the forfeited honours of the birthright, yet Levi was first of all the tribes, dignified and distinguished with an honour more valuable than either the precedency or the double portion, and that was the priesthood. That tribe God set apart for himself; it was Moses's tribe, and perhaps for his sake was thus favoured. Of that tribe we have an account in this chapter.
1Ch 6:1-30
The priests and Levites were more concerned than any other Israelites to preserve their pedigree clear and to be able to prove it, because all the honours and privileges of their office depended upon their descent. And we read of those who, though perhaps they really were children of the priests, yet, because they could not find the register of their genealogies, nor make out their descent by any authentic record, were, as polluted, put from the priesthood, and forbidden to eat of the holy things, Ezra 2:62, 63. It is but very little that is here recorded of the genealogies of this sacred tribe.
1Ch 6:31-53
When the Levites were first ordained in the wilderness much of the work then appointed them lay in carrying and taking care of the tabernacle and the utensils of it, while they were in their march through the wilderness. In David's time their number was increased; and, though the greater part of them was dispersed all the nation over, to teach the people the good knowledge of the Lord, yet those that attended the house of God were so numerous that there was not constant work for them all; and therefore David, by special commission and direction from God, new-modelled the Levites, as we shall find in the latter part of this book. Here we are told what the work was which he assigned them.
1Ch 6:54-81
We have here an account of the Levites' cities. They are here called their castles (v. 54), not only because walled and fortified, and well guarded by the country (for it is the interest of every nation to protect its ministers), but because they and their possessions were, in a particular manner, the care of the divine providence: as God was their portion, so God was their protection; and a cottage will be a castle to those that abide under the shadow of the Almighty. This account is much the same with that which we had, Jos. 21. We need not be critical in comparing them (what good will it do us?) nor will it do any hurt to the credit of the holy scripture if the names of some of the places be not spelt just the same here as they were there. We know it is common for cities to have several names. Sarum and Salisbury, Salop and Shrewsbury, are more unlike than Hilen (v. 58) and Holon (Jos. 21:15), Ashan (v. 59) and Ain (Jos. 21:16), Alemeth (v. 60) and Almon (Jos. 21:18); and time changes names. We are only to observe that in this appointment of cities for the Levites God took care,