48 And their brethren the Levites are put to all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God.
And these `are' births of Aaron and Moses, in the day of Jehovah's speaking with Moses in mount Sinai. And these `are' the names of the sons of Aaron: the first-born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar; these `are' the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whose hand he hath consecrated for acting as priest. And Nadab dieth -- Abihu also -- before Jehovah, in their bringing near strange fire before Jehovah, in the wilderness of Sinai, and sons they had not; and Eleazar -- Ithamar also -- acteth as priest in the presence of Aaron their father.
And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, `Take the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel, and thou hast cleansed them. `And thus thou dost to them to cleanse them: sprinkle upon them waters of atonement, and they have caused a razor to pass over all their flesh, and have washed their garments, and cleansed themselves, and have taken a bullock, a son of the herd, and its present, flour mixed with oil, -- and a second bullock a son of the herd thou dost take for a sin-offering, and thou hast brought near the Levites before the tent of meeting, and thou hast assembled the whole company of the sons of Israel, and thou hast brought near the Levites before Jehovah, and the sons of Israel have laid their hands on the Levites, and Aaron hath waved the Levites -- a wave-offering before Jehovah, from the sons of Israel, and they have been -- for doing the service of Jehovah. `And the Levites lay their hands on the head of the bullocks, and make thou the one a sin-offering, and the one a burnt-offering to Jehovah, to atone for the Levites, and thou hast caused the Levites to stand before Aaron, and before his sons, and hast waved them -- a wave-offering to Jehovah; and thou hast separated the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel, and the Levites have become Mine; and afterwards do the Levites come in to serve the tent of meeting, and thou hast cleansed them, and hast waved them -- a wave-offering. `For they are certainly given to Me out of the midst of the sons of Israel, instead of him who openeth any womb -- the first-born of all -- from the sons of Israel I have taken them to Myself; for Mine `is' every first-born among the sons of Israel, among man and among beast; in the day of my smiting every first-born in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself; and I take the Levites instead of every first-born among the sons of Israel: `And I give the Levites gifts to Aaron and to his sons, from the midst of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the sons of Israel in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the sons of Israel, and there is no plague among the sons of Israel in the sons of Israel's drawing nigh unto the sanctuary.' And Moses doth -- Aaron also, and all the company of the sons of Israel -- to the Levites according to all that Jehovah hath commanded Moses concerning the Levites; so have the sons of Israel done to them. And the Levites cleanse themselves, and wash their garments, and Aaron waveth them a wave-offering before Jehovah, and Aaron maketh atonement for them to cleanse them, and afterwards have the Levites gone in to do their service in the tent of meeting, before Aaron and before his sons; as Jehovah hath commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they have done to them. And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, `This `is' that which `is' the Levites': from a son of five and twenty years and upward he doth go in to serve the host in the service of the tent of meeting, and from a son of fifty years he doth return from the host of the service, and doth not serve any more, and he hath ministered with his brethren in the tent of meeting, to keep the charge, and doth not do service; thus thou dost to the Levites concerning their charge.'
is it little to you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the company of Israel to bring you near unto Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of Jehovah, and to stand before the company to serve them? -- yea, He doth bring thee near, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee -- and ye have sought also the priesthood!
And Jehovah saith unto Aaron, `Thou, and thy sons, and the house of thy father with thee, do bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and thou, and thy sons with thee, do bear the iniquity of your priesthood; and also thy brethren, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring near with thee, and they are joined unto thee, and serve thee, even thou and thy sons with thee, before the tent of the testimony. `And they have kept thy charge, and the charge of all the tent; only, unto the vessels of the sanctuary and unto the altar they do not come near, and they die not, either they or you; and they have been joined unto thee, and have kept the charge of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; and a stranger doth not come near unto you; and ye have kept the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar, and there is no more wrath against the sons of Israel. `And I, lo, I have taken your brethren the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel; to you a gift they are given by Jehovah, to do the service of the tent of meeting; and thou, and thy sons with thee, do keep your priesthood, for everything of the altar, and within the vail, and ye have served; a service of gift I make your priesthood; and the stranger who is coming near is put to death.' And Jehovah speaketh unto Aaron: `And I, lo, I have given to thee the charge of My heave-offerings, of all the hallowed things of the sons of Israel -- to thee I have given them for the anointing, and to thy sons, by a statute age-during. This is thine of the most holy things, from the fire: all their offering, to all their present, and to all their sin-offering, and to all their guilt-offering, which they give back to Me, is most holy to thee, and to thy sons; in the holy of holies thou dost eat it; every male doth eat it; holy it is to thee. `And this `is' thine: the heave-offering of their gift, to all the wave-offerings of the sons of Israel, to thee I have given them, and to thy sons, and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute age-during; every clean one in thy house doth eat it; all the best of the oil, and all the best of the new wine, and wheat -- their first-`fruits' which they give to Jehovah -- to thee I have given them. `The first-fruits of all that `is' in their land, which they bring in to Jehovah, are thine; every clean one in thy house doth eat it; every devoted thing in Israel is thine, every one opening a womb of all flesh which they bring near to Jehovah, among man and among beast, is thine; only, thou dost certainly ransom the first-born of man, and the firstling of the unclean beast thou dost ransom. `And their ransomed ones from a son of a month, thou dost ransom with thy valuation, of silver, five shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary, twenty gerahs it `is'. `Only, the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou dost not ransom, holy they `are': their blood thou dost sprinkle on the altar, and of their fat thou makest perfume, a fire-offering of sweet fragrance to Jehovah, and their flesh is thine, as the breast of the wave-offering, and as the right leg, it is thine; all the heave-offerings of the holy things which the sons of Israel lift up to Jehovah I have given to thee and to thy sons, and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute age-during, a covenant of salt, age-during it `is' before Jehovah, to thee and to thy seed with thee.' And Jehovah saith unto Aaron, `In their land thou dost not inherit, and a portion thou hast not in their midst: I `am' thy portion, and thine inheritance in the midst of the sons of Israel; and to the sons of Levi, lo, I have given all the tenth in Israel for inheritance in exchange for their service which they are serving -- the service of the tent of meeting. `And the sons of Israel come no more near unto the tent of meeting, to bear sin, to die, and the Levites have done the service of the tent of meeting, and they -- they bear their iniquity; a statute age-during to your generations, that in the midst of the sons of Israel they have no inheritance; but the tithe of the sons of Israel which they lift up to Jehovah, a heave-offering, I have given to the Levites for inheritance; therefore I have said of them, In the midst of the sons of Israel they have no inheritance.' And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, `And unto the Levites thou dost speak; and thou hast said unto them, When ye take from the sons of Israel the tithe which I have given to you from them, for your inheritance, then ye have lifted up from it the heave-offering of Jehovah, a tithe of the tithe; and your heave-offering hath been reckoned to you as corn from the threshing-floor, and as fulness from the wine-vat; so ye do lift up -- ye also -- the heave-offering of Jehovah from all your tithes which ye receive from the sons of Israel; and ye have given from it the heave-offering of Jehovah to Aaron the priest; out of all your gifts ye do lift up the whole heave-offering of Jehovah; out of all its fat, -- its hallowed part -- out of it. `And thou hast said unto them, In your lifting up its fat out of it, then it hath been reckoned to the Levites, as increase of a threshing-floor, and as increase of a wine-vat; and ye have eaten it in every place, ye and your households, for it `is' your hire in exchange for your service in the tent of meeting; and ye bear no sin for it, in your lifting up its fat out of it, and the holy things of the sons of Israel ye do not pollute, and ye die not.'
and gathereth all the heads of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites;
And David and the heads of the host separate for service, of the sons of Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun, who are prophesying with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals, and the number of the workmen is according to their service. Of sons of Asaph: Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asharelah, sons of Asaph, `are' by the side of Asaph, who is prophesying by the side of the king. Of Jeduthun: sons of Jeduthun, Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, Shisshah, `are' by the side of their father Jeduthun; with a harp he is prophesying, for giving of thanks and of praise to Jehovah. Of Heman: sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth; all these `are' sons of Heman -- seer of the king in the things of God -- to lift up a horn; and God giveth to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. All these `are' by the side of their father in the song of the house of Jehovah, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God; by the side of the king `are' Asaph, and Jeduthun, and Heman. And their number, with their brethren -- taught in the song of Jehovah, all who are intelligent -- is two hundred, eighty and eight. And they cause to fall lots -- charge over-against `charge', as well the small as the great, the intelligent with the learner. And the first lot goeth out for Asaph to Joseph; `to' Gedaliah the second; he, and his brethren and his sons, twelve; the third `to' Zaccur, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the fourth to Izri, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the fifth `to' Nethaniah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the sixth `to' Bukkiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the seventh `to' Jesharelah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the eighth `to' Jeshaiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the ninth `to' Mattaniah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the tenth `to' Shimei, his sons and his brethren, twelve: eleventh `to' Azareel, his sons and his brethren, twelve; the twelfth `to' Hashabiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; at the thirteenth `to' Shubael, his sons and his brethren, twelve; at the fourteenth `to' Mattithiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; at the fifteenth `to' Jeremoth, his sons and his brethren, twelve; at the sixteenth `to' Hananiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; at the seventeenth `to' Joshbekashah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; at the eighteenth `to' Hanani, his sons and his brethren, twelve; at the nineteenth `to' Mallothi, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 6
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 6 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 6
1Ch 6:1-48. Line of the Priests.
5. Uzzi—It is supposed that, in his days, the high priesthood was, for unrecorded reasons, transferred from Eleazar's family to Ithamar's, in which it continued for several generations.
10. he it is that executed the priest's office in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem—It is doubtful whether the person in favor of whom this testimony is borne be Johanan or Azariah. If the former, he is the same as Jehoiada, who rendered important public services (2Ki 11:1-20); if the latter, it refers to the worthy and independent part he acted in resisting the unwarrantable encroachments of Uzziah (2Ch 26:17).
in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem—described in this particular manner to distinguish it from the second temple, which was in existence at the time when this history was written.
14. Azariah begat Seraiah—He filled the supreme pontifical office at the destruction of Jerusalem, and, along with his deputy and others, he was executed by Nebuchadnezzar's orders at Riblah (2Ki 25:18, 21). The line of high priests, under the first temple, which from Zadok amounted to twelve, terminated with him.
16-48. The sons of Levi; Gershom, &c.—This repetition (see 1Ch 6:1) is made, as the historian here begins to trace the genealogy of the Levitical families who were not priests. The list is a long one, comprising the chiefs or heads of their several families until David's reign, who made a new and different classification of them by courses.
20. Zimmah his son—his grandson (1Ch 6:42).
24. Uriel—or Zephaniah (1Ch 6:36).
27. Elkanah—the father of the prophet Samuel (1Sa 1:1).
28. the sons of Samuel—The sons of Samuel are here named Vashni and Abiah. The first-born is called Joel (1Sa 8:2); and this name is given to him in 1Ch 6:33. It is now generally thought by the best critics that, through an error of the copyists, an omission has been made of the oldest son's name, and that Vashni, which is not the name of a person, merely signifies "and the second." This critical emendation of the text makes all clear, as well as consistent with other passages relating to the family of Samuel.
32. before the dwelling-place, &c.—that is, in the tent which David had erected for receiving the ark after it was removed from the house of Obed-edom [2Sa 6:17]. This was a considerable time before the temple was built.
they waited on their office according to their order—which David, doubtless by the direction of the Holy Spirit, had instituted for the better regulation of divine worship.
33. Shemuel—that is, Samuel. This is the exact representation of the Hebrew name.
39. his brother Asaph—They were brothers naturally, both being descended from Levi, as well as officially, both being of the Levitical order.
42. Ethan—or Jeduthun (1Ch 9:16; 2Ch 35:15).
48. Their brethren also the Levites were appointed unto all manner of service—Those of them who were endowed with musical tastes and talents were employed in various other departments of the temple service.
1Ch 6:49-81. Office of Aaron and His Sons.
49. But Aaron and his sons offered, &c.—The office and duties of the high priests having been already described, the names of those who successively filled that important office are recorded.
60. thirteen cities—No more than eleven are named here; but two additional ones are mentioned (Jos 21:16, 17), which makes up the thirteen.
61. unto the sons of Kohath, which were left—that is, in addition to the priests belonging to the same family and tribe of Levi.
by lot, ten cities—(Jos 21:26). The sacred historian gives an explanation (1Ch 6:66). Eight of these are mentioned, but only two of them are taken out of the half tribe of Manasseh (1Ch 6:70). The names of the other two are given (Jos 21:21), where full and detailed notices of these arrangements may be found.
62. to the sons of Gershom—Supply "the children of Israel gave."
67-81. they gave unto them of the cities of refuge—The names of the cities given here are considerably different from those applied to them (Jos 21:13-19). In the lapse of centuries, and from the revolutions of society, changes might have been expected to take place in the form or dialectic pronunciation of the names of those cities; and this will sufficiently account for the variations that are found in the lists as enumerated here and in an earlier book. As to these cities themselves that were assigned to the Levites, they were widely remote and separated—partly in fulfilment of Jacob's prophecy (Ge 49:7), and partly that the various districts of the country might obtain a competent supply of teachers who might instruct the people in the knowledge, and animate them to the observance, of a law which had so important a bearing on the promotion both of their private happiness and their national prosperity.