1Concerning the original registers of the genealogies of Israel and Judah. 2The distribution of those who returned to their possessions after the captivity. 3The Israelites who inhabited Jerusalem on their return; 10and the priests, 14and Levites who resided there, attending upon their several charges. 35The stock of Saul and Jonathan.
1SO all Israel were reckoned by genealogies; and, behold, they were written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah, who were carried away to Babylon for their transgression.
2¶Now the 1first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were, 2the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the 3Nethinims.
1 From this verse begins the register of those who returned home into their own land after the Babylonian captivity.
2 Namely, the common people among the Israelites.
3 That is, given up. These were Gibeonites, who had freely and willingly given themselves to the Israelites, to be their servants and bondmen forever, Joshua 9:21. See also Ezra 8:20; Neh. 11:3.
3And in Jerusalem 4dwelt of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin, and 5of the children of Ephraim, and Manasseh;
4 Namely, after that they were returned out of the Babylonian captivity, with the consent of king Cyrus.
5 That is, of the ten tribes, who had severed themselves from Judah. As also many of these tribes had joined themselves to Judah that they might partake with them in the pure worship of God. See 2 Chron. 34:6, 32.
4Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, 6of the children of Pharez the son of Judah.
6 In Neh. 11:4 these are rehearsed and likewise many of those who follow, but some with other names.
5And 7of the Shilonites; Asaiah the firstborn, and his sons.
7 Hebr. of Shiloni, that is, of the family of the Shilonites.
6And of the sons of Zerah; Jeuel, and their 8brethren, six hundred and ninety.
8 That is, kinsmen; also likewise verses 9, 25, and elsewhere.
7And of the sons of Benjamin; Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hasenuah,
8And Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, and Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephathiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah;
9And their brethren, according to their generations, nine hundred and fifty and six. All these men were chief of the fathers in the house of their fathers.
10¶And of the priests; Jedaiah, and Jehoiarib, and Jachin,
11And 9Azariah the son of 10Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the 11ruler of 12the house of God;
9 Other, Seraiah, Neh. 11:11, where these priests and Levites are again rehearsed, with alteration of some of their names.
10 See of this person, 2 Kings 22:8. It is he who found the book of the law.
11 He was the first among the priest after the high priest.
12 That is, in the temple, as verse 13.
12And Adaiah the son of Jeroham, 13the son of Pashur, the son of Malchijah, and Maasiai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;
13 That is, the kinsman, or, nephew, as appears in Neh. 11:12.
13And their brethren, heads of the house of their fathers, a thousand and seven hundred and threescore; very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.
14And of the Levites; Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;
15And Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Micah, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph;
16And Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, that dwelt in the 14villages of the Netophathites.
14 These villages were located in the tribe of Judah, as appears by 1 Chron. 2:54.
17And the 15porters were, Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their 16brethren: Shallum was the chief;
15 It was their office to open and close the temple daily, and to observe closely that no man did enter into the temple of those who by order of the law were barred from it.
16 That is, kinsmen.
18Who hitherto waited in the king’s 17gate eastward: 18they were 19porters in the companies of the children of Levi.
17 This was a gate of the temple through which the king entered into the temple, 2 Kings 16:8.
18 Namely, those who are named in verse 17.
19 That is, they were the most important ones who kept their turn among the Levitical porters. See verse 22, etc.
19And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his 20brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: and their 21fathers, being over 22the host of the LORD, were keepers of the 23entry.
20 That is, his kinsmen.
21 Namely, the Kohathites, Num. 4:4.
22 That is, in the wilderness, where God has led the Levites as an host, and camped them even round about the ark.
23 Namely, unto the holy and most holy place in the tent of the Lord.
20And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in time past, and the 24LORD was with him.
24 See Num. 25:11, etc.
21And 25Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
25 Understand this as such: that this Zechariah was chief of the keepers, for there were many keepers or porters, verses 19, 22.
22All these which were chosen to be porters in the gates were two hundred and twelve. These were reckoned by their genealogy in their villages, whom 26David and 27Samuel 28the seer did ordain in their set 29office.
26 See hereof chapters 16; 23 and 26.
27 When Samuel did this, the Holy Scripture nowhere mentions. Some are of the opinion that it was done when the ark was brought out of the land of the Philistines, 1 Samuel 7.
28 That is, prophet. See the annotation on 1 Sam. 9:9.
29 Hebr. properly: in their truth, faithfulness; also likewise verse 26; that is, in the office with which they were entrusted; and it is so called because in the execution of such an office, faithfulness and truth is required, 1 Cor. 4:2.
23So they and their children had the oversight of the gates of 30the house of the LORD, namely, the house of the tabernacle, 31by wards.
30 Some do here distinguish the house of the Lord from the house of the tent; in such a way that by the house of the Lord be understood the tent which David had pitched by his house where the ark of the covenant stood; and by the house of the tent they understand the tabernacle at Gibeon, 1 Kings 3:2, etc.; 2 Chron. 1:3, 5.
31 Namely, everyone in his course, relieving one another every seven days. See verse 25.
2432In four quarters were the porters, toward the east, 33west, north, and south.
32 That is, at the four corners of the world.
33 Hebr. toward the sea, which is situated westward of the land of Canaan.
25And their 34brethren, which were in their villages, were 35to come after seven days from time to time 36with them.
34 That is, kindred, kinsmen.
35 Namely, within Jerusalem, to wait upon the worship of God in the temple; when one went off, another came on, always from seven days to seven days.
36 Namely, with the chief men or rulers, of whom is spoken in verses 17, 21. These chief men or rulers always dwelt at Jerusalem in the temple.
26For these Levites, the four chief porters, were 37in their set office, and 38were over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God.
37 See verse 22.
38 See the order and division which was made by David concerning this, 1 Chron. 26:1.
27¶And 39they lodged round about the house of God, because the charge was upon them, and the 40opening thereof 41every morning pertained to them.
39 That is, they had their night’s rest in the chambers which were built round about the temple. See 1 Kings 6:5.
40 Namely, of the temple.
41 Hebr. and unto morning unto morning; that is, every morning.
28And certain of them had the charge of the 42ministering vessels, that they should bring them in and out by tale.
42 Namely, of the holy service.
29Some of them also were appointed to oversee the vessels, and all the instruments of the sanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.
30And some of the sons of the priests 43made the 44ointment of the spices.
43 That is, those, who prepared the incense, were the children of the priests, with the common Levites.
44 How these spices were prepared, and what ingredients made up the incense, see Exod. 30:34.
31And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of 45Shallum the Korahite, had the set office over the things 46that were made in the pans.
45 See verses 17, 19.
46 Hebr. the work of pans. See Lev. 2:5; 24:5.
32And other of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over 47the shewbread, to prepare it 48every sabbath.
47 Hebr. over the bread of arrangement, meaning the showbread, of which were twelve, Exod. 35:13. So that here the singular number is put for the plural.
48 Hebr. on sabbaths, on sabbaths. See Exod. 25:30; Lev. 24:5, etc.
33And 49these are the singers, chief 50of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the 51chambers were 52free: 53for they were employed in that work day and night.
49 Namely, the Levites.
50 That is, of the paternal houses.
51 Understand here the chambers of the priests which were by the temple.
52 Namely, from other services.
53 He wants to say: Forasmuch as they were always to be busy with singing, or making or ordering of songs, according to the order made by David, 1 Chron. 25:1, therefore they were also exempted from other services and employments.
34These chief fathers of the Levites were chief throughout their generations; these dwelt at Jerusalem.
35¶And in Gibeon 54dwelt the father of Gibeon, Jehiel, 55whose wife’s name was Maachah:
54 Namely, in Saul’s time. And thus the writer of this book comes here again to the account of the pedigree and family of Saul and his posterity, of whom he began to speak at 1 Chron. 8:29.
55 Or, the name of his sister was Maachah, which may be taken in such a sense as Abraham said, Gen. 20:2, 5, 12, that Sarah was his sister. In 1 Chron. 8:29 it also reads: whose wife.
36And his firstborn son Abdon, then Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and 56Ner, and Nadab,
56 Not the father of Abner, but another Ner, for, this man was not the father of Kish, but his brother, 1 Sam. 14:50, 51.
37And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zechariah, and Mikloth.
38And Mikloth begat Shimeam. And they also 57dwelt with their brethren at Jerusalem, over against their brethren.
57 See 1 Chron. 8:32, 33, 34.
39And Ner begat Kish; and Kish begat Saul; and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchi-shua, and Abinadab, and Esh-baal.
40And the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal: and Merib-baal begat Micah.
41And the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tahrea, 58and Ahaz.
58 This has been inserted from the following verse. See 1 Chron. 8:35.
42And 59Ahaz begat Jarah; and Jarah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza;
59 This Ahaz was also a son of Micah.
43And Moza begat Binea; and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.
44And Azel had six sons, whose names are these, Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan: these were the sons of Azel.