1 Chronicles 23

1Ch 23:1.

DAVID

MAKES

SOLOMON

KING.

1. when David was old . . . he made Solomon . . . king--This brief

statement, which comprises the substance of

1Ki 1:32-48,

is made here solely to introduce an account of the preparations carried

on by David during the latter years of his life for providing a

national place of worship.

1Ch 23:2-6.

NUMBER AND

DISTRIBUTION OF THE

LEVITES.

2. he gathered together all the princes of Israel--All important

measures relating to the public interest were submitted for

consideration to a general assembly of the representatives of the

tribes

(1Ch 13:1; 15:25; 22:17; 26:1-32).

3. the Levites were numbered . . . thirty and eight thousand--Four

times their number at the early census taken by Moses

(see on

Nu 4:1-49;

26:1-51).

It was, in all likelihood, this vast increase that suggested and

rendered expedient that classification, made in the last year of

David's reign, which the present and three subsequent chapters

describe.

4. twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house

of the Lord--They were not to preside over all the services of the

temple. The Levites were subject to the priests, and they were superior

to the Nethinim and other servants, who were not of the race of Levi.

But they had certain departments of duty assigned, some of which are

here specified.

5. praised the Lord with the instruments which I made--David seems

to have been an inventor of many of the musical instruments used in the

temple

(Am 6:5).

6. David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi--These are

enumerated according to their fathers' houses, but no more of these are

mentioned here than the twenty-four thousand who were engaged in the

work connected with the Lord's house. The fathers' houses of those

Levites corresponded with the classes into which they

[JOSEPHUS, Antiquities]

as well as the priests were divided

(see on

1Ch 24:20-31;

1Ch 26:20-28).

1Ch 23:7-11.

SONS OF

GERSHON.

7-11. the Gershonites--They had nine fathers' houses, six descended

from Laadan, and three from Shimei.

1Ch 23:12-20.

OF

KOHATH.

12. The sons of Kohath--He was the founder of nine Levitical fathers'

houses.

13. Aaron was separated--as high priest (see on

1Ch 25:1-19).

14. concerning Moses--His sons were ranked with the Levites generally,

but not introduced into the distinctive portion of the descendants of

Levi, who were appointed to the special functions of the priesthood.

1Ch 23:21-23.

OF

MERARI.

21-23. The sons of Merari--They comprised six fathers' houses. Summing

them together, Gershon founded nine fathers houses, Kohath nine, and

Merari six: total, twenty-four.

1Ch 23:24-32.

OFFICE OF THE

LEVITES.

24-27. These were the sons of Levi . . . that did the work . . . from

the age of twenty years and upward--The enumeration of the Levites was

made by David

(1Ch 23:3)

on the same rule as that followed by Moses

(Nu 4:3),

namely, from thirty years. But he saw afterwards that this rule might

be beneficially relaxed, and that the enrolment of Levites for their

proper duties might be made from twenty years of age. The ark and

tabernacle being now stationary at Jerusalem, the labor of the Levites

was greatly diminished, as they were no longer obliged to transport its

heavy furniture from place to place. The number of thirty-eight

thousand Levites, exclusive of priests, was doubtless more than

sufficient for the ordinary service of the tabernacle. But this pious

king thought that it would contribute to the glory of the Lord to

employ as many officers in his divine service as possible. These first

rules, however, which David instituted, were temporary, as very

different arrangements were made after the ark had been deposited in

the tabernacle of Zion.