3<\/strong>. by their polls<\/em> ] Lit. by their skulls<\/em>. “Poll” is an almost obsolete word for “head,” retained in the compound word, “poll-tax.”<\/p>\n thirty and eight thousand<\/em> ] A great increase since the time of Moses; the males from a month old and upwards are reckoned at 22,000 in Num 3:39<\/span> and at 23,000 in Num 26:62<\/span>.<\/p>\n Verse 3<\/span>. Thirty years and upward<\/B><\/I>] The enumeration of the Levites made in the desert, Nu 4:3<\/span>, was from thirty<\/I> years upwards to fifty<\/I> years. In this place, the latter limit is not mentioned, probably because the service was not so laborious now; for the ark being fixed they had no longer any heavy burdens to carry, and therefore even an old man might continue to serve the tabernacle. David made another ordinance afterwards; see on 1Ch 23:24<\/span>; 1Ch 23:27<\/span>.<\/P> <\/p>\n From the age of thirty years and upward; <\/B>not only till fifty, as it was appointed, Num 4:2<\/span>,3<\/span>, but even till their death; for that was but a temporary law grounded upon a special reason, because the Levites were employed in carrying the tabernacle and sacred vessels from place to place; and therefore God would have them freed from those burdens when they came to feel the infirmities of age; which reason wholly ceasing upon the building of the temple, and their work being far easier than it had been, and their service being more a privilege than a burden, their time of service is justly and fitly prolonged. <\/P> <\/p>\n 3. the Levites were numbered . . .thirty and eight thousand<\/B>Four times their number at the earlycensus taken by Moses (see on Nu 4:1-49<\/span>;26:1-51<\/span>). It was, in alllikelihood, this vast increase that suggested and rendered expedientthat classification, made in the last year of David’s reign, whichthe present and three subsequent chapters describe. <\/P> by their polls, man byman<\/B>Women and children were not included.<\/P><\/p>\n Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years, and upward<\/strong>,…. So they were numbered in the days of Moses, and by his order, and so they were now at first; though afterwards there was a new reckoning of them, 1Ch 23:24<\/span><\/p>\n and their number by their posts<\/strong>; or, according to their heads:<\/p>\n man by man, was thirty and eight thousand<\/strong>; which vastly exceeds the number in the times of Moses; see Nu 4:47<\/span>, but then those above fifty years of age were not numbered, as they now might; since their work in the temple would be much more easy, no burdens to carry, as the ark, the vessels, &c.<\/p>\n Levites, verses 3-23<\/strong><\/p>\n The numbering of the Levites began at age thirty because it was at that age they were eligible to enter into their official duties <\/em>(Num 4:3<\/span> and other verses in the chapter). The number came to only thirty-eight thousand, which seems a small number for the time. However, the active years of Levitical service extended only to age fifty, where doubtless the numbering also ended. This enumeration was especially important to those who returned from the Babylonian exile with Zerubbabel, Ezra, and others. At that time they had to establish their lineage to officiate ( see Ezr 2:61-63<\/span>). This would help to explain why these matters were recorded in the Books of Chronicles, which were composed after the exile, but not in the Books of Kings.<\/em><\/p>\n The thirty-eight thousand Levites were divided into four groups <\/em>A large group numbering twenty-four thousand were devoted strictly to the work of maintaining the house and worship of the Lord. Six thousand were appointed as officers and judges in the towns and tribes where they were scattered. Four thousand more were porters, or temple watchmen, while the remaining four thousand supplied the choristers and instrumentalists for the temple choir and orchestra.<\/em><\/p>\n The families of the Levites <\/em>were arranged in courses according to their patronage, stemming from the three sons of Levi. These were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Verses 7-11 enumerate the sons and descendants of Gershon (sometimes Gershom). None of these are particularly prominent otherwise. It is interesting to note, from verse 11 that small families were included with larger ones.<\/em><\/p>\n The Kohathites were the largest family. <\/em>The priestly family of Aaron came from the Kohathites, but most of the Kohathites were merely Levites, not priests. Verses 12-20 enumerate the heads of this important family. Amram was the father of Moses and Aaron. Though Moses was the great leader of Israel, the family of Aaron succeeded to greater prestige in later generations, and the sons and descendants of Moses were mere Levites. This is specifically indicated by verses 15-17, where the descendants of Moses’ two sons are listed. Eliezer (the younger son) fathered a large family known as the sons of Rehabiah.<\/em><\/p>\n The families of the Merarites <\/em>numbered only two, but in their times were about as numerous as some of the others. Very little is noted of them in this context. It is noted that one of the more prominent descendants died without sons. His daughters married their cousins and maintained their father’s lineage within the tribe of Levi (seethe law relative to this situation, Numbers, chapter 36).<\/em><\/p>\n (3) Now<\/strong> . . .<\/strong> and<\/strong>i.e.,<\/em> after the council had agreed upon it.<\/p>\n The Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward.<\/strong>A census like that which Moses instituted (Num. 4:3<\/span>; Num. 4:23<\/span>; Num. 4:30<\/span>, &c.), of all Levites from thirty years old and upward unto fifty years, for the work of the Tabernacle.<\/p>\n By their polls, man by man.<\/strong>Lit., As to their skulls, as to men.<\/em> The second phrase defines the first, and excludes women and children.<\/p>\n The age of their numbering from thirty years, seems to convey very strong testimonies that a competency of wisdom and gravity were considered as necessary, before that they were numbered among the Levites.<\/p>\n 1Ch 23:3 Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.<\/p>\n Ver. 3. Now the Levites were numbered.<\/strong> ] Not as the people had been, 1Ch 21:5-6 out of curiosity and vainglory: but on piety and prudence, and by a divine instinct.<\/p>\n thirty years. According to Num 4:3, Num 4:23, Num 4:35, Num 4:47, Changed to twenty-five years by Jehovah (Num 8:24); and, by David’s “last words”, to twenty years (1Ch 23:27). Compare Ezr 3:8. <\/p>\n man = strong man. Hebrew. geber. App-14. <\/p>\n the Levites: Num 4:2, Num 4:3, Num 4:23, Num 4:30, Num 4:35, Num 4:43, Num 4:47 <\/p>\n thirty and eight: Num 4:48 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Num 8:24 – from twenty 2Sa 7:5 – Shalt 2Ki 11:5 – that enter 1Ch 23:24 – twenty 1Ch 23:27 – by the last 2Ch 23:4 – entering Ezr 8:17 – ministers<\/p>\n 1Ch 23:3. From the age of thirty years and upward Not only till fifty, as it was appointed Num 4:2-3, but even till their death: for that was but a temporary law grounded upon a special reason, because the Levites were employed in carrying the tabernacle and sacred vessels from place to place; and therefore God would have them freed from those burdens when they came to feel the infirmities of age: which reason wholly ceasing upon the building of the temple, their work being far easier than it had been, and their service being more a privilege than a burden, their time of service is justly prolonged.<\/p>\n Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand. 3. by their polls ] Lit. by their skulls. “Poll” is an almost obsolete word for “head,” retained in the compound word, “poll-tax.” thirty and eight thousand ] … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Chronicles 23:3”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10998\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"