6<\/strong>. the sons of Levi<\/em> ] Cp. 1Ch 6:1 ; 1Ch 6:16<\/span>.<\/p>\n David divided them into courses; <\/B>which he did not by his own invention, but as a man of God, and by the command of God, and with the advice and concurrence of Gad and Nathan the prophets, as is manifest from 2Ch 8:14<\/span>; 29:25<\/span>. <\/P> <\/p>\n 6. David divided them into coursesamong the sons of Levi<\/B>These are enumerated according to theirfathers’ houses, but no more of these are mentioned here than thetwenty-four thousand who were engaged in the work connected with theLord’s house. The fathers’ houses of those Levites corresponded withthe classes into which they [JOSEPHUS,Antiquities<\/I>] as well as the priests were divided (see on 1Ch24:20-31<\/span>; 1Ch 26:20-28<\/span>). <\/P> 1Ch23:7-11<\/span>. SONS OFGERSHON.<\/P><\/p>\n And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi<\/strong>,…. Into three classes, according to the number of them, which follow: namely,<\/p>\n Gershon, Kohath, and Merari<\/strong>; see Ex 6:16<\/span>.<\/p>\n The fathers’-houses of the Levites.<\/em> – 1Ch 23:6<\/span>. “And David divided them into courses according to the sons of Levi, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari;” see on 1Ch 6:1<\/span>. The form which recurs in 1Ch 24:3<\/span> with the same pointing, is in more accurate MSS in that place pointed . There are also found in MSS and editions , and the rare form of the Kal (for ); cf. J. H. Mich. Notae crit.<\/em> This last pronunciation is attested for, 1Ch 24:3<\/span>, by D. Kimchi, who expressly remarks that the regular form corresponds to it; cf. Norzi on this passage. Gesen. (in Thes.<\/em> p. 483) and Ew. (83, c<\/em>) regard as a variety of the Piel ( ), to which, however, Berth. rightly remarks that it would be worth a thought only if the punctuation were confirmed by good MSS, which is not the case, though we find the Piel in the Chronicle in 1Ch 15:3<\/span>, and then with the signification to distribute. Berth. therefore holds – and certainly this is the more correct opinion – that the form , attested by Kimchi for 1Ch 24:3<\/span>, was the original reading in our verse also, and considers it a rare form of the impf. Kal derived from (cf. 1Ch 24:4-5<\/span>), by Kamets coming into the pretonic syllable, after the analogy of for , 2Ki 10:14<\/span>, and by the passing of an a <\/em> (Pathach) into e <\/em> (Seghol) before the Kamets, according to well-known euphonic rules. is a second accusative: “in divisions.” The tribe of Levi had been divided from ancient times into the three great families of Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites, corresponding to the three sons of Levi; cf. 1 Chron 6:1-53; 28:32. – From 1Ch 23:7<\/span> onwards we have an enumeration of the fathers’-houses into which these three families were divided: 1Ch 23:7-11<\/span>, the fathers’-houses of the Gershonites; 1Ch 23:12-20<\/span>, those of the Kohathites; and 1Ch 23:21-23<\/span>, those of the Merarites. Berth., on the other hand, thinks that in these verses only the fathers’-houses of those Levites who performed the service of the house of Jahve, i.e., the 24,000 in 1Ch 23:4<\/span>, and not the divisions of all the Levites, are enumerated. But this opinion is incorrect, and certainly is not proved to be true by the circumstance that the singers, porters, and the scribes and judges, are only spoken of afterwards; nor by the remark that, in great part, the names here enumerated appear again in the sections 1Ch 24:20-31<\/span> and 1Ch 26:20-28<\/span>, while in the enumeration of the twenty-four classes of musicians (1 Chron 25), of the doorkeepers (26:1-19), and of the scribes and judges (1Ch 26:29-32<\/span>), quite other names are met with. The recurrence of many of the names here enumerated in the sections 1Ch 24:20-31<\/span> and 1Ch 26:20-28<\/span> is easily explained by the fact that these sections treat of the divisions of the Levites, according to the service they performed, and of course many heads of fathers’-houses must again be named. The occurrence of quite other names in the lists of musicians and doorkeepers, again, is simply the result of the fact that only single branches of fathers’-houses, not whole fathers’-houses, were appointed musicians and doorkeepers. Finally, Bertheau’s statement, that in the catalogue of the scribes and judges quite other names occur than those in our verses, is based upon an oversight; cf. 1Ch 26:31<\/span> with 1Ch 23:19<\/span>.<\/p>\n 1Ch 23:7-11<\/span> <\/p>\n <\/strong> The fathers’-houses of the Gershonites<\/em>. – According to the natural development of the people of Israel, the twelve sons of Jacob founded the twelve tribes of Israel; his grandsons, or the sons of the twelve patriarchs, founded the families ( ); and their sons, i.e., the great-grandsons of Jacob, founded the fathers’-houses ( ). But this natural division or ramification of the people into tribes, families, and fathers’-houses (groups of related households), was not consistently carried out. Even the formation of the tribes suffered a modification, when the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born before Jacob’s arrival in Egypt, were adopted by him as his sons, and so made founders of tribes (Gen 48:5<\/span>). The formation of the families and fathers’-houses was also interfered with, partly by the descendants of many grandsons or great-grandsons of Jacob not being numerous enough to form independent families and fathers’-houses, and partly by individual fathers’-houses (or groups of related households) having so much decreased that they could no longer form independent groups, and so were attached to other fathers’-houses, or by families which had originally formed a becoming so numerous as to be divided into several fathers’-houses. In the tribe of Levi there came into operation this special cause, that Aaron and his sons were chosen to be priests, and so his family was raised above the other Levites. From these causes, in the use of the words and many fluctuations occur; cf. my bibl. Archol<\/em>. ii. 140. Among the Levites, the fathers’-houses were founded not by the grandsons, but by the great-grandsons of the patriarch.<\/p>\n 1Ch 23:7-8<\/span> <\/p>\n <\/strong> “Of the Gershonites, Laadan and Shimei,” i.e., these were heads of groups of related families, since, according to 1Ch 23:9<\/span>, their sons and descendants formed six fathers’-houses. The sons of Gershon, from whom all branches of the family of Gershon come, are called in 1Ch 6:2<\/span>, as in Exo 6:17<\/span> and Num 13:18<\/span>, Libni and Shimei; while in our verse, on the contrary, we find only the second name Shimei, whose sons are enumerated in 1Ch 23:10<\/span>, 1Ch 23:11<\/span>; and instead of Libni we have the name Laadan, which recurs in 1Ch 26:21<\/span>. Laadan seemingly cannot be regarded as a surname of Libni; for not only are the sons of Shimei named along with the sons of Laadan in 1Ch 23:8<\/span> and 1Ch 23:9<\/span> as heads of the fathers’-houses of Laadan, without any hint being given of the genealogical connection of this Shimei with Laadan, but mainly because of in 1Ch 23:7<\/span>. In the case of Kohath and Merari, the enumeration of the fathers’-houses descended from them is introduced by the mention of their sons, and (1Ch 23:12<\/span>, 1Ch 23:21<\/span>), while in the case of Gershon it is not so; – in his case, instead of , we find the Gentilic designation , to point out that Laadan and Shimei are not named as being sons of Gershon, but as founders of the two chief lines of Gershonites, of which only the second was named after Gershon’s son Shimei, while the second derived their name from Laadan, whose family was divided in David’s time into two branches, the sons of Laadan and the sons of Shimei, the latter a descendant of Libni, not elsewhere mentioned. That the Shimei of 1Ch 23:9<\/span> is not the same person as Shimei the son of Gershon mentioned in 1Ch 23:7<\/span>, is manifest from the fact that the sons of the latter are enumerated only in 1Ch 23:10<\/span>. Each of these two lines numbered at that time three fathers’-houses, the heads of which are named in 1Ch 23:8<\/span> and 1Ch 23:9<\/span>. in 1Ch 23:8<\/span> belongs to : “the sons of Laadan were: the head (also the first; cf. 1Ch 23:11<\/span>, 1Ch 23:16<\/span>) Jehiel, Zetham, and Joel, three.” <\/p>\n 1Ch 23:9-11<\/span> <\/p>\n <\/strong> The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth or Shelomith (both forms are found in 26:35 of another Shelomith), Haziel, and Haran, three. These (three and three) are the heads of the fathers’-houses of Laadan. – In 1Ch 23:10<\/span> and 1Ch 23:11<\/span> there follow the fathers’-houses of the Shimei mentioned in 1Ch 23:7<\/span> along with Laadan: they are likewise three, derived from the four sons of Shimei, Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah; for the last two, as they had not many sons, were included in one father’s-house, one , i.e., one official class (1Ch 24:3<\/span>; 2Ch 17:14<\/span>). The Gershonites at that time, therefore, numbered nine father’s-houses-six named after Laadan, and three after Shimei.<\/p>\n 1Ch 23:12-13<\/span> <\/p>\n <\/strong> The fathers’-houses of the Kohathites<\/em>. – The four sons of Kohath who are named in 1Ch 23:12<\/span>, as in 1Ch 6:2<\/span>; 1Ch 6:18<\/span>, and Exo 6:18<\/span>, founded the four families of Kohath, Num 3:27<\/span>. From Amram came Aaron and Moses; see on Exo 6:20<\/span>. Of these, Aaron with his sons was set apart “to sanctify him to be a most holy one; he and his sons for ever to offer incense before Jahve, to serve Him, and to bless in His name for ever.” signifies neither, ut ministraret in sancto sanctorum <\/em> (Vulg., Syr.), nor, ut res sanctissimas, sacrificia, vasa sacra etc. consecrarent <\/em> (Cler.). Against this interpretation we adduce not only the objection advanced by Hgstb. Christol<\/em>. iii. p. 119, trans., that the office assigned by it to the Levites is far too subordinate to be mentioned here in the first place, but also the circumstance that the suffix in , after the analogy of , must denote the object of the sanctifying; and this view is confirmed by the subject, who offers incense and blesses, not being expressed with and . The Vulgate translation cannot be accepted, for cannot be the ablative, and the most holy place in the temple is always called with the article. , without the article, is only used of the most holy things, e.g., of the vessels connected with the worship, the sacrificial gifts, and other things which no lay person might touch or appropriate. See on Exo 30:10<\/span>; Lev 2:3<\/span>, and Dan 9:24<\/span>. Here it is committed to Aaron, who, by being chosen for the priest’s service and anointed to the office, was made a most holy person, to discharge along with his sons all the priestly functions in the sanctuary. Specimens of such functions are then adduced: , the offering of the sacrifice of incense upon the altar of the inner sanctuary, as in 2Ch 2:3<\/span>, 2Ch 2:5<\/span>; Exo 30:7<\/span>.; , “to serve Him,” Jahve, – a general expression, including all the other services in the sanctuary, which were reserved for the priests; and , to bless in His name, i.e., to pronounce the blessing in the name of the Lord over the people, according to the command in Num 6:23<\/span>, cf. 1Ch 16:2<\/span>; Deu 21:5<\/span>; not “to bless His name” (Ges., Berth.). To call upon or praise the name of God is , Psa 96:2<\/span>; Psa 100:4<\/span>; and the assertion that is a somewhat later phrase formed on the model of , for “to call upon God” (Ges. in Lex. sub voce<\/em> ), is quite groundless. Our phrase occurs as early as in Deu 10:8<\/span> and Deu 21:5<\/span>; and the latter passage in connection with of the priests; in the former, of the tribe of Levi, but so used that it can refer only to the priests, not to the Levites also.<\/p>\n 1Ch 23:14<\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong> “But as to Moses the man of God” (cf. Deu 33:1<\/span>), “his sons were called after the tribe of Levi,” i.e., were reckoned in the ranks of the Levites, not of the priests. On , cf. Gen 48:6<\/span>; Ezr 2:61<\/span>; Neh 7:63<\/span>.<\/p>\n 1Ch 23:15-17<\/span> <\/p>\n <\/strong> Each of his two sons Gershon and Eliezer (see Exo 2:22<\/span> and Exo 18:3<\/span>.) founded a father’s-house; Gershon through his son Shebuel ( , in 1Ch 24:20<\/span> ), Eliezer through Rehabiah. The plurals , are used, although in both cases only one son, he who was head ( ) of the father’s-house, is mentioned, either because they had other sons, or those named had in their turn sons, who together formed a father’s-house. From the remark in 1Ch 23:17<\/span>, that Eliezer had no other sons than Rehabiah, while Rehabiah had very many, we may conclude that Gershon had other sons besides Shebuel, who are not mentioned because their descendants were numbered with Shebuel’s father’s-house.<\/p>\n 1Ch 23:18<\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong> Only one son of Jizhar, the brother of Amram, is mentioned, Shelomith as head, after whom the Jizharite father’s-house is named.<\/p>\n 1Ch 23:19-20<\/span> <\/p>\n <\/strong> Amram’s next brother Hebron had four sons, and the youngest brother Uzziel two, who founded fathers’-houses; so that, besides the priests, nine Levitical fathers’-houses are descended from Kohath, and their chiefs who served in the sanctuary are enumerated in 1Ch 24:20-25<\/span>.<\/p>\n 1Ch 23:21-22<\/span> <\/p>\n <\/strong> The fathers’-houses of the Merarites<\/em>. – 1Ch 23:21<\/span>. As in 1Ch 6:19<\/span>; Exo 6:19<\/span>, and Num 3:33<\/span>, two sons of Merari are mentioned-Mahli and Mushi-who founded the two families of Merari which existed in the time of Moses. Mahli had two sons, Eleazar and Kish; the first of whom, however, left behind him at his death only daughters, who were married to the sons of Kish ( , i.e., their cousins), according to the law as to daughters who were heiresses (Num 26:6-9<\/span>). The descendants of Mahli, therefore, were comprehended in the one father’s-house of Kish, whose head at that time (1Ch 24:29<\/span>) was Jerahmeel.<\/p>\n 1Ch 23:23<\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong> Of the sons of Mushi, three founded fathers’-houses, so that the Merarites formed only four fathers’-houses in all. If we compare the enumeration of the Merarites in 1Ch 24:26-30<\/span>, we find there in 1Ch 24:30<\/span> Eleazar and Kish called sons of Mahli, with the remark that Eleazar had no sons. In 1Ch 24:26<\/span>, however, of the same passage we read, “sons of Merari (were) Mahli and Mushi, sons of Jaaziah his son;” and 1Ch 24:27<\/span>, “sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son; and Shoham, and Zaccur, and Ibri.” From this Bertheau concludes that Merari had really three sons, and that the name of the third has been dropped out of 1 Chron 23; but in this he is incorrect, for 1Ch 23:26<\/span> and 1Ch 23:27<\/span> of the 24th chapter are at once, from their whole character, recognisable as arbitrary interpolations. Not only is it strange that should follow the before-mentioned sons of Merari in this unconnected way ( Vav<\/em> being omitted before ), but the form of the expression also is peculiar. If be a third son of Merari, or the founder of a third family of Merarites, coordinate with the families of Mahli and Mushi, as we must conclude from the additional word , we should expect, after the preceding, simply the name with the conjunction, i.e., . The is all the more surprising that the names of the sons of Jaaziah follow in 1Ch 24:27<\/span>, and there the name of the first son is introduced by the Vav copulative. This misled the older commentators, so that they took for a proper name. The repetition of , too, at the beginning of the second verse is strange, and without parallel in the preceding enumeration of the fathers’-houses founded by Amram’s sons (1Ch 24:20-25<\/span>). We must, then, as the result of all this, since the Pentateuch knows only two descendants of Merari who founded families of fathers’-houses, <\/p>\n (Note: Bertheau, on the contrary, proceeding on the hypothesis that we may presume the list of Merari ‘ s descendants which is given in our verses to have been originally in perfect agreement with that in 1Ch 24:26-31<\/span>, would emend our text according to 1Ch 23:21<\/span>, for it cannot be doubted that in our passage also Jaaziah and his three sons were named. But since elsewhere only the two sons Mahli and Mushi occur, one can easily see why the third son Jaaziah came to be omitted from our passage, while we cannot conceive any motive which would account for the later and arbitrary interpolation of the names in 1Ch 24:26<\/span>. This argumentation is weak to a degree, since it quite overlooks the main difficulty connected with this hypothesis. Had we no further accounts of the descendants of Merari than those in the two passages of the Chronicle (1Ch 23:11<\/span>. and 1Ch 24:26-29<\/span>), it would be natural to suppose that in 1Ch 23:21<\/span>. the additional names which we find in 1 Chron 24 had been dropped out. But in the genealogical lists in the Pentateuch also (Exo 6:19<\/span> and Num 3:33<\/span>), only two sons of Merari are named; and according to them, the Merarites, when Moses ‘ census of the Levites was taken, formed only two families. Had Merari had yet a third son besides the two – Mahli and Mushi, who alone were known in the time of Moses – who left descendants, forming three fathers ‘ -houses in David ‘ s time, the omission of this third son in the family register in the Pentateuch would be quite incomprehensible. Or are we to suppose that in Exo 6:19<\/span> also the name Jaaziah had been dropped out, and that in consequence of that the family descended from him has been omitted from Num 3:33<\/span>? Supported by the Pentateuch, the text of our verses is presumably entire, and this presumption of its integrity is confirmed by the character of the additions in 24:26, 27, as above exhibited.)<\/p>\n regard the additions in 1Ch 24:26-27<\/span> as later glosses, although we are not in a position to explain the origin or the meaning of the interpolation. This inability arises from the fact that, of the names Jaaziah, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri, only Zaccur again occurs among the Asaphites (1Ch 25:2<\/span>), and elsewhere of other persons, while the others are nowhere else to be met with. The three families of Levi numbered therefore 9 + 9 + 4 = 22 fathers’-houses, exclusive of the priests.<\/p>\n (6) And David divided them into courses.<\/strong>Heb., he divided him them<\/em> (reflexive form of verb, with suffix) into divisions.<\/em> (Comp. 1Ch. 24:3<\/span>, and Gen. 14:15<\/span>.) Others read the simple voice of the verb here, as at 1Ch. 24:4-5<\/span>, 2Ch. 23:18<\/span>, Neh. 9:22<\/span>; others, again, the intensive voice, as at 1Ch. 16:3<\/span> (only). It is a question of pointing, the consonants remaining the same in each form. David divided them, i.e.,<\/em> the 2,400 superintendents (1Ch. 23:4<\/span>; comp. 1Ch. 23:24<\/span>). Many of the names here enumerated recur in 1Ch. 24:20-31<\/span>; 1Ch. 26:20-28<\/span>; whereas the names of the courses of musicians (1Ch. 25:1-31<\/span>), warders (1Ch. 26:1-19<\/span>), and scribes and judges (1Ch. 26:29-32<\/span>), are totally different.<\/p>\n Among the sons of Levi.<\/strong>Rather, according to the sons of Levi,<\/em> viz., according to Gershon, &c.:<\/em> that is, according to the three great sub-divisions of the tribe (1Ch. 6:1<\/span>; 1Ch. 6:16<\/span>). Notice the correct spelling, Gershon (not Gershom).<\/p>\n (6-23) The twenty-four houses of the Levites.<\/p>\n 1Ch 23:6 And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, [namely], Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.<\/p>\n Ver. 6. And David divided them into courses.<\/strong> ] Into certain ranks and distinct functions, according to the commandment of God by Gad and Nathan. 2Ch 29:25 David, at the beginning of his reign, had distinguished the priests and Levites into certain ranks and orders, 1Ch 16:4 but now that their number was greatly increased, and they were to serve in the temple that was shortly after to be erected, he ordered all things better, and with greater diligence.<\/p>\n divided: 2Ch 8:14, 2Ch 29:25, 2Ch 31:2, 2Ch 35:10, Ezr 6:18 <\/p>\n courses: Heb. divisions, 1Ch 24:1, 1Ch 26:1 <\/p>\n Gershon: Gershon, [Strong’s H1647], is called [Strong’s H1648], Gershom, in the parallel passage, simply by the mutation of , noon, into , mem. 1Ch 6:1, 1Ch 6:16, Gershom, Exo 6:16-24, Num 26:57, Num 26:58 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: 1Ch 6:43 – Gershom 1Ch 23:21 – Merari<\/p>\n 1Ch 23:6. David divided them into courses Which he did not by his own invention, but, as a man of God, by his command, and with the advice and concurrence of Gad and Nathan the prophets, as is manifest from 2Ch 8:14; 2Ch 29:25.<\/p>\n And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, [namely], Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 6. the sons of Levi ] Cp. 1Ch 6:1 ; 1Ch 6:16. Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges David divided them into courses; which he did not by his own invention, but as a man of God, … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Chronicles 23:6”<\/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-11001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11001","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=11001"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11001\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/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: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/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":"