1 Chronicles 6

Darby Translation (DARBY) · English

1 The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. 2 And the sons of Kohath: Amram, Jizhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. 3 And the children of Amram: Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. And the sons of Aaron: Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 4 Eleazar begot Phinehas; Phinehas begot Abishua, 5 and Abishua begot Bukki, and Bukki begot Uzzi, 6 and Uzzi begot Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begot Meraioth; 7 Meraioth begot Amariah, and Amariah begot Ahitub, 8 and Ahitub begot Zadok, and Zadok begot Ahimaaz, 9 and Ahimaaz begot Azariah, and Azariah begot Johanan, 10 and Johanan begot Azariah (he is it that exercised the priesthood in the house that Solomon built in Jerusalem); 11 and Azariah begot Amariah, and Amariah begot Ahitub, 12 and Ahitub begot Zadok, and Zadok begot Shallum, 13 and Shallum begot Hilkijah, and Hilkijah begot Azariah, 14 and Azariah begot Seraiah, and Seraiah begot Jehozadak, 15 and Jehozadak went away, when Jehovah carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. 16 The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. 17 And these are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei. 18 And the sons of Kohath: Amram, and Jizhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. And these are the families of Levi according to their fathers. 20 Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, 21 Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeathrai his son. 22 The sons of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, 23 Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son, 24 Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Saul his son. 25 And the sons of Elkanah: Amasai and Ahimoth. 26 Elkanah, — the sons of Elkanah: Zophai his son, and Nahath his son, 27 Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. 28 And the sons of Samuel: the firstborn Vashni and Abijah. 29 The sons of Merari: Mahli; Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzza his son, 30 Shimea his son, Haggijah his son, Asaiah his son. 31 And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of Jehovah after that the ark was in rest. 32 And they ministered before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting with singing, until Solomon had built the house of Jehovah in Jerusalem; and they attended to their office according to their order. 33 And these are they that attended, and their sons: Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, 34 the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, 35 the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, 36 the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, 37 the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, 38 the son of Jizhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. 39 And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand: Asaph, the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea, 40 the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah, 41 the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, 42 the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, 43 the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi. 44 And their brethren the sons of Merari were on the left hand: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, 45 the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkijah, 46 the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, 47 the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. 48 And their brethren the Levites were given for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God. 49 And Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of the burnt-offering, and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. 50 And these are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 51 Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 52 Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 53 Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son. 54 And these are their dwelling-places according to their encampments, within their borders. For the sons of Aaron, of the family of the Kohathites, for theirs was the lot; 55 and they gave them Hebron in the land of Judah, and its suburbs round about it; 56 but the fields of the city, and the hamlets thereof gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 57 And to the children of Aaron they gave the city of refuge, Hebron; and Libnah and its suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa and its suburbs, 58 and Hilen and its suburbs, Debir and its suburbs, 59 and Ashan and its suburbs, and Beth-shemesh and its suburbs; 60 and, out of the tribe of Benjamin, Geba and its suburbs, and Allemeth and its suburbs, and Anathoth and its suburbs: all their cities, thirteen cities, according to their families. 61 And to the children of Kohath that remained [were given] by lot out of the families of the tribe [of Ephraim and of the tribe of Dan and] of the half tribe, half Manasseh, ten cities. 62 And to the children of Gershom according to their families out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. 63 To the children of Merari [were given] by lot, according to their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. 64 And the children of Israel gave to the Levites the cities and their suburbs. 65 And they gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities which were mentioned by name. 66 And to the families of the children of Kohath who had the cities of their territory out of the tribe of Ephraim, 67 they gave the city of refuge, Shechem and its suburbs in mount Ephraim; and Gezer and its suburbs, 68 and Jokmeam and its suburbs, and Beth-horon and its suburbs, 69 and Ajalon and its suburbs, and Gath-Rimmon and its suburbs; 70 and out of the half tribe of Manasseh: Aner and its suburbs, and Bileam and its suburbs, — for the families of the children of Kohath that remained. 71 To the children of Gershom [were given] out of the family of the half tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan and its suburbs, and Ashtaroth and its suburbs; 72 and out of the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh and its suburbs, Dobrath and its suburbs, 73 and Ramoth and its suburbs, and Anem and its suburbs; 74 and out of the tribe of Asher: Mashal and its suburbs, and Abdon and its suburbs, 75 and Hukok and its suburbs, and Rehob and its suburbs; 76 and out of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee and its suburbs, and Hammon and its suburbs, and Kirjathaim and its suburbs. 77 To the children of Merari that remained [were given] out of the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmono and its suburbs, [and] Tabor and its suburbs; 78 and on the other side of the Jordan by Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness and its suburbs, and Jahzah and its suburbs, 79 and Kedemoth and its suburbs, and Mephaath and its suburbs; 80 and out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead and its suburbs, and Mahanaim and its suburbs, 81 and Heshbon and its suburbs, and Jaazer and its suburbs.

Commentary — not Bible text

1 Chronicles 6:1-3

Introduction

The genealogy of Levi and Aaron, vv. 1-30. The offices of the priests and Levites, vv. 31-53. The cities assigned them, vv. 54-81.

Verse 1

The sons of Levi - It has been well remarked that the genealogy of Levi is given here more ample and correct than that of any of the others.

And this is perhaps an additional proof that the author was a priest, felt much for the priesthood, and took care to give the genealogy of the Levitical and sacerdotal families, from the most correct tables; for with such tables we may presume he was intimately acquainted.

1 Chronicles 6:4-7

Verse 4

Eleazar begat Phinehas - As the high priesthood continued in this family for a long time, the sacred historian confines himself to this chiefly, omitting Nadab and Abihu, and even the family of Ithamar.

1 Chronicles 6:8-9

Verse 8

Ahitub begat Zadok - Through this person the high priesthood came again into the family of Eleazar.

1 Chronicles 6:10-13

Verse 10

Johanan - Supposed to be the same as Jehoiada.

Executed the priest's office - Probably this refers to the dignified manner in which Azariah opposed King Uzziah, who wished to invade the priest's office, and offer incense in the temple. See 2Chr 26:17, 2Chr 26:18.

1 Chronicles 6:14-21

Verse 14

Seraiah - He was put to death by Nebuchadnezzar, 2Kgs 25:18, 2Kgs 25:21.

1 Chronicles 6:22-27

Verse 22

Korah - See the history of this man, and his rebellion, Numbers 16:1-33.

1 Chronicles 6:28-30

Verse 28

The first-born Vashni, and Abiah - There is a great mistake in this verse: in 1Sam 8:2 we read, Now the name of his (Samuel's) first-born was Joel; and the name of his second Abiah. The word יואל Joel is lost out of the text in this place, and ושני vesheni, which signifies the second, and which refers to Abiah, is made here into a proper name. The Septuagint, Vulgate, and Chaldee, copy this blunder; but the Syriac and Arabic read as in 1Sam 8:2. The MSS. have all copied the corrupted Hebrew in this place. Jarchi labors to restore the true reading, and yet preserve the integrity of the text, by paraphrasing thus: "And the second, (ושני vesheni), in respect of the first, he was Abiah; and the second, in respect of Abiah, he was Joel."

These, Joel and Abiah, were the two sons of Samuel, who administered justice so badly that the people, being oppressed, began to murmur, and demanded a king. See 1Sam 8:1, etc.

1 Chronicles 6:31

Verse 31

After that the ark had rest - The Targum says, "These are they whom David set over the service of the singing, in the house of the sanctuary, or tabernacle of the Lord, at the time in which the ark was brought into it;" that is, when it was brought from the house of Obed-edom.

1 Chronicles 6:32-38

Verse 32

According to their order - This order is specified below.

1 Chronicles 6:39-49

Verse 39

Asaph - This person, with Heman, the sons of Kora, Ethan, Jeduthun, etc., are celebrated in these books, and in the Psalms, for their skill in singing, and the part they performed in the public worship of God.

It is very likely that their singing was only a kind of recitative or chanting, such as we still find in the synagogues. It does not appear that God had especially appointed these singers, much less any musical instruments, (the silver trumpets excepted), to be employed in his service. Musical instruments in the house of God are, at least under the Gospel, repugnant to the spirit of Christianity, and tend not a little to corrupt the worship of God. Those who are fond of music in the theater are fond of it in the house of God when they go thither; and some, professing Christianity, set up such a spurious worship in order to draw people to hear the Gospel! This is doing evil that good may come of it; and by this means, light and trifling people are introduced into the Church of Christ, and when in, are generally very troublesome, hard to be pleased, and difficult to be saved.

1 Chronicles 6:50-53

Verse 50

These are the sons of Aaron - We have already had a list of these, (see 1Chr 6:3-16); this is a second, but less extensive, and is a proof that the writer of this book had several lists before him, from which he borrowed as he judged proper.

1 Chronicles 6:54-59

Verse 54

Theirs was the lot - All the tribes and families obtained their respective inheritances by lot, but to the sons of Aaron was the first lot; and so the Syriac and Arabic have understood this place. The first lot, says Jarchi, fell to Judah, that they might give to the priests and the Levites the cities marked below. See an account of the possessions of the priests and Levites, Jos 20:1-9, 21.

1 Chronicles 6:60-64

Verse 60

All their cities - were thirteen - But there are only eleven reckoned here, Gibeon and Juttah being omitted, and the names of some of the others changed. None of the versions give the full number of names, although they all give the whole sum thirteen.

1 Chronicles 6:65-68

Verse 65

Which are called by their names - Probably each family gave its own name to the city that fell to its lot.

1 Chronicles 6:69-70

Verse 69

Aijalon with her suburbs - There are the two cities wanting here, Eltekeh and Gibethon. See Jos 21:23.

1 Chronicles 6:71-81

Verse 71

We shall see from Jos 21:28, etc., that several of these cities have different names.

How barren to us is this register, both of incident and interest! and yet, as barren rocks and sandy deserts make integral and necessary parts of the globe; so do these genealogical tables make necessary parts of the history of providence and grace in the maintenance of truth, and the establishment of the Church of Christ. Therefore no one that fears God will either despise or lightly esteem them.

Tip: tap a verse number to see the commentary for that verse.