1 Chronicles 23

David Organizes the Levites

1 ¹When David was old and full of days, ²he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

2 David^[a] assembled all the leaders of Israel and the priests and the Levites.

3 The Levites, ³thirty years old and upward, were numbered, and ⁴the total was ⁵ 38,000 men.

4 "Twenty-four thousand of these," David said,^[b]6"shall have charge of the work in the house of the LORD, 6,000 shall be ⁷officers and judges

5 4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 shall offer praises to the LORD with the instruments ⁸that I have made for praise."

6 ⁹And David organized them in divisions ¹⁰corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

7 ¹¹The sons of Gershon^[c] were Ladan and Shimei.

8 The sons of Ladan: ¹²Jehiel the chief, and Zetham, and Joel, three.

9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers' houses of Ladan.

10 And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.

11 Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, therefore they became counted as a single father's house.

12 ¹³The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.

13 ¹⁴The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. ¹⁵Aaron was set apart to dedicate the most holy things, that he and his sons forever should ¹⁶make offerings before the LORD and ¹⁷minister to him and ¹⁸pronounce blessings in his name forever.

14 But the sons of Moses the ¹⁹man of God were named among the ²⁰tribe of Levi

15 The ²¹sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

16 The sons of Gershom: ²²Shebuel the chief.

17 The sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

18 The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief.

19 The ²³sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth

20 ²⁴The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief and Isshiah the second.

21 ²⁵The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and ²⁶Kish

22 Eleazar died ²⁷having no sons, but only daughters; their ²⁸kinsmen, the sons of Kish, married them.

23 ²⁹The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

24 ³⁰These were the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses, the heads of fathers' houses ³¹as they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from ³²twenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

25 For David said, "The LORD, the God of Israel, ³³has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever.

26 And so the Levites no longer need ³⁴to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service."

27 For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from ³⁵twenty years old and upward.

28 For their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, having the care of the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy, and any work for the service of the house of God.

29 Their duty was also to assist with the ³⁶showbread, the ³⁷flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the ³⁸baked offering, the ³⁹offering mixed with oil, and all ⁴⁰measures of quantity or size.

30 And they were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the LORD, and likewise at evening,

31 and whenever burnt offerings were offered to the LORD ⁴¹on Sabbaths, ⁴²new moons, and feast days, ⁴³according to the number required of them, regularly before the LORD.

32 Thus ⁴⁴they were to keep charge of the tent of meeting and the sanctuary, and to attend the sons of Aaron, their brothers, for the ⁴⁵service of the house of the LORD.

1 Chronicles 23 Commentary

Chapter 23

David declares Solomon his successor. (1-23) The office of the Levites. (24-32)

Verses 1-23 David, having given charge concerning the building of the temple, settles the method of the temple service, and orders the officers of it. When those of the same family were employed together, it would engage them to love and assist one another.

Verses 24-32 Now the people of Israel were so many, there should be more employed in the temple service, that every Israelite who brought an offering might find a Levite ready to help him. When more work is to be done, it is pity but there should be more workmen. A new heart, a spiritual mind, which delights greatly in God's commandments, and can find a refreshing feast in his ordinances, forms the great distinction between the true Christian and all other men in the world. To the spiritual man every service will yield satisfaction. He will be ever abounding in the work of the Lord; being never so happy as when employed for such a good Master, in so pleasant a service. He will not regard whether he is called to take the lead, or to keep the charge of others who are placed over him. May we seek and serve the Lord uprightly, and leave all the rest to his disposal, by faith in his word.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Chronicles 29:28
• 2. [1 Chronicles 28:5; 1 Chronicles 29:22, 28]; See 1 Kings 1:33-39
• 3. Numbers 4:3, 47
• 4. ver. 24; Numbers 1:2
• 5. [Numbers 4:47, 48]
• 6. [2 Chronicles 2:2, 18; 2 Chronicles 34:12; Ezra 3:8, 9]
• 7. 1 Chronicles 26:29; [Deuteronomy 16:18; 2 Chronicles 19:8]
• 8. 2 Chronicles 29:25, 26; Nehemiah 12:36; Amos 6:5
• 9. [2 Chronicles 8:14; 2 Chronicles 23:18; 2 Chronicles 35:4; Ezra 6:18]
• 10. 1 Chronicles 6:1, 16; Exodus 6:16; Numbers 26:57
• 11. 1 Chronicles 26:21
• 12. 1 Chronicles 15:18; 1 Chronicles 29:8; [1 Chronicles 26:21]
• 13. 1 Chronicles 6:18; 1 Chronicles 26:23; Exodus 6:18; Numbers 3:19
• 14. Exodus 6:20
• 15. Exodus 28:1; [Hebrews 5:4]
• 16. Exodus 30:7; Numbers 16:40; 1 Samuel 2:28
• 17. Deuteronomy 21:5
• 18. Numbers 6:23
• 19. [1 Chronicles 26:23-25]
• 20. Deuteronomy 33:1
• 21. Exodus 2:22; Exodus 18:3, 4
• 22. 1 Chronicles 26:24
• 23. 1 Chronicles 24:23; [1 Chronicles 26:31]
• 24. 1 Chronicles 24:24, 25
• 25. 1 Chronicles 6:19, 29; 1 Chronicles 24:26; Exodus 6:19; [Numbers 26:58]
• 26. 1 Chronicles 24:29
• 27. 1 Chronicles 24:28
• 28. [Numbers 36:6, 8]
• 29. 1 Chronicles 24:30
• 30. [Numbers 10:17, 21]
• 31. ver. 3
• 32. 2 Chronicles 31:17; Ezra 3:8; [ver. 3; Numbers 4:3; Numbers 8:24]
• 33. See 1 Chronicles 22:18
• 34. See Numbers 4:5-15
• 35. [See ver. 24 above]
• 36. See Leviticus 24:5-8
• 37. 1 Chronicles 9:29; Leviticus 6:20, 21
• 38. 1 Chronicles 9:31
• 39. Leviticus 6:21; Leviticus 7:12
• 40. [Leviticus 19:35]
• 41. Isaiah 1:13
• 42. See Numbers 28:11
• 43. See Leviticus 23:2, 4
• 44. Numbers 1:53
• 45. See Numbers 3:6-9

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew He
• [b]. Hebrew lacks David said
• [c]. Vulgate (compare Septuagint, Syriac); Hebrew to the Gershonite

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 23

In this chapter David makes Solomon king, 1Ch 23:1, calls together the princes, priests, and Levites, numbers the latter, and assigns them their proper work, 1Ch 23:2-5, divides them into three classes, 1Ch 23:6-23, when the number of them was taken from twenty years of age, and upwards; the reasons of which are given, partly from the rest the land enjoyed, and partly from the several branches of their work and office in the temple, 1Ch 23:24-32.