1 Chronicles 9:20

20 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the leader over them {in time past}; Yahweh [was] with him.

1 Chronicles 9:20 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 9:20

And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in
time past
Over the host, over the Levites, and the chief of them; which is to be understood of Phinehas the son of Eleazar, in the time of Moses, who succeeded his father in that post, see ( Numbers 3:32 ) though some think, as Kimchi observes, that this was not Phinehas the priest, but a certain Levite of this name in this post; but since he is said to be in time past, it may very well be understood of him: and it also is observed,

and the Lord was with him;
inspiring him with zeal for his honour and glory, assisting and strengthening him to do his will and work, as particularly in the affair of Zimri, ( Numbers 25:7 Numbers 25:8 ) , the Targum is,

``the Word of the Lord was for his help;''

this may be said for the encouragement of him that was in the same office now.

1 Chronicles 9:20 In-Context

18 until then they [were] gatekeepers at the gate of the king on the east [side] toward the camps of the Levites.

19 And Shallum the son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his kinsmen of the house of his fathers, the Korahites, [were] over the work of the service, the guardians of the entrances to the tent, and their fathers [were] over the camp of Yahweh, guardians of the entrance.

20 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the leader over them {in time past}; Yahweh [was] with him.

21 Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah [was] gatekeeper at the doorway to the tent of assembly.

22 All of them were chosen as gatekeepers at the entrances, two hundred and twelve. They were enrolled by genealogies in their villages. They [were] established [by] David and Samuel the seer on account of their faithfulness.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "before"