CHAPTER XXIII _David makes Solomon king_, 1. _Numbers the Levites, and appoints them their work_, 2-5. _The sons of Levi, Gershom, Kohath, Merari, and their_ _descendants_, 6-12. _The sons of Amram, and their descendants_, 13. _The sons of Moses, and their descendants_, 14-24. _David appoints... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 23:3. _THIRTY YEARS AND UPWARD_] The enumeration of the Levites made in the desert, Numbers 4:3, was from _thirty_ years upwards to _fifty_ 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... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 23:5. _FOUR THOUSAND PRAISED THE LORD_] David made this distribution according to his own judgment, and from the dictates of his piety; but it does not appear that he had any positive Divine authority for such arrangements. As to the instruments of music which he made they are con... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 23:11. _THEREFORE THEY WERE IN ONE RECKONING_] The family of _Shimei_, being small, was united with that of _Laadan_, that the two families might do that work which otherwise belonged to one, but which would have been too much for either of these separately.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 23:13. _TO BLESS IN HIS NAME_] To bless the people by invoking the name of the Lord.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 23:14. _MOSES THE MAN OF GOD_] "Moses the prophet of God," - _T_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 23:16. To this verse the Targum adds, "The same Jonathan, who became a false prophet, repented in his old age; and David made him his chief treasurer.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 23:17. _BUT THE SONS OF REHABIAH WERE VERY MANY._] The Targum says, "On account of the merits of Moses, the posterity of Rehabiah were multiplied to more than sixty myriads.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 23:22. _THEIR BRETHREN THE SONS OF KISH TOOK THEM._] This was according to the law made Numbers 27:1, c., and Numbers 36:5-4, in favour of the daughters of Zelophehad, that women who were heiresses should marry _in the family of the tribe of their father_, and that their estates s... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 23:24. _TWENTY YEARS AND UPWARD._] It appears that this was a different ordinance from that mentioned 1 Chronicles 23:3. At first he appointed the Levites to serve from _thirty years_ and _upward_; now from _twenty years_. These were David's last orders; see 1 Chronicles 23:27. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 23:28. _PURIFYING OF ALL HOLY THINGS_] Keeping all the vessels and utensils belonging to the sacred service clean and neat.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 23:29. _BOTH FOR THE SHEW-BREAD_] It was the priests' office to place this bread before the Lord, and it was their privilege to feed on the old loaves when they were replaced by the new. Some of the rabbins think that the priests sowed, reaped, ground, kneaded, and baked the grain... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 30. _TO STAND EVERY MORNING_] At the offering of the morning and evening sacrifice, they sounded their musical instruments, and sang praises to God.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 Chronicles 23:32. _THE CHARGE OF THE SONS OF AARON_] It was the priests' business to kill, flay, and dress, as well as to _offer_, the victims, but being _few_, they were obliged to employ the Levites to flay those animals. The Levites were, properly speaking, servants to the priests, and we... [ Continue Reading ]