The First Book of the Chronicles
1 Chronicles 9
Chapter IX · Vol. II, pp. 818–820
1 Concerning the original register of Israel's and Judah's genealogies. 2 The Israelites, 10 the priests, 14 and the Levites, with the Nethinims, which dwelt in Jerusalem. 27 The charge of certain Levites. 35 The stock of Saul and Jonathan.
1 So all Israel were reckoned by genealogies; and, behold, they were written1 in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah, who were acarried away to Babylon for their transgression.
2 Now the bfirst inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were, the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the cNethinims.2
b After the captivity, Ezr.2.70. Ne.11.3.
c Ezr.2.43,58; 7.7,24; 8.17,20. Ne.10.28; 3.26; 11.21. Jos.9.21,28.
2 The word signifies 'given or offered,' because given to the Levites to perform the servile offices of the sanctuary. They appear to have been originally the Gibeonites, Jos.9.27, by which name they seem to have been distinguished till the time of David—when he and his princes seem to have added a number of their vassals, Ezr.8.20; the Gibeonites being inadequate to the now perfected ritual of the tabernacle service—after which period the name of Gibeonite seems to have been dropped, and the more dignified and more comprehensive title of Nethinim to have been adopted. C.——The time referred to in this verse is immediately after the return from the Babylonish captivity, and the settlement of the returned captives in the country of their fathers. The Israelites are the common people of Judah and Israel. The Nethinims were the temple servants who were appointed to do the menial work, under the direction of the Levites. The name signifies 'devoted.' The Gibeonites who were condemned by Joshua to be 'hewers of wood, and drawers of water,' were the original Nethinims. These were subsequently added to, probably by captives taken in war.—P.
3 And in dJerusalem dwelt of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim, and Manasseh;
d Ne.11.1-19, with 2 Ch.11.16; 30.11,18.
4 Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, eof the children of Pharez the son of Judah.
e Nu.26.20. Ge.46.12; 38.5,29,30. Ne.11.4,6.
5 And of the Shilonites; Asaiah the firstborn, and his sons.
6 And of the sons of Zerah; Jeuel, and their fbrethren, six hundred and ninety.
f Kinsmen, ver.9. Ge.13.8.
7 And gof the sons of Benjamin; Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hasenuah,
g Ne.11.7-9.
8 And Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, and Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephathiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah;
9 And their brethren, according to their generations, hnine hundred and fifty and six. All these men were chief of the fathers in the house of their fathers.
h Ne.11.8.
10 And iof the priests; Jedaiah, and Jehoiarib, and Jachin,
i Ne.11.10-14.
11 And kAzariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God;3
k ch.6.12-14, or Seraiah, Ne.11.11.
3 Most probably the same kind of officer mentioned, Ac.5.24, as 'captain of the temple,' an officer sustaining partly a military and partly an ecclesiastical character; as an ecclesiastic, second only to the high-priest; and as a soldier, commanding a guard for the preservation of order, the protection of the worshippers, and the suppression of those riots to which the Jews were prone, since the days of their rebellion against Moses in Egypt and the wilderness.—C.
12 And Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchijah, and Maasiai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;
13 And their brethren,4 heads of the house of their fathers, a thousand and seven hundred and threescore; very able men5 for the work of the service of the house of God.
4 In Scripture genealogies several generations are sometimes omitted, on account of their idolatry, &c.
A.M. 3560. B.C. 444.
5 Heb. mighty men of valour.
14 Andl of the Levites; Shemaiah the son of Hashub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;
l i.e. singers, Ne.11.15-19. ch.6.19,39,44.
15 And Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Micah, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph;
16 And Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of mJeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, that dwelt in the villages of the nNetophathites.
n ch.2.54. Ne.12.28,29.
17 And the oporters were, Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brethren: Shallum was the chief;
o ch.xxvi. Ne.12.25,26; 11.19.
18 (Who hitherto waited in pthe king's gate eastward:6) they were porters in the companies of the children of Levi.
p 1 Ki.10.5. 2 Ki.11.19.
6 Houbigant considers these words a proper name, and translates it thus—'And Adanah was over the eastern gate, called the king's,' that is, the gate by which the kings of Judah were accustomed to enter the temple. An emblem of that gate by which the King of glory enters the temple above, Ps.24.7.—C.
19 And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Abiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the qKorahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates7 of the tabernacle:8 and their fathers, being over the host of the LORD, were keepers of the entry.9
q Ps.42. title. Nu.26.11. ch.xxvi.; 6.33-38.
7 Heb. thresholds.
8 The word tabernacle may refer to the sanctuary erected by Moses, which the temple, built after the captivity, more resembled than it did Solomon's magnificent edifice. Indeed the sanctuary at first was only a tent or tabernacle when Phinehas superintended it in time past, yet the Lord was with him. This seems to have been mentioned as an instruction and encouragement to the priests and Levites in the times of Ezra and Nehemiah: for there can be no reasonable doubt that Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, was intended.—I.
9 Boothroyd translates it thus:—'The Korahites, in the work of the ministry, were gate-keepers of the temple, as their fathers were keepers of the entrance of the tabernacle during the encampments of Jehovah.'—C.
20 And rPhinehas1 the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in time past, and the LORD was with him.
21 And Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
22 All these which were chosen to be porters in the gates were two hundred and twelve. These were reckoned by their genealogy in their villages, whom sDavid and Samuel the seer did ordain2 in their 3set office.4
s ch.xxvi.
2 Heb. founded.
3 Or, trust.
4 Great irregularity in the tabernacle service must have prevailed during the unsettled times that followed the death of Joshua, especially during a period not only of neglect of the divine ordinances, but frequently of idolatry and apostasy. To the reformation of these abuses Samuel and David seem to have directed their attention, and instituted a regular routine of porters, not merely to open and shut the gates, for that had been an easy work, but as guards against idolatry and licentiousness, and conservators of good order around the entrance of the sanctuary.—Note, They that would reform the church of God must begin at the door—the door of examination and discipline, both in the admission and exclusion of its membership.—C.
23 So they and their children had the oversight of the gates of the house of the LORD, namely, the house of the tabernacle, by wards.
25 And their brethren, which were in their villages, were to come after useven days from time to time with them.
u 2 Ki.11.5,7. 2 Ch.23.8. They served from Sabbath to Sabbath at a time.
26 For these Levites, the four chief porters, were in their xset office, and were over the chambers5 and treasuries of the house of God.
x Or, trust, ver.31.
5 Or, storehouses.
27 And they lodged round about the house of God, because ythe charge was upon them, and the opening thereof every morning pertained to them.
28 And zcertain of them had the charge of the ministering vessels, that they should bring them in and out by tale.6
z Ne.12.44. ch.23.28-32. Nu.3.25-36.
6 Heb. bring them in by tale, and carry them out by tale.
29 Some of them also were appointed to oversee the vessels, and all the instruments7 of the sanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.
7 Or, vessels.
30 And some of the sons of the priests made athe ointment of the spices.
A.M. 2584. B.C. 1420.
a Ex.30.23.
31 And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, (who was the first-born of Shallum the Korahite,) had the set office8 over the things that were made bin the pans.
32 And other of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the cshow-bread, to prepare it every sabbath.
33 And these are dthe singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free: for they were employed9 in that work eday and night.1
d ch.6.31-47; xv. xxv.
9 Heb. upon them was.
e Ps.134.1,2.
1 To meditate on the law of God 'day and night' is a characteristic of Christian perfection, and of every godly member of his body in degree, Ps.1.2. To sing God's praises 'day and night' seems to have been an employment of the Levites, see Ps.cxxxiv., an emblem of that heavenly service witnessed by John, Re.4.8, where 'they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.' Those who thus sung were free, for where all is praise, saints 'do rest from their labours.'—C.
34 These chief fathers of the Levites were chief throughout their generations: these dwelt at Jerusalem.
35 And fin Gibeon dwelt the father2 of Gibeon, Jehiel,3 whose wife's name was Maachah;
f ch.8.29-40. Probably what follows is repeated as an introduction to Saul's history, and ought to be part of ch. x.
2 Why is this passage repeated, being the same with ch.8.29? An error of a transcriber is the answer even of the pious Henry. A better solution seems to be afforded by a reference to ver.1, where the book of the Kings both of Israel and Judah is mentioned, and the genealogy of Saul is given from the public records of each, as he had been the monarch of both.—C.
3 B.C. 1300.
36 And his first-born son Abdon, then Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Ner, and Nadab,
37 And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zechariah, and Mikloth.
38 And Mikloth begat Shimeam: and they also dwelt with their brethren at Jerusalem, over against their brethren.
39 Andg Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, and Saul begat Jonathan,4 and Malchi-shua, and Abinadab, and Esh-baal.
g ch.8.32-34.
4 B.C. 1098.
41 And the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tahrea, hand Ahaz.6
h ch.8.35,38.
6 This is added from ch.8.35, but such liberties should only be taken in a note; for although the words are now sufficiently distinguished from the text by being printed in italics, yet it is too much to expect that every editor of a Bible will attend to such distinctions, and in process of time the words will be found incorporated with the text.—Clarke.
42 And Ahaz begat Jarah;7 and Jarah8 begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza;
7 Or, Jehoadah.
8 Another name for Jehoadah, ch.8.36.—C.
43 And Moza begat Binea; and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.
Notes
Reflections.—God never distresses or unsettles men but for their sin. And it is comely and joyful when the once discordant tribes of God harmoniously unite in asking and travelling the way to Zion; and when the priests and Levites, the ministers of Christ, are remarkable in their attachment to, and zeal for, re-establishing the worship of God and order of his church! God graciously proportions men's strength for the work to which he calls them. But residence, labour, and zeal are indispensably required from every minister of God: and if they begin with God they may hope to prosper in their undertakings. Happy is it for the church when every one knows and waits on his proper work, and when the meanest offices and services are reckoned truly honourable. Better be door-keepers in the house of God than dwell in palaces of wickedness. It is pleasant to be always rejoicing in and praising God, who is continually doing us good, and loading us with his benefits; for it is a blessed token that we shall praise him without ceasing in the temple above.