23:1For more information on Solomon’s coronation and the attempts to seize his throne, see 1 Kings 1-2. 23:1f1 Although David couldn't build the Tempie, he could make preparations, and he took that job seriously. He nat only gathered funds and materials for God’s house but also planned much of the administration and arranged the worship services. The original readers of Chronicles were rebuilding the Temple after it had been destroyed by invading armies, and this information about its procedures was invaluable to them. The next five chapters demonstrate that organizatian is essential for smooth and effective service.
Life Application Study Bible1 ChroniclesChapter 23
1 Chronicles 23
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 653, 654, 655
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231 Chronicles 23
Duties of the Levites
12 When David was an old man, he appointed his son Solomon to be king over Israel. 2David summoned all the leaders of Israel, together with the priests and Levites. 3All the Levites who were thirty years old or older were counted, and the total came to 38,000. 4Then David said, “From all the Levites, 24,000 will supervise the work at the Temple of the LORD. Another 6,000 will serve as officials and judges. 5Another 4,000 will work as gatekeepers, and 4,000 will praise the LORD with the musical instruments I have made.” 6Then David divided the Levites into divisions named after the clans descended from the three sons of Levi—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari..
The Gershonites
77 The Gershonite family units were defined by their lines of descent from Libni* and Shimei, the sons of Gershon. 8Three of the descendants of Libni were Jehiel (the family leader), Zetham, and Joel. 9These were the leaders of the family of Libni. Three of the descendants of Shimei were Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. 10Four other descendants of Shimei were Jahath, Ziza,* Jeush, and Beriah. ‘Jahath was the family leader, and Ziza was next. Jeush and Beriah were counted as a single family because neither had many sons.
The Kohathites
1212Four of the descendants of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 13The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart to dedicate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices in the LORD’s presence, to serve the LORD, and to pronounce blessings in his name forever. 14As for Moses, the man of God, his sons were included with the tribe of Levi. 15The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. 16The descendants of Gershom included Shebuel, the family leader. 17Eliezer had only one son, Rehabiah, the family leader. Rehabiah had numerous descendants. 18The descendants of Izhar included Shelomith, the family leader. 19The descendants of Hebron included Jeriah (the family leader), Amariah (the second), Jahaziel (the third), and Jekameam (the fourth).
20The descendants of Uzziel included Micah (the family leader) and Isshiah (the second).The Merarites
21The descendants of Merari included Mahli and Mushi.The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish.
22Eleazar died with no sons, only daughters.His daughters married their cousins, the sons of Kish.
23Three of the descendants of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.
24These were the descendants of Levi by clans, the leaders of their family groups, registered carefully by name. Each had to be twenty years old or older to qualify for service in the house of the LORD. 25For David said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, has given us peace, and he will always live in Jerusalem. 26Now the Levites will no longer need to carry the Tabernacle and its furnishings from place to place.” 27In accordance with David’s final instructions, all the Levites twenty year's old or older were registered for service. 28The work of the Levites was to assist the priests, the descendants of Aaron, as they served at the house of the LORD. They also took care of the courtyards and side rooms, helped perform the ceremonies of purification, and served in many other ways in the house of God. 29They were in charge of the sacred bread that was set out on the table, the choice flour for the grain offerings, the wafers made without yeast, the cakes cooked in olive oil, and the other mixed breads. They were also responsible to check all the weights and measures. 30And each morning and evening they stood before the LORD to sing songs of thanks and praise to him. 31They assisted with the burnt offerings that were presented to the LORD on Sabbath days, at new moon celebrations, and at all the appointed festivals, The required number of Levites served in the LORD’s presence at all times, following all the procedures they had been given. 32And so, under the supervision of the priests, the Levites watched over the Tabernacle and the Temple* and faithfully carried out their duties of service at the house of the LORD.
Textual footnotes
- Vulgate (see also 23:11), Hebrew reads Zina.
- 23:7 Hebrew Ladan {also in 23:8, 9), a variant spelling of Libni; compare 6:17.
- 23:10 As in Greek version and Latin
- 23:32 Hebrew the Tent of Meeting and the sanctuary.
Life Application Notes 4 notes
23:3Why was this census acceptable when the other was not (chapter 21)? This census counted only the Levites—those set apart to serve God—and was used to organize the work in the Temple. The census was not based on pride or self-sufficiency, as was the previous census of fighting men.
23:14All that is stated here about Moses is that he was “the man of God.” What a profound description of a person! A man or woman of God is one whose life reflects God’s presence, priorities, and power.
23:28-32Priests and Levites had different jobs in and around the Temple. Priests were authorized to perform the sacrifices.
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Levites were set apart to help the priests. They did the work of elders, deacons, custodians, assistants, musicians, moving men, and repairmen. Both priests and Levites came from the tribe of Levi, but priests also had to be descendants of Aaron, Israel's first high priest (Exodus 28:1-3). Priests and Levites were supported by tsrael’s tithes and by revenues from certain cities that had been given to them. Worship in the house of the LORD could not have taken place without the combined efforts of the priests and Levites. Their responsibilities were different, but they were equally important to God’s plan. No matter what place of service you have in the church, you are important to the healthy functioning of the congregation.