Chapter Twenty-Six

1–19. Appointment of Levites to guard the gates. 20–28. Levites as keepers of the temple treasures. 29–32. Levites as scribes and judges.

1 Chronicles 26:1. Here is the distribution of the gatekeepers: from the Korahites: Meshelemiah, son of Kore, from the sons of Asaph. 1 Chronicles 26:2. The sons of Meshelemiah: the firstborn Zechariah, the second Jediah, the third Zebadiah, the fourth Jathni’el, 1 Chronicles 26:3. the fifth Elam, the sixth Jehohanan, the seventh Elioenai. 1 Chronicles 26:4. The sons of Obed-edom: the firstborn Shemaiah, the second Jehozabad, the third Joah, the fourth Sachar, the fifth Nathaniel, 1 Chronicles 26:5. the sixth Ammiel, the seventh Issachar, the eighth Peullethai, because God blessed him. 1 Chronicles 26:6. Also to his son Shemaiah were sons born who ruled in their father’s house, because they were men of strength. 1 Chronicles 26:7. The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad, and his brothers were strong men, Elihu and Semachiah. 1 Chronicles 26:8. All these were from the sons of Obed-edom; they and their sons and their brothers were men of strength capable for service: sixty-two were the sons of Obed-edom. 1 Chronicles 26:9. And to Meshelemiah were born sons and brothers, men of strength, eighteen in number. Levite gatekeepers from the tribe of Korah of Kohath (1 Chr 6:22) belonged to two lines. One line was represented by Meshelemiah (verses 1–3), or according to the reading (1 Chr 9:19) Shallum, son of Asaph, but not the singer, because the latter came from the tribe of Gershon (1 Chr 6:39), while Meshelemiah was a Korahite from the line of Kohath (1 Chr 6:22). The firstborn of Meshelemiah, Zechariah, is mentioned both in (1 Chr 9:21) and later in (1 Chr 26:14). The second line was represented by Obed-edom with his eight sons and grandsons (verses 4–8). That Obed-edom should be counted among the descendants of Korah is required by the fact that another group of gatekeepers, the descendants of Merari, begins to be counted from the tenth verse. In (1 Chr 16:38) Obed-edom is called the son of Idithun (Ethan), but not the singer, since the latter belonged to the line of Merari (1 Chr 6:44-47). Sixty-two gatekeepers from the descendants of Obed-edom (v. 8) and eighteen from the line of Meshelemiah comprise 80 gatekeepers from the line of Kohath.

1 Chronicles 26:10. And Hosah, from the sons of Merari, had sons: Shimri the chief (though he was not the firstborn, his father made him the chief), 1 Chronicles 26:11. the second Hilkiah, the third Tebaliah, the fourth Zechariah; all the sons and brothers of Hosah were thirteen. Gatekeepers from the line of Merari, numbering thirteen. The name of one of them—Hozai—is mentioned together with the name of Obed-edom in (1 Chr 16:38). With 80 gatekeepers from the line of Kohath, the 13 gatekeepers from the line of Merari make 93 gatekeepers in total.

1 Chronicles 26:13. And they cast lots, both small and great, according to their fathers’ houses, for every gate. As is evident from the following verses, there were temple gates corresponding to the four directions—four in all.

1 Chronicles 26:15. To Obed-edom the south, and to his sons at the storehouses. The storehouses, designated for keeping vessels, treasures, and the like, were located near the southern gates and had, according to (1 Chr 26:17), two guarded entrances.

1 Chronicles 26:16. To Shuppim and Hosah the west, at the gate of Shalleketh, on the ascending road, where guard was against guard. The gate of Shalleketh was located on the road that led from the lower part of Jerusalem to the temple situated on the elevation.

1 Chronicles 26:17. To the east six Levites, to the north four, to the south four, and at the storehouses two. 1 Chronicles 26:18. To the west at the portico on the road four, and at the portico itself two. According to (1 Chr 26:14), the house of Meshelemiah furnished ten gatekeepers, six to the east and four to the north; the house of Obed-edom had eight—four to the south and four at the storehouses (1 Chr 26:15), and Hosah six—four to the west and two at the portico. Thus the entire temple guard consisted of 24 men.

1 Chronicles 26:20. And their brothers the Levites were in charge of the treasures of the house of God and the treasuries of the dedicated gifts. More detailed indications of which Levites took charge of “the treasures of the house of God,” that is, all items necessary for worship, and which took charge of “the treasuries of the dedicated gifts,” that is, treasures consecrated to God, are found in the following verses. Namely, the former were supervised by Zepham and Joel—heads of the house of Laadan belonging to the line of Gershon (1 Chr 26:21-22; cf. 1 Chr 23:8), and the latter by a descendant of Moses from his second son Eliezer—Sholomith together with his brothers (1 Chr 26:26; cf. 1 Chr 23:15). The head of both groups of keepers was Shebuel, grandson of Moses (1 Chr 26:24; cf. 1 Chr 23:16). As is evident from comparing the data of these verses with (1 Chr 23:7 and following, 1 Chr 24:20 and following), those Levites to whom were entrusted the “matters of the house of the Lord” were appointed to keep the belongings of worship and treasures dedicated to the temple. And this is quite understandable: according to (1 Chr 24:20 and following), some of them were assistants to the priests in conducting worship, and therefore it was entirely natural to entrust them with supervision of the vessels and so forth.

1 Chronicles 26:29. From the Izharites: Chenaniah and his sons were assigned to external duties for Israel as scribes and judges. 1 Chronicles 26:30. From the Hebronites: Hashabiah and his brothers, men of valor, one thousand seven hundred, had charge of the affairs of Israel on this side of the Jordan, westward, in all the work of the Lord and the service of the king. 1 Chronicles 26:31. And of the Hebronites Jeriah was the chief of the Hebronites. In the fortieth year of David’s reign they were sought out, and there were found among them men of great valor in Jazer of Gilead. 1 Chronicles 26:32. And his brothers, men of valor, were two thousand seven hundred, the heads of families. David the king assigned them to the administration of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, for every matter of God and the affairs of the king. Scribes and judges were Levites of three lines of the house of Kohath: one was composed of the descendants of his son Izhar (1 Chr 6:18) and two others of the descendants also of Kohath’s son Hebron (1 Chr 6:18). Of the latter on the western and eastern sides of the Jordan there were 4,400 (verses 30, 32), consequently, the remaining 1,600 judges (there were 6,000 in all—1 Chr 23:4) belonged to the line of Izhar. The appointment of Levites as judges conformed to the ordinance of the law of Moses (Deut 17:9), but in the hands of David it was a means of centralizing power: the Levites were subject to the high priest, and the high priest to the king.