1 Chronicles 23:20
Ver. 20. See Gill on "1Ch 23:19". 1 Chronicles 23:21Ver. 21. See Gill on "1Ch 23:19". 1 Chronicles 23:22Ver. 22. And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters,.... And so none to succeed him in his office and service:and their brethren the sons of Kish took them; married them, their uncle's sons, their own cousins. 1 Chronicles 23:23Ver. 23. And the sons of Mushi,.... The other son of Merari:Mahli; so called from his uncle, his father's brother:and Eder and Jerimoth, three; mentioned again 1Ch 24:30. 1 Chronicles 23:24Ver. 24. These were the sons of Levi, after the house of their fathers,.... According to the three classes of them, as descending from the three sons of Levi:[even] the chief of the fathers; or heads of families:as they were counted by number of names by their polls; or according to their heads, one by one:that did the work for the service of the house of the Lord; the particulars of which are in 1Ch 23:28from the age of twenty years, and upwards; they were first numbered thirty and upwards, 1Ch 23:3, but David before his death ordered they should be numbered from twenty and upwards, 1Ch 23:27, because the Israelites being increased, there would be more work for the priests in the temple, which would require the assistance of more Levites. The reasons follow. 1 Chronicles 23:25Ver. 25. For David said,.... As a reason why he ordered a new account to be taken:the Lord God of Israel hath given rest unto his people: from all their enemies round about, and settled rest in the land, so that there was no danger of being carried captive, as they were time after time in the days of the Judges, and whereby they became more numerous:that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever; where the temple would always continue, and not be removed, as the ark and tabernacle had been, and where all Israel would appear three times in the year continually. 1 Chronicles 23:26Ver. 26. And also unto the Levites,.... Or with respect to them:they shall no more carry the tabernacle: on their shoulders, from place to place, as they had done:nor any vessels of it for the service thereof; and so the service of it did not require men at their full strength, but such as were but twenty years of age might be employed in it. 1 Chronicles 23:27Ver. 27. For by the last words of David,.... Or therefore by the last orders he gave before his death:the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above; as able and sufficient to do the work of their office. 1 Chronicles 23:28Ver. 28. Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron,.... The priests:for the service of the house of the Lord; to assist them therein, and not to bear burdens as in times past; the Targum is,"wherefore the place of their habitations was by the side of the sons of Aaron, for the worship of the sanctuary of the Lord:''in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God; to keep the house, and all the apartments in it, courts and chambers, clean, by sweeping and washing them, and carrying out all the filth thereof made by the sacrifices, and otherwise. 1 Chronicles 23:29Ver. 29. Both for the shewbread,.... Also to make and get that ready every week for the priests to set on the shewbread table, when they took off the other that had stood a week, see 1Ch 9:32and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried; to deliver out the flour of which these several things were made, see 1Ch 9:31, and Le 2:1,and for all manner of measures and size; as the hin and the ephah, and the several parts of them for things both liquid and dry, which were in their keeping, and according to which they gave out the proper quantity of oil, and wine, and fine flour, upon occasion. 1 Chronicles 23:30Ver. 30. And to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord,.... The office of others of them was to sing the praises of God, both vocally and with instruments of music, at the time of the morning sacrifice:and likewise at even; at the time of the evening sacrifice, by way of thankfulness for the mercies of the night and of the day. 1 Chronicles 23:31Ver. 31. And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the Lord,.... This was the work of the priests to offer such sacrifices, and not the Levites; but the meaning is, according to the Targum, and so Kimchi, that these not only sung the praises of God morning and evening, but at all times when burnt offerings were offered to the Lord; besides, some of them helped the priests at such times in slaying the sacrifices, and bringing them to the altar: and especially their service was requisitein the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number; because, besides the daily sacrifices, there were additional offerings at those times:according to the order commanded unto them continually before the Lord; see Nu 28:1. 1 Chronicles 23:32Ver. 32. And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation,.... That no unclean persons entered into it, and that none of the vessels were carried out of it; this was the business of the porters:and the charge of the holy place; of things that belonged unto it, the vessels in it, and what was requisite for it, and used there: and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren; the priests, whatever they should command them to do: in the service of the house of the Lord; in any part and branch of it before specified.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.