1 Chronicles 26:21
Ver. 21. As concerning the sons of Laadan,.... The same with Libni, see 1Ch 23:7the sons of the Gershonite Laadan; so called, to distinguish him from another Laadan, as Kimchi thinks:chief fathers, even of Laadan the Gershonite; that sprung from him: were Jehieli; and his sons next mentioned. 1 Chronicles 26:22Ver. 22. The sons of Jehieli: Zetham, and Joel his brother,.... Both sons of Jehieli: which wereover the treasures of the house of the Lord; that part of the trust which before was committed to Ahijah, which concerned provisions for sacred uses, before observed. 1 Chronicles 26:23Ver. 23. Of the Amramites and the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites. Who sprang from the four sons of Kohath, Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, Ex 6:18 with respect to the concerns they severally had in the trust of the treasures, the account follows, all but the Uzzielites, who are not after mentioned. 1 Chronicles 26:24Ver. 24. And Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was ruler of the treasures. This is the first time that any of the posterity of Moses are taken notice of, as being in any office of honour, authority, and trust; by the Targum he is said to be Jonathan, spoken of inJud 18:30 but very wrongly; this man, according to Jarchi and Kimchi, had all the treasures and treasurers under him. 1 Chronicles 26:25Ver. 25. And his brethren by Eliezer,.... His kinsmen that descended from Eliezer, the brother of Gershom, the ancestor of Shebuel, whose descent from him in succession wereRehabiah, Jeshaiah, Joram, Zichri, and Shelomith. 1 Chronicles 26:26Ver. 26. Which Shelomith,.... The last mentioned in the lineage from Eliezer, the younger son of Moses:and his brethren; or kinsmen:were over all the treasures of the dedicated things; which had been devoted for the service of God, and of the temple particularly:which David the king had dedicated; out of the spoils he took in war, see 2Sa 8:11,the chief fathers; princes of tribes, and heads of families:the captains over thousands and hundreds; in the several tribes of the kingdom, and were concerned in the administration of justice to the people:and the captains of the host, had dedicated; of the army, out of the spoils in victory that came to their share, see Nu 31:48 as follows. 1 Chronicles 26:27Ver. 27. Out of the spoils won in battle did they dedicate to maintain the house of the Lord. When it should be built; for as yet it was not; both to repair it when necessary, and to provide sacrifices for it; or to confirm, strengthen, and animate the heart of the king to build it, so some, and put it into the power of his hands to do it; so the Romans dedicated the best of their spoil, and laid it up in the temple of Jupiter Feretrius, after the example of Romulus, their first king {f}; yea, sometimes out of the spoil they erected temples, as Tarquinius Superbus {g} did; or repaired and ornamented them, as the temple at Delphos, and others {h}.{f} Vid. Valtrinum de re militar. Roman. l. 7. c. 21. {g} Flori Hist. l. 1. c. 7. {h} Vid. Strabo, Geograph. l. 6. p. 190. Liv. Hist. l. 10. c. 46. 1 Chronicles 26:28Ver. 28. And all that Samuel the seer,.... Or prophet, won in battle with the Philistines:and Saul the son of Kish; in his wars with the Moabites, Edomites, Amalekites, and Philistines:and Abner the son of Ner: the general of his army, who as such had his share in the spoils:and Joab the son of Zeruiah; the general of David's army, who fought with the Ammonites, Syrians, and others; all of whomhad dedicated more or less towards the building of the temple, and the support of it, it being known by them all that God would have a place to put his name in:[and] whosoever had dedicated anything, it was under the hand of Shelomith, and of his brethren: this man had a great trust committed to him, with his brethren; some, before mentioned, are said to be over the treasures, some over one part, and some over another; but this man was over all of them, he had the superintendency of the whole. 1 Chronicles 26:29Ver. 29. Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons werefor the outward business over Israel,.... Which was done out of the temple, and out of Jerusalem, in the several parts of the country:for officers and judges; to administer justice and judgment, and to take care that the laws of God were observed, both with respect to things civil and religious, and delinquents punished; which is a better sense than what Jarchi and Kimchi put upon this,outward business, as if it lay in taking care to have timber cut down in the forest, and stones dug and hewed in the mountains, for the building of the temple; and that the lands were ploughed, and the vineyards, gardens, and orchards, dressed, which were devoted to sacred uses. 1 Chronicles 26:30Ver. 30. And of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brethren, men of valour, a thousand and seven hundred,.... And supposing the Izharites in the preceding verse to be 1600, these, with those on the other side Jordan, 2700, 1Ch 26:32 make up just the 6000 officers and judges, 1Ch 23:4 thesewere officers among them of Israel on this side Jordan westward: in those parts of the land which were on this side Jordan, to the west of it, yet nearer to it than those meant by Israel in the preceding verse; it may respect those that dwelt more remote from Jordan, though on this side also, towards the Mediterranean sea:in all business of the Lord, and in the service of the king; in things divine and civil, what appertained to the worship of God, and the support of civil government, and to take care that all the laws were observed, moral, ceremonial, and judicial, and that both the Lord was feared, and the king honoured, and both had what was due unto them. 1 Chronicles 26:31Ver. 31. Among the Hebronites was Jerijah the chief, even among the Hebronites,.... The posterity of Hebron, the son of Kohath:according to the generations of his fathers; a principal man in the families that descended from his ancestors:in the fortieth year of the reign of David; which was the last year of his reign, in which year all the above things were done; the distribution of the priests into their classes and courses, and so of the Levites, singers, and porters; as well as the appointment of those several judges and officers employed in divers parts of the land: and particularly in this year thoseHebronites were sought for, and there were found among them mighty men of valour, at Jazer of Gilead; a city on the other side Jordan, which belonged to the tribe of Gad, see Nu 21:32. 1 Chronicles 26:32Ver. 32. And his brethren, men of valour, were two thousand and seven hundred chief fathers,.... That is, the brethren or kinsmen of Jerijah the Hebronite were so many principal men in their families, and men of fortitude and courage:whom King David made rulers over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh; all which lay on the other side Jordan; and being so remote from the seat of civil government, and of the worship of God, they were in greater danger of revolting, both from their obedience to their king, and duty to their God; land therefore so large a number was appointed over them, to instruct them and keep them in their duty to both, as follows:for every matter pertaining to God, and affairs of the king; to see that they kept close to the pure worship and service of God; and were faithful and loyal subjects of the king.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.