1 Chronicles 23

Organization of the Levites 1 Chronicles 23:2–5

²Verse 2. He gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites. ³Verse 3. The Levites were counted from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand. ⁴Verse 4. David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of Yahweh’s house, six thousand were officers and judges, ⁵Verse 5. four thousand were doorkeepers, and four thousand praised Yahweh with the instruments which I made for giving praise.”

Divisions of the Levites 1 Chronicles 23:6–24

⁶Verse 6. David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ⁷Verse 7. Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei. ⁸Verse 8. The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, Zetham, and Joel, three. ⁹Verse 9. The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan. ¹⁰Verse 10. The sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. ¹¹Verse 11. Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah didn’t have many sons; therefore they became a fathers’ house in one reckoning.

¹²Verse 12. The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. ¹³Verse 13. The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons, forever, to burn incense before Yahweh, to minister to him, and to bless in his name, forever. ¹⁴Verse 14. But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi. ¹⁵Verse 15. The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. ¹⁶Verse 16. The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief. ¹⁷Verse 17. The sons of Eliezer were: Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

¹⁸Verse 18. The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief. ¹⁹Verse 19. The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. ²⁰Verse 20. The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief, and Isshiah the second. ²¹Verse 21. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. ²²Verse 22. Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters only: and their brothers the sons of Kish took them as wives. ²³Verse 23. The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

²⁴Verse 24. These were the sons of Levi after their fathers’ houses, even the heads of the fathers’ houses of those who were counted individually, in the number of names by their polls, who did the work for the service of Yahweh’s house, from twenty years old and upward.

Temple Responsibilities Defined 1 Chronicles 23:25–27

²⁵Verse 25. For David said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people; and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. ²⁶Verse 26. Also the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service.” ²⁷Verse 27. For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were counted, from twenty years old and upward.

Functions of the Levites 1 Chronicles 23:28–32

²⁸Verse 28. For their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of Yahweh’s house, in the courts, and in the rooms, and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of God’s house; ²⁹Verse 29. for the show bread also, and for the fine flour for a meal offering, whether of unleavened wafers, or of that which is baked in the pan, or of that which is soaked, and for all measurements of quantity and size; ³⁰Verse 30. and to stand every morning to thank and praise Yahweh, and likewise in the evening; ³¹Verse 31. and to offer all burnt offerings to Yahweh, on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, in number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually before Yahweh;

³²Verse 32. and that they should keep the duty of the Tent of Meeting, the duty of the holy place, and the duty of the sons of Aaron their brothers, for the service of Yahweh’s house.