Little of this chapter, except as noted below, appears elsewhere in the bible. Besides that, at least v. 23:1 is not in time sequence with the surrounding chapters of 1Chronicles. It’s later in this book, Chapter 29, that David is depicted as old and then makes Solomon king.
וְדָוִיד זָקֵן וְשָׂבַע יָמִים וַיַּמְלֵךְ אֶת־שְׁלֹמֹה בְנוֹ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ 23:1
1Chr. 23:1 And David was old and fulfilled of days, and he made Solomon, his son, king over Israel.
וַיֶּאֱסֹף אֶת־כָּל־שָׂרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם׃ 23:2
1Chr. 23:2 And he assembled all the princes of Israel and the priests and the Levites,
וַיִּסָּפְרוּ הַלְוִיִּם מִבֶּן שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וָמָעְלָה וַיְהִי מִסְפָּרָם לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם לִגְבָרִים שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁמוֹנָה אָלֶף׃ 23:3
1Chr. 23:3 and the Levites were numbered from age thirty years and up, and their number was by their polling for men, thirty-eight thousand.
מֵאֵלֶּה לְנַצֵּחַ עַל־מְלֶאכֶת בֵּית־יְהוָה עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה אָלֶף וְשֹׁטְרִים וְשֹׁפְטִים שֵׁשֶׁת אֲלָפִים׃ 23:4
1Chr. 23:4 Out of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of the house of the Lord, and six thousand were officers and judges,
וְאַרְבַּעַת אֲלָפִים שֹׁעֲרִים וְאַרְבַּעַת אֲלָפִים מְהַלְלִים לַיהוָה בַּכֵּלִים אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי לְהַלֵּל׃ 23:5
1Chr. 23:5 and four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand were singers of praise to the Lord with the instruments that I made for praise.
In this verse we find an unacknowledged error. The sages overlooked this for some reason. The next-to-last Hebrew word in the verse, עָשִׂיתִי', translated as the first-person verb I made, should have been עָשָׂה, translated as the third-person verb he made. The words of this and the preceding verses are not a quote by David, but the scribe’s description of the circumstances surrounding this incident.
וַיֶּחָלְקֵם דָּוִיד מַחְלְקֹות לִבְנֵי לֵוִי לְגֵרְשֹׁון קְהָת וּמְרָרִי׃ 23:6
1Chr. 23:6 And David apportioned them courses according to the sons of Levi, according to Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
לַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּי לַעְדָּן וְשִׁמְעִי׃ 23:7
1Chr. 23:7 Ladan and Shimei belonged to the Gershonites.
בְּנֵי לַעְדָּן הָרֹאשׁ יְחִיאֵל וְזֵתָם וְיֹואֵל שְׁלֹשָׁה׃ 23:8
1Chr. 23:8 The sons of Ladan, Jehiel, the head, and Zetham and Joel, were three.
בְּנֵי שִׁמְעִי (שְׁלֹמֹות) [שְׁלֹומִית] וַחֲזִיאֵל וְהָרָן שְׁלֹשָׁה אֵלֶּה רָאשֵׁי הָאָבֹות לְלַעְדָּן׃ 23:9
1Chr. 23:9 The sons of Shimei, Shelomoth and Haziel and Haran, were three. These were the heads of Ladan's households.
The name Shimei is mentioned here and in the next verse. The consensus among the scholars is that the names refer to two different men. I have some doubts about that conclusion. I ask myself, why would the sons of Shimei be the heads of Laden’s household? Why not one of Laden’s sons? Laden and Shimei were brothers (or cousins). So it is my suspicion that the chronicler wrote Shimei’s name here by mistake; it probably should have been Jehiel, Laden’s presumed oldest.
Besides this oddity, the name in the parentheses, Shelomoth, is allegedly misspelled. The correction, replacing the vav with a yad (and including the implied vav), making the name Shelomith, is in the brackets. I have a problem with this correction, however. The name Shelomith is a woman’s name (see 1Chr. 3:19 for example), not typically a man’s. So I’m not sure about this correction. [Return to 1Chr. 26:25]
וּבְנֵי שִׁמְעִי יַחַת זִינָא וִיעוּשׁ וּבְרִיעָה אֵלֶּה בְנֵי־שִׁמְעִי אַרְבָּעָה׃ 23:10
1Chr. 23:10 And the sons of Shimei were Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These were the four sons of Shimei,
וַיְהִי־יַחַת הָרֹאשׁ וְזִיזָה הַשֵּׁנִי וִיעוּשׁ וּבְרִיעָה לֹא־הִרְבּוּ בָנִים וַיִּהְיוּ לְבֵית אָב לִפְקֻדָּה אֶחָת׃ 23:11
1Chr. 23:11 and Jahath was the head, and Zizah the second. But Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were to the house of a father as one function.
בְּנֵי קְהָת עַמְרָם יִצְהָר חֶבְרוֹן וְעֻזִּיאֵל אַרְבָּעָה׃ 23:12
1Chr. 23:12 The sons of Kohath, Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, were four.
בְּנֵי עַמְרָם אַהֲרֹן וּמֹשֶׁה וַיִּבָּדֵל אַהֲרֹן לְהַקְדִּישׁוֹ קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים הוּא־וּבָנָיו עַד־עוֹלָם לְהַקְטִיר לִפְנֵי 23:13
יְהוָה לְשָׁרְתוֹ וּלְבָרֵךְ בִּשְׁמוֹ עַד־עוֹלָם׃
1Chr. 23:13 The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was set apart for his sanctification of the holy of holies, he and his sons, forever, to sacrifice before the Lord, to serve Him, and to bless in His name forever..
The phrase “his sons” in “he and his sons” doesn’t refer to all Aaron’s sons for sanctifying the holy of holies. Only the first born of each generation, the one who is to be the high priest may perform that function. All other sons serve to sacrifice.
וּמֹשֶׁה אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים בָּנָיו יִקָּרְאוּ עַל־שֵׁבֶט הַלֵּוִי׃ 23:14
1Chr. 23:14 And Moses was a man of God. His sons would have been named according to the tribe of Levi.
בְּנֵי מֹשֶׁה גֵּרְשֹׁם וֶאֱלִיעֶזֶר׃ 23:15
1Chr. 23:15 The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer.
The sons of Moses have not been mentioned since Exodus Chapter 18. Here their genealogy is finally, albeit partially, recorded.
בְּנֵי גֵרְשׁוֹם שְׁבוּאֵל הָרֹאשׁ׃ 23:16
1Chr. 23:16 Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the head.
וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי־אֱלִיעֶזֶר רְחַבְיָה הָרֹאשׁ וְלֹא־הָיָה לֶאֱלִיעֶזֶר בָּנִים אֲחֵרִים וּבְנֵי רְחַבְיָה רָבוּ לְמָעְלָה׃ 23:17
1Chr. 23:17 And of the sons of Eliezer were Rehabiah, the head, and there was no other sons for Eliezer. But the sons of Rehabiah were more than numerous.
A minor, but interesting, aside regarding the two verbs to be in this verse: The first is the first word in the verse, translated as and ... were, and the second is the seventh word, translated as was. As you can see, the first is plural and the second is singular. Yet the subject for the first is Rehabiah (singular) and the subject for the second is no other sons (plural). Rather strange, I think.
בְּנֵי יִצְהָר שְׁלֹמִית הָרֹאשׁ׃ 23:18
1Chr. 23:18 Shelomith was the head of the sons of Izhar.
I wonder if the name in this verse and the names in at least the next verse are the sons of Rehabiah. Also notice that here the name is Shelomith, a female name, that I suspect should have been corrected to Shelomoth.
בְּנֵי חֶבְרוֹן יְרִיָּהוּ הָרֹאשׁ אֲמַרְיָה הַשֵּׁנִי יַחֲזִיאֵל הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וִיקַמְעָם הָרְבִיעִי׃ 23:19
1Chr. 23:19 The sons of Hebron were Jeriah, the head, Amariah, the second, Jahaziel, the third, and Jekameam, the fourth.
בְּנֵי עֻזִּיאֵל מִיכָה הָרֹאשׁ וְיִשִּׁיָּה הַשֵּׁנִי׃ 23:20
1Chr. 23:20 The sons of Uzziel were Micah, the head, and Isshiah, the second.
בְּנֵי מְרָרִי מַחְלִי וּמוּשִׁי בְּנֵי מַחְלִי אֶלְעָזָר וְקִישׁ׃ 23:21
1Chr. 23:21 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish.
The first part of this verse appears in 1Chronicles Chapter 6.
וַיָּמָת אֶלְעָזָר וְלֹא־הָיוּ לוֹ בָּנִים כִּי אִם־בָּנוֹת וַיִּשָּׂאוּם בְּנֵי־קִישׁ אֲחֵיהֶם׃ 23:22
1Chr. 23:22 And Eleazar died, and there were no sons for him, but only daughters, and the sons of Kish, their brethren, supported them.
בְּנֵי מוּשִׁי מַחְלִי וְעֵדֶר וִירֵמוֹת שְׁלֹשָׁה׃ 23:23
1Chr. 23:23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli and Eder and Jeremoth were three.
אֵלֶּה בְנֵי־לֵוִי לְבֵית אֲבֹתֵיהֶם רָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לִפְקוּדֵיהֶם בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם עֹשֵׂה הַמְּלָאכָה 23:24
לַעֲבֹדַת בֵּית יְהוָה מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמָעְלָה׃
1Chr. 23:24 These sons of Levi were the heads of households for the house of their fathers by their count by the number of names in their polling doing the business for the service of the house of the Lord from age twenty years and up.
כִּי אָמַר דָּוִיד הֵנִיחַ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעַמּוֹ וַיִּשְׁכֹּן בִּירוּשָׁלִַם עַד־לְעוֹלָם׃ 23:25
1Chr. 23:25 For David had said, “The Lord, God of Israel, has given rest to His people, as He dwells in Jerusalem forever,
וְגַם לַלְוִיִּם אֵין־לָשֵׂאת אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְאֶת־כָּל־כֵּלָיו לַעֲבֹדָתוֹ׃ 23:26
1Chr. 23:26 and also to the Levites, no more to carry the Tabernacle and all its implements for its service.”
כִּי בְדִבְרֵי דָוִיד הָאַחֲרֹנִים הֵמָּה מִסְפַּר בְּנֵי־לֵוִי מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וּלְמָעְלָה׃ 23:27
1Chr. 23:27 For according to the words of David, of those who were after them, the number of the sons of Levi was from age twenty years and upward,
כִּי מַעֲמָדָם לְיַד־בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן לַעֲבֹדַת בֵּית יְהוָה עַל־הַחֲצֵרוֹת וְעַל־הַלְּשָׁכוֹת וְעַל־טָהֳרַת לְכָל־קֹדֶשׁ 23:28
וּמַעֲשֵׂה עֲבֹדַת בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים׃
1Chr. 23:28 because their function was to support the sons of Aaron in the work of the house of the Lord concerning the courts, and concerning the chambers, and concerning purification for everything holy and of the work of the service of the house of God,
וּלְלֶחֶם הַמַּעֲרֶכֶת וּלְסֹלֶת לְמִנְחָה וְלִרְקִיקֵי הַמַּצּוֹת וְלַמַּחֲבַת וְלַמֻּרְבָּכֶת וּלְכָל־מְשׂוּרָה וּמִדָּה׃ 23:29
1Chr. 23:29 and for the table bread, and for the fine flour for the meal offering or for the unleavened wafers or for baking or for soaking, and of every measure and size,
וְלַעֲמֹד בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר לְהֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵּל לַיהוָה וְכֵן לָעָרֶב׃ 23:30
1Chr. 23:30 and to stand every morning to give thanks and to give praise to the Lord, as well as in the evening,
וּלְכֹל הַעֲלוֹת עֹלוֹת לַיהוָה לַשַּׁבָּתוֹת לֶחֳדָשִׁים וְלַמֹּעֲדִים בְּמִסְפָּר כְּמִשְׁפָּט עֲלֵיהֶם תָּמִיד לִפְנֵי 23:31
יְהוָה׃
1Chr. 23:31 and for all the bringing up of burnt offerings to the Lord for the Sabbaths, for the new moons, and for the appointed seasons, in quantity according to the ordinance concerning them, continually before the Lord.”
וְשָׁמְרוּ אֶת־מִשְׁמֶרֶת אֹהֶל־מוֹעֵד וְאֵת מִשְׁמֶרֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ וּמִשְׁמֶרֶת בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן אֲחֵיהֶם לַעֲבֹדַת בֵּית 23:32
יְהוָה׃
1Chr. 23:32 And they had to keep charge of the tent of meeting, and charge of the holy place, as well as keeping the watch of the sons of Aaron, their brethren, in the service of the house of the Lord.
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