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Now David was old and full of days; and he made Solomon his son king over Israel.
Verse 1. Full, satisfied, in the last year of his reign, and the 70th of his age. D.—Cur non ut plenus vitæ conviva recedit? Lucret. iii.—Israel. This example was much followed by succeeding kings. Calmet.—Yet this is controverted. Houbigant. Bible.
He gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.
Verse 2. Princes, heads of families, or officers of the army. Calmet. 25:1. Menochius.
The Levites were counted from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand.
Verse 3. Numbered at the same time, when David caused his son to be crowned, and made these fresh regulations, verse 27, and Calmet. 26:31.—Upwards, according to the plan given by Moses. David afterwards ordered people of twenty years of age, to begin to serve in the tabernacle, as it was now fixed, and consequently the labours were diminished. This tended to augment the splendour of the religious worship, and to edify the people, who could not attend so constantly, in person.
David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of the LORD’s house, six thousand were officers and judges,
Verse 4. Overseers. Hebrew shoterim. Septuagint “scribes.” Others suppose “lictors and executioners,” who attended the judges. Grotius.—These were functions from which the priests were exempted; ( Calmet.) so that the Levites alone are meant. Menochius.—Judges. They had to decide the causes of the people. 2 Chronicles 29. D.
four thousand were doorkeepers, and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made for giving praise.”
Verse 5. David. Lit. “he.” Septuagint “they.” Prot. “which I made (said David) to praise therewith.” Bible.
David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Verse 6. Into 24 courses, like the priests, that each class might serve twice a year for a whole week. Calmet. 24:31. Tirinus.—God had already made choice of the posterity of Levi; and David, with the princes, Sadoc, and so forth disposed of them by lots, (Calmet. 24:6) to serve in the tabernacle, and in the future temple. Worthington.
Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.
Verse 7. Leedan, or Lebni. Numbers 3:18. Menochius.
The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, Zetham, and Joel, three.
Verse 8. Chief, head of the rest; ( Bible.) or all these three were chiefs, (Jun.) no less than the sons of Semei, verse 9.
The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan.
Verse 9. Semei; perhaps ( Calmet.) sons of Joel. D.—The brother of Leedan had four sons, verse 10. Menochius.
The sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.
Verse 10. Ziza. Hebrew has “Zina,” but reads “Ziza,” verse 11. Calmet.
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.
Verse 11. Children. All together were not more than the children of each of the preceding, so that they only formed one class. Tirinus.—It would have been too burdensome for them to have performed the same service with those who were far more numerous: ( Bible.) therefore the sons of Semei were joined with the family of Leedan: ( Calmet.) or rather Jaus and Baria went together, as one family.—Counted. Hebrew “in one class, according to their father’s house.” Bible.
The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.
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 the LORD, to minister to him, and to bless in his name forever.
Verse 13. Minister. Hebrew “to sanctify the holy of holies.”—His. Hebrew “in his name,” with solemnity. Numbers 6:23. The Levites might bless the name of the Lord.
But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.
Verse 14. Levi, but not among the priests, ( Calmet.) though their father was an extraordinary priest, appointed by God to anoint Aaron. Psalms 98. D.
The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.
Verse 15. Eliezer. His being uncircumcised, had almost proved fatal to his father. Exodus 4:24. Menochius.—First. He might have other brothers, ( Calmet.) though the title may be given to an only son, verse 17, Matthew 1:25. Subuel was perhaps ( Bible.) chief of a family, ( Calmet.) and was appointed over the treasury. Calmet. 26:24. Menochius.
The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief.
The son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
The son of Izhar: Shelomith the chief.
The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief, and Isshiah the second.
The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.
Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters only; and their relatives, the sons of Kish, took them as wives.
The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
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 the LORD’s house, from twenty years old and upward.
Verse 24. Old. See verse 3, and Numbers 4:3.—And upwards; as long as they were able to serve. They were excused from carrying the tabernacle, and so forth at fifty years of age. Numbers 8:25. Abulens. Menochius.—To those who were turned of thirty, the higher offices were entrusted; while the Levites began at twenty, to exercise themselves in things of less consequence, under the direction of their elder brethren. Tirinus.—The kings might declare, by the advice of the Sanhedrim, what laws were of a temporary nature. Grot. D.
For David said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people; and he dwells in Jerusalem forever.
Verse 25. Ever. They will not have to carry, the sacred vessels about, as formerly. Bible.—In order that they may not be idle, we must therefore provide them some other employment, verse 28, and so forth Tirinus.
Also the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service.”
For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were counted, from twenty years old and upward.
For their duty was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the LORD’s house—in the courts, in the rooms, and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of God’s house;
Verse 28. Place. Hebrew “purifying all that is holy;” ( Bible.) keeping clean all that is used about the sacred ministry. Calmet.
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;
Verse 29. And the priests, and so forth This is not found in Hebrew or Septuagint The Levites might prepare these things; though the priests alone were to offer them in sacrifice. Tirinus. Calmet. 9:32, Leviticus 24:8.—Others think that ( Calmet.) the priests received flour from the people, and baked it. Menochius.—But S. Jerom follows the tradition of the Jews, intimating that the priests sowed the corn, and did every thing about the loaves of proposition. In Malachi 1:6.—Flour. Leviticus 2:1.—Cakes. Exodus 29:2.—Roasting the first-fruits. Leviticus 2:14. Menochius.—Measure. A standard was kept in the temple, (Exodus 30:13. Calmet.) to prevent any fraud. The Ediles at Rome performed the same office. Tirinus.—There were not two measures in the country, as that would have caused confusion. D.
and to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise in the evening;
Verse 30. And the Levites. This also is omitted in Hebrew “and to stand,” and so forth as all the preceding offices pertained to the Levites, ( Bible.) and priests were bound equally with them to praise the Lord.
and to offer all burnt offerings to the LORD on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, in number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually before the LORD;
Verse 31. Lord. Music accompanied this service twice a day, as it did the sacrifices which were offered for the prince, or for the nation. Numbers 10:10. Calmet.—Rest. Hebrew “the set festivals, by number, according to the order prescribed unto them continually,” and so forth Bible.
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 the LORD’s house.
Verse 32. Brethren. Let them follow the directions of the high priests, who are of the same tribe. Menochius.