Historical chapter commentary
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.
Verse 2. Princes, heads of families, or officers of the army. Calmet. 25:1. Menochius.
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.
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.
Verse 5. David. Lit. “he.” Septuagint “they.” Prot. “which I made (said David) to praise therewith.” Bible.
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.
Verse 7. Leedan, or Lebni. Numbers 3:18. Menochius.
Verse 8. Chief, head of the rest; ( Bible.) or all these three were chiefs, (Jun.) no less than the sons of Semei, verse 9.
Verse 9. Semei; perhaps ( Calmet.) sons of Joel. D.—The brother of Leedan had four sons, verse 10. Menochius.
Verse 10. Ziza. Hebrew has “Zina,” but reads “Ziza,” verse 11. Calmet.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Verse 28. Place. Hebrew “purifying all that is holy;” ( Bible.) keeping clean all that is used about the sacred ministry. Calmet.
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.
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.
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.
Verse 32. Brethren. Let them follow the directions of the high priests, who are of the same tribe. Menochius.