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1 Chronicles 26

KJV · Chapter 26/29

1Concerning the divisions of the porters: Of the Korhites was Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph.

2And the sons of Meshelemiah were, Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,

3Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Elioenai the seventh.

4Moreover the sons of Obed–edom were, Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, and Sacar the fourth, and Nethaneel the fifth,

5Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peulthai the eighth: for God blessed him.

6Also unto Shemaiah his son were sons born, that ruled throughout the house of their father: for they were mighty men of valour.

7The sons of Shemaiah; Othni, and Rephael, and Obed, Elzabad, whose brethren were strong men, Elihu, and Semachiah.

8All these of the sons of Obed–edom: they and their sons and their brethren, able men for strength for the service, were threescore and two of Obed–edom.

9And Meshelemiah had sons and brethren, strong men, eighteen.

10Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons; Simri the chief, (for though he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him the chief;)

11Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth: all the sons and brethren of Hosah were thirteen.

12Among these were the divisions of the porters, even among the chief men, having wards one against another, to minister in the house of the Lord.

13And they cast lots, as well the small as the great, according to the house of their fathers, for every gate.

14And the lot eastward fell to Shelemiah. Then for Zechariah his son, a wise counsellor, they cast lots; and his lot came out northward.

15To Obed–edom southward; and to his sons the house of Asuppim.

16To Shuppim and Hosah the lot came forth westward, with the gate Shallecheth, by the causeway of the going up, ward against ward.

17Eastward were six Levites, northward four a day, southward four a day, and toward Asuppim two and two.

18At Parbar westward, four at the causeway, and two at Parbar.

19These are the divisions of the porters among the sons of Kore, and among the sons of Merari.

20And of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasures of the house of God, and over the treasures of the dedicated things.

21As concerning the sons of Laadan; the sons of the Gershonite Laadan, chief fathers, even of Laadan the Gershonite, were Jehieli.

22The sons of Jehieli; Zetham, and Joel his brother, which were over the treasures of the house of the Lord.

23Of the Amramites, and the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites:

24And Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was ruler of the treasures.

25And his brethren by Eliezer; Rehabiah his son, and Jeshaiah his son, and Joram his son, and Zichri his son, and Shelomith his son.

26Which Shelomith and his brethren were over all the treasures of the dedicated things, which David the king, and the chief fathers, the captains over thousands and hundreds, and the captains of the host, had dedicated.

27Out of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to maintain the house of the Lord.

28And all that Samuel the seer, and Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah, had dedicated; and whosoever had dedicated any thing, it was under the hand of Shelomith, and of his brethren.

29Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were for the outward business over Israel, for officers and judges.

30And of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brethren, men of valour, a thousand and seven hundred, were officers among them of Israel on this side Jordan westward in all the business of the Lord, and in the service of the king.

31Among the Hebronites was Jerijah the chief, even among the Hebronites, according to the generations of his fathers. In the fortieth year of the reign of David they were sought for, and there were found among them mighty men of valour at Jazer of Gilead.

32And his brethren, men of valour, were two thousand and seven hundred chief fathers, whom king David made rulers over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, for every matter pertaining to God, and affairs of the king.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The temple gatekeepers are organized, responsible for guarding the entrances on every side, along with other Levites in charge of the sacred treasuries and the administration of outside and judicial affairs throughout the territory of Israel.

Explanation

The role of gatekeeper may seem humble, but the chapter shows it was a position of great trust, since it involved protecting access to the temple and guarding the sacred treasures kept there, including spoils of war consecrated by kings and generals across generations. The specific mention of the blessing on the house of Obed-Edom, the same man who hosted the ark for three months in chapter 13, shows a lasting reward for his willingness to welcome the presence of God even amid the widespread fear after the death of Uzzah. The extension of these Levitical responsibilities to administrative and judicial matters outside the temple shows that, for the Israelites, faith also permeated public and civic life, not remaining confined only to the religious sphere.

Fun facts

  • Obed-Edom and his family are described here as having 62 capable people serving as gatekeepers, a remarkable growth from a family that, decades earlier, was known only for temporarily hosting the ark of the covenant.
  • The mention of Levites assigned to 'outside business' among the tribes east of the Jordan shows how Jerusalem's religious and administrative influence extended across the whole territory of Israel, not just in the capital.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 1 Chronicles 26:1The temple gatekeepers are organized by lot for each direction — north, south, east, west — and by shift, like a well-defined security and watch system, not just people standing at a door.
  2. 1 Chronicles 26:2The seven sons of Meshelemiah open the list of gatekeeper families — each one numbered by birth order, the same organizational care David applied to priests and musicians.
  3. 1 Chronicles 26:3Meshelemiah’s seven sons are rounded out with three more names — an entire family devoted to guarding the temple gates.
  4. 1 Chronicles 26:4The sons of Obed-edom begin to be listed — the same man whose house kept the ark for three months and was blessed because of it, now with a family large enough to produce an entire line of gatekeepers.
  5. 1 Chronicles 26:5Obed-edom’s eighth son closes the list, and the text recalls the reason for so much prosperity: ‘for God blessed him’ — a blessing that translates into a large family and a role of honor.
  6. 1 Chronicles 26:6Even Obed-edom’s grandson, Shemaiah’s son, is born leading his own household — the blessing on this family passes from generation to generation without losing strength.
  7. 1 Chronicles 26:7More of Obed-edom’s grandsons are described as mighty men — the same language used for David’s great warriors, but applied here to gatekeepers, not battle fighters.
  8. 1 Chronicles 26:8In all, Obed-edom’s family adds up to sixty-two men fit for service — an enormous number that confirms, in practice, the blessing mentioned earlier.
  9. 1 Chronicles 26:9Meshelemiah’s family adds up to eighteen mighty men — much smaller than Obed-edom’s, but still a significant contribution to the body of gatekeepers.
  10. 1 Chronicles 26:10Simri leads the family of Hosah even though he is not the firstborn — his own father chose him as chief, showing that birth order did not always determine who led the family.
  11. 1 Chronicles 26:11Hosah’s family is rounded out with three more names, thirteen in all — one more clan contributing to the temple’s great body of gatekeepers.
  12. 1 Chronicles 26:12From these families comes the organization of the gatekeeper divisions, each with its own chiefs, all serving side by side in the house of the LORD.
  13. 1 Chronicles 26:13The lot cast to decide which family would take which gate follows the same principle of equality used with the priests and the musicians: large and small families enter the same drawing.
  14. 1 Chronicles 26:14The east gate falls to Shelemiah, and a second lot for his son, Zechariah — described as a wise counselor — decides the north gate.
  15. 1 Chronicles 26:15Obed-edom gets the south gate, and his sons gain the extra responsibility of caring for the storehouse — one more role of trust for this already so blessed family.
  16. 1 Chronicles 26:16Shuppim and Hosah get the west gate, near a road going up, with guards positioned facing one another — a cross-watch system designed for maximum security.
  17. 1 Chronicles 26:17The text spells out the shift schedule: six Levites at the east, four a day at the north and the south, and two at a time watching the storehouses — a very specific security logistics.
  18. 1 Chronicles 26:18More shift details in an area called Parbar, on the west side — showing that the security system covered every corner of the temple complex.
  19. 1 Chronicles 26:19A summary closes this part: these were the gatekeeper divisions from the families of Korah and Merari — the two Levite lines chosen for this role of guard.
  20. 1 Chronicles 26:20The subject changes: now come the Levites responsible for the treasures of the house of God, starting with Ahijah, in charge of both the general treasury and the dedicated things.
  21. 1 Chronicles 26:21The genealogy of the treasurers begins with the family of Laadan the Gershonite — the same family name already seen in the organization of the Levites in chapter 23.
  22. 1 Chronicles 26:22The sons of Jehieli, Zetham and Joel, are put in charge of the treasures of the house of the LORD — the specific role of keeping the riches dedicated to worship.
  23. 1 Chronicles 26:23The text lists the four Kohathite families that also had representatives in this treasury role — the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites.
  24. 1 Chronicles 26:24Shebuel, a direct descendant of Moses through Gershom, is the chief officer over the treasures — a reminder that the family of Israel’s greatest prophet kept serving as ordinary Levites, without special privilege, yet with real responsibility.
  25. 1 Chronicles 26:25A chain of generations through the line of Eliezer, Moses’ other son, reaches down to Shelomith — five generations summed up quickly before the next verse details his role.
  26. 1 Chronicles 26:26These treasurers were specifically in charge of the war spoils dedicated by earlier kings and generals, from Samuel to Joab — a kind of financial department for the temple, separate from the day-to-day money of worship.
  27. 1 Chronicles 26:27Part of this treasure came straight from the spoils of war, set aside specifically to repair and maintain the house of the LORD — battle money financing worship.
  28. 1 Chronicles 26:28The treasury also included old donations, from Samuel, from Saul, from Abner, and even from Joab — showing that this dedicated wealth had been building up for generations, not just from David’s reign.
  29. 1 Chronicles 26:29Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons are appointed officers and judges for the outward affairs of Israel — an administrative and judicial role, outside the temple.
  30. 1 Chronicles 26:30Of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and seventeen hundred relatives handle Israel’s affairs west of the Jordan, both for the service of God and for the service of the king himself.
  31. 1 Chronicles 26:31The census of this Hebronite family happens quite late, in the fortieth year of David’s reign — a rare detail that helps date this passage precisely, showing that the organization continued almost to the end of his rule.
  32. 1 Chronicles 26:32Another two thousand seven hundred mighty relatives complete this family, and David puts them in charge of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh — closing out the whole administrative structure all the way to the tribes on the other side of the Jordan.

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