They were mighty men of valor - They were not only porters or door-keepers in the ordinary sense of the word, but they were a military guard for the gates: and perhaps in this sense alone we are to understand their office. read more
EXPOSITION This chapter is occupied in its first nineteen verses with an enumeration of the porters and Then of their arrangement. The porters were those who were to have charge of the entrances of the sanctuary. For at present, all was in plan only, thus set out by David beforehand. The subject of the porters has been before us in 1 Chronicles 9:17-27 ; 1 Chronicles 15:23 , 1 Chronicles 15:24 ; 1 Chronicles 16:38 ; 1 Chronicles 23:5 , in which last passage we are told that... read more
These verses contain the enumeration of seven sons of Shelemiah, of the firstborn of whom, viz. Zechariah , express mention was made in 1 Chronicles 9:21 . read more
Here we have the enumeration of eight sons of Obed-edom ( 1 Chronicles 15:21 , 1 Chronicles 15:24 ; 1 Chronicles 16:38 ). That in this last reference Obed-edom seems to be called "son of Jeduthun" is owing probably to the omission of a name. For former occurrences of the sentence, God blessed him , with its present evident allusion, see 1 Chronicles 13:14 ; 2 Samuel 6:11 . To this passage, the expression of 1 Chronicles 25:5 , "to lift up the horn," is probably analogous, where... read more
In the former of these verses, eulogy is pronounced by anticipation on the six grandsons of Obed-edom through his son Shemaiah , about to be mentioned in the latter verse. The singular number of the verb ( נוֹלַד ), with a plural nominative, as found here, often occurs elsewhere, and repeatedly, even in this book, in cases where the relative pronoun אַשֶׁר intervenes between the subject and its verb. That ruled throughout the house of their father . The plural masculine abstract... read more
Able men for strength for the service . The Hebrew gives this in the singular, אִישׁיחַיִל , etc. The apparent intention is to distribute equally to each and every one of all of the sons of Obed-edom , the high character for strength given to them as grouped here together. read more
This somewhat sudden return to the name of Meshelemiah is evidently in order to put his numbers in a convenient position, to be added to those of Obed-edom just stated, thus making in all eighty porters from the Korabites. read more
The porters from the descendants of Merari are given in these two verses, in all thirteen. Hosah , it will be remembered, is found together with Obed-edom in 1 Chronicles 16:38 , as one of the porters of the the ark. These thirteen bring up the number of porters to ninety-three. We have read ( 1 Chronicles 9:22 ) that later the number became two hundred and twelve. Though… yet . The likelier translation of the Hebrew would be, For there was not a firstborn ( i.e. the issue of the... read more
The porters - See 1Ch 9:17-27; 1 Chronicles 23:5. read more
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Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Chronicles 26:5
For God blessed him - "That is, Obed-edom; because of the ark of the Lord which was in his house; and to him was given the honor that he should see his children and grand-children, even fourscore and two, masters of the Levites." - T. In 1 Chronicles 26:8 , we have only sixty-two mentioned. read more