1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Chronicles 26:1-19

Observe, I. There were porters appointed to attend the temple, who guarded all the avenues that let to it, opened and shut all the outer gates and attended at them, not only for the state, but for service, to direct and instruct those who were going to worship in the courts of the sanctuary in the decorum they were to observe, to encourage those that were timorous, to send back the strangers and unclean, and to guard against thieves and others that were enemies to the house of God. In allusion... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Chronicles 26:12

Among these were the divisions of the porters, even among the chief men ,.... These before named were the principal men of the porters, among which was a division or distribution of them into classes or courses, in which they served weekly in turn: having wards one against another, to minister in the house of the Lord ; meaning either to watch in, as on the north against the south, and the east against the west, and "vice versa". The Jews say F20 Misn. Middot, c. 1. sect. 1. , the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Chronicles 26:12

The rest of this chapter, with the whole of the 28th, is wanting both in the Syriac and Arabic. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Chronicles 26:12

Translate, To these divisions of the porters, as regards the chief men, belonged the charge together with their brethren to officiate in the house of the Lord. According to the present chapter, then, the divisions add up to ninety-three. And if at any time of the history it were the case that these ninety-three were the leaders of groups among the total of "four thousand porters," it would put exactly forty-two under each of these ninety-three, leaving but one over. This number... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Chronicles 26:12

This verse is obscure, but its probable meaning is the following: “To these divisions of the porters, principal men, (were assigned) the watches, together with their brethren, for service in the house of the Lord;” i. e., the “chief men” 1 Chronicles 26:1-11, amounting to no more than 93, kept the watch and ward of the house, together with a further number of their brethren (4,000, 1 Chronicles 23:5), who assisted them from time to time. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Chronicles 26:12

1 Chronicles 26:12. Wards Hebrew, having wards answerably to their brethren the other Levites, who were divided into twenty-four courses, as the priests also, and the porters were. read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Chronicles 26:1-32

Arrangements for the Levites (23:1-26:32)Having appointed Solomon to be his successor, David made further arrangements for the service of the temple. First, he set out a plan to distribute duties among the Levites. A census showed that there were 38,000 Levites eligible for temple service. Of these, 14,000 were official record-keepers, judges, guards, singers and musicians. The remainder were to help in the general service of the temple (23:1-6). Clearly, there were far too many Levites to work... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - 1 Chronicles 26:12

THEIR ASSIGNMENT BY CASTING LOTS"Of these were the courses of the doorkeepers, even of the chief men, having offices like their brethren, to minister in the house of Jehovah. And they cast lots, as well the small as the great, according to their fathers' houses, for every gate. And the lot eastward fell to Shelemiah. Then for Zechariah his son, a discreet counselor, they cast lots; and his lot came out northward. To Obed-edom southward; and to his sons the storehouse. To Shuppim and Hosah... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 1 Chronicles 26:12

12. Among these were the divisions of the porters, even among the chief men—These were charged with the duty of superintending the watches, being heads of the twenty-four courses of porters. :-. THE GATES ASSIGNED BY LOT. read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Chronicles 26:1-32

Particulars respecting various Temple Officials1. The divisions of the porters] i.e. the courses of the gate-keepers or sentries who stood on guard at the entrances of the Temple. They were drawn from three families, Meshelemiah (the ’Shallum’ of 1 Chronicles 9:19), Obededom, and Hosah. Asaph] the ’Ebiasaph’ of 1 Chronicles 9:19. 5. For God blessed him] see 1 Chronicles 13:14. The blessing consisted in the number of his children: cp. Genesis 1:28; Genesis 24:60.13. For every gate] Though the... read more

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