And the sons of Shimei ,.... The son of Gershon, and brother of Laadan, according to Kimchi, which seems right: were Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah; these four were the sons of Shimei ; descendants of his in the times of David. read more
And Jahath was the chief ,.... The prince and head of a family: and Ziza the second ; the same with Zina in 1 Chronicles 23:10 , and is there read Ziza in the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons ; so as to constitute distinct families: therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father's house ; made one family with their brethren. read more
Therefore they were in one reckoning - The family of Shimei, being small, was united with that of Laadan, that the two families might do that work which otherwise belonged to one, but which would have been too much for either of these separately. read more
(See Zechariah 12:13 .) The Zina of this verse is Zizah in the very next verse, which difference of form cannot be accounted for by any mere clerical explanation. The name Jahath seems to have been a favourite name in this family ( 1 Chronicles 6:43 ). read more
In one reckoning . The Hebrew of the word here translated "reckoning" is פְקֻדָּה , i.e. "enumeration." The meaning is they were accounted as only one "father's house." The derivative significations of the word are "care," "custody," and generally "office" ( 2 Chronicles 23:18 ). The total of Gershonite houses will amount to nine, three of these being houses of Shimei, and six of Landau. read more
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
Preparations for temple service chs. 23-26Verses 1 and 2 of chapter 23 (1 Chronicles 23:1-2) provide an outline for what follows in chapters 23-27 but in reverse order. After David appointed Solomon as his coregent in 973 B.C., he began the preparations the writer described here.David adapted the service of the Levites, who assisted the priests, to the new temple ritual. This form of worship was a combination of tabernacle and divinely approved revised worship (1 Chronicles 23:3-32; Numbers 3).... read more
David makes Solomon King. Particulars relating to the LevitesThis and the following three chapters (supplementing the earlier history) describe the arrangements made by David for the organisation of the Temple service after Solomon had been appointed his successor. The incidents relating to this last event, which are recorded in 1 Kings 1, are omitted by the writer, who passes over all David’s domestic troubles.3. From the age of thirty years] This limit is given in Numbers 4:3, but... read more
(6-23) The twenty-four houses of the Levites. read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Chronicles 23:1-23
Here we have, I. The crown entailed, according to the divine appointment, 1 Chron. 23:1. David made Solomon king, not to reign with him, or reign under him, but only to reign after him. This he did, 1. When he was old and full of days. He was but seventy years old when he died, and yet he was full of days, satur dierum?satisfied with living in this world. When he found himself going off, he made provision for the welfare of the kingdom after his decease, and pleased himself with the hopeful... read more