Of the sons of Hebron ,.... A third son of Kohath, 1 Chronicles 23:12 , Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth: of the sons of Uzziel ; another son of Kohath, 1 Chronicles 23:12 , Micah the first, Jesiah the second: the sons of Merari, Mahli and Mushi , Exodus 6:19 , the sons of Mahli, Eleazar and Kish : of whom see 1 Chronicles 24:28 . read more
This and the following two verses give the houses of Merari , contributing four houses, and, with the nine Gershonite and eleven Kohathite, adding up to twenty-four. Merari is the third son of Levi ( Genesis 46:11 ). The Mahli and Mushi of this verse were possibly grandson and son of Merari, if we follow the guidance of 1 Chronicles 6:47 . Yet it would seem far more natural to explain this last-quoted passage by our 1 Chronicles 6:23 , which would then parallel it. Otherwise we... 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
THE SONS OF MERARI"The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters only: and their brethren the sons of Kish took them to wife. The sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three." read more
21-23. The sons of Merari—They comprised six fathers' houses. Summing them together, Gershon founded nine fathers houses, Kohath nine, and Merari six: total, twenty-four. :-. OFFICE OF THE LEVITES. 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
(21) The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi.—See Exodus 6:19, and Numbers 3:33, and 1 Chronicles 6:19. 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