Teks -- 1 Chronicles 23:1-5 (NET)

David Organizes the Levites

23:1 When David was old and approaching the end of his life, he made his son Solomon king over Israel. 23:2 David assembled all the leaders of Israel, along with the priests and the Levites. 23:3 The Levites who were thirty years old and up were counted; there were 38,000 men. 23:4 David said, “Of these, 24,000 are to direct the work of the Lord’s temple; 6,000 are to be officials and judges; 23:5 4,000 are to be gatekeepers; and 4,000 are to praise the Lord with the instruments I supplied for worship.”

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Wesley: 1Ch 23:2 - Gathered, &c.

_To declare God's mind and his own will, that Solomon should be his successor: and to acquaint them with those directions which he had received from God by the spirit.

Wesley: 1Ch 23:3 - Upwards

Not only 'till fifty, as it was appointed, Num 4:2-3, but even 'till their death: for that was but a temporary law grounded upon a special reason, because the Levites were employed in carrying the tabernacle and sacred vessels from place to place; and therefore God would have them freed from those burdens when they came to feel the infirmities of age: which reason wholly ceasing upon the building of the temple, their work being far easier than it had been, and their service being more a privilege than a burden, their time of service is justly prolonged.

Wesley: 1Ch 23:4 - Officers

To take care that all the work of the temple about sacrifices should be punctually performed, either by themselves or others: which they were not to do all at once, but by courses, a thousand at a time.

Wesley: 1Ch 23:4 - Judges

Not in the affairs of the temple; there the priests presided; but in several parts of the kingdom, where they assisted the princes and elders of every tribe, in the administration of justice.

JFB: 1Ch 23:1 - when David was old . . . he made Solomon . . . king

This brief statement, which comprises the substance of 1Ki. 1:32-48, is made here solely to introduce an account of the preparations carried on by David during the latter years of his life for providing a national place of worship.

JFB: 1Ch 23:2 - he gathered together all the princes of Israel

All important measures relating to the public interest were submitted for consideration to a general assembly of the representatives of the tribes (1Ch 13:1; 1Ch 15:25; 1Ch 22:17; 1Ch. 26:1-32).

JFB: 1Ch 23:3 - the Levites were numbered . . . thirty and eight thousand

Four times their number at the early census taken by Moses (see on Num. 4:1-49; Num. 26:1-51). It was, in all likelihood, this vast increase that suggested and rendered expedient that classification, made in the last year of David's reign, which the present and three subsequent chapters describe.

JFB: 1Ch 23:3 - by their polls, man by man

Women and children were not included.

JFB: 1Ch 23:4 - twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the Lord

They were not to preside over all the services of the temple. The Levites were subject to the priests, and they were superior to the Nethinim and other servants, who were not of the race of Levi. But they had certain departments of duty assigned, some of which are here specified.

JFB: 1Ch 23:5 - praised the Lord with the instruments which I made

David seems to have been an inventor of many of the musical instruments used in the temple (Amo 6:5).

Clarke: 1Ch 23:1 - David was old and full of days

David was old and full of days - On the phrase full of days, see the note on Gen 25:8.

Clarke: 1Ch 23:3 - Thirty years and upward

Thirty years and upward - The enumeration of the Levites made in the desert, Num 4:3, was from thirty years upwards to fifty years. In this place, the latter limit is not mentioned, probably because the service was not so laborious now; for the ark being fixed they had no longer any heavy burdens to carry, and therefore even an old man might continue to serve the tabernacle. David made another ordinance afterwards; see on 1Ch 23:24-27 (note).

Clarke: 1Ch 23:5 - Four thousand praised the Lord

Four thousand praised the Lord - David made this distribution according to his own judgment, and from the dictates of his piety; but it does not appear that he had any positive Divine authority for such arrangements. As to the instruments of music which he made they are condemned elsewhere; see Amo 6:5, to which this verse is allowed to be the parallel.

TSK: 1Ch 23:1 - old // he made

am 2989, bc 1015, An, Ex, Is, 476

old : 1Ch 29:28; Gen 25:8, Gen 35:29; 1Ki 1:1; Job 5:26

he made : 1Ch 28:5, 1Ch 29:22-25; 1Ki 1:33-39

TSK: 1Ch 23:2 - he gathered

he gathered : 1Ch 13:1, 1Ch 28:1; Jos 23:2, Jos 24:1; 2Ch 34:29, 2Ch 34:30

TSK: 1Ch 23:3 - the Levites // thirty and eight

the Levites : Num 4:2, Num 4:3, Num 4:23, Num 4:30, Num 4:35, Num 4:43, Num 4:47

thirty and eight : Num 4:48

TSK: 1Ch 23:4 - twenty // set forward // officers and judges

twenty : 1Ch 23:28-32, 1Ch 6:48, 1Ch 9:28-32, 1Ch 26:20-27

set forward : or, oversee, Neh 11:9, Neh 11:22; Act 20:28

officers and judges : 1Ch 26:29-31; Deu 16:18, Deu 17:8-10; 2Ch 19:8; Mal 2:7

TSK: 1Ch 23:5 - porters // praised // the instruments

Amo 6:5

porters : 1Ch 9:17-27, 1Ch 15:23, 1Ch 15:24, 1Ch 16:38, 1Ch 26:1-12; 2Ch 8:14, 2Ch 35:15; Ezr 7:7; Neh 7:73

praised : 1Chr. 6:31-48, 1Ch 9:33, 1Ch 15:16-22, 1Ch 16:41, 1Ch 16:42, 1Ch 25:1-7; 2Ch 20:19-21; Psa 87:7

the instruments : 1Ki 10:12; 2Ch 29:25, 2Ch 29:26

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: 1Ch 23:2

Partly to declare God’ s mind and his own will, that Solomon should be his successor; and so to cut off the claims and pretences which others of his sons might make to the crown; and partly to acquaint them with those directions which he had received from God by the Spirit, as appears from 1Ch 28:11 , &c., concerning the establishment of a new order and method in the ministration of the priests and Levites in the temple.

Poole: 1Ch 23:3 - From the age of thirty years and upward

From the age of thirty years and upward not only till fifty, as it was appointed, Num 4:2,3 , but even till their death; for that was but a temporary law grounded upon a special reason, because the Levites were employed in carrying the tabernacle and sacred vessels from place to place; and therefore God would have them freed from those burdens when they came to feel the infirmities of age; which reason wholly ceasing upon the building of the temple, and their work being far easier than it had been, and their service being more a privilege than a burden, their time of service is justly and fitly prolonged.

Poole: 1Ch 23:4 - To set forward the work of the house of the Lord // Officers and judges

To set forward the work of the house of the Lord i.e. to take care that all the work of the temple about sacrifices and other parts or means of God’ s service should be punctually and diligently performed, either by themselves or others; which they were not to do all at once, but by courses, a thousand at a time, as we shall shortly see.

Officers and judges whose work it seems to have been to judge of and determine all difficult causes or differences which might arise, either among the inferior priests or Levites about their sacred administrations, or among the people, which being governed in all their concerns only by the laws of Moses, it was fit and necessary that the priests and Levites should be consulted and concerned in their matters.

Poole: 1Ch 23:5 - Porters // Four thousand praised the Lord with instruments

Porters whose office was to take the charge of all the gates of the temple and its courts, that no forbidden or unclean person might enter there, and of the courts them selves, and of several chambers or buildings belonging to the temple and the service thereof: these also were to do their work by turns.

Four thousand praised the Lord with instruments whereof two hundred and eighty-eight were persons of greater skill than their brethren, and did instruct them, and had some authority over them.

Haydock: 1Ch 23:1 - Full // Cur non ut plenus vitæ conviva recedit? // Israel

Full, satisfied, in the last year of his reign, and the 70th of his age. (Du Hamel) ---

Cur non ut plenus vitæ conviva recedit? (Lucretius iii.) ---

Israel. This example was much followed by succeeding kings. (Calmet) ---

Yet this is controverted. (Houbigant) (Haydock)

Haydock: 1Ch 23:2 - Princes

Princes, heads of families, or officers of the army, chap. xxv. 1. (Menochius)

Haydock: 1Ch 23:3 - Numbered // Upwards

Numbered at the same time, when David caused his son to be crowned, and made these fresh regulations, ver. 27., and chap. xxvi. 31. ---

Upwards, according to the plan given by Moses. David afterwards ordered people of twenty years of age, to begin to serve in the tabernacle, as it was now fixed, and consequently the labours were diminished. This tended to augment the splendour of the religious worship, and to edify the people, who could not attend so constantly, in person.

Haydock: 1Ch 23:4 - Overseers // Judges

Overseers. Hebrew shoterim. Septuagint, "scribes." Others suppose "lictors and executioners," who attended the judges. (Grotius) ---

These were functions from which the priests were exempted; (Calmet) so that the Levites alone are meant. (Menochius) ---

Judges. They had to decide the causes of the people, 2 Paralipomenon xxix. (Du Hamel)

Haydock: 1Ch 23:5 - David

David. Literally, "he." Septuagint, "they." Protestants, "which I made ( said David ) to praise therewith. " (Haydock)

Gill: 1Ch 23:1 - So when David was old and full of days // he made Solomon his son king over Israel

So when David was old and full of days,.... Perhaps was now in the last year of his age, about seventy years old, though before he was bedridden; see 1Ch 28:2,

he made Solomon his son king over Israel; declared him to be his successor; this was before the affair of Adonijah, for then he ordered him to be anointed king, and placed on the throne; and this aggravated the rebellion of Adonijah, that it was against the declared and known will of his father.

Gill: 1Ch 23:2 - And he gathered together all the princes of Israel // with the priests and Levites

And he gathered together all the princes of Israel,.... Ordered them to be assembled, partly to acquaint them with his will and pleasure, that Solomon should succeed him in the kingdom; and partly to settle the order of the work and service of the temple; and therefore these were convened

with the priests and Levites; to assign to them their respective places and offices.

Gill: 1Ch 23:3 - Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years, and upward // and their number by their posts // man by man, was thirty and eight thousand

Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years, and upward,.... So they were numbered in the days of Moses, and by his order, and so they were now at first; though afterwards there was a new reckoning of them, 1Ch 23:24.

and their number by their posts; or, according to their heads:

man by man, was thirty and eight thousand; which vastly exceeds the number in the times of Moses; see Num 4:47, but then those above fifty years of age were not numbered, as they now might; since their work in the temple would be much more easy, no burdens to carry, as the ark, the vessels, &c.

Gill: 1Ch 23:4 - Of which twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the Lord // and six thousand were officers and judges

Of which twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the Lord,.... To prepare for the work of the priests by slaying the sacrifices, flaying them, cutting them in pieces, and washing them, and bringing them to the altar; 1000 of these served weekly in their turns:

and six thousand were officers and judges: that acted as justices of the peace in the several parts of the country, heard causes and administered justice to the people, being trained up in and acquainted with the laws of God, civil as well as ecclesiastic; some were more properly judges, and others executioners of their sentence; see Deu 16:18.

Gill: 1Ch 23:5 - Moreover four thousand were porters // and four thousand praised the Lord with the instruments // which I made, said David, to praise therewith

Moreover four thousand were porters,.... At the east, north, and south gates of the temple, in their turns:

and four thousand praised the Lord with the instruments; were singers in the temple, which in all made up 38,000:

which I made, said David, to praise therewith; which instruments he devised and ordered to be made to praise the Lord with; see 2Ch 29:26.