The Histories · Old Testament

1 Chronicles 26

1 Chronicles 26: the porters, the treasures and the officers beyond the house

General context

The porters are divided by family. Meshelemiah the son of Kore, a Korhite "of the sons of Asaph", has seven sons. Obed–edom has eight sons, "for God blessed him", and his son Shemaiah's sons are mighty men; Obed–edom's house numbers sixty-two, Meshelemiah's eighteen. Hosah of Merari has thirteen, with Simri made chief "though he was not the firstborn". Lots are cast for every gate, "as well the small as the great": east to Shelemiah, north to his son Zechariah, "a wise counsellor", south to Obed–edom with the house of Asuppim for his sons, west to Shuppim and Hosah at the gate Shallecheth by the causeway. The daily numbers at each post are given. Ahijah is over the treasures of the house and of the dedicated things; Jehieli's sons Zetham and Joel are over the treasures of the house; Shebuel, of Moses' line through Gershom, is ruler of the treasures; Shelomith, of Eliezer's line, keeps the dedicated things which David, the chief fathers and the captains dedicated "out of the spoils won in battles", together with what Samuel the seer, Saul, Abner and Joab had dedicated. Chenaniah's Izharites are officers and judges for "the outward business over Israel". Hebronite officers serve west of Jordan; in "the fortieth year of the reign of David" mighty men are found among them at Jazer of Gilead, and 2,700 chief fathers are made rulers over the eastern tribes "for every matter pertaining to God, and affairs of the king".

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 26:1, 1 Chronicles 26:5, 1 Chronicles 26:6, 1 Chronicles 26:8, 1 Chronicles 26:9, 1 Chronicles 26:10, 1 Chronicles 26:13, 1 Chronicles 26:14, 1 Chronicles 26:15, 1 Chronicles 26:16, 1 Chronicles 26:17, 1 Chronicles 26:20, 1 Chronicles 26:22, 1 Chronicles 26:24, 1 Chronicles 26:26, 1 Chronicles 26:27, 1 Chronicles 26:28, 1 Chronicles 26:29, 1 Chronicles 26:31, 1 Chronicles 26:32

1 Chronicles 26 (KJV)

¹Concerning the divisions of the porters: Of the Korhites was Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph.

²And the sons of Meshelemiah were, Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,

³Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Elioenai the seventh.

⁴Moreover the sons of Obed-edom were, Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, and Sacar the fourth, and Nethaneel the fifth,

⁵Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peulthai the eighth: for God blessed him.

⁶Also unto Shemaiah his son were sons born, that ruled throughout the house of their father: for they were mighty men of valour.

⁷The sons of Shemaiah; Othni, and Rephael, and Obed, Elzabad, whose brethren were strong men, Elihu, and Semachiah.

⁸All these of the sons of Obed-edom: they and their sons and their brethren, able men for strength for the service, were threescore and two of Obed-edom.

⁹And Meshelemiah had sons and brethren, strong men, eighteen.

¹⁰Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons; Simri the chief, (for though he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him the chief;)

¹¹Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth: all the sons and brethren of Hosah were thirteen.

¹²Among these were the divisions of the porters, even among the chief men, having wards one against another, to minister in the house of the Lord.

¹³And they cast lots, as well the small as the great, according to the house of their fathers, for every gate.

¹⁴And the lot eastward fell to Shelemiah. Then for Zechariah his son, a wise counsellor, they cast lots; and his lot came out northward.

¹⁵To Obed-edom southward; and to his sons the house of Asuppim.

¹⁶To Shuppim and Hosah the lot came forth westward, with the gate Shallecheth, by the causeway of the going up, ward against ward.

¹⁷Eastward were six Levites, northward four a day, southward four a day, and toward Asuppim two and two.

¹⁸At Parbar westward, four at the causeway, and two at Parbar.

¹⁹These are the divisions of the porters among the sons of Kore, and among the sons of Merari.

²⁰And of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasures of the house of God, and over the treasures of the dedicated things.

²¹As concerning the sons of Laadan; the sons of the Gershonite Laadan, chief fathers, even of Laadan the Gershonite, were Jehieli.

²²The sons of Jehieli; Zetham, and Joel his brother, which were over the treasures of the house of the Lord.

²³Of the Amramites, and the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites:

²⁴And Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was ruler of the treasures.

²⁵And his brethren by Eliezer; Rehabiah his son, and Jeshaiah his son, and Joram his son, and Zichri his son, and Shelomith his son.

²⁶Which Shelomith and his brethren were over all the treasures of the dedicated things, which David the king, and the chief fathers, the captains over thousands and hundreds, and the captains of the host, had dedicated.

²⁷Out of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to maintain the house of the Lord.

²⁸And all that Samuel the seer, and Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah, had dedicated; and whosoever had dedicated any thing, it was under the hand of Shelomith, and of his brethren.

²⁹Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were for the outward business over Israel, for officers and judges.

³⁰And of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brethren, men of valour, a thousand and seven hundred, were officers among them of Israel on this side Jordan westward in all the business of the Lord, and in the service of the king.

³¹Among the Hebronites was Jerijah the chief, even among the Hebronites, according to the generations of his fathers. In the fortieth year of the reign of David they were sought for, and there were found among them mighty men of valour at Jazer of Gilead.

³²And his brethren, men of valour, were two thousand and seven hundred chief fathers, whom king David made rulers over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, for every matter pertaining to God, and affairs of the king.

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Historical context

The Asaph named in the first verse belongs to the Korhite porters, a different line from Asaph the singer, whom chapter 6 traces to Gershom; chapter 9 gave a Korhite gatekeeper's line as "the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph". The text uses the same name for both without comment. Meshelemiah in verse 1 and Shelemiah in verse 14 appear to be the same gatekeeper, but the chapter does not say so. Obed–edom the porter is said to be blessed by God with many sons; chapter 13 said the Lord blessed the house of Obed–edom the Gittite when the ark stayed there, and the text leaves the reader to connect or not connect the two. The place names Asuppim, Shallecheth and Parbar are given without explanation. The dedicated treasures include gifts from Samuel, Saul, Abner and Joab, men from before and during David's reign, so the temple's stores are older than the plan to build it. The one date in these chapters, "the fortieth year of the reign of David", places the eastern appointments at the end of his reign, which chapter 29 will give as forty years in all.

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 26:1, 1 Chronicles 6:39, 1 Chronicles 9:19, 1 Chronicles 26:14, 1 Chronicles 26:5, 1 Chronicles 13:14, 1 Chronicles 26:18, 1 Chronicles 26:28, 1 Chronicles 26:31, 1 Chronicles 29:27

Literary context

The chapter moves outward in three rings: the gates, the treasuries behind them, and the officers who work "the outward business" across Israel and beyond Jordan. The gate section is another lot list, with the now familiar phrase "as well the small as the great", but it adds small human notes, a wise counsellor, a younger son made chief by his father, a house that grew because God blessed it. The treasury section reaches back through the book: spoils from the wars of chapter 18, and gifts from Samuel and Saul, whose stories the book barely told, are gathered under one keeper. The final verses widen the scope from the house of God to "affairs of the king", so temple staff and royal administration are one system. The chapter ends far from Jerusalem, at Jazer of Gilead, among the tribes whose exile chapter 5 recorded.

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 26:13, 1 Chronicles 26:14, 1 Chronicles 26:10, 1 Chronicles 26:27, 1 Chronicles 26:28, 1 Chronicles 26:29, 1 Chronicles 26:32, 1 Chronicles 26:31

Key moments

Meshelemiah of the Korhites (1 Chronicles 26:1). The porters' divisions begin with a Korhite house that carries the name Asaph.
Obed–edom blessed with sons (1 Chronicles 26:5). Eight sons are born to Obed–edom, and the narrator says God blessed him.
A younger son made chief (1 Chronicles 26:10). Hosah makes Simri chief although he is not the firstborn.
Lots for every gate (1 Chronicles 26:13). Gatekeepers draw lots for the east, north, south and west posts.
Keepers of the treasures (1 Chronicles 26:24). Shebuel of Moses' line rules the treasures of the house.
Dedicated spoils (1 Chronicles 26:28). Gifts from Samuel, Saul, Abner and Joab are kept under Shelomith.
Rulers beyond Jordan (1 Chronicles 26:32). In David's fortieth year Hebronite chiefs are set over the eastern tribes.

For reflection

The treasury holds what Saul, Abner and Joab dedicated alongside David's own spoils, gifts from the house David replaced and from captains on both sides of that change. What does it mean that all of it sits in one store kept for the house of the Lord?