The Histories · Old Testament
1 Chronicles 9
1 Chronicles 9: the dwellers in Jerusalem and the temple gatekeepers
General context
The chapter opens by saying all Israel were reckoned by genealogies, "written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah", and that the people were carried to Babylon for their transgression. It then names "the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions": Israelites, priests, Levites and Nethinims. Those in Jerusalem are listed by tribe, men of Judah from the children of Pharez, the Shilonites and the sons of Zerah, Benjamites with 956 brethren, priests with 1,760 "very able men for the work of the service of the house of God", and Levites including Mattaniah, a descendant of Asaph, and Obadiah, a descendant of Jeduthun. The porters follow: Shallum the chief at the king's gate eastward, the Korahites as keepers of the gates, with the note that Phinehas the son of Eleazar was their ruler "in time past, and the Lord was with him". Two hundred and twelve porters were ordained by "David and Samuel the seer". Their duties are set out: four quarters of the gates, a seven-day rotation, charge of chambers and treasuries, lodging round the house and opening it every morning, counting the vessels in and out, oversight of flour, wine, oil, frankincense and spices, making ointment, baking in pans, and preparing the shewbread every sabbath. The singers are "free" because their work goes on day and night. The chapter ends by repeating the family of Jehiel the father of Gibeon and the line from Ner to Saul, Jonathan, Merib–baal and Azel's six sons.
Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 9:1, 1 Chronicles 9:2, 1 Chronicles 9:4, 1 Chronicles 9:9, 1 Chronicles 9:13, 1 Chronicles 9:15, 1 Chronicles 9:16, 1 Chronicles 9:17, 1 Chronicles 9:18, 1 Chronicles 9:20, 1 Chronicles 9:22, 1 Chronicles 9:24, 1 Chronicles 9:25, 1 Chronicles 9:27, 1 Chronicles 9:28, 1 Chronicles 9:29, 1 Chronicles 9:30, 1 Chronicles 9:32, 1 Chronicles 9:33, 1 Chronicles 9:35, 1 Chronicles 9:39, 1 Chronicles 9:44
1 Chronicles 9 (KJV)
1So all Israel were reckoned by genealogies; and, behold, they were written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah, who were carried away to Babylon for their transgression.
2Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were, the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the Nethinims.
3And in Jerusalem dwelt of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim, and Manasseh;
4Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the children of Pharez the son of Judah.
5And of the Shilonites; Asaiah the firstborn, and his sons.
6And of the sons of Zerah; Jeuel, and their brethren, six hundred and ninety.
7And of the sons of Benjamin; Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hasenuah,
8And Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, and Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephathiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah;
9And their brethren, according to their generations, nine hundred and fifty and six. All these men were chief of the fathers in the house of their fathers.
10And of the priests; Jedaiah, and Jehoiarib, and Jachin,
11And Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God;
12And Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchijah, and Maasiai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;
13And their brethren, heads of the house of their fathers, a thousand and seven hundred and threescore; very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.
14And of the Levites; Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;
15And Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Micah, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph;
16And Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, that dwelt in the villages of the Netophathites.
17And the porters were, Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brethren: Shallum was the chief;
18Who hitherto waited in the king’s gate eastward: they were porters in the companies of the children of Levi.
19And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: and their fathers, being over the host of the Lord, were keepers of the entry.
20And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in time past, and the Lord was with him.
21And Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
22All these which were chosen to be porters in the gates were two hundred and twelve. These were reckoned by their genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their set office.
23So they and their children had the oversight of the gates of the house of the Lord, namely, the house of the tabernacle, by wards.
24In four quarters were the porters, toward the east, west, north, and south.
25And their brethren, which were in their villages, were to come after seven days from time to time with them.
26For these Levites, the four chief porters, were in their set office, and were over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God.
27And they lodged round about the house of God, because the charge was upon them, and the opening thereof every morning pertained to them.
28And certain of them had the charge of the ministering vessels, that they should bring them in and out by tale.
29Some of them also were appointed to oversee the vessels, and all the instruments of the sanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.
30And some of the sons of the priests made the ointment of the spices.
31And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the set office over the things that were made in the pans.
32And other of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the shewbread, to prepare it every sabbath.
33And these are the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free: for they were employed in that work day and night.
34These chief fathers of the Levites were chief throughout their generations; these dwelt at Jerusalem.
35And in Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon, Jehiel, whose wife’s name was Maachah:
36And his firstborn son Abdon, then Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Ner, and Nadab,
37And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zechariah, and Mikloth.
38And Mikloth begat Shimeam. And they also dwelt with their brethren at Jerusalem, over against their brethren.
39And Ner begat Kish; and Kish begat Saul; and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchi-shua, and Abinadab, and Esh-baal.
40And the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal: and Merib-baal begat Micah.
41And the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tahrea, and Ahaz.
42And Ahaz begat Jarah; and Jarah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza;
43And Moza begat Binea; and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.
44And Azel had six sons, whose names are these, Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan: these were the sons of Azel.
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Historical context
The first verse names a written source, "the book of the kings of Israel and Judah", and mentions the removal to Babylon "for their transgression"; the KJV wording does not make clear whether all Israel or only Judah is the subject of that clause. "The first inhabitants" are not dated, and the Nethinims are named without any explanation of who they were. The gatekeeping duties are described with both "tabernacle" and "house of the Lord", and the text adds that the porters served at "the king’s gate". Two earlier figures are cited as authorities: Phinehas the son of Eleazar as a past ruler of the gatekeepers, and David together with Samuel the seer as those who ordained the porters. Asaph and Jeduthun appear here only as ancestors of named Levites. The Gibeon family that chapter 8 left anonymous is now headed by Jehiel, and Ner is added among his sons; some names in Saul's line are spelled differently from chapter 8 (Shimeam, Tahrea, Jarah, Rephaiah). The text does not explain these differences or say why the list is repeated.
Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 9:1, 1 Chronicles 9:2, 1 Chronicles 9:19, 1 Chronicles 9:23, 1 Chronicles 9:18, 1 Chronicles 9:20, 1 Chronicles 9:22, 1 Chronicles 9:15, 1 Chronicles 9:35, 1 Chronicles 9:36, 1 Chronicles 9:38, 1 Chronicles 9:41, 1 Chronicles 9:43
Literary context
The chapter closes the genealogies and turns them toward the temple. A one-verse summary looks back over eight chapters and forward to Babylon, and then the lists start again with people "in their possessions", so exile and resettlement sit side by side. Jerusalem's residents are given tribe by tribe, Judah first, then Benjamin, then priests and Levites. The gatekeepers' section is unlike anything before it: instead of names it describes work, the morning opening, the counted vessels, the sabbath bread, the singers busy "day and night". These verses read like a description of an institution rather than a family. The repetition of Saul's genealogy at the end, nearly word for word from chapter 8, is a hinge: the next verse of the book is the battle on Gilboa. By ending the lists with Saul's house, the narrator makes the move from genealogy to narrative pass through the king whose death opens David's story.
Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 9:1, 1 Chronicles 9:2, 1 Chronicles 9:3, 1 Chronicles 9:27, 1 Chronicles 9:28, 1 Chronicles 9:32, 1 Chronicles 9:33, 1 Chronicles 9:39, 1 Chronicles 9:44
Key moments
- Reckoned and carried to Babylon (1 Chronicles 9:1). The narrator sums up the genealogies and names the exile for transgression.
- The first inhabitants (1 Chronicles 9:2). Israelites, priests, Levites and Nethinims dwell again in their possessions.
- Priests able for the service (1 Chronicles 9:13). The priests in Jerusalem number 1,760 men fit for the work of God's house.
- Phinehas ruler in time past (1 Chronicles 9:20). The narrator says Phinehas the son of Eleazar once ruled the gatekeepers and the Lord was with him.
- Ordained by David and Samuel (1 Chronicles 9:22). Two hundred and twelve porters hold offices set by David and Samuel the seer.
- Opening the house each morning (1 Chronicles 9:27). The chief porters lodge round the house and open it every morning.
- Saul's line repeated (1 Chronicles 9:39). The chapter ends by tracing Kish, Saul, Jonathan and their descendants again.
For reflection
The chapter spends more words on who opened the doors each morning and who counted the vessels than on any king. What does that choice suggest about what this record thinks is worth remembering?
People in this chapter
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