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1 Chronicles 26

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

1. The list of Levites who were gatekeepers, treasure guardians, and civil judges is pre-figured in 1 Chronicles 23. The list comes from several periods of Israel's history.
   1. David
   2. Solomon
   3. post-exilic
   
   
2. As the list comes from several periods, so too, the descriptions of the temple.
   1. Solomon's temple
   2. the second temple of the post-exilic period
   
   
3. The number and places of the gates varied from
   1. Solomon's temple
   2. the second temple
   3. later additions on Ezekiel's eschatological temple (i.e., Ezekiel 40-48)
   
   
4. The gates
   1. The main gate faced the east (i.e., tabernacle). It is discussed in 1 Chr. 26:14. It was called "the king's gate" in 1 Chr. 9:18. It had six assigned guards.
   2. The south gate was closest to David's palace and had direct access into the temple area (1 Chr. 26:15). It had four assigned guards.
   3. The west gate, only here called "the gate of Shallecheth" (1 Chr. 26:16). It was the rear gate and may have opened into a courtyard or pavilion. It had four guards for the road and for the pavilion.
   4. The north gate (so prominent in Ezekiel) is mentioned in 1 Chr. 26:14. It had four guards.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 26:1-11
  ¹For the divisions of the gatekeepers there were of the Korahites, Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph. ²Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, ³Elam the fifth, Johanan the sixth, Eliehoenai the seventh. ⁴Obed-edom had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, ⁵Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh and Peullethai the eighth; God had indeed blessed him. ⁶Also to his son Shemaiah sons were born who ruled over the house of their father, for they were mighty men of valor. ⁷The sons of Shemaiah were Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad, whose brothers, Elihu and Semachiah, were valiant men. ⁸All these were of the sons of Obed-edom; they and their sons and their relatives were able men with strength for the service, 62 from Obed-edom. ⁹Meshelemiah had sons and relatives, 18 valiant men. ¹⁰Also Hosah, one of the sons of Merari had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father made him first), ¹¹Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth; all the sons and relatives of Hosah were 13.

26:1 "the gatekeepers" Some of the Levites served as "temple guardians" or "temple watchmen." They are listed in 1 Chr. 9:17-27 and numbered along with the singers in 1 Chr. 16:37-43. They are also mentioned in the second temple post-exilic period (cf. Ezra 2:42,70; 7:24; 10:24; Neh. 10:28; 11:19).

Their tasks involved security and access.

▣ "Asaph" In 1 Chr. 6:23; 9:19, he is named "Ebiasaph." The UBS Text Project, p. 434, gives this name a C rating (considerable doubt) for its insertion here instead of Asaph.

1. "from the sons of Asaph" ‒ מן - בני אסף
2. "from the sons of Ebiasaph" ‒ מן - בני אביאסף

Apparently #1 is an abbreviation of #2.

26:2 "the firstborn" See SPECIAL TOPIC: FIRSTBORN.

26:5 "God had indeed blessed him" This is an obvious eyewitness detail. The NET Bible puts it in parentheses. The blessing was the number of sons he had. Obed-edom (1 Chr. 26:4) kept the ark in his home until David brought it to Jerusalem (cf. 1 Chr. 13:13).

26:6 "mighty men of valor" This phrase, in this context, refers to men of administrative ability, not soldiers (normal usage). See similar phrases in

1. valiant men, 1 Chr. 26:7,9
2. able men with strength, 1 Chr. 26:8

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 26:12-19
  ¹²To these divisions of the gatekeepers, the chief men, were given duties like their relatives to minister in the house of the Lord. ¹³They cast lots, the small and the great alike, according to their fathers' households, for every gate. ¹⁴The lot to the east fell to Shelemiah. Then they cast lots for his son Zechariah, a counselor with insight, and his lot came out to the north. ¹⁵For Obed-edom it fell to the south, and to his sons went the storehouse. ¹⁶For Shuppim and Hosah it was to the west, by the gate of Shallecheth, on the ascending highway. Guard corresponded to guard. ¹⁷On the east there were six Levites, on the north four daily, on the south four daily, and at the storehouse two by two. ¹⁸At the Parbar on the west there were four at the highway and two at the Parbar. ¹⁹These were the divisions of the gatekeepers of the sons of Korah and of the sons of Merari.

26:13 "cast lots" See note at 1 Chr. 24:5.

26:14 "Shelemiah" This is the same person as "Meshelemiah" in 1 Chr. 26:2; apparently an abbreviation.

▣ "Zechariah, a counselor with insight" This is a contemporary, eyewitness detail.

26:15 "the storehouse" The word (BDB 63) is from the VERB "to gather" (BDB 62). It denotes that which is gathered and stored. This building was near the south gate. The word occurs only here (twice, 1 Chr. 26:15 and 17) and in Neh. 12:25.

Some scholars think it is the same as "treasuries" (1 Chr. 26:20).

26:17 "six Levites" The RSV and NJB emend the MT's "the Levites six" to "each day." The NRSV combines the two translations into "six Levites each day." The UBS Text Project, p. 434, gives "the Levites" a C rating (considerable doubt).

26:18 "the Parbar" This rare non-Semitic word (BDB 826) is found only here and possibly 2 Kgs. 23:11 ("parwar" in the DSS, Temple Scroll). There have been several suggestions.

1. pavilion
2. summer house
3. treasury (AB, p. 176)
4. colonnade (NRSV, REB)

Number 4 seems the best choice.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 26:20-21
  ²⁰The Levites, their relatives, had charge of the treasures of the house of God and of the treasures of the dedicated gifts. ²¹The sons of Ladan, the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, namely, the Jehielites, were the heads of the fathers' households, belonging to Ladan the Gershonite.

26:20 "the Levites, their relatives" The MT has "the Levites, Ahijah" (cf. NKJV, NRSV, JPSOA). The NASB follows the LXX. The UBS text Project, p. 435, gives the person's name a C rating (considerable doubt). The two are very close in Hebrew.

1. Ahijah ‒ אחיה
2. their brothers ‒ אחיהם

26:21-22 The MT closes 1 Chr. 26:21 with the name "Jehieli" and starts 26:22 with "the sons of Jehieli," but the NASB leaves out the first occurrence of the name. The NRSV, in a footnote, says the MT of 1 Chr. 26:21 is confused.

26:21 "Ladan" This is the same person (BDB 541) as "Libni" of 1 Chr. 6:17.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 26:22-28
  ²²The sons of Jehieli, Zetham and Joel his brother, had charge of the treasures of the house of the Lord. ²³As for the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites and the Uzzielites, ²⁴Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was officer over the treasures. ²⁵His relatives by Eliezer were Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zichri his son and Shelomoth his son. ²⁶This Shelomoth and his relatives had charge of all the treasures of the dedicated gifts which King David and the heads of the fathers' households, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and the commanders of the army, had dedicated. ²⁷They dedicated part of the spoil won in battles to repair the house of the Lord. ²⁸And all that Samuel the seer had dedicated and Saul the son of Kish, Abner the son of Ner and Joab the son of Zeruiah, everyone who had dedicated anything, all of this was in the care of Shelomoth and his relatives.

26:22 "Jehieli" The MT mentions him (BDB 313) at the end of 1 Chr. 26:21. He apparently is the same person as "Jehiel" of 1 Chr. 23:8.

26:25,26 "Shelomoth" In the MT margin (Qere) the name is spelled "Shelomith."

26:26 "the treasures" There were two kinds:

1. the things used in temple worship (cf. 1 Chr. 9:28-29; 23:28-29)
2. the dedicated gifts from David's conquest (and other kings, cf. 2 Sam. 8:11; 1 Kgs. 7:51; 1 Chr. 18:11; 26:26-27)

26:27 "to repair the house of the Lord" This comment

1. is out of place (temple not yet built)
2. the word means something else in this context (i.e., "strengthen," "maintain," "service," cf. NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 69)

26:28 "the seer" See full note at 1 Chr. 25:5.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 26:29-32
  ²⁹As for the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were assigned to outside duties for Israel, as officers and judges. ³⁰As for the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his relatives, 1,700 capable men, had charge of the affairs of Israel west of the Jordan, for all the work of the Lord and the service of the king. ³¹As for the Hebronites, Jerijah the chief (these Hebronites were investigated according to their genealogies and fathers' households, in the fortieth year of David's reign, and men of outstanding capability were found among them at Jazer of Gilead) ³²and his relatives, capable men, were 2,700 in number, heads of fathers' households. And King David made them overseers of the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of the Manassites concerning all the affairs of God and of the king.

26:29 "outside duties for Israel" This involves (cf. 1 Chr. 23:4)

1. officers (BDB 1009) ‒ probably related to usage in Deut. 1:15; 29:10; 31:28
2. judges (BDB 1047) ‒ see Deut. 1:16; 16:18; 19:17-18; 1 Chr. 23:4

26:31 This verse refers to written genealogies that were available to the author of Chronicles.

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