1 Chronicles 23

1 When David [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] was old [advanced in years, satisfied with days] and full of years [having lived a long life], he installed [made to reign, caused to rule] his son [descendant, heir] Solomon [a king of Israel] as king [ruler, monarch] over [upon, in charge of] Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, his descendants]. word study 2 Then he gathered [assembled, summoned] all [every single one] the leaders [rulers, princes] of Israel [Jacob’s descendants], as well as [including, together with] the priests [spiritual leaders, mediators] and Levites [descendants of Levi, tribal assistants]. word study 3 The Levites [descendants of Levi, from the tribe of Israel] thirty [thirtieth year of life, a time of maturity] years of age or [and above, older than] older were counted [numbered, enrolled, or reckoned], and the total number [sum, or count] of men [great men, males] was 38,000 [thirty-eight thousand, a large company]. word study 4 “Of these [specific individuals],” said David, “24,000 [twenty-four thousand] are to oversee [conduct, lead] the work [employment, task] of the house [dwelling place, temple] of the LORD [Yehovah], 6,000 are to be officers [officials, rulers] and judges [those who govern, vindicate], word study 5 4,000 are to be gatekeepers [porters, doorkeepers], and [a multitude] 4,000 are to praise [celebrate, shine] the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] with the instruments [articles, utensils] I have made [created, brought into being] for giving praise [to celebrate, to shine].” word study 6 Then David [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] divided [to smooth, to make a distinction] the Levites [descendants of Levi, a tribe of Israel] into divisions [sections, courses, or groups] according to the sons [descendants, or family lines] of Levi: Gershom [a son of Levi], Kohath [the second son of Levi], and Merari [the third son of Levi, meaning’bitter’]. word study 7 The Gershonites [descendants of Gershon, from the tribe of Levi]: Ladan [a Levite, son of Gershon] and Shimei [a common Israelite name, brother of many]. word study 8 The sons [descendants, offspring] of Ladan [a Gershonite Levite]: Jehiel [God lives, a common Israelite name] the first [chief, head], Zetham [a Gershonite Levite], and Joel [Jehovah is God]—three [a triad, a small group of three] in all. word study 9 The sons [descendants, offspring] of Shimei: Shelomoth [a Levite, a son of Shimei], Haziel [having a vision of God], and Haran [a name meaning mountainous, elevated]—three [a triad, a completeness] in all. These [specific individuals, the following ones] were the heads [chiefs, leaders] of the families [households, clans] of Ladan [a Levite, son of Gershon]. word study 10 And the sons [descendants, offspring] of Shimei [a common Israelite name]: Jahath [a Levite], Zina [also called Zizah], Jeush [an Israelite], and Beriah [meaning with a friend]. These [specific ones] were the sons [children, heirs] of Shimei—four [a total of four] in all. word study 11 Jahath [the chief, head] was the first and Zizah [the second, in a position of secondary authority] was the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons [did not multiply, were not numerous], so they were counted as one family [a single household, a unified unit] and received a single assignment [one reckoning, a unified task]. word study 12 The sons [descendants, offspring] of Kohath [a Levite, son of Levi]: Amram [exalted people, father of Moses], Izhar [a Levite, uncle of Moses], Hebron [a son of Kohath, a descendant of Levi], and Uzziel [my strength is God, a son of Kohath]—four in all. word study 13 The sons [descendants, offspring] of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants [sons, family line] were set apart [separated, dedicated] forever to consecrate [sanctify, make holy] the most holy things [sacred objects, divine possessions], to burn incense [offer fragrant smoke] before the LORD [Yehovah], to minister [serve, attend] before Him, and to pronounce blessings [invoke divine favor, speak well] in His name [authority, reputation] forever. word study 14 As for Moses [the man who served God well] the man [a male person, an individual] of God [Elohim, the supreme Being], his sons [descendants, offspring] were named [to call, to proclaim] among [as part of, included with] the tribe [a clan, a family group] of Levi [a son of Jacob, a brother of Reuben]. word study 15 The sons [descendants, offspring] of Moses [the Israelite leader, lawgiver]: Gershom [son of Moses and Zipporah] and Eliezer [meaning God is help, a name signifying divine assistance]. word study 16 The descendants [sons, offspring, or posterity] of Gershom [a Levite, son of Moses]: Shebuel [the chief, head, or first] was the first [chief, head, or foremost]. word study 17 The descendants [sons, offspring] of Eliezer [God is help, the name of Abraham’s servant]: Rehabiah [Jehovah has enlarged, the firstborn] was the first [chief, head]. Eliezer [God is help] did not have any other [additional, different] sons, but the sons [descendants, children] of Rehabiah [Jehovah has enlarged] were very [exceedingly, abundantly] numerous [multiplied, increased]. word study 18 The sons [descendants, family members] of Izhar [a man from the tribe of Levi]: Shelomith [the chief, head, or firstborn] was the first [most prominent, in a position of leadership]. word study 19 The sons [descendants, offspring] of Hebron [a place in Palestine, a city of refuge]: Jeriah [the chief, head] was the first, Amariah [a priestly name, one who speaks of God] the second, Jahaziel [beheld of God, one who sees God] the third, and Jekameam [let the people rise, one who stands up] the fourth [in a series, last of four]. word study 20 The sons [descendants, offspring] of Uzziel [my strength is God]: Micah [who is like God, Micaiah] was the first [chief, head] and Isshiah [Jehovah will lend, Jesiah] the second [next in order, subordinate]. word study 21 The sons [descendants, offspring] of Merari [bitter, a Levite]: Mahli [sick, an Israelite] and Mushi [a Levite]. The sons [children, heirs] of Mahli: Eleazar [God has helped, a high priest] and Kish [bow, a leader]. word study 22 Eleazar [passed away] died without having any sons [male descendants, heirs]; he had only daughters [female children, offspring]. Their cousins [relatives, brethren], the sons [descendants, male heirs] of Kish [a family lineage, clan], married [took as wives, wedded] them. word study 23 The sons [descendants, male offspring] of Mushi [a Levite, son of Merari]: Mahli [meaning sick], Eder [a name referring to a person or place], and Jeremoth [meaning He is Most High] —three [a quantity of three, thrice] in all [total, entirety]. word study 24 These [specific, particular] were the descendants of Levi [a son of Jacob, a tribe of Israel] by their families [clans, households]—the heads [chiefs, leaders] of families, registered [counted, numbered] individually by name [identity, character]—those twenty [the age of maturity] years of age or older [and upward, from that point on] who worked [served, labored] in the service [ministry, worship] of the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 25 For David had said, “The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob], has given rest [to settle down, to remain in one place] to His people [a nation, a community] and has come to dwell [to live, to stay] in Jerusalem [the city of peace] forever [always, for eternity]. word study 26 So now the Levites [descendants of Levi, one of Jacob’s 12 sons] no longer need to carry [to lift or bear the burden of] the tabernacle [a special tent where God met with the Israelites] or any of the articles [utensils or vessels, everything necessary] for its service [work or ministry, serving God and others].” word study 27 For according to the final [last, concluding] instructions of David [the king of Israel, a man after God’s heart], the Levites [descendants of Levi, a tribe of Israel] twenty [a numerical value, a multitude] years of age or older [from twenty years old and upward, at least 20] were counted [numbered, enrolled, in a census], word study 28 but their duty [office, position of service] was to assist [wait on, serve alongside] the descendants of Aaron [the first high priest, brother of Moses] with the service [work, ministry] of the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], being responsible for [in charge of, overseeing] the courts [outer areas, public spaces] and chambers [inner rooms, private areas], the purification [cleansing, sanctifying] of all [every, everything] the holy things [sacred objects, set-apart items], and the work [deeds, actions] of the service [ministry, worship] of the house [temple, dwelling place] of God [Elohim, the one supreme God], word study 29 as well as for the rows [arrangements, piles] of the showbread [sacred loaves, bread of presence], the fine flour [special flour, crushed grain] for the grain offering [meal offering, gift to God], the wafers [flatbread, unleavened cakes] of unleavened bread [sweet bread], the baking [cooking, roasting], the mixing [stirring, soaking], and all measurements [quantities, capacities] of quantity [amount, portion] and size [measure, stature]. word study 30 They were also to stand [in a strong sense, like Moses in Exodus 17:12] every morning [at the break of day, a time of new beginnings] to give thanks [to throw or cast praise, originally meaning to shoot an arrow] and praise [to shine, celebrate, or make a show] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], and likewise [so, thus, in the same way] in the evening [at sunset, the end of the day]. word study 31 Whenever burnt offerings [sacrifices completely consumed by fire] were presented to the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] on the Sabbaths [days of rest and worship], New Moons [lunar cycles, beginning of the month], and appointed feasts [set times, sacred seasons], they were to serve regularly [continually, in an orderly manner] before the LORD in the numbers [quantity, specific amount] prescribed for them [according to their assigned duties]. word study 32 So the Levites were to carry out the responsibilities [duties, tasks] for the Tent [tabernacle, portable place of worship] of Meeting [appointed time, sacred gathering] and the Holy Place [sanctuary, set-apart area], and, under their brothers [fellow servants, close relatives] the descendants of Aaron [the first high priest, leader of the Israelites], the service [work, ministry] of the house [dwelling place, temple] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study