Tyndale Open Study Notes

Verse 1

6:1-81 By its substantial scope and placement in the center of the genealogical lists, this section gives special significance to the priestly tribe of Levi.

6:1-48 This section provides the genealogies of the three most significant groups of the tribe of Levi: the high priests (6:1-15), the three clans of Levites (6:16-30), and the singers (6:31-47). Each genealogy begins with an introduction, followed by the list of names.

6:1 The three sons of Levi are introduced, but their actual genealogies are postponed to follow the list of high priests.

Verse 2

6:2-15 After the Exile, the community of Judea, for whom Chronicles was written, needed to establish unequivocally the legitimate ancestry of the priests. This genealogy of Kohath established continuity between the ancestors known from the Pentateuch and the later high priests down to the exile of Judah in 586 BC; other records connected the priests following the Exile with this line (see Ezra 3:2; 7:1-6; Hag 1:1). Not all who served as high priest were included in this listing.

Verse 10

6:10 Most Old Testament scholars agree that the phrase the high priest at the Temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem belongs in 6:9 (connected to the first Azariah) but that the order was transposed through a scribal error. Making this correction yields 12 generations between Aaron and the building of the Temple, which conforms to the date in 1 Kgs 6:1 (480 years is the equivalent of 12 generations of 40 years each in numerical typology). The correction also results in 12 generations between the building of the Temple under Azariah to the rebuilding of the Temple under Jeshua (Ezra 3:2).

Verse 16

6:16-30 The second introduction of the Levites (6:16-19a) introduces the heads of all the Levitical families (6:19b-30). The list contains the genealogies of Gershon (6:20-21), Kohath (6:22-24), and Merari (6:29-30).

Verse 27

6:27 When he served under Eli, Samuel assumed a Levitical function (1 Sam 3:1).

Verse 31

6:31-47 This genealogy names the lead singers from Kohath (6:33), Gershon (6:39), and Merari (6:44), the chief Levitical families.

Verse 33

6:33 Heman held the lead position among David’s singers (see Ps 88:title).

Verse 39

6:39 Asaph wrote several psalms (Pss 50; 73–83).

Verse 49

6:49 This explanation of the priests’ prerogatives introduces the list that follows.

Verse 50

6:50-53 The list of priests from Aaron to Ahimaaz provides an introduction to the territorial list (6:54-81). The list runs down to David’s time, when Ahimaaz served (2 Sam 15:36; 17:17-29; 18:19-29).

Verse 54

6:54-81 The list of Levitical cities is derived from Josh 21, following a geographical logic, with families grouped in defined geographical districts. To show the unity and completeness of Israel, the territorial list presents the Levites as settled in the land to the same extent as the other tribes.