Study Desk

Kohath's sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four.

Amram's sons:⁽ⁱ⁾ Aaron and Moses. Aaron, along with his descendants,^(j) was set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense in the presence of Yahweh,^(k) to minister to Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name forever.

As for Moses the man of God,^(l) his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.

Moses' sons: Gershom and Eliezer.

Gershom's sons: Shebuel was first.

Eliezer's sons were Rehabiah, first; Eliezer did not have any other sons, but Rehabiah's sons were very numerous.

Izhar's sons: Shelomith was first.

Hebron's sons: Jeriah was first, Amariah second, Jahaziel third, and Jekameam fourth.

Uzziel's sons: Micah was first, and Isshiah second.

Merari's sons: Mahli and Mushi. Mahli's sons: Eleazar and Kish.

Eleazar died having no sons, only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them.

Mushi's sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth—three.

These were the sons of Levi by their ancestral houses—the heads of families, according to their registration by name in the headcount—20 years old or more, who worked in the service of the Lord 's temple.^(m)

For David said, "The Lord God of Israel has given rest to His people,⁽ⁿ⁾ and He has come to stay in Jerusalem forever.

Also, the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the equipment for its service"^(o)—

for according to the last words of David, the Levites 20 years old or more were to be counted—

"but their duty will be to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the Lord 's temple, being responsible for the courts and the chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of God's temple—

as well as the rows of the bread of the Presence,^(p) the fine flour for the grain offering,^(q) the wafers of unleavened bread, the baking,^[c](r) the mixing,^(s) and all measurements of volume and length.^(t)

They are also to stand every morning to give thanks and praise to the Lord , and likewise in the evening.

Whenever burnt offerings are offered to the Lord on the Sabbaths, New Moons,^(u) and appointed festivals, they are to do so regularly in the Lord 's presence according to the number prescribed for them.^(v)

They are to carry out their responsibilities for the tent of meeting, for the holy place,^(w) and for their relatives, the sons of Aaron,^(x) in the service of the Lord 's temple."

The divisions of the descendants of Aaron were as follows: Aaron's sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.^(a)

But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and they had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.^(b)

Together with Zadok^(c) from the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech from the sons of Ithamar, David divided them according to the assigned duties of their service.

Since more leaders were found among Eleazar's descendants than Ithamar's, they were divided accordingly: 16 heads of ancestral houses were from Eleazar's descendants, and eight heads of ancestral houses were from Ithamar's.

They^(d) were assigned by lot, for there were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God among both Eleazar's and Ithamar's descendants.

The secretary, Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded them in the presence of the king and the officers, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech^(e) son of Abiathar, and the heads of families of the priests and the Levites. One ancestral house was taken for Eleazar, and then one for Ithamar.

The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,

the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,

the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin,

the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,^(f)

the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,

the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,

the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,

the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez,

the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel,

the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul,

the twenty-third to Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.

These had their assigned duties for service when they entered the Lord 's temple, according to their regulations, which they received from their ancestor Aaron, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.

As for the rest of Levi's sons: from Amram's sons: Shubael; from Shubael's sons: Jehdeiah.

From Rehabiah: from Rehabiah's sons: Isshiah was the first.

From the Izharites: Shelomoth; from Shelomoth's sons: Jahath.

Hebron's^[a](g) sons: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

From Uzziel's sons: Micah; from Micah's sons: Shamir.

Micah's brother: Isshiah; from Isshiah's sons: Zechariah.

Merari's sons: Mahli and Mushi, and from his sons, Jaaziah his son.^[b]

Merari's sons, by his son Jaaziah:^[c] Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.

From Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons.

From Kish, from Kish's sons: Jerahmeel.

Mushi's sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. Those were the sons of the Levites according to their ancestral houses.

They also cast lots the same way as their relatives the sons of Aaron did in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the families of the priests and Levites—the family heads and their younger brothers alike.^(h)

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The following were the divisions of the gatekeepers: From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph.

Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,

Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, and Eliehoenai the seventh.

Obed-edom also had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sachar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth,

⁵Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, and Peullethai the eighth, for God blessed him.

Also, to his son Shemaiah were born sons who ruled over their ancestral houses because they were strong, capable men.

Shemaiah's sons: Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad; his brothers Elihu and Semachiah were also capable men.

⁸All of these were among the sons of Obed-edom with their sons and brothers; they were capable men with strength for the work—62 from Obed-edom.

Meshelemiah also had sons and brothers who were capable men—18.

Hosah,^(a) from the Merarites, also had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father had appointed him as the first),

¹¹Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, and Zechariah the fourth. The sons and brothers of Hosah were 13 in all.

These divisions of the gatekeepers, under their leading men, had duties for ministering in the Lord 's temple, just as their brothers did.

They cast lots for each gate according to their ancestral houses, young and old alike.^(b)

The lot for the east gate fell to Shelemiah.^[a] They also cast lots for his son Zechariah, an insightful counselor, and his lot came out for the north gate.

Obed-edom's was the south gate, and his sons' lot was for the storehouses;

it was the west gate and the gate of Shallecheth on the ascending highway for Shuppim and Hosah. There were guards stationed at every watch.

There were six Levites each day^[b] on the east, four each day on the north, four each day on the south, and two pair at the storehouses.

As for the court on the west, there were four at the highway and two at the court.

Those were the divisions of the gatekeepers from the sons of the Korahites and Merarites.