Study Desk

The Levites

When David was old and full of years, he made his son Solomon^(a) king over Israel.^(b)

He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites.

The Levites thirty years old or more^(c) were counted,^(d) and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand.^(e)

David said, "Of these, twenty-four thousand are to be in charge^(f) of the work^(g) of the temple of the Lord and six thousand are to be officials and judges.^(h)

Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the musical instruments⁽ⁱ⁾ I have provided for that purpose."^(j)

David separated^(k) the Levites into divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi:^(l) Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

Belonging to the Gershonites:^(m) Ladan and Shimei.

The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the first, Zetham and Joel—three in all.

The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel and Haran—three in all. These were the heads of the families of Ladan.

And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Ziza,^[a] Jeush and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei—four in all.

Jahath was the first and Ziza the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons; so they were counted as one family with one assignment.

The sons of Kohath:⁽ⁿ⁾ Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel—four in all.

The sons of Amram:^(o) Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart,^(p) he and his descendants forever, to consecrate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices before the Lord , to minister^(q) before him and to pronounce blessings^(r) in his name forever.

The sons of Moses the man^(s) of God were counted as part of the tribe of Levi.

The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.^(t)

The descendants of Gershom:^(u) Shubael was the first.

The descendants of Eliezer: Rehabiah^(v) was the first. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.

The sons of Izhar: Shelomith^(w) was the first.

The sons of Hebron:^(x) Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth.

The sons of Uzziel: Micah the first and Ishiah the second.

The sons of Merari:^(y) Mahli and Mushi.^(z) The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

Eleazar died without having sons: he had only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them.^(aa)

The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth—three in all.

These were the descendants of Levi by their families—the heads of families as they were registered under their names and counted individually, that is, the workers twenty years old or more^(ab) who served in the temple of the Lord .

For David had said, "Since the Lord , the God of Israel, has granted rest^(ac) to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever,

the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service."^(ad)

According to the last instructions of David, the Levites were counted from those twenty years old or more.

The duty of the Levites was to help Aaron's descendants in the service of the temple of the Lord : to be in charge of the courtyards, the side rooms, the purification^(ae) of all sacred things and the performance of other duties at the house of God.

They were in charge of the bread set out on the table,^(af) the special flour for the grain offerings,^(ag) the thin loaves made without yeast, the baking and the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size.^(ah)

They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord . They were to do the same in the evening^(ai)

and whenever burnt offerings were presented to the Lord on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon^(aj) feasts and at the appointed festivals.^(ak) They were to serve before the Lord regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them.

And so the Levites^(al) carried out their responsibilities for the tent of meeting,^(am) for the Holy Place and, under their relatives the descendants of Aaron, for the service of the temple of the Lord .^(an)

These were the divisions^(a) of the descendants of Aaron:^(b) The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.^(c)

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

With the help of Zadok^(e) a descendant of Eleazar and Ahimelek a descendant of Ithamar, David separated them into divisions for their appointed order of ministering.

A larger number of leaders were found among Eleazar's descendants than among Ithamar's, and they were divided accordingly: sixteen heads of families from Eleazar's descendants and eight heads of families from Ithamar's descendants.

They divided them impartially by casting lots,^(f) for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of God among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.

The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officials: Zadok the priest, Ahimelek^(g) son of Abiathar and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar.

The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,^(h)

the third to Harim,⁽ⁱ⁾ the fourth to Seorim,

the fifth to Malkijah, the sixth to Mijamin,

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

the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shekaniah,

the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,

the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,^(k)

the seventeenth to Hezir,^(l) the eighteenth to Happizzez,

the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel,

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

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

This was their appointed order of ministering when they entered the temple of the Lord , according to the regulations prescribed for them by their ancestor Aaron, as the Lord , the God of Israel, had commanded him.

As for the rest of the descendants of Levi:^(m) from the sons of Amram: Shubael; from the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah.

As for Rehabiah,⁽ⁿ⁾ from his sons: Ishiah was the first.

From the Izharites: Shelomoth; from the sons of Shelomoth: Jahath.

The sons of Hebron:^(o) Jeriah the first,^[a] Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth.

The son of Uzziel: Micah; from the sons of Micah: Shamir.

The brother of Micah: Ishiah; from the sons of Ishiah: Zechariah.

The sons of Merari:^(p) Mahli and Mushi. The son of Jaaziah: Beno.

The sons of Merari: from Jaaziah: Beno, Shoham, Zakkur and Ibri.

From Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons.

From Kish: the son of Kish: Jerahmeel.

And the sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth. These were the Levites, according to their families.

They also cast lots,^(q) just as their relatives the descendants of Aaron did, in the presence of King David and of Zadok, Ahimelek, and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites. The families of the oldest brother were treated the same as those of the youngest.

The Musicians

David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph,^(a) Heman^(b) and Jeduthun^(c) for the ministry of prophesying,^(d) accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals.^(e) Here is the list of the men^(f) who performed this service:^(g)

From the sons of Asaph: Zakkur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who prophesied under the king's supervision.

As for Jeduthun, from his sons:^(h) Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei,^[a] Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six in all, under the supervision of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied, using the harp⁽ⁱ⁾ in thanking and praising the Lord .

As for Heman, from his sons: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael and Jerimoth; Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-Ezer; Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir and Mahazioth.

(All these were sons of Heman the king's seer. They were given him through the promises of God to exalt him. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.)

All these men were under the supervision of their father^(j) for the music of the temple of the Lord , with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman^(k) were under the supervision of the king.^(l)

Along with their relatives—all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord —they numbered 288.

Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots^(m) for their duties.

The first lot, which was for Asaph,(n) fell to Joseph,
his sons and relatives[b]	12[c]
the second to Gedaliah,
him and his relatives and sons	12 Footnotes:   Cross References:   1 Chronicles 25:10 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the third to Zakkur,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:11 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the fourth to Izri,[d]
his sons and relatives	12 Footnotes:   Cross References:   1 Chronicles 25:12 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the fifth to Nethaniah,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:13 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the sixth to Bukkiah,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:14 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the seventh to Jesarelah,[e]
his sons and relatives	12 Footnotes:   Cross References:   1 Chronicles 25:15 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the eighth to Jeshaiah,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:16 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the ninth to Mattaniah,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:17 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the tenth to Shimei,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:18 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the eleventh to Azarel,[f]
his sons and relatives	12 Footnotes:   Cross References:   1 Chronicles 25:19 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the twelfth to Hashabiah,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:20 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the thirteenth to Shubael,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:21 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the fourteenth to Mattithiah,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:22 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the fifteenth to Jerimoth,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:23 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the sixteenth to Hananiah,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:24 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the seventeenth to Joshbekashah,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:25 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the eighteenth to Hanani,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:26 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the nineteenth to Mallothi,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:27 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the twentieth to Eliathah,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:28 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the twenty-first to Hothir,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:29 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the twenty-second to Giddalti,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:30 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the twenty-third to Mahazioth,
his sons and relatives	12 1 Chronicles 25:31 [ Read Chapter | Listen to Audio | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer,
his sons and relatives	12.(o)