Exposition of the Whole Bible

wafhing them, and carrying out all the filth there- evel he chief of ike fathers, or heads of families: as they were counted by number of names by polls; or according to their heads, one by one: that did the work far the fervice of the boufe of Lord, the particulars of which are in ¥. from the age of 20 years, and upwards, they were firft numbered from 30 and upwards, ¥. 3. but David before his death ordered they fhould be numbered from 20 and upwards, y. 27. becaufe the Tjraelites, being increaied, there would be more work for the priefts in the temple, which would require the affiftance of more Levites. The reafons theirtof made by.the facrifices, and otherwife.

y. 29. Bath for the foew-bread, &c.] Alfo to. thejmake and get that ready every week for the priefts 28—31.Jto fet on the fhew-bread-table, when they took off — the other that had ftood a week, fee ch. ix. 32. @ for the fine flour for meat-offering, and for the un-— /eavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the ~ pan, and for that which is fryed, to deliver out™ the flour of which thefe feveral things were made, fee ch. ix. 31. and Lev. ii. and for all manner of meafures and fize; as the bin and the ephab, and”

follow. the feveral parts of them; for things both liquid

¥.25. For David faid, &c.] As a reafon why he ordered a new account to be taken: and dry, which were in their keeping, and accordthe Lordjing to which they gave out the proper quantity of *-

God of Tfrael bath given ret unto his people; from all their enemies round about, and fettled reft in the land, fo that there was no danger of being car ried captive, as they were time after, time in the days of the Fudges, and whereby they became more numerous: that they may dwell in Ferufalem for ever; where the temple would’ always continue, and not be removed as the ark and tabernacle had been, and where all J/rae/ would appear three times in the year continually.

y¥. 26. And alfo unto the Levites, &c.] Or with refpect to them: they fhall no more carry the tabernacle; on their fhoulders, from place to place, as they had done: zor any veffels of it for the fervice thereof; and fo the fervice of it did not require men at their full ftrength, but fuch as were but twenty years of age might be employed in it.

y¥. 27. For by the laft words of David, &c.] Or therefore by the laft orders he gave before his death: the Levites were numbered from 20 years old and above; as able and fufficient to do the work of their office.

y¥. 28. Becaufe their office was to wait on the fons

oil, and wine, and fine four upon occafion.

¥. 30. And to fland every morning to thank and praife the Lord, &c.| The office of others of them’ was to fing the praifes of God, both vocally and with inftruments of mufick, at the time of the morn=" ing-facrifice: and likewife at even, at the time of the evening-facrifice, by way of thankfulnefs for the mercies of the night and of the day.;

¥. 31. And to offer all burnt-facrifices unto the Lord, &c.| This was the work of the priefts to offer fuch facrifices, and not the Levétes; but the meaning is, according to the Targum, and fo Kim— chi, that thefe not only, fung the praifes of God morning and evening, but at all times when burntofferings were offered to the Lord; befides, fome of them helped the priells at fuch times in flaying the facrifices, and bringing them to the altar: and efpecially their fervice was requifite zz the Jabbaths, in the new moons, and on the fet feafis, by number; becaufe befides the daily facrifices, there were ad= ditional offerings at thofe times: according to the order commanded unto them continually before the Lord; fee Numb. xxviii. and xxix. 1 Ber

¥. 32. And that they foould keep the charge of the of Aaron, &c.] The priefts: for the fervice of the houfe of the Lord to affift them therein, and tabernacle of the congregation, 8&c.] ‘That no unclean perfons entered into it, and that none of the not to bear burdens as in times paft; the Targum is, ‘* wherefore the place of their habitations was veflels were carried out of it; this was the bufinels of the porters: and the charge of the holy place; of by the fide of the fons of Aaron, for the worfhip of the fanétuary of the Lord:” iz the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all boly things, and the work of the fervice of the boufe things that belonged unto it, the vefiels in it, and what was requifite for it, and ufed there: and the charge of the fons of Aaron their brethren; the priefts, whatever they fhould command them to do: "in of God; to keep the houfe, and all the apartments in it, courts and chambers clean, by fweeping and

T made of the priefts into twenty-four claffes or courfes, and which were obferved by lot, and each courfe had an head or principal man over it, y¥.1—19, and of a like diftribution of the Levites into the fame number of courfes, to attend the priefts in theirs, ¥. 20—31.

y.1. Now thefe are the divifions of the fons of and Abimelech of

Aaron, &c.| Into the claffes or courfes following:

the fons of Aaron, Nadab, and Abibu, Eleazar and the one was high-prieft, and the

Ithamar; ch. vi. 3. thefe were the immediate fons of Aaron; but the divifion or diftribution of them into claffes, are of their pofterity in the times of David, who defcended from the two nately, until the one was remove “in time, and the other eftablithed alone. their brethren the priefts, who were ur y¥.2. But Nadab and Abibu died. before their fa- the fervice of the boufe of the Lord; in any “part and branch of it before fpecified. co Ee

HIS chapter relates the diftribution David) ther, &c. Whilft he was living, fee Leo. x.1,20 and had no children, therefore Eleazar and Ithamar~ executed the priofts office; otherwife, as Yarchi obferves, had their brethren left children, they wou have come into the office beforethem. © ¥..3. And David diftributed them, &c.] Thi pofterities of Eleazar and Ithamar into ¢ claffes or courfes: Loth Zadok of the fons of the fons of Ithamar the two principal men of the refpeét Shel puty; or they both officiated as high- thefe, are the perfons David divided into according to their offices in their fervice; to their office as priefts in the fervice of the temple in their turns. 4 oe

y. 4. And there were more chief men found of the fons of Eleazar, than of the fons of Ithamar, &c."

Or heads of men, heads of their fathers houfes and families: and thus were they divided; among the fons of Eleazar there were 16 chief men of the houfe of their fathers, and eight among the fons of

Ithamar, according to the boufe of their fathers; in all 24, and into fo many clafiés or courfes did David divide them; Yarchi fays, at firft when the tabernacle was at Shiloh, there were but 16 courfes, eight from Eleazar, and eight from Ithamar, as is explained in the treatife of fafting"; but when David faw that there were more heads of men, or chief men of Eleazar’s, he divided the courfes of Eleazar into two parts, and Axed 16 courfes; and the courfes. of Ithamar he eftablifhed as at firit, eight courfes; left them as they were, which he thinks.appears from y. 6. but of the former num-} ber of courfes; and when and by whom. fixed, the Fews are divided’; fee the note on Luke 15. perhaps. there were none before David’s time..

¥. 5. Thus were they divided by lot, one fort with another, &c.}].. Which. courfe fhould ferve.-firit, and which next, and fo on; and who fhould. be the chief 'to. each courfe; which courfe was to ferve a week, and then-go out; and this method was taken to prevent envy, {trife and contention about precedence: for the governors of the fanéuary, or of the holy things, or who prefided in things ecclefiaftical: and governors of the houfe of God; or rather governors of God, appointed by him judges in civil things: were of the fons of Eleazar, and of the fons of Ithamar;, there were of both families, fome employed both in facred and civil things, and who prefided in each.

_ ¥. 6. And Shemaiah the fon of Nethaneel the cribe,

&c.] The Zargum is, Mofes the chief {cribe, fo called: one of the Levites wrote them; the lots, and the names upon them, put into the urn, and as they came out, which was firft, fecond, &e. and this was done before the king, and the princes, and Ladok the pric, and Abimelech the fon of Abiathar, and before the chief of the fathers of the priefts and Levites; and in this public manner before fuch great perfonages, and in the prefence of thofe that were interefted in the affair, that it might appear plainly no frandulent methods were taken, and that there might be no fufpicion of any: one principal hou e- hold being taken for Eleazar, and one for Ithamar; the fenfe of Farchi as above, and other Fewi/h writers, is, that one was added to each family. of Eleazar, and fo made 16, and Jthamar’s were retained, and left as at firft, eight: but the fenfe is, that firft one family of Eleazar was taken, and then one of IJthamar’s family, and then one of Eleazar’s again, and fo on until 16 were gone through; and then the other eight were divided under fo many heads of the family of Eleazar.

¥.7—18. Now the firft lot came forth to Fehoiarib, &cc.| And the other 23 to the following perfons in order: Fedatah, Harim, Seorim, Malchijah, Mijamin, Hakkoz, Abijah, Fefoua, Shecaniah, Eliafoib, Fakim, Huppab, Fefbebeab, Bilgab, Immer, Hezir, Aphfes, Pethabiah, Febexekel, Fachin, Gamul, Delaiab, and Maaziab; of all which courfes we know little more than their names, though they continued in fome form or other both under the! fence of David the king, and Zadok, and Abimelech, and the chief of the fathers of the priefts and Levites, as in ¥. 6. even the principal: fathers overagainft their younger brethren; the fenfe is, either that the one ftood over-againft the other, to be di+ {tributed by lot, the one as well as the other; or they were chofen by lor, let it fall as it would, firft and fecond temple, to the deftruction of it; — the Fews fay only four of thefe courfes returned from the Babylonifo captivity, which were thole of Fedaiah, Harim, Pajbur and Inmer; though Pa/bur 1s. not among thefe here; yet they fay each of thefe four had fix Jots, and that the names, and the order of the other courfes, were retained and continued under them, and fupplied by them: hence we read of Mattathiah, from whom {pfung the’ Maccabees, as of the courfe of Feboiarib, 1 Maccabd. li. 1. which was the firft courfe, and the moft honourable; wherefore Fofepbus?, who was of it; valued himfelf upon it, that he was not only of the prieftly order, but of the firft clafs or courfe of the 245 and we alfo read of the courfe of 4bijab, the eighth courfe,. of which was Zechariah the father of Fobn the Baptif, Luke i. 5. of thefe: courfes, fee more in the note there.

¥. 19. Thefe were the orderings of them, &c.} Their-claffes or courfes into which they were divided: in their fervice to come into the boufe of the Lord; to perform their fervicé in the temple, according to their turns, and in courfe as fixed by lot; one clafs or courfe ferved one week, and then went out, and another came in, each confifting of tooo men; fee ch. xxiii, 4. according to their manner; law; right, cuftom, here prefcribed for them: ander: Maron their father; that.iss; him who was highprieft for the time being; who bore this name becaufe his {ucceflor and reprefentative, under whofe infpection, direétion and. authority all the reft of the, priefts were, and whom they were to obey in all things: as the Lord God of Ifrael bad commana~, ed-hims to take care they fhould be done:

¥. 20—30. And the reft of the fons of Levi were thefe, &c.] Who were not priefts, only Levites; and from hence, to y. 30. ‘their names are given; of the fons of Amram, Shubael, and his fonFebdeiah; Rebabiah the fon of Eleazar, and Is/biab the fon of Rebabiah; of the Izbarites, fo called from Izbar, the brother\of Amram, Shelomoth, and his fon. Fahath; and, of the fons of Hebron, another brother of Amram, Feriah, Amariab, Fabaziel, and Fekameam 3 of the fons of Uzziel, another brother of Amram, Michab, andhis fon Shamir;_Isfriab the brother of M+ chah, and his fon Zechariah: the fons of Merari, Mabli and Mu/hi, bis immediate fons; from whom fprung by Yaaziah, Beno, Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri; ot Mabli {prung Eleazar, who had no*fons; and Kid, whofe fon was Ferabmeel; the fons of Mu/bi, another fon of Merari, Mahbli, Eder, and ferimoth; moft of thefe names are the fame with thofe in ch, Xxili, 16—-23. thefe were the fons of the Levites, after the houfe of their fathers; fome of the principal of them.

¥. 31. Thefe likewife caft lots over-againft their brethren, the fons of Aaron, &c.] » Thefe being divided into 24. claffes alfo, caft lots; which clafs fhould anfwer to, ‘attend upon, and ferve the firft — courfe of the priefts, and which the feeond, and fo on. And. this they did in the fame folemn and public manner as the priefts had done: in the pre- without any regard to age or dignity, to the niority or largenefs of houfes and families; but as fe-Jor poorer, their families more or lefs numerous, — and ancient, fo they took their places.

they were chofen, be they younger or elder, richer

¥. 1. Moreover, David and the captains of the boft feparated to the fervice, &c.| Of finging the praifes of God; this was done by the princes of the people, and the chief of the priefts, who were gafeer, &c.) ‘The prophet of _the king, as the Targum, who was frequently with him, affifting him» i the words of God in divine things: to Aft up ¢he born; to blow with the hornpipe or trumpet, thered together, and before whom the lots were caft, both for priefts and Levites, and now here for the fingers, fee ch. xxiii. 2. and xxiv. 6. and thofe that were feparated were of the fons of Afaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, or Ethan, the three precenters, or chief of the fingers: who should prophefy with harps, with pfalteries, and with cymbals, fing pfalms, hymns, and fpiritual fongs, indited by the holy Spirit ot God; which contained in them prophecies concerning things to come, particularly relating to the Meffiah, of which there are many in the book of P,aims; and to the tunes of thefe they played on the above inftruments of mufick: and the number of the workmen, according to their fervice was; as follows.

¥. 2. Of the fons of Afaph, &c.]. Who were feparated, and by lot appointed to the fervice of fingers in the temple: Zaccur, and Fofeph, and Nethaniah, and Afarelab, called Fefharelab, y. 1 4. thefe had the 3d, 4th, 5th, and 7th lots, ¥. g, 10. 12.14. under the hands of Afaph, under his inftruction and authority: which prophefied according to the order of the king, which A/aph compofed pfalms under the infpiration of the Spirit of God, and was ordered by king David to fing them, and by whofe command they were inferted in the book of pfalms, where they now ftand with his name to x. 3. Of Feduthun, &c.] Or Ethan, the fons of Feduthun: Gedaliah and Zeri; called Jzri, ¥. 11. and Fefoaiah, Hafbabiah, and Mattithiah, fix; whereas five only are mentioned; it may be thought that Shimei, ¥. 17. is the fixth, he not being mentioned elfewhere; it is a tradition of the Fews, that his mother was now with child of him, and it being forefeen by the Holy Spirit that he would be the chief of a courfe, the number fix is given, as Farchi obferves; but rather as Kimchi, he was young, and not fit to fing, yet was chofen the head of a courfe, until he was grown up and fit for it; to thefe fix came up the 2d, 4th, 8th, 12th, 14th, and roth lots, ¥.9. 11. 15. 21. 17. and thefe were under the hands of their father feduthun; to inftruct and direct them, and appoint their fervice to them: who prophe/ied with a harp; or fang a prophetic pfalm or hymn on that: to give thanks, and to praife the Lord, for what he had done and rege’ and foretold he would do for his peo- and to magnify and fet forth the ar of the kingdom of J/rael, and efpecially of the king Me fab, the horn of falvation, that would be raifed up in the houfe of David: and God gave to Heman ‘fourteen fons; whofe names are before-mentioned > and three daughters; of whom we have no more account, only may obferve, that both are the gifts of God, and an heritage from him, Pf cxxvii. 3.

¥. 6. All thefe were under the hands of their father, for fong in the houfe of the Lord, 8c.) Inftructed and direéted by him in the performance of the fervice in the temple: with cymbals, pfalteries, and harps, for the fervice of the boufe of God; which were the three principal inftruments of mufic ufed in the temple-fervice: according to the king’s order, to Afaph, ‘Jeduthun, and Heman;, who ordered and directed them what to fing, what tunes to make ufe of, and what inftruments to play upon to thofe

¥. 7. So the number of them, with their brethren, &c.}] Who each of them had 12 with them, as after reckoned: that were inftrufed in the fongs of the Lord; taught how to fing them: even all that were cuaning; expert and well filled in the feience of finging: was 288; for there being 24 claffes anfwerable to thofe of the priefts, and 12 in each clafs, 12 times 24 make 288. '

¥. 8. And they caft lots, ward againft ward, e.J That is, which ward or courfe of the fingers fhould anfwer to and attend on the firft ward or courfe of the priefts in their weekly fervice, and which the fecond, and fo on: as well the fmall as the great, the teacher as the febolar; no regard was had to the age of a perfon, his being the firitborn or a younger brother, or to his office and ftation, whether as a teacher or a learner in the fcience of finging; he was made the head of a courfe, as the lot came up; and it may eafily be. obferved, by comparing the lots in the following verfes with the fons of the chief fingers, according: to the order of them in ¥. 2, 3, 4. that the younger are often preferred in the courfes by lot to the el~ der, of which even the firft lot isan inftance.

¥. 9. Now the firft lot came forth for Afaph to Fofeph, &e.] His fecond fon to the preference of the firft-born, ¥. 2. the fecond to Gedaliah, wha with his brethren and fons were twelve; and which mutt alfo be underftood of Fo/eph, and fupplied to © him; for thofe being both in one verfe, as Farchi — obferves, it is but once mentioned, but muft be fupplied, or otherwife the number,of 288 could not be made up; the fame is obferved of all the other lots and courfes to the end of the chapter as here, and therefore need no more remarks.

FN this chapter we have a farther account of th —¥. 9. And Mefbelemiah had fous and brethren; difpofition and diftribution of the Levites, to Strong men, eighteen, &c.] He had feven fons; y. ferve in other offices, as of porters at the feveral| 1, 2, 3. and therefore mutt have eleven brethren or gates of the temple, for which they catt lots, y. kinfmien. 1—1g. of others, as over the treafures of the houfe of the Lord, ¥. 20o—28. and of others that were appointed judges in the land, to adminifter juftice to the people, ¥. 29g—32.

y. 10. Alfo Hofah of the children of Merari had fons, &c.]. Who was a fellow -porter of Odededom’s at the ark, ch. xvi. 38. Simri the chief (for though he was not the firft born, yet his Sather made him the chief;) the firtt-born being unfit for fervice, either through want of an intellectual capacity, or of ftrength of body, or through forhe defect or another; according to the Syriac verfion, he was dead; fo fome underftand the words; he, the father, had no firft-born remaining or living. ¥. 11. Hilkiab the fecond, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth; all the fons and brethren of Hofah were thirteen] Four fons, and nine brethren or kinfmen. ¥. 12. Among thefe were the diviftons of the porfers, even among the chief men, &c.] Tliefe before named were the principal men of the porters; among which was a divifion or diftribution of them into claffes or courfes, in which they ferved weekly in turn: having wards one againft another, to mi-« nifter in the houfe of the Lord; meaning either to watch in, as on the north againft the fouth, and the eaft againft the welt, and wice verfa. The Jews fay ‘, the priefts kept ward in three places in the houfe of the fanctuary; in the houfe of Abtines; in the houfe of Nitzotz, and in the houfe of Mkeds and the Levites in 21 places, five at the five gates of the mountain of the houfe, four at the four corners of it within, five at the five gates of the court, four at the four corners of it without; one at the chamber of the offering, one at the chamber of the veil, and another behind the houfe of atonement, the holy of holies; but rather the fenfe is, that they had wards or courfes an werable to thofe of the priefts, and the other Levites, the fingers, and were diftributed into 24 clafles of courfes as they, which are thus reckoned by Kimchi, at the eaft fix, at the north four, at the fouth four, at Afuppim two and two, which were four; at the weft four, and at Parbar two; lo, twentyfour; fee ¥. 17, 18. ¥. 13. And they caft lots, &c.] To determine at which gate each fhould ftand, who at this gate, and who at the other, &c. as well the fall as the great, according to the houfe of their fathers for every gate; meaning, not little ones and grown perfons in a family, but the {maller and poorer families, and the larger and richer ones, had their places affigned them at the feveral gates, as the Jot directed; they did not go according to the dignity and precedence of their families, but according to lot ¥. 14. And the lot eaftward fell to Shelemiab, 8c.) The fame with Méefhelemiah, ¥. 1, 2, 9. he by lot was placed at the eaftern gate, called afterwards the gate Shufban, the city Shufhan being portrayed upon it": then for Zechariah his fon (a wife coun- éllor;) and who was his firft-born, ¥.2. a man of great parts and learning: for they were not mean perfons that were employed in this office; nor was the office a mean one, like that of our

¥. 1. Concerning the divifions of the porters, &c.

Or door-keepers, whofe bufinefs it was to open and fhut the doors of the temple, to keep all impure and improper perfons from entring into it, or any of the vefféls being carried out of it, and to prevent tumults and riots about it; thefe, as it feems, David divided into a like number of claffés, as the fingers, to take their turns in waiting: of the Korbites was Mefhelemiab the fon of Kore, of the fons of Afaph, not Afaph the finger, who was a Ger/bonite, but the fame with Elia/aph, ch. vi. 23, 27. a Korbite.

¥. 2, 3. And the fons of Mefhelemiah were, Zechariah the firft-born, &c.] And fix more, who are mentioned in their order: Fediael, Zebadiab, and Fathniel, Elam, Febobanan, and Elicenai.

W. 4, 5. Moreover, the fons of Obed-edom, &c.] The fame at whofe houfe the ark was, before it was brought by David to Zion; his fons were porters alfo, as himfelf, ch. xv. 24. and xvi. 38. mention is made of eight fons of his, according to their birth: Shemaiah, Febozabad, Foab, Sacar, Nethanecl, Ammiel, Iffachar, Peulthai; for God bleffed bim, as with wealth and riches, fo with a numerous offspring, and that becaufe of his entertainment of the ark at his houfe; the great increafe of his family is aggravated by the Jews? beyond all credit, that all in his family brought eight at a birth; the Targum here makes them eighty-two in all.

¥. 6. Alfo unto Shemaiah bis fon, &c1 His firft-born, ¥. 4. were fons born, that ruled throughout the boufe of their father; were heads of families, “eminent and principal men: for they were mighty men of valour; which their office fometimes required them to be, to guard the temple at night as well as day from thieves and robbers, and to hinder refolute men entring in, unfit for it, and feize on rioters, and quell tumults raifed.

¥. 7. The fons of Shemaiah, &c.] The fame before-mentioned, the firft-born of Oded-edoim: Othni, and Rephael, and Obed, and Elzabad, whofe brethren were firong men; Elibu and Semachiah; which may rather denote their valour and courage, as before, though ftrength of body was ‘needful, partisularly to open and fhut the doors of the temple, which, Yo/ephus** fays, required the affiftance of 20 men...

¥. 8. All thefe of the fons of Obed-edom, &c.] And grandfons: they and their fons and their brethren, able men for ftrength for the fervice; men of fortitude of mind and ftrength of body, as before obferved: were 62 of Obed-edom; that fprung from him, which the ews * account for in an extravagant manner, as the effect of mitaculous births.

porters; but men of confiderable rank and figure, _ and of knowledge and learning, were in it; fome of them were judges, ¥. 29. and their places were places of great truft, they had much treafure committed to them, as appears by ¥. 20, @&e. they caft lots, and bis lot came out northward; where was a gate jn after-times,- called Teri or Tedi, which differed from other gates in this, that it had no threfhold, only one ftone was laid upon another, and was not commonly ufed ”.

¥. 15. To Obed-edom fouthward, &c.} Where were two gates in after-times, called the gates of Huldah*: and to his fons, the houfe of Afuppim;' the word has the fignification of gathering, hence fome take it to be a council-houfe, where the Sanhedrim or elders gathered together, and fat; and others, rather a treafure-houfe, where things of value were collected and laid up, fince Obded-edom had the charge of gold and filver, and the vefiels of the houfe, 2 Chron. xxv. 24. but Dr. Lightfoot ’ is of opinion, that ‘* d/uppim were two gates in the weftern wall, which ftood moft fouth, or neareft to Ferufalem, and the boule of Afuppim was a large piece of building that ran between them, which was’a treafury, or divers rooms for treafuring or laying up fomething for the ufe of the temple;” though L’Empereur thinks * it was the chamber of Korban, which is not fo probable.

y. 16. To Shuppim and Hofab the lot came forth wefward, &c.| Of Shuppim no mention is before made; of Ho/ah, fee ¥. 10, 11. their lot was to be placed at the gates on the weftern wall, where were four; the two more fouthward being affigned to the fons of Obed-edom, whofe lot alfo was fouthward, are taken notice of under the divifion in the preceding verfe; Parbar was another, ¥. 18. and another follows here: with the gate Shallecheth, by the caufey of the going up; this gate was in later times called Coponius, from the name of a Roman commander, in the times of Herod, who might give it this name on his account; it might have the name of Shallecheth either from /ending out, or carrying out the filth of the temple through it; or rather from cafling up the caufey, as here exprefled, which was the going up, or afcent, Solomon made, by which he went up to the temple, 1 Kings xx. gs. and which agrees with the defcription Fo epbus * gives of one of the gates on the weftern wall, that it led to the royal palace, the valley between being filled up for the paffage; on each fide of which caufey, it is faid, grew oaks and teil-trees, fee J.

vi. 13. which ferved both to keep up the caufey, and to make a fine, pleafant, fhady walk for the king to pafs through to the temple; all which are obferved by Dr. Lightfoot®: ward againft ward; for as the gates anfwered one another, {fo the wards or watches at them.

y. 17. Eaftward were fix Levites, &c.] The eaftern gate being the way of entrance into the temple, required more porters: northward four a day; in the day-time, or every day, where was the gate Teri or Tedi, ¥. 14. fouthward four a day; at the two gates of Huldah, ¥. 15. and toward Afupzim two and two, which were two gates, two at each gate, ¥. 15.

y. 18. At Parbar weftward, &c.] A gate at the weftern wall; the Fewi/b writers generally interpret it an outward place, but Dr. Lightfoot * thinks it is the fame with Parvar, which fignifies fuburbs, 2 Kings xxiii. 11. and which agrees with the defcription Fo/ephus * gives of one of the weftern gates, that it led to'the fuburbs: four at the caufey; by which was the gate Shallecheth, ¥. 16. and two at Parbar; the gate before- mentioned. ¥. 29. Thefe are the divifions of the porters ¢ the fons of Kore, and among the fons of Merari | For among thofe Levites which defcended from Kore, a grandfon of Kobath, and which fprung, — from Merar, a brother of Kohath, the porters.only. were, fee y. 1.10. “i ott to y. 20. And of the Levites, &c.) The reft of. the Levites, as the Gerfbonites, Amramites, Izha-; rites, and Hebronitet, ¥. 21.23. Abiyab was over the treafures of the bouje of God; as the tithes, velfels, veftments, wine, and oil, and other ‘things fuch an one was Phinebas- at the time of the de=) ftruction of Ferufalem by Vefpafian, who being, taken, fhewed and delivered the priefts garments,, and many other precious things and facred orna~ ments under his care *: aud over the treafures of the dedicate things; voluntarily devoted for facrifices and repairs of the temple; and this 4bijab had, the, care of each of thofe at firft, which afterwards were dixigey and put.under the care of different per-) © ons. 5 y¥. 21. As concerning the. fons of Laadan,. &e.} The fame with Libni, fee ch. xxiii, 7. the fons-of, the Gerfoonite Laadan, {0 called, to diftinguifh him from another Laadan, as Kimchi thinks +, chief faz, thers, even of Laadan the Gerfbonite; that {prang from him: were Yebieli; and his fons next men= tioned. Ws teal ¥.22. The fons of Febiel, Letham, and Foel bis, brother, &c.} Both ions.of Fehiel which were. over the treafures of the houfe of the Lord.; that part of the truft which before was committed to dbijab, which concerned, provifions for facred ufes, before, obferved. o. ran - ¥. 23. Of the. Amramites, and the lzharites, the Hebronites, and the Uxzselites.] Whofprang from the four fons of Kobath, Amram,.Izbar, Hebron, and Uzziel, Exed. vi. 18. with refpect to, the concerns they feverally had in the truft of the treafures, the account follows, all but the Uzzielites, whovare not after mentioned. ¥. 24. And Shebuel the fon of Gerfoom, the fon.of Mofes, was ruler of the treafures.| This is the firft time that any of the pofterity of Mo/es are taken notice of, as being in any office of honour, authority, and truft, by the Targum he is faid to be Jonathan, {poken of in Fudg. xviii. 30. but very wrongly; this man, according to Jarchi and Kimebi, had all thé treafures and treafurers under him. - ¥.25. And bis brethren by Eliezer, Sc.) His kinfmen that defcended from £liezer, the brother of Gerfhom, the anceftor of Shebuel, whole defcent from him in fucceffion were Rebabiah, Felbaiab, Joram, Zichri, and Shelomith, i eee ¥. 26. Which Shelomith, &c.) The laft-mentioned in the lineage from Eliezer, the younger foa of Mojes: and bis brethren; or kinimen: were over all the treafures of the dedicate things, which He Rea tees for the fervice of God, and the temple particularly: which David the king had dedicated; out of the {poils the téok in rsd. 2 Sam. viii, 11. the chief fathers; princes of tribes, — and heads of families: the captains over t, and hundreds; in the feveral tribes ppMjen cna - ‘ ‘ 7.:

Chixxvi.y.ay7—32. 1, CHRONICLES.

and were concerned in the adminiftration of juftice to the people: and the captains of the hoft bad dedicated; of the army, out of the fpoils in victory that came to their fhare, fee Num. xxxi. 48. 50. as follows. ¥. 27. Out of the fpoils won in battle, did they dedicate td maintain the boufe of the Lord.| When it fhould be built; for as yet it was not; both to repair it when neceffary, and to provide facrifices for it; or toconfirm, {trengthen, and animate the heart of the king to build-it, fo fome, and put it into the power of his hands to doit; fo the Rotnans dedicated the beft of their fpoil, and laid it up in the temple of Jupiter Feretrius, after the examle of Romulus, their firlt king ‘; yea, fometimes out of the fpoil they erected temples, as Targuinius Superbus ® did; or repaired and ornamented them, as the temple at De/phos, and others".

y¥. 28. And all that Samuel the feer, &c.] Or prophet, won in battle with the Philiftines: and Saul the fon of Kifo; in his wars with the Moabites, Edomites, Amalekites, and Pbiliftines: and Abner the fon of Ner; the general of his army, who as fuch had his fhare in the {poils: and Foab the fon of Zeruiah, the general of David’s army, who fought with the Ammonites, Syrians, and others, all of whom had dedicated more or lels towards the building of the temple, and the fupport df it, it being known by them all, that God would have a place to put his name in: and whefoever bad dedicated any thing, it was under the hand of Shelomith,

» 37 brethren, men of valour, 1700, 8c.) And fuppoling the /zbarites in the preceding verfe to be 1600, thefe, with thofe on the other fide Fordan, 2700, ¥. 32. make up juft the 6000 officeis and judges, ch. xxiii. 4. thele were officers among them of

Trael on this fide Fordan weftward; in thofe parts of the land which were on this fide Fordan, to the weft of it, yet nearer to it than thofe meant by Irael in the preceding verfe; it may refpect thofe that dwelt more remote from ordan, though on this fide alfo, towards the Mediterranean fea: in all bufinefs of the Lord, and in the fervice of the king; in things divine and civil, what appertained to the worfhip of God,-and the fupport of civil government, and to take care that all the laws were obferved, moral, ceremonial, and judicial, and that both the Lord was feared, and the king honoured, and both had what was due unto them.

¥. 31. Among the Hebronites was Ferijah the chief, even among the Hebronites, &c.] The pofterity of Hebron, the fon of Kobath: according to the generations of his fathers; a principal man in the families that defcended from his anceftors: in the 40th year of the reign of David; which was the laft year of his reign, in which year all the above things were done; the diftribution of the pric{ts into their claffes and courfes, and fo of the Levises, fingers, and porters; as well as the appointment of thofe feveral judges and officers employed in divers parts of the land: and particularly in this year thofe Hebronites were fought for, and there were and of bis brethren; this man had a great truft found among them mighty men of valour, at Jaxer of committed to him, with his brethren; fome, before-mentioned, are faid to be over the treafures, fome over one part, and fome over another; but this man was over all of them, he had the fuperintendency of the whole.

y¥. 29. Of the Izbarites, Chenaniah and his fons were for the outward bufinefs over Irael, &c.| Which was done out of the temple, and out of 7e. rufalem, in the feveral parts of the country: for officers and judges, to adminifter juftice and judgment, and to take care that the laws of God were obferved, both with refpect to things civil and religious, and delinquents punifhed; which is a better fenfe than what farchi and Kimchi put upon this, outward bufine/s, as if it lay in taking care to have timber cut down in the foreft, and ftones dug and hewed in the mountains, for the building of the temple; and that the lands were ploughed, and the vineyards, gardens, and orchards, dreffed, which were devoted to facred ufes.

¥. 30. And of the Hebronites, Hafhabiah and bis

Gilead, a city on the other fide ordan, which belonged to the tribe of Gad, fee Numb. xxi 32. and AUR LT a, Fe 9:54 ¥. 32. And bis brethren, men of valour, were 2700 chief fathers, &c.] That is, the brethren or kinfmen of erijah the Hebronite were fo many principal men in their families, and men of forti~ tude and courage: whom king David made rulers over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manaffeb, all which lay on the other fide Fordan and being fo remote from the feat of civil government, and of the worfhip of God, they were in greater danger of revolting, both from. their obedience to their king, and duty to their God; and therefore fo large a number was appointed over them, to inftruét them and keep them in their duty to both, as follows: for every matter pertaining to God, and affairs of the king, to fe that they kept clofe to the pure worfhip and fervice of God; and were faithful and loyal fubjects of the king.