{"commentary":{"id":"john-gill","name":"John Gill Bible Commentary","website":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gill_(theologian)","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/","licenseNotes":null,"licenseNotice":null,"englishName":"John Gill Bible Commentary","language":"eng","textDirection":"rtl","sha256":"f6fcfd6c3a726dc834cfaf1ae1cd0bf49bffb88c1246ac3500699e8af7be71a5","availableFormats":["json"],"listOfBooksApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/books.json","listOfProfilesApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/profiles.json","numberOfBooks":66,"totalNumberOfChapters":1189,"totalNumberOfVerses":29707,"totalNumberOfProfiles":0,"languageName":"English","languageEnglishName":"English"},"book":{"id":"1CH","commentaryId":"john-gill","name":"1 Chronicles","commonName":"1 Chronicles","introduction":"INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES \n\nThis and the following book were reckoned by the Jews as one book, as appears by the Masoretic note at the end of the second book, and as is affirmed by Origen (a) and Jerom (b); and they were by the ancients (c) called Chronicles, as they are by us; but they are different from the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel and Judah, so often mentioned in the preceding books, seeing several things there referred to, as in them, are not to be found here; though no doubt many things here recorded were taken from thence under a divine direction. In the Greek version, and so in the Vulgate Latin version after that, they are called \"Paralipomena\", that is, things passed over or omitted, because they contain several anecdotes which are not to be found in the books of Samuel and Kings. The Hebrew title of them is, \"Dibre Hayamim\", words of days, day books or diaries, and what the Greeks call \"Ephemerides\"; though, as \"yamim\" sometimes signifies years, they may be named \"annals\"; and so the Arabic inscription is, \n\n\"the Books of Annals;'' \n\nand because they chiefly respect the kings of Judah, the Syriac inscription is, \n\n\"the Book of the Things that were done in the Times of the Kings of Judah.'' \n\nThe Targum is, \n\n\"the Book of Genealogies, the Words of Days, which were from the Days of the World;'' \n\nbecause the first ten chapters consist of genealogies beginning from Adam. The inspired penman of these books must live after the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, since he carries down the genealogy of the kings and princes of Judah beyond that time, Ch1 3:17. It is generally thought by the Jews and Christians that Ezra was the writer of them, with which agrees the age in which he lived; and as it may seem, from the last of these books ending with the same words with which that under his name begins: so the Talmudists (d) say, that Ezra wrote his own book, and the genealogy of the chronicles unto his own, or unto Velo, \"and he had brethren\", Ch2 21:2 and Jarchi affirms that he wrote them by the hand or means of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, inspired prophets; though some Jewish writers (e) suppose they were written partly by him, and partly by Nehemiah; that all to Ch2 21:2 were written by Ezra, and the rest by Nehemiah. Kimchi thinks that Ezra was not the first author and writer of these books, but that the books of Chronicles and Annals of the kings of Judah, and of the kings of Israel, were separately written before him; but that he only revised them, and with the men of the great synagogue added the genealogies, and put them into the canon of the Scriptures (f). Spinosa (g) fancies they were written after Judas Maccabaeus had restored the temple, since the historian tells what families dwelt in Jerusalem in the times of Ezra, Ch1 9:1 and speaks of the porters, Ch1 9:17 two of which are mentioned, Neh 11:19 as if Ezra could not describe the families that lived when he did, or name the porters of the temple, since it was finished and dedicated in his time, Ezr 6:15, but however there is no doubt to be made of the authenticity of these books, since not only they have always been acknowledged by the Jews as a part of the canonical Scripture, and by ancient Christians, as appears by the catalogues of Melito (h) and Origen (i); but there are plain references to them in the New Testament. The genealogy of Christ, by the evangelists, is formed out of them; the doxology in Rev 5:12 as some have observed, comes very near to what is used by David, Ch1 29:11 and the passages in Act 7:48 contain the sense of what is expressed in Ch2 2:5. The use and design of these books are chiefly to give a larger account of the kingdom of Judah, especially after the division of it from the ten tribes, and of the kings thereof, than what is given in the preceding books, as in the last of these books; and particularly they ascertain the genealogy of Christ, that it might be clear and plain of what tribe and family the Messiah came, that he descended from the tribe of Judah, and from the kings of the house of David, as in this first book. They both contain an history from Adam, to the deliverance of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon. The first of these books reaches, according to Hottinger (k), to A. M. 2985, and the latter is an history of four hundred and seventy two years. According to Bishop Usher (l) the former contains a course of 2990 years, and the latter of four hundred and seventy eight. \n\n(a) Apud Eusch. Eccl. Hist. l. 6. c. 25. (b) Ad Dominionem, tom. 3. fol. 7. C. (c) Hieron. Praefat. in lib. Reg. tom. 3. fol. 6. B. (d) T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 15. 1. (e) Shalssalet Hakabala, Abarbinel in Josuam, fol. 3. 3. (f) Vid. Buxtorf. de Punct. Antiqu. par. 1. p. 182. (g) Tract. Theolog. Politic. c. 10. p. 184. (h) Apud Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 4. c. 26. (i) Apud ib. l. 6. c. 25. (k) Thesaur. Philolog. l. 2. c. 1. p. 514, 515. (l) Annal. Vet. Test. p. 56. (m) Tiberias, c. 14. \n\n\n\nNext: 1 Chronicles Chapter 1\n\n","order":13,"numberOfChapters":29,"sha256":"c783d4c4f163c45fc96774fade3ee30134fba8e8589b237f2292554bb4242517","firstChapterNumber":1,"firstChapterApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/1CH/1.json","firstChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"john-gill","book":"1CH","chapter":1},"lastChapterNumber":29,"lastChapterApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/1CH/29.json","lastChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"john-gill","book":"1CH","chapter":29},"totalNumberOfVerses":466},"chapter":{"number":24,"content":[{"type":"verse","number":1,"content":["Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron,.... Into the classes or courses following:\n\nthe sons of Aaron; Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar; 1 Chronicles 6:3, these were the immediate sons of Aaron; but the division or distribution of them into classes are of their posterity in the times of David, who descended from the two latter. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":2,"content":["But Nadab and Abihu died before their father,.... While he was living, see Leviticus 10:1.\n\nand had no children, therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priests' office: otherwise, as Jarchi observes, had their brethren left children, they would have come into the office before them. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":3,"content":["And David distributed them,.... The posterities of Eleazar and Ithamar into certain classes or courses:\n\nboth Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar; these were the two principal men of the respective families, the one was high priest, and the other \"sagan\" or deputy; or they both officiated as high priests alternately, until the one was removed in Solomon's time, and the other established alone. And now their brethren the priests, who were under each of these, are the persons David divided into classes:\n\naccording to their offices in their service: to perform their office as priests in the service of the temple in their turns. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":4,"content":["And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar,.... Or heads of men, heads of their fathers' houses and families:\n\nand thus were they divided; among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar, according to the house of their fathers; in all twenty four, and into so many classes or courses did David divide them; Jarchi says at first when the tabernacle was at Shiloh, there were but sixteen courses, eight from Eleazar, and eight from Ithamar, as is explained in the treatise of fasting (n); but when David saw that there were more heads of men, or chief men of Eleazar's, he divided the courses of Eleazar into two parts, and fixed sixteen courses; and the courses of Ithamar he established as at first, eight courses; left them as they were, which he thinks appears from 1 Chronicles 24:6 but of the former number of courses, and when and by whom fixed, the Jews are divided (o); See Gill on Luke 1:5. Perhaps there were none before David's time.\n\n(n) T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 27. 1.((o) T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 27. 1. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":5,"content":["Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another,.... Which course should serve first, and which next, and so on; and who should be the chief to each course; which course was to serve a week, and then go out; and this method was taken to prevent envy, strife, and contention about precedence:\n\nfor the governors of the sanctuary; or of the holy things, or who presided in things ecclesiastical:\n\nand governors of the house of God: or rather \"governors of God\", appointed by him judges in civil things:\n\nwere of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar: there were, of both families, some employed both in sacred and civil things, and who presided in each. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":6,"content":["And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe,.... The Targum is, Moses the chief scribe, so called: one\n\nof the Levites wrote them: the lots, and the names upon them, put into the urn, and as they came out, which was first, second, &c. and this was done\n\nbefore the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and before the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites; and in this public manner, before such great personages, and in the presence of those that were interested in the affair, that it might appear plainly no fraudulent methods were taken, and that there might be no suspicion of any:\n\none principal household being taken for Eleazar, and one for Ithamar; the sense of Jarchi as above, and other Jewish writers, is, that one was added to each family of Eleazar, and so made sixteen, and Ithamar's were retained, and left as at first, eight: but the sense is, that first one family of Eleazar was taken, and then one of Ithamar's family, and then one of Eleazar's again, and so on until sixteen were gone through; and then the other eight were divided under so many heads of the family of Eleazar. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":7,"content":["Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib,.... And the other twenty three to the following persons in order:\n\nJedaiah, Harim, Seorim, Malchijah, Mijamin, Hakkoz, Abijah, Jeshua, Shecaniah, Eliashib, Jakim, Huppah, Jeshebeab, Bilgah, Immer, Hezir, Aphses, Pethahiah, Jehezekel, Jachin, Gamul, Delaiah, and Maaziah; of all which courses we know little more than their names, though they continued in some form or other both under the first and second temple, to the destruction of it; the Jews say only four of these courses returned from the Babylonish captivity, which were those of Jedaiah, Harim, Pashur, and Immer; though Pashur is not among these here; yet they say each of these four had six lots, and that the names and the order of the other courses were retained and continued under them, and supplied by them: hence we read of Mattithiah, from whom sprung the Maccabees, as of the course of Jehoiarib,\"In those days arose Mattathias the son of John, the son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib, from Jerusalem, and dwelt in Modin.'' (1 Maccabees 2:1)which was the first course, and the most honourable; wherefore Josephus (p), who was of it, valued himself upon it, that he was not only of the priestly order, but of the first class or course of the twenty four; and we also read of the course of Abijah, the eighth course, of which was Zechariah the father of John the Baptist, Luke 1:5 of these courses; see Gill on Luke 1:5.\n\n(p) Vita ejus, sect. 1. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":19,"content":["These were the orderings of them,.... Their classes or courses into which they were divided:\n\nin their service to come into the house of the Lord; to perform their service in the temple, according to their turns, and in course as fixed by lot; one class or course served one week, and then went out, and another came in, each consisting of 1000 men, see 1 Chronicles 23:4.\n\naccording to their manner; law, right, custom, here prescribed for them: under Aaron their father; that is, him who was high priest for the time being; who bore this name because his successor and representative, under whose inspection, direction, and authority, all the rest of the priests were, and whom they were to obey in all things:\n\nas the Lord God of Israel had commanded him; to take care they should be done. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":20,"content":["And the rest of the sons of Levi were these,.... Who were not priests, only Levites; and from hence, to 1 Chronicles 24:30 their names are given; of the sons of Amram, Shubael, and his son Jehdeiah; Rehabiah the son of Eleazar, and Isshiah the son of Rehabiah; of the Izharites, so called from Izhar, the brother of Amram, Shelomoth, and his son Jahath; and of the sons of Hebron, another brother of Amram, Jeriah, Amariah, Jahaziel, and Jekameam; of the sons of Uzziel, another brother of Amram, Michah, and his son Shamir; Isshiah the brother of Michah, and his son Zechariah: the sons of Merari, Mahli and Mushi, his immediate sons; from whom sprung by Jaaziah, Beno, Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri; of Mahli sprung Eleazar, who had no sons; and Kish, whose son was Jerahmeel; the sons of Mushi, another son of Merari, Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth; most of these names are the same with those in 1 Chronicles 23:16,\n\nthese were the sons of the Levites, after the house of their fathers; some of the principal of them. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":31,"content":["These likewise cast lots over against their brethren, the sons of Aaron,.... These, being divided into twenty four classes also, cast lots, which class should answer to, attend upon, and serve the first course of the priests, and which the second, and so on. And this they did in the same solemn and public manner as the priests had done:\n\nin the presence of David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites; as in 1 Chronicles 24:6.\n\neven the principal fathers over against their younger brethren; the sense is, either that the one stood over against the other, to be distributed by lot, the one as well as the other; or they were chosen by lot, let it fall as it would, without any regard to age or dignity, to the seniority or largeness of houses and families; but as they were chosen, be they younger or elder, richer or poorer, their families more or less numerous and ancient, so they took their places. \n"]}]},"thisChapterLink":"/api/c/john-gill/1CH/24.json","thisChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"john-gill","book":"1CH","chapter":24},"nextChapterApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/1CH/25.json","nextChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"john-gill","book":"1CH","chapter":25},"previousChapterApiLink":"/api/c/john-gill/1CH/23.json","previousChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"john-gill","book":"1CH","chapter":23},"numberOfVerses":10}