Introduction
This chapter has four main topics:
1. the line of the high priests (verses 3-15,49-53),
2. the three generations of Levi (verses 16-30),
3. the singers (verses 31-48) and
4. the cities where the Levites could live (verses 54-81).
In 1 Chronicles 23-26 the service of the Levites is further arranged. Today every believer is a priest (1Pet 2:5a; Rev 5:9-10), every believer is a Levite, that is, has a task, a gift (1Cor 12:11) and all believers are also singers (Heb 13:15).
1 - 15 High Priestly Lineage
1 The sons of Levi [were] Gershon, Kohath and Merari. 2 The sons of Kohath [were] Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 3 The children of Amram [were] Aaron, Moses and Miriam. And the sons of Aaron [were] Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 4 Eleazar became the father of Phinehas, [and] Phinehas became the father of Abishua, 5 and Abishua became the father of Bukki, and Bukki became the father of Uzzi, 6 and Uzzi became the father of Zerahiah, and Zerahiah became the father of Meraioth, 7 Meraioth became the father of Amariah, and Amariah became the father of Ahitub, 8 and Ahitub became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Ahimaaz, 9 and Ahimaaz became the father of Azariah, and Azariah became the father of Johanan, 10 and Johanan became the father of Azariah (it was he who served as the priest in the house which Solomon built in Jerusalem), 11 and Azariah became the father of Amariah, and Amariah became the father of Ahitub, 12 and Ahitub became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Shallum, 13 and Shallum became the father of Hilkiah, and Hilkiah became the father of Azariah, 14 and Azariah became the father of Seraiah, and Seraiah became the father of Jehozadak; 15 and Jehozadak went [along] when the LORD carried Judah and Jerusalem away into exile by Nebuchadnezzar.
First the high priestly lineage is described. The list begins with the sons of Levi (verse 1). They are mentioned in order of their birth (Gen 46:11; Exo 6:16; Num 3:17; 26:57). After having mentioned the three sons, the list continues with Kohath (verse 2), because from his family Aaron (verse 3), the first high priest, originates.
Of the sons of Aaron the first two, Nadab and Abihu, die by the judgment of the LORD. They entered the sanctuary with strange fire, which the LORD did not command them (Lev 10:1-2). That they are mentioned here anyway, although they have no successors, will be to warn against a willful priesthood. The line of the high priestly lineage is continued with Eleazar (verse 4).
Eli’s name does not appear in this list. Eli is high priest in the time of the book of Judges (1Samuel 1-4), but this he is via the line of Aaron’s fourth son, Ithamar. It is not known how the high priesthood of the line from Eleazar to the line from Ithamar has changed. However, Ithamar does not represent the line of God.
The high priesthood, according to God’s thoughts, runs through Zadok (verse 8). Zadok is the faithful high priest whom God would raise up (1Sam 2:35; Eze 40:46; 43:19; 44:15; 48:11). Zadok and David belong together (2Sam 8:17; 15:24; 1Kgs 1:8). Together they are a picture of the Lord Jesus as King-Priest.
Jehozadak, the high priest mentioned last, is carried away into exile (verse 15). He is the father of Joshua, the high priest who returned from exile.
16 - 30 Descendants of Levi
16 The sons of Levi [were] Gershom, Kohath and Merari. 17 These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei. 18 The sons of Kohath [were] Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 19 The sons of Merari [were] Mahli and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ [households]. 20 Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, 21 Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son. 22 The sons of Kohath [were] Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, 23 Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son and Assir his son, 24 Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son and Shaul his son. 25 The sons of Elkanah [were] Amasai and Ahimoth. 26 [As for] Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah [were] Zophai his son and Nahath his son, 27 Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. 28 The sons of Samuel [were] Joel the firstborn, and Abijah the second. 29 The sons of Merari [were] Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, 30 Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son.
The importance of the genealogy of Levi can be seen after the return of a remnant from the Babylonian exile in the land of Israel in the days of Ezra. Anyone who claims the priesthood, but whose name is not found in the genealogy, is excluded from the priesthood as unclean (Ezra 2:61-62).
Korah (verse 22) is the leader who revolted against Moses and was swallowed up by the earth (Num 16:32).
31 - 47 The Singers
31 Now these are those whom David appointed over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after the ark rested [there]. 32 They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem; and they served in their office according to their order. 33 These are those who served with their sons: From the sons of the Kohathites [were] Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, 34 the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, 35 the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, 36 the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, 37 the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, 38 the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. 39 [Heman’s] brother Asaph stood at his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea, 40 the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah, 41 the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, 42 the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, 43 the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi. 44 On the left hand [were] their kinsmen the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, 45 the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, 46 the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, 47 the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.
There seem to be three groups of singers. The main group is formed by Heman and his sons (verse 33), with to his right as a second group Asaph and his sons (verse 39), and to his left as a third group Ethan and his sons (verse 44). Each of these three groups comes from one of the sons of Levi. Heman belongs to the Kohathites, Asaph to the Gershonites and Ethan to the Merarites.
The singers are also important for the temple service. In 1 Chronicles 25 the singers are mentioned in more detail. Also in 1 Chronicles 15-16 we meet them. In the tabernacle service, when the people are in the wilderness, there are no singers. The three main singers appear in the book of Psalms, as do the sons of Korah mentioned in verse 37.
The three sons of Levi each have a different service. Yet there is a service they have in common: each of the sons has a family of singers (verses 33,39,44). After the song of Moses (Exo 15:1) we do not hear about singing. It is only here that we hear about it again. You can only sing when the ark – a type of the Lord Jesus – has found a resting place (verse 31). Where the Lord Jesus can dwell in the midst, there can be singing.
The “tent of meeting” (verse 32) is not important in the first place because the members of God’s people can meet there, but because God can meet with them there. Every singer performs his service by singing the praises of God. Thus, every service that takes place in the church may be done by singing, even if it concerns the service of admonishing (cf. Col 3:16). The Levites “served in their office according to their order”, which for us corresponds to that all things are “done properly and in an orderly manner” (1Cor 14:40).
Heman (verse 33) is the grandson of Samuel. Heman does not walk in the way of his father (1Sam 8:2-3), but in the way of his grandfather.
48 - 49 Service of Levites and Priests
48 Their kinsmen the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God. 49 But Aaron and his sons offered on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.
In these two verses we see the distinction between the Levites and the priests. The different service of the Levites is a picture of what we find in the New Testament in the different gifts that all members of the church have (Rom 12:4-8; 1Cor 12:4,11; Eph 4:7,11). However, there is also a common service, and that is the priestly service. That service consists of singing, which is “a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name” (Heb 13:15b). This is not left to special gifts, nor is it dependent on them.
50 - 53 Descendants of Aaron
50 These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 51 Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 52 Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 53 Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son.
These verses are a repetition of the priestly line from Aaron to Zadok and Ahimaaz (verses 4-8). This repetition confirms that the priests from the line of Zadok are the only ones among the Levitical divisions in the days of David who are authorized to offer sacrifices.
At the same time, this section forms the transition to the priest cities mentioned in the next section.
54 - 60 The Priest Cities
54 Now these are their settlements according to their camps within their borders. To the sons of Aaron of the families of the Kohathites (for theirs was the [first] lot), 55 to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah and its pasture lands around it; 56 but the fields of the city and its villages, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 57 To the sons of Aaron they gave the [following] cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah also with its pasture lands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, 58 Hilen with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, 59 Ashan with its pasture lands and Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands; 60 and from the tribe of Benjamin: Geba with its pasture lands, Allemeth with its pasture lands, and Anathoth with its pasture lands. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities.
Among the priest cities are also the cities of refuge (verse 57). For the six cities of refuge see Numbers 35; Deuteronomy 19; Joshua 20 (Num 35:6-34; Deu 19:1-10; Jos 20:1-9).
61 - 81 The Levite Cities
61 Then to the rest of the sons of Kohath [were given] by lot, from the family of the tribe, from the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, ten cities. 62 To the sons of Gershom, according to their families, [were given] from the tribe of Issachar and from the tribe of Asher, the tribe of Naphtali, and the tribe of Manasseh, thirteen cities in Bashan. 63 To the sons of Merari [were given] by lot, according to their families, from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. 64 So the sons of Israel gave to the Levites the cities with their pasture lands. 65 They gave by lot from the tribe of the sons of Judah, the tribe of the sons of Simeon and the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, these cities which are mentioned by name. 66 Now some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their territory from the tribe of Ephraim. 67 They gave to them the [following] cities of refuge: Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim with its pasture lands, Gezer also with its pasture lands, 68 Jokmeam with its pasture lands, Beth-horon with its pasture lands, 69 Aijalon with its pasture lands and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands; 70 and from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner with its pasture lands and Bileam with its pasture lands, for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath. 71 To the sons of Gershom [were given], from the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands and Ashtaroth with its pasture lands; 72 and from the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands 73 and Ramoth with its pasture lands, Anem with its pasture lands; 74 and from the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, 75 Hukok with its pasture lands and Rehob with its pasture lands; 76 and from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, Hammon with its pasture lands and Kiriathaim with its pasture lands. 77 To the rest of [the Levites], the sons of Merari, [were given], from the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmono with its pasture lands, Tabor with its pasture lands; 78 and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, [were given them], from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its pasture lands, Jahzah with its pasture lands, 79 Kedemoth with its pasture lands and Mephaath with its pasture lands; 80 and from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, Mahanaim with its pasture lands, 81 Heshbon with its pasture lands and Jazer with its pasture lands.
The Levite cities listed here can also be found in Joshua 21 (Jos 21:1-45; for further explanation see the comments on Joshua). There are forty-eight Levite cities. They are scattered throughout the land, as Jacob foretold about Levi in his prophetic address to his sons (Gen 49:7).
These cities are given to the Levites by the other tribes. This does not mean that they have actually taken possession of these cities. For example, we know from Judges 1 that the tribes did not succeed in conquering all cities. This may also explain some differences that exists between the list here and in Joshua 21.