*H David being old and full of days, made Solomon his son king over Israel.
Ver. 1. Full, satisfied, in the last year of his reign, and the 70th of his age. D. — Cur non ut plenus vitæ conviva recedit? Lucret. iii. — Israel. This example was much followed by succeeding kings. C. — Yet this is controverted. Houbigant. H.
*H And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, and the priests and Levites.
Ver. 2. Princes, heads of families, or officers of the army. C. xxv. 1. M.
*H And the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years, and upwards: and there were found of them thirty-eight thousand men.
Ver. 3. Numbered at the same time, when David caused his son to be crowned, and made these fresh regulations, v. 27, and C. xxvi. 31. — Upwards, according to the plan given by Moses. David afterwards ordered people of twenty years of age, to begin to serve in the tabernacle, as it was now fixed, and consequently the labours were diminished. This tended to augment the splendour of the religious worship, and to edify the people, who could not attend so constantly, in person.
*H Of these twenty-four thousand were chosen, and distributed unto the ministry of the house of the Lord: and six thousand were the overseers and judges.
Ver. 4. Overseers. Heb. shoterim. Sept. "scribes." Others suppose "lictors and executioners," who attended the judges. Grotius. — These were functions from which the priests were exempted; (C.) so that the Levites alone are meant. M. — Judges. They had to decide the causes of the people. 2 Par. xxix. D.
*H Moreover four thousand were porters: and as many singers singing to the Lord with the instruments, which he had made to sing with.
Ver. 5. David. Lit. "he." Sept. "they." Prot. "which I made (said David) to praise therewith." H.
*H And David distributed them into courses by the families of the sons of Levi, to wit, of Gerson, and of Caath, and of Merari.
Ver. 6. Into 24 courses, like the priests, that each class might serve twice a year for a whole week. C. xxiv. 31. T. — God had already made choice of the posterity of Levi; and David, with the princes, Sadoc, &c. disposed of them by lots, (C. xxiv. 6.) to serve in the tabernacle, and in the future temple. W.
*H The sons of Gerson were Leedan and Semei.
Ver. 7. Leedan, or Lebni. Num. iii. 18. M.
*H The sons of Leedan: the chief Jahiel, and Zethan, and Joel, three.
Ver. 8. Chief, head of the rest; (H.) or all these three were chiefs, (Jun.) no less than the sons of Semei, v. 9.
*H The sons of Semei: Salomith, and Hosiel, and Aran, three: these were the heads of the families of Leedan.
Ver. 9. Semei; perhaps (C.) sons of Joel. D. — The brother of Leedan had four sons, v. 10. M.
*H And the sons of Semei were Leheth, and Ziza, and Jaus, and Baria: these were the sons of Semei, four.
Ver. 10. Ziza. Heb. has "Zina," but reads "Ziza," v. 11. C.
*H And Leheth was the first, Ziza the second: but Jaus and Baria had not many children, and therefore they were counted in one family, and in one house.
Ver. 11. Children. All together were not more than the children of each of the preceding, so that they only formed one class. T. — It would have been too burdensome for them to have performed the same service with those who were far more numerous: (H.) therefore the sons of Semei were joined with the family of Leedan: (C.) or rather Jaus and Baria went together, as one family. — Counted. Heb. "in one class, according to their father's house." H.
*H The sons of Amram, Aaron, and Moses. And Aaron was separated to minister in the holy of holies, he and his sons for ever, and to burn incense before the Lord, according to his ceremonies, and to bless his name for ever.
Ver. 13. Minister. Heb. "to sanctify the holy of holies." — His. Heb. "in his name," with solemnity. Num. vi. 23. The Levites might bless the name of the Lord.
* Footnote ** Hebrews 5 : 4
Neither doth any man take the honour to himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was.*H The sons also of Moses, the man of God, were numbered in the tribe of Levi.
Ver. 14. Levi, but not among the priests, (C.) though their father was an extraordinary priest, appointed by God to anoint Aaron. Ps. xcviii. D.
*H The sons of Moses were Gersom and Eliezer:
Ver. 15. Eliezer. His being uncircumcised, had almost proved fatal to his father. Ex. iv. 24. M. — First. He might have other brothers, (C.) though the title may be given to an only son, v. 17. Mat. 1. 25. Subuel was perhaps (H.) chief of a family, (C.) and was appointed over the treasury. C. xxvi. 24. M.
* Footnote * Exodus 2 : 22
And she bore him a son, whom he called Gersam, saying: I have been a stranger in a foreign country. And she bore another, whom he called Eliezer, saying: For the God of my father, my helper, hath delivered me out of the hand of Pharao.* Footnote * Exodus 18 : 3
And her two sons, of whom one was called Gersam: his father saying, I have been a stranger in a foreign country.* Footnote * Exodus 18 : 4
And the other Eliezer: For the God of my father, said he, is my helper, and hath delivered me from the sword of Pharao.*H These are the sons of Levi in their kindreds and families, princes by their courses, and the number of every head that did the works of the ministry of the house of the Lord from twenty years old and upward.
Ver. 24. Old. See v. 3, and Num. iv. 3. — And upwards; as long as they were able to serve. They were excused from carrying the tabernacle, &c. at fifty years of age. Num. viii. 25. Abulens. M. — To those who were turned of thirty, the higher offices were entrusted; while the Levites began at twenty, to exercise themselves in things of less consequence, under the direction of their elder brethren. T. — The kings might declare, by the advice of the Sanhedrim, what laws were of a temporary nature. Grot. D.
*H For David said: The Lord the God of Israel hath given rest to his people, and a habitation in Jerusalem for ever.
Ver. 25. Ever. They will not have to carry, the sacred vessels about, as formerly. H. — In order that they may not be idle, we must therefore provide them some other employment, v. 28, &c. T.
*H And they are to be under the hand of the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, in the porches, and in the chambers, and in the place of purification, and in the sanctuary, and in all the works of the ministry of the temple of the Lord.
Ver. 28. Place. Heb. "purifying all that is holy;" (H.) keeping clean all that is used about the sacred ministry. C.
*H And the priests have the charge of the loaves of proposition, and of the sacrifice of fine flour, and of the unleavened cakes, and of the fryingpan, and of the roasting, and of every weight and measure.
Ver. 29. And the priests, &c. This is not found in Heb. or Sept. The Levites might prepare these things; though the priests alone were to offer them in sacrifice. T. C. ix. 32. Lev. xxiv. 8. — Others think that (C.) the priests received flour from the people, and baked it. M. — But S. Jerom follows the tradition of the Jews, intimating that the priests sowed the corn, and did every thing about the loaves of proposition. In Mal. i. 6. — Flour. Lev. ii. 1. — Cakes. Ex. xxix. 2. — Roasting the first-fruits. Lev. ii. 14. M. — Measure. A standard was kept in the temple, (Ex. xxx. 13. C.) to prevent any fraud. The Ediles at Rome performed the same office. T. — There were not two measures in the country, as that would have caused confusion. D.
*H And the Levites are to stand in the morning to give thanks, and to sing praises to the Lord: and in like manner in the evening,
Ver. 30. And the Levites. This also is omitted in Heb. "and to stand," &c. as all the preceding offices pertained to the Levites, (H.) and priests were bound equally with them to praise the Lord.
*H As well in the oblation of the holocausts of the Lord, as in the sabbaths and in the new moons, and the rest of the solemnities, according to the number and ceremonies prescribed for every thing, continually before the Lord.
Ver. 31. Lord. Music accompanied this service twice a day, as it did the sacrifices which were offered for the prince, or for the nation. Num. x. 10. C. — Rest. Heb. "the set festivals, by number, according to the order prescribed unto them continually," &c. H.
*H And let them keep the observances of the tabernacle of the covenant, and the ceremonies of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, that they may minister in the house of the Lord.
Ver. 32. Brethren. Let them follow the directions of the high priests, who are of the same tribe. M.