| Barnes' Notes on the Bible A general account of the several branches of the tribe of Levi.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThe sons of Levi, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Which is repeated from 1 Chronicles 6:1 for the sake of their posterity, whose names are given in the three following verses, in the same manner as in Exodus 6:17.
Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament(Ch. 6). The families and cities of the Levites. - Vv. 1-34. Register of the families of the Levites. - This is introduced by an enumeration of the sons and grandsons of Levi (1 Chronicles 6:16-19), which is followed by lists of families in six lines of descent: (a) the descendants of Gershon (1 Chronicles 6:20-21), of Kohath (1 Chronicles 6:22-28), and of Merari (1 Chronicles 6:29-30); and (b) the genealogies of David's chief musicians (1 Chronicles 6:31, 1 Chronicles 6:32), of Heman the Kohathite (1 Chronicles 6:33-38), of Asaph the Gershonite (1 Chronicles 6:39-43), and of Ethan the Merarite (1 Chronicles 6:44-47); and in 1 Chronicles 6:48, 1 Chronicles 6:49, some notes as to the service performed by the other Levites and the priests are added. (6:1-4). The sons of Levi are in 1 Chronicles 6:1 again enumerated as in 1 Chronicles 6:1; then in 1 Chronicles 6:16-22 the sons of these three sons, i.e., the grandsons of Levi, are introduced, while in 1 Chronicles 6:1 only the sons of Kohath are mentioned. The only object of this enumeration is to make quite clear the descent of the Levitic families which follow. The name of the first son of Levi is in 1 Chronicles 6:16, 1 Chronicles 6:17, 1 Chronicles 6:20, etc. of this chapter גּרשׁם, which was the name of Moses' son, cf. 1 Chronicles 23:15.; whereas in 1 Chronicles 6:1 and in the Pentateuch we find a different pronunciation, viz., גּרשׁון. The names of Levi's grandsons in 1 Chronicles 6:17-22 coincide with the statements of the Pentateuch, Exodus 6:17-19, and Numbers 3:17-20, cf. Numbers 26:57. Bertheau and other commentators consider the words in 1 Chronicles 6:17, "and these are the families of Levi according to their fathers," to be a "concluding subscription" to the statements of 1 Chronicles 6:15-17, and would remove ו before אלּה, as not compatible with this supposition. But in this he is wrong: for although the similar statement in Exodus 6:20 is a subscription, yet it is in Numbers 3:20 a superscription, and must in our verse also be so understood; for otherwise the enumeration of the descendants of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, which follows, would be brought in very abruptly, without any connecting particle, and the ו before אלּה points to the same conclusion.
Geneva Study BibleThe sons of Levi; Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
King James Translators' NotesGershom: or, Gershon
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary16-48. The sons of Levi; Gershom, &c.-This repetition (see 1Ch 6:1) is made, as the historian here begins to trace the genealogy of the Levitical families who were not priests. The list is a long one, comprising the chiefs or heads of their several families until David's reign, who made a new and different classification of them by courses.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary6:1-81 Genealogies. - We have an account of Levi in this chapter. The priests and Levites were more concerned than any other Israelites, to preserve their descent clear, and to be able to prove it; because all the honours and privileges of their office depended upon their descent. Now, the Spirit of God calls ministers to their work, without any limit as to the families they came from; and then, as now, though believers and ministers may be very useful to the church, none but our great High Priest can make atonement for sin, nor can any be accepted but through his atonement.
Matthew Henry's Whole Bible CommentaryChapter 6 Though Joseph and Judah shared between them the forfeited honours of the birthright, yet Levi was first of all the tribes, dignified and distinguished with an honour more valuable than either the precedency or the double portion, and that was the priesthood. That tribe God set apart for himself; it was Moses's tribe, and perhaps for his sake was thus favoured. Of that tribe we have an account in this chapter. I. Their pedigree, the first fathers of the tribe (v. 1-3), the line of the priests, from Aaron to the captivity (v. 4-15), and of some other of their families (v. 16-30). II. Their work, the work of the Levites (v. 31-48), of the priests (v. 49-53). III. The cities appointed them in the land of Canaan (v. 54-81). Verses 1-30 The priests and Levites were more concerned than any other Israelites to preserve their pedigree clear and to be able to prove it, because all the honours and privileges of their office depended upon their descent. And we read of those who, though perhaps they really were children of the priests, yet, because they could not find the register of their genealogies, nor make out their descent by any authentic record, were, as polluted, put from the priesthood, and forbidden to eat of the holy things, Ezra 2:62, 63. It is but very little that is here recorded of the genealogies of this sacred tribe. I. The first fathers of it are here named twice, v. 1, 16. Gershom, Kohath, and Merari, are three names which we were very conversant with in the book of Numbers, when the families of the Levites were marshalled and had their work assigned to them. Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam, we have known much more of than their names, and cannot pass them over here without remembering that this was that Moses and Aaron whom God honoured in making them instruments of Israel's deliverance and settlement and figures of him that was to come, Moses as a prophet and Aaron as a priest. And the mention of Nadab and Abihu (though, having no children, there was no occasion to bring them into the genealogy) cannot but remind us of the terrors of that divine justice which they were made monuments of for offering strange fire, that we may always fear before him. 2. The line of Eleazar, the successor of Aaron, is here drawn down to the time of the captivity, v. 4-15. It begins with Eleazar, who came out of the house of bondage in Egypt, and ends with Jehozadak, who went into the house of bondage in Babylon. Thus, for their sins, they were left as they were found, which might also intimate that the Levitical priesthood did not make anything perfect, but this was to be done by the bringing in of a better hope. All these here named were not high priests; for, in the time of the judges, that dignity was, upon some occasion or other, brought into the family of Ithamar, of which Eli was; but in Zadok it returned again to the right line. Of Azariah it is here said (v. 10), He it is that executed the priest's office in the temple that Solomon built. It is supposed that this was that Azariah who bravely opposed the presumption of king Uzziah when he invaded the priest's office (2 Chr. 26:17, 18), though he ventured his neck by so doing. This was done like a priest, like one that was truly zealous for his God. He that thus boldly maintained and defended the priest's office, and made good its barriers against such a daring insult, might well be said to execute it; and this honour is put upon him for it; while Urijah, one of his successors, for a base compliance with King Ahaz, in building him an idolatrous altar, has the disgrace put upon him of being left out of this genealogy, as perhaps some others are. But some think that this remark upon this Azariah should have been added to his grandfather of the same name (v. 9), who was the son of Ahimaaz, and that he was the priest who first officiated in Solomon's temple. 3. Some other of the families of the Levites are here accounted for. One of the families of Gershom (that of Libni) is here drawn down as far as Samuel, who had the honour of a prophet added to that of a Levite. One of the families of Merari (that of Mahli) is likewise drawn down for several descents, v. 29, 30. |
