v.3
The
children of Amram:
Aaron,
Moses and Miriam .
[Comment:
Note Aaron's tree:
Levi – Kohath – Amram - Aaron
v.3-15
Aaron's Family
The
sons of Aaron:
Nadab,
Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
v.4
Eleazar was the father of Phinehas,
Phinehas
the father of Abishua,
v.5
Abishua
the father of Bukki,
Bukki
the father of Uzzi,
v.6
Uzzi
the father of Zerahiah,
Zerahiah
the father of Meraioth,
v.7
Meraioth
the father of Amariah,
Amariah
the father of Ahitub,
v.8
Ahitub
the father of Zadok,
Zadok
the father of Ahimaaz,
v.9
Ahimaaz
the father of Azariah,
Azariah
the father of Johanan,
v.10
Johanan
the father of Azariah (it was he who served as priest in the temple
Solomon built in Jerusalem),
v.11
Azariah
the father of Amariah,
Amariah
the father of Ahitub,
v.12
Ahitub
the father of Zadok,
Zadok
the father of Shallum,
v.13
Shallum
the father of Hilkiah,
Hilkiah
the father of Azariah,
v.14
Azariah
the father of Seraiah,
and
Seraiah the father of Jozadak.
v.15
Jozadak
was deported when the Lord sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile
by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.
[Comment:
Of Aaron's sons, Nadab
& Abihu had been killed [Lev 10:1, Num 3:4] and thus only
Eleazar and Ithamar are mentioned here. No reason is given for
only Eleazar's tree being given, but Ithamar clearly had family
[see 24:3,4]. Verse 15 clearly indicates the book was compiled
after, at least, the first invasion of Nebuchadnezzar in 605BC.]
v.16-19
Levi's immediate family recapped
v.16
The
sons of Levi :
Gershon,
Kohath and Merari .
v.17
These
are the names of the sons of Gershon :
Libni
and Shimei.
v.18
The
sons of Kohath :
Amram,
Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
v.19
The
sons of Merari :
Mahli
and Mushi.
[Comment:
The family structure
is established – three sons from Levi.]
v.20-30
Families of Gershon, Kohath, [note Samuel v.27], & Merari
These
are the clans of the Levites listed according to their fathers:
v.20
of
Gershon:
Libni
his son, Jahath his son,
Zimmah
his son,
v.21
Joah
his son,
Iddo
his son, Zerah his son
and
Jeatherai his son.
v.22
The
descendants of Kohath:
Amminadab
his son, Korah his son,
Assir
his son,
v.23
Elkanah
his son,
Ebiasaph
his son, Assir his son,
v.24
Tahath
his son, Uriel his son,
Uzziah
his son and Shaul his son.
v.25
The
descendants of Elkanah:
Amasai,
Ahimoth,
v.26
Elkanah
his son, Zophai his son,
Nahath
his son,
v.27
Eliab
his son,
Jeroham
his son, Elkanah his son
and
Samuel his son. [see
also 1 Sam 1:1]
v.28
The
sons of Samuel:
Joel
the firstborn
and
Abijah the second son.
v.29
The
descendants of Merari:
Mahli,
Libni his son,
Shimei
his son, Uzzah his son,
v.30
Shimea
his son, Haggiah his son
and
Asaiah his son.
[Comment:
The clans of the
three sons noted.]
PART
TWO: v.31-53: Musicians & Priests
v.31-47
The Temple Musicians
v.31-32
Their role
v.31
These
are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the
Lord after the ark came to rest there.
v.32
They
ministered with music before the tabernacle, the tent of meeting,
until Solomon built the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. They
performed their duties according to the regulations laid down
for them.
v.33-38
Heman, obviously the head musician
v.33
Here
are the men who served, together with their sons:
from
the Kohathites :
Heman, the musician,
[ note, given in reverse order to v.22-28 above, going right
back to Israel – v.38 ]
the
son of Joel, the son of Samuel,
v.
34
the
son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham,
the
son of Eliel, the son of Toah,
v.35
the
son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah,
the
son of Mahath, the son of Amasai,
v.36
the
son of Elkanah, the son of Joel,
the
son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah,
v.37
the
son of Tahath, the son of Assir,
the
son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,
v.38
the
son of Izhar, the son of Kohath,
the
son of Levi, the son of Israel;
v.39-43
Asaph [a Gershonite v.43 traced back to Levi] Heman's associate
v.39
and
Heman's associate Asaph,
[see v.33] who
served at his right hand:
Asaph
son of Berekiah, the son of Shimea,
v.40
the
son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah,
the
son of Malkijah,
v.41
the
son of Ethni,
the
son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,
v.42
the
son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah,
the
son of Shimei,
v.43
the
son of Jahath,
the
son of Gershon, the son of Levi;
v.44-47
Ethan [a Merarite v.47 traced back to Levi] another associate
v.44
and
from their associates, the Merarites, at his
left hand:
Ethan
son
of Kishi, the son of Abdi,
the
son of Malluk,
v.45
the
son of Hashabiah,
the
son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah,
v.46
the
son of Amzi, the son of Bani,
the
son of Shemer,
v.47
the
son of Mahli,
the
son of Mushi, the son of Merari,
the
son of Levi.
[Comment:
Music featured strongly
under David with musicians taken from the three sub-tribes of
Levi.]
v.48-53
The Priests
v.48
The role of the other Levites
v.48
Their
fellow Levites were assigned to all the other
duties of the tabernacle, the house of God.
v.49
The role of the priests, directly descended from Aaron
v.49
But
Aaron and his descendants were the ones who
presented offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the
altar of incense in connection with all that was done in the Most
Holy Place, making atonement for Israel, in accordance with all
that Moses the servant of God had commanded.
[Comment:
Note the distinction
made between the Levites generally [ all from the tribe
of Levi] and the priests from Aaron's line that came from the
sub-tribe of Kohath within the tribe of Levi.]
v.50-53
Aaron's direct descendants [from the Kohathite clan] [the priests]
v.50
These
were the descendants of Aaron:
Eleazar
his son, Phinehas his son,
Abishua
his son,
v.51
Bukki
his son,
Uzzi
his son, Zerahiah his son,
v.52
Meraioth
his son, Amariah his son,
Ahitub
his son,
v.53
Zadok
his son
and
Ahimaaz his son.
[Comment:
So Aaron's specific
[priestly] family tree recorded. Various of these names will appear
in later history.]
PART
THREE: v.54-81: The Levite Settlements in the Land
v.54-61
The Location of the Kohathites
v.54
These
were the locations of their settlements allotted as their territory
(they were assigned to the descendants of Aaron
who were from the Kohathite clan, [see
v.2,3] because the first lot
was for them):
v.55
they
were given Hebron in Judah with its surrounding
pasture-lands.
v.56
But
the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son
of Jephunneh.
v.57
So
the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron (a city of refuge),
and Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa,
v.58
Hilen,
Debir,
v.59
Ashan, Juttah and Beth Shemesh, together with
their pasture-lands.
v.60
And
from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth
and Anathoth, together with their pasture-lands.
The
total number of towns distributed among the Kohathite clans came
to thirteen.
v.61
The
rest of Kohath's descendants were allotted ten towns from the
clans of half the tribe of Manasseh.
v.62
The Locations of the Gershonites
v.62
The
descendants of Gershon, clan by clan, were allotted
thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher and
Naphtali, and from the part of the tribe of Manasseh
that is in Bashan.
v.63
The Location of the Merarites
v.63
The
descendants of Merari, clan by clan, were allotted
twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.
v.64,65
Recapping the allocations
v64
So
the Israelites gave the Levites these towns and their pasture-lands.
v.65
From
the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin they allotted the previously
named towns.
v.64-70
Additional locations for the Kohathites
v.66
Some
of the Kohathite clans were given as their territory
towns from the tribe of Ephraim.
v.67
In
the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of
refuge), and Gezer,
v.68
Jokmeam,
Beth Horon,
v.69
Aijalon
and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasture-lands.
v.70
And
from half the tribe of Manasseh the Israelites gave Aner and Bileam,
together with their pasture-lands, to the rest of the Kohathite
clans.
v.71-76
Additional locations for the Gershonites
v.71
The
Gershonites received the following:
from
the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh
they
received Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth, together with their
pasture-lands;
v.72
from
the tribe of Issachar
they
received Kedesh, Daberath,
v.73
Ramoth
and Anem, together with their pasture-lands;
v.74
from
the tribe of Asher
they
received Mashal, Abdon,
v.75
Hukok
and Rehob, together with their pasture-lands;
v.76
and
from the tribe of Naphtali
they
received Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon and Kiriathaim, together with
their pasture-lands.
v.77-81
Additional locations for the Merarites
v.77
The
Merarites (the rest of the Levites) received the following:
from
the tribe of Zebulun
they
received Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmono and Tabor, together with their
pasture-lands;
v.78
from
the tribe of Reuben across the Jordan east of Jericho
they
received Bezer in the wilderness, Jahzah,
v.79
Kedemoth
and Mephaath, together with their pasture-lands;
v.80
and
from the tribe of Gad
they
received Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim,
v.81
Heshbon
and Jazer, together with their pasture-lands.
[Comment:
Referring back to
v.16-19 we are now shown how the three sub-tribes of Levi are
distributed around the Land, living in the lands of the other
main tribes.]
Continue
to Ch.7