I Chronicles 26

The Word Made Fresh

1Here is the roster of the gatekeepers:

From the Korahites, Meshelemiah, son of Kore, a descendant of Asaph. 2Meshelemiah’s sons were Zechariah, Jediael, Zebadiah, Jathniel, 3Elam, Jehohanan, and Eliehoenai.

4Obed-Edom’s sons were Shemaiah, Jehozabad, Joah, Sachar, Nehanel, 5Ammiel, Issachar, and Peullethai. God blessed him. 6His son Shemaiah also had sons, all of them were able men who became leaders in their families. 7Shemaiah’s sons were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad. His cousins, Elihu and Semachiah were also capable men. 8The men in Obed-Edom’s family, sixty-two in all, were able men qualified for the work.

9Meshelemiah had eighteen capable sons and brothers.

10Hosah, from Merari’s family, had sons: Shimri (although he was not the first-born, his father gave him that title), 11Hilkiah, Tebalia, and Zechariah. Altogether Hosah had thirteen sons and brothers.

12Each of these groups of gatekeepers were given duties assigned by their leaders and worked in the LORD’s house. 13They cast lots of different sizes to see who would be responsible for which gates. 14When they tossed the lot for the east gate, it fell to Shelimiah. His son Zechariah was a wise counselor, and the north gate was his lot. 15Obed-Edom was given the south gate, and his sons were allotted the storehouses. 16Shuppim and Huppim were given responsibility for the gate on the west side, the gate of Shallecheth on the upper road. They stood their duty alongside each other. 17On the east there were six Levites each day; four on the north and the south, and two at each entrance to the storehouse. 18Two stood with the row of columns on the west along with four others on the road leading up to it. 19All these were the duties of the groups of gatekeepers among the Korahites and the descendants of Merari.

20Among the Levites, Ahijah was put in charge of the treasuries and the items dedicated to the LORD. 21Jehieli, a Gershonite descended from Ladan, was the current head of family. 22His sons, Zetham and Joel were also in charge of the temple treasuries.

23Descendants of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel were in charge of other treasuries 24under the authority of Shebuel, a descendant of Gershom son of Moses. 25His assistant, descended from Eliezer through Rehabiah, Jeshaiah, Joram, and Zichri, was Shelomoth. 26Shelomoth and his family were put in charge of all the gifts dedicated to the temple by king David, family heads, commanders of battalions and platoons, and the army generals. 27From loot taken in battles they brought gifts for the maintenance of the LORD’s house. 28There were also gifts that had been dedicated to the temple by Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah, and they were put in the care of Shelomoth and his relatives.

29From the clan of Izhar, Chenaniah and his sons were assigned to outside duties as officers and judges. 30Hashabiah and his relatives, one thousand seven hundred men descended from Hebron, were given oversight for the overall work of the LORD and were in the king’s service over all of Israel west of the Jordan. 31Jerijah was the leader of the Hebronites. In the fortieth year of David’s reign a search was undertaken to identify families and capable men in Jazer in Gilead. 32King David assigned Jerijah and heads of families who were his kindred – two thousand seven hundred capable men – to oversee the Reubenites, Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh in every matter having to do with God and the affairs of the king.

Commentary

1-11: Next, the “gatekeepers” are appointed.

12-19: The gatekeepers are organized according to their stations. Specific families are assigned to specific gates. Their duties are related to security for the temple area and the storehouses where furnishings and supplies are to be kept.

20-21: Ahijah is the royal treasurer and is to be over the temple treasury as well.

22-28: Other families are assigned to duties within the treasurer’s office to serve as accountants and assessors and bankers and the like.

29-32: Further provisions are made for the administration of government holdings on the west of the Jordan river and on the east (the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh).

Takeaway

David was an obsessive-compulsive planner and organizer, wasn’t he? And how much of what he put in place was retained after he died, we shall see. This chapter primarily addresses the security of the city of Jerusalem, and in particular the security of the (future) site of the temple and the wealth of money and furnishing the temple and its storehouses will contain. (Jesus told a parable about a man who wanted to build more barns to store his stuff. It doesn’t end well for him – see Luke 12:16-20.)