David Organizes the Levites
1 Chronicles 23:1-6
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1 C.23.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ודויד: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- זקן: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- ושבע: NUM,m,sg,abs
- ימים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- וימלך: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- שלמה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- בנו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- על: PREP
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 1 Kings 1:1 (verbal): Same opening statement — David is old and advanced in years; introduces the transfer of royal authority to Solomon (verbal parallel).
- 1 Kings 1:32-40 (quotation): Narrates the formal anointing and proclamation of Solomon as king by Zadok, Nathan and the elders — the concrete enactment of making Solomon king referred to in 1 Chr 23:1.
- 1 Chronicles 29:22-23 (structural): Reports Solomon’s installation on David’s throne and the people’s support, echoing the outcome of David’s designation of Solomon in 1 Chr 23:1 (the transition of power).
- 1 Kings 2:10-12 (thematic): Notes David’s death and Solomon’s succession, completing the succession narrative that 1 Chr 23:1 initiates by making Solomon king while David was old.
Alternative generated candidates
- And David was old and full of days; he made his son Solomon king over Israel.
- And David was old and full of days, and he made Solomon his son king over Israel.
1 C.23.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאסף: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- שרי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והכהנים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- והלוים: NOUN,m,pl,def
Parallels
- 1 Chronicles 23:1 (structural): Immediate context: the preceding verse introduces David’s age and sets up his gathering of Israel’s leaders, priests, and Levites—continues directly into v.2.
- 1 Chronicles 28:1 (verbal): David again assembles 'all the leaders of Israel' and the people to give instructions about the temple—parallel action and similar wording.
- 2 Samuel 5:1-3 (thematic): All the tribes and elders of Israel come to David at Hebron to make him king—a thematically similar convening of Israel’s leaders around David’s authority.
- 2 Chronicles 29:4 (verbal): Hezekiah 'assembled the priests and Levites' to purify the temple and reinstate worship—parallels the gathering of priestly and Levitical personnel for official religious organization.
Alternative generated candidates
- He gathered together all the leaders of Israel, the priests, and the Levites.
- And he gathered all the leaders of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites.
1 C.23.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויספרו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- הלוים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- מבן: PREP
- שלשים: NUM,m,pl,abs
- שנה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ומעלה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- מספרם: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3mp
- לגלגלתם: PREP
- לגברים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- שלשים: NUM,m,pl,abs
- ושמונה: CONJ+NUM,card,sg,abs
- אלף: NUM,m,sg
Parallels
- Numbers 4:3 (verbal): Specifies Levites 'from thirty years old and upward' for service — the same age threshold and census motif as 1 Chr 23:3.
- Numbers 8:24-26 (thematic): Gives related regulations about the ages for Levite service (beginning service in youth and retiring at fifty), providing the legal background for age-based Levite duties.
- 1 Chronicles 23:24 (structural): Later in the same chapter David reorganizes Levite service and lowers the minimum age to twenty, showing an internal revision of the age requirement noted in v.3.
- 1 Chronicles 23:25-32 (thematic): Describes the specific duties and divisions assigned to the Levites immediately after the census in v.3 — explains the purpose of counting those 'thirty and upward.'
Alternative generated candidates
- The Levites were counted from thirty years old and upward; their number for service was thirty-eight thousand men.
- He counted the Levites from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their enrollment of men was thirty-eight thousand.
1 C.23.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מאלה: PREP+DEM
- לנצח: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- מלאכת: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- עשרים: NUM,card,pl
- וארבעה: CONJ+NUM,card,m,sg
- אלף: NUM,m,sg
- ושטרים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ושפטים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ששת: NUM,m,pl,cons
- אלפים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Numbers 3:6-9 (thematic): Commands to set the Levites apart to minister before Aaron — parallels David’s assignment of Levites to temple service and oversight.
- Numbers 4:2-3 (thematic): Instructions about the duties and age-limits of those who serve at the tabernacle (dividing work among Levite families) — echoes the organized allocation of temple labor in 1 Chr 23.
- 1 Chronicles 26:4-8 (structural): Gives details about gatekeepers and their organization/assignments — parallels the specific mention of gatekeepers and officials in 1 Chr 23:4.
- Ezra 2:70 (thematic): Lists temple servants, singers, and gatekeepers among the returned community — reflects continuity of the temple offices David enumerates (oversight, officials, gatekeepers).
Alternative generated candidates
- Of these, to oversee the work of the house of the LORD were twenty-four thousand, and officers and judges six thousand.
- Of these, to be overseers of the work of the house of the LORD were twenty-four thousand; and gatekeepers and judges, six thousand.
1 C.23.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וארבעת: NUM,card,m,pl,construct
- אלפים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- שערים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- וארבעת: NUM,card,m,pl,construct
- אלפים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- מהללים: VERB,piel,ptcp,pl,m
- ליהוה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- בכלים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- עשיתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- להלל: PREP+VERB,qal,inf
Parallels
- 1 Chronicles 15:16-24 (structural): David organizes Levites as singers and musicians, appointing instruments and leaders—parallel appointment and use of Levites to praise the LORD with instruments.
- 2 Chronicles 5:11-14 (thematic): Levites, priests and musicians praise with trumpets and instruments at the ark's installation; similar scene of corporate musical worship that the verse summarizes.
- Psalm 150:3-5 (verbal): A call to praise God with various musical instruments (trumpet, harp, lyre, cymbals), echoing the practice of praising Yahweh with appointed instruments.
- Nehemiah 12:44-46 (structural): Records the appointment and support of singers, gatekeepers and Levites for temple service and praise—paralleling the organization and numbers used for liturgical praise.
- 2 Chronicles 29:25-30 (thematic): Hezekiah restores Levites to musical service, appointing cymbals, harps and lyres to praise the LORD, reflecting the same liturgical-musical reforms and functions.
Alternative generated candidates
- And four thousand gatekeepers, and four thousand who praised the LORD with the instruments that I made for praise.
- And four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand were appointed to praise the LORD with the instruments which I made for praise.
1 C.23.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויחלקם: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- דויד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מחלקות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- לבני: PREP
- לוי: PROPN,m,sg
- לגרשון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- קהת: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ומררי: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Numbers 3:17-18 (verbal): Direct genealogical parallel — lists the three sons of Levi (Gershon, Kohath, Merari) as the principal Levitical families, matching the names in 1 Chr 23:6.
- Numbers 4:21-33 (structural): Describes the organization and specific duties of the Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites in tabernacle service — echoes the functional division David formalizes into 'courses'.
- Numbers 26:57-59 (verbal): Later census that again records Levi’s sons (Gershon, Kohath, Merari), providing a parallel genealogical listing to 1 Chronicles 23:6.
- 1 Chronicles 23:24 (structural): Immediate parallel within Chronicles showing how David arranged the Levites by fathers' houses and age into divisions/courses — the same administrative reorganization referenced in v.6.
Alternative generated candidates
- David divided them into divisions among the sons of Levi—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
- And David divided them into divisions among the sons of Levi—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
And David was old and full of days, and he made Solomon his son king over Israel. And he gathered all the leaders of Israel and the priests and the Levites. And the Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward; and their number, when they were enrolled for duty to serve in the work of the house of the LORD, was thirty-eight thousand men.
Of these, to preside over the work of the house of the LORD were twenty-four thousand, and officers and judges six thousand. And four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand were those who praised the LORD with the instruments that I made for praise. And David divided them into courses for the sons of Levi—to Gershon, to Kohath, and to Merari.