1 Chronicles 23:24

1 Chronicles 23:24 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the Lord, from the age of twenty years and upward.
• New International Version (NIV)These were the descendants of Levi by their families—the heads of families as they were registered under their names and counted individually, that is, the workers twenty years old or more who served in the temple of the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)These were the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses, the heads of fathers' houses as they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from twenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)These were the sons of Levi by their fathers’ houses—the heads of the fathers’ houses as they were counted individually by the number of their names, who did the work for the service of the house of the Lord, from the age of twenty years and above.

Context of 1 Chronicles 23:24

22Eleazar died and had no sons, but daughters only, and their relatives, the sons of Kish, took them as wives. 23The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth—three in all. These were the Levites by their fathers’ households, the heads of the fathers’ households of those registered, according to the number of names of the individuals who were the servants of the house of the Lord, from twenty years old and upward. 25For David said, “The Lord God of Israel, has given peace and rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26Also, the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its utensils for its service.”

1 Chronicles 23:24 word by word

אֵ֣לֶּה בְנֵֽי־לֵוִי֩ לְבֵ֨ית אֲבֹתֵיהֶ֜ם רָאשֵׁ֧י הָאָב֣וֹת לִפְקוּדֵיהֶ֗ם בְּמִסְפַּ֤ר שֵׁמוֹת֙ לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָ֔ם עֹשֵׂה֙ הַמְּלָאכָ֔ה לַעֲבֹדַ֖ת בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה מִבֶּ֛ן עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וָמָֽעְלָה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Leviלֵוִיlêvîy · LeviH3878
• after the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• of their fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
• the chiefרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
• as they were countedפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: listH6485
• by numberמִסְפָּרmispâr · numberH4557
• of namesשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• by their pollsגֻּלְגֹּ֫לֶתgûlgôleth · headH1538
• that didעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• the workמְלָאכָהmelâ'kâh · workH4399
• for the serviceעֲבֹדָה‛ăbôdâh ‛ăbôdâh · service: ministryH5656
• of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• from the ageבֵּןbên · son: agedH1121
• of twentyעֶשְׂרִים‛eώrîym · twentyH6242
• yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• and upwardמַ֫עַלma‛al · aboveH4605

Cross-references for 1 Chronicles 23:24

• Numbers 10:17Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who were carrying the tabernacle, moved out.
• Numbers 1:4And with you there shall be a man [to assist you] from each tribe, each being the head of his father’s household.
• Numbers 2:32These are the men of the Israelites [twenty years old and upward] as numbered by their fathers’ households. The total of the numbered men of the camps by their armies, 603,550.
• Numbers 3:15“Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families (clans). You shall number every male from a month old and upward.”
• Numbers 4:34So Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families (clans) and by their fathers’ households,
• Numbers 1:2“Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families (clans), by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, every male, head by head
• Numbers 3:47you shall take five shekels apiece, per head, you shall take them in terms of the sanctuary shekel (the shekel is twenty gerahs),
• Numbers 8:24“This is what applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall enter to perform service in the work of the Tent of Meeting,
• 1 Chronicles 23:3The Levites thirty years old and upward were counted, and their number man by man was 38,000.
• Numbers 1:3from twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go out to war. You and Aaron shall number them, army by army.
• Numbers 4:3from thirty years old and upward, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle).
• Ezra 3:8In the second year of their coming to God’s house at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began [the work], with the rest of their brothers—the priests and Levites and all who came to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to oversee the work of the house of the Lord.

Commentaries on 1 Chronicles 23:24

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24Twenty years and upward - It appears that this was a different ordinance from that mentioned 1 Chronicles 23:3. At first he appointed the Levites to serve from thirty years and upward; now from twenty years. These were David's last orders; see 1 Chronicles 23:27. They should begin at an earlier age, and continue later. This was not a very painful task; the ark being now fixed, and the Levites very numerous, there could be no drudgery.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24From the age of twenty years - The Levites had hitherto not entered upon their regular functions until the age of thirty 1 Chronicles 23:3. Certain lighter duties were by the Law imposed on them at the age of twenty-five Numbers 8:24; but it was not until they were five years older that they became liable to the full service of the sanctuary. David appears now to have made a change. By his “last words” 1 Chronicles 23:27 the time for the Levites to enter…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 24-32Verses 24-32 Now the people of Israel were so many, there should be more employed in the temple service, that every Israelite who brought an offering might find a Levite ready to help him. When more work is to be done, it is pity but there should be more workmen. A new heart, a spiritual mind, which delights greatly in God's commandments, and can find a refreshing feast in his ordinances, forms the great distinction between the true Christian and all…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 24-27In the census of 1 Chronicles 23:3, individuals were counted at age thirty. However, the registration of the divisions included those who were twenty years old or older (see Numbers 1:3). The age for starting Levitical service seemed to change over time based on need.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 24-2724-27. These were the sons of Levi ... that did the work ... from the age of twenty years and upward--The enumeration of the Levites was made by David (1Ch 23:3) on the same rule as that followed by Moses (Nu 4:3), namely, from thirty years. But he saw afterwards that this rule might be beneficially relaxed, and that the enrolment of Levites for their proper duties might be made from twenty years of age. The ark and tabernacle being now stationary at…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Chronicles 23:24

• Levites
• Temple

In the dictionaries

• Levi
• Levi, Levite
• Matthew, Levi
• Chronicles, Books of
• Golgotha
• Music
• Adonijah
• Age; Old Age
• Chronicles, Books of
• David

Commentaries on 1 Chronicles 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary