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

22The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. Eleazar died without having any sons; he had only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them. 23The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth—three in all. These were the descendants of Levi by their families—the heads of families, registered individually by name—those twenty years of age or older who worked in the service of the house of the LORD. 25For David had said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, has given rest to His people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever. 26So now the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles 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

• Theseאֵ֫לֶּה'êlleh · theseH428
• were the descendantsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Leviלֵוִיlêvîy · LeviH3878
• by their familiesאָב'âb · fatherH1
• by their familiesבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• the headsרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
• registeredפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: listH6485
• registeredמִסְפָּרmispâr · numberH4557
• individuallyגֻּלְגֹּ֫לֶתgûlgôleth · headH1538
• by nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• those twentyעֶשְׂרִים‛eώrîym · twentyH6242
• years of ageבֵּןbên · son: agedH1121
• years of ageשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• or olderמַ֫עַלma‛al · aboveH4605
• who workedעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• who workedמְלָאכָהmelâ'kâh · workH4399
• in the serviceעֲבֹדָה‛ăbôdâh ‛ăbôdâh · service: ministryH5656
• of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
• of the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for 1 Chronicles 23:24

• Numbers 10:17Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites set out, transporting it.
• Numbers 1:4And one man from each tribe, the head of each family, must be there with you.
• Numbers 2:32These are the Israelites, numbered according to their families. The total of those counted in the camps, by their divisions, was 603,550.
• Numbers 3:15“Number the Levites by their families and clans. You are to count every male a month old or more.”
• Numbers 4:34So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation numbered the Kohathites by their clans and families,
• Numbers 1:2“Take a census of the whole congregation of Israel by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one.
• Numbers 3:47you are to collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel of twenty gerahs.
• Numbers 8:24“This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years of age or older shall enter to perform the service in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
• 1 Chronicles 23:3The Levites thirty years of age or older were counted, and the total number of men was 38,000.
• Numbers 1:3You and Aaron are to number those who are twenty years of age or older by their divisions—everyone who can serve in Israel’s army.
• Numbers 4:3men from thirty to fifty years old—everyone who is qualified to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
• Ezra 3:8In the second month of the second year after they had arrived at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, and the rest of their associates including the priests, the Levites, and all who had returned to Jerusalem from the captivity, began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years of age or older to supervise the construction 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
• Chronicles, Books of
• Golgotha
• Music
• Adonijah
• Age; Old Age
• David
• Ezekiel
• Genealogy
• Port; Porter

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