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 without having any sons. He only had daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them. 23Mushi had three sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth. These were Levi’s descendants, who were grouped according to their families. The heads of their families were registered by name as they were counted. Everyone who served in the Lord’s temple was at least 20 years old. 25David had said, “The Lord God of Israel has given his people rest. He will now live in Jerusalem forever. 26The Levites will no longer have to carry the tent and all the utensils used in worship.”

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 tent ⌞of meeting⌟ was taken down, and the Gershonites and Merarites, who carried it, broke camp.
• Numbers 1:4One man from each tribe will help you. Each of these men must be the head of a household.
• Numbers 2:32This is the total number of Israelites, counted by households. The grand total of all the troops in the camps was 603,550.
• Numbers 3:15“Count the Levites by households and families. Count every male who is at least one month old.”
• Numbers 4:34Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the community registered the Kohathites by their families and households.
• Numbers 1:2“Take a census of the whole community of Israel by families and households. List every man by name
• Numbers 3:47It will cost you two ounces of silver per person (using the standard weight of the holy place) to buy them back.
• Numbers 8:24“These are the instructions for the Levites: Men 25 years old or older are eligible to serve at the tent of meeting.
• 1 Chronicles 23:3Every male Levite who was at least 30 years old was counted. There were 38,000.
• Numbers 1:3who is at least 20 years old. You and Aaron must register everyone in Israel who is eligible for military duty. List them by divisions.
• Numbers 4:3Register all the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who are qualified to work at the tent of meeting.
• Ezra 3:8Zerubbabel (who was Shealtiel’s son), Jeshua (who was Jozadak’s son), and the rest of the Jews, (the priests, Levites, and all the others who had come back from exile to Jerusalem) began to rebuild the temple. This happened in the second month of the second year following their return to ⌞the site⌟ of God’s house in Jerusalem. They began by appointing the Levites who were at least 20 years old to direct the work on the Lord’s house.

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