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 Living Translation (NLT)These were the descendants of Levi by clans, the leaders of their family groups, registered carefully by name. Each had to be twenty years old or older to qualify for service in the house of the Lord.

Context of 1 Chronicles 23:24

22And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but only daughters; and their brethren, the sons of Kish, took them as wives. 23The sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth—three in all. 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. 25For David said, “The Lord God of Israel has given rest to His people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem forever”; 26and also to the Levites, “They shall no longer 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

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 set out, carrying the tabernacle.
• Numbers 1:4And with you there shall be a man from every tribe, each one the head of his father’s house.
• Numbers 2:32These are the ones who were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses. All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.
• Numbers 3:15“Number the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families; you shall number every male from a month old and above.”
• Numbers 4:34And Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families and by their fathers’ house,
• Numbers 1:2“Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually,
• Numbers 3:47you shall take five shekels for each one individually; you shall take them in the currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs.
• Numbers 8:24“This is what pertains to the Levites: From twenty-five years old and above one may enter to perform service in the work of the tabernacle of meeting;
• 1 Chronicles 23:3Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and above; and the number of individual males was thirty-eight thousand.
• Numbers 1:3from twenty years old and above—all who are able to go to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
• Numbers 4:3from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.
• Ezra 3:8Now in the second month of the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began work and appointed the Levites from twenty years old and above 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
• 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