1 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 2 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. 3 The children of Amram: Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 4 Eleazar became the father of Phinehas, Phinehas became the father of Abishua, 5 and Abishua became the father of Bukki, and Bukki became the father of Uzzi, 6 and Uzzi became the father of Zerahiah, and Zerahiah became the father of Meraioth, 7 Meraioth became the father of Amariah, and Amariah became the father of Ahitub, 8 and Ahitub became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Ahimaaz, 9 and Ahimaaz became the father of Azariah, and Azariah became the father of Johanan, 10 and Johanan became the father of Azariah, (he it is who executed the priest's office in the house that Solomon built in Jerusalem), 11 and Azariah became the father of Amariah, and Amariah became the father of Ahitub, 12 and Ahitub became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Shallum, 13 and Shallum became the father of Hilkiah, and Hilkiah became the father of Azariah, 14 and Azariah became the father of Seraiah, and Seraiah became the father of Jehozadak; 15 Jehozadak went (into captivity), when Yahweh carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. 16 The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. 17 These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei. 18 The sons of Kohath were Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' (houses). 20 Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, 21 Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son. 22 The sons of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, 23 Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son, 24 Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. 25 The sons of Elkanah: Amasai, and Ahimoth. 26 As for Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah: Zophai his son, and Nahath his son, 27 Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. 28 The sons of Samuel: the firstborn (Joel), and the second Abijah. 29 The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, 30 Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son. 31 These are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of Yahweh, after that the ark had rest. 32 They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon had built the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem: and they waited on their office according to their order. 33 These are those who waited, and their sons. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, 34 the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, 35 the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, 36 the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, 37 the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, 38 the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. 39 His brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea, 40 the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah, 41 the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, 42 the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, 43 the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi. 44 On the left hand their brothers the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, 45 the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, 46 the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, 47 the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. 48 Their brothers the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God. 49 But Aaron and his sons offered on the altar of burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. 50 These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 51 Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 52 Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 53 Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son. 54 Now these are their dwelling places according to their encampments in their borders: to the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites (for theirs was the (first) lot), 55 to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah, and its suburbs around it; 56 but the fields of the city, and its villages, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 57 To the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge, Hebron; Libnah also with its suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa with its suburbs, 58 and Hilen with its suburbs, Debir with its suburbs, 59 and Ashan with its suburbs, and Beth Shemesh with its suburbs; 60 and out of the tribe of Benjamin, Geba with its suburbs, and Allemeth with its suburbs, and Anathoth with its suburbs. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities. 61 To the rest of the sons of Kohath (were given) by lot, out of the family of the tribe, out of the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, ten cities. 62 To the sons of Gershom, according to their families, out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. 63 To the sons of Merari (were given) by lot, according to their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. 64 The children of Israel gave to the Levites the cities with their suburbs. 65 They gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities which are mentioned by name. 66 Some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their borders out of the tribe of Ephraim. 67 They gave to them the cities of refuge, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim with its suburbs; Gezer also with its suburbs, 68 and Jokmeam with its suburbs, and Beth Horon with its suburbs, 69 and Aijalon with its suburbs, and Gath Rimmon with its suburbs; 70 and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Aner with its suburbs, and Bileam with its suburbs, for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath. 71 To the sons of Gershom (were given), out of the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its suburbs, and Ashtaroth with its suburbs; 72 and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kedesh with its suburbs, Daberath with its suburbs, 73 and Ramoth with its suburbs, and Anem with its suburbs; 74 and out of the tribe of Asher, Mashal with its suburbs, and Abdon with its suburbs, 75 and Hukok with its suburbs, and Rehob with its suburbs; 76 and out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its suburbs, and Hammon with its suburbs, and Kiriathaim with its suburbs. 77 To the rest of (the Levites), the sons of Merari, (were given), out of the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmono with its suburbs, Tabor with its suburbs; 78 and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, (were given them), out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer in the wilderness with its suburbs, and Jahzah with its suburbs, 79 and Kedemoth with its suburbs, and Mephaath with its suburbs; 80 and out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its suburbs, and Mahanaim with its suburbs, 81 and Heshbon with its suburbs, and Jazer with its suburbs.
The genealogy of Levi and Aaron, vv. 1-30. The offices of the priests and Levites, vv. 31-53. The cities assigned them, vv. 54-81.
INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 6
This chapter begins with the fathers and heads of the tribe of Levi, 1-Chronicles 6:1, and reckons up the high priests in the line of Eleazar, to the Babylonish captivity, 1-Chronicles 6:4 gives an account of the families of the sons of Levi, 1-Chronicles 6:16 and of those Levites that were employed as singers, and in other ministrations in the sanctuary in the times of David and Solomon, 1-Chronicles 6:31, then follows a repetition of the sons of Aaron in the line of Eleazar, to the said times, 1-Chronicles 6:50, and a recital of the dwelling places of the Levites in the several tribes, 1-Chronicles 6:54.
Genealogies.
The Families of Levi, and Their Cities - 1-Chronicles 6
1-Chronicles 6
(5:27-6:66). As to the tribe of Levi, we have several communications: (1.) the genealogy of the high-priestly family of Aaron, down to Jehozadak, who was led away into exile by Nebuchadnezzar (1-Chronicles 6:1-15); (2.) a short register of the families of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, which does not extend far into later times (1-Chronicles 6:16-30); (3.) the genealogies of the musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan (1 Chron 6:31-47), with remarks on the service of the other Levites (1-Chronicles 6:48, 1-Chronicles 6:49); (4.) a register of the high priests from Eleazar to Ahimaaz the son of Zadok (1-Chronicles 6:50-53), with a register of the cities of the Levites (1 Chron 6:54-81). If we look into these genealogies and registers, we see, both from a repetition of a part of the genealogy of the high priest (1-Chronicles 6:50-53), and also from the name of the eldest son of Levi appearing in two different forms - in 1-Chronicles 6:1. Gershon; in 1-Chronicles 6:16-17, 1-Chronicles 6:20, etc., Gershom - that the register in 1-Chronicles 6:1-15 is drawn from another source than the registers in 1 Chron 6, which, with the exception of the genealogies of David's chief musicians, are throughout fragmentary, and in parts corrupt, and were most probably found by the author of the Chronicle in this defective state.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.