1 Chronicles 23:6

(6-23) The twenty-four houses of the Levites. (6) And David divided them into courses.—Heb., he divided him them (reflexive form of verb, with suffix) into divisions. (Comp. 1Chronicles 24:3, and Genesis 14:15.) Others read the simple voice of the verb here, as at 1Chronicles 24:4-5, 2Chronicles 23:18, Nehemiah 9:22; others, again, the intensive voice, as at 1Chronicles 16:3 (only). It is a question of pointing, the consonants remaining the same in each form. “David divided them,” i.e., the 2,400 superintendents (1Chronicles 23:4; comp. 1Chronicles 23:24). Many of the names here enumerated recur in 1Chronicles 24:20-31; 1Chronicles 26:20-28; whereas the names of the courses of musicians (1Chronicles 25:1-31), warders (1Chronicles 26:1-19), and scribes and judges (1Chronicles 26:29-32), are totally different. Among the sons of Levi.—Rather, according to the sons of Levi, viz., according to Gershon, &c.: that is, according to the three great sub-divisions of the tribe (1Chronicles 6:1; 1Chronicles 6:16). Notice the correct spelling, “Gershon” (not Gershom).

6. David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi—These are enumerated according to their fathers' houses, but no more of these are mentioned here than the twenty-four thousand who were engaged in the work connected with the Lord's house. The fathers' houses of those Levites corresponded with the classes into which they [Josephus, Antiquities] as well as the priests were divided (see on [399]1Ch 24:20-31; [400]1Ch 26:20-28).

The fathers'-houses of the Levites. - 1 Chronicles 23:6 . "And David divided them into courses according to the sons of Levi, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari;" see on 1 Chronicles 6:1 . The form ויּחלקם which recurs in 1 Chronicles 24:3 with the same pointing, is in more accurate MSS in that place pointed ויּחלקם. There are also found in MSS and editions ויחלּקם, and the rare form of the Kal ויּחלקם (for ויּחלקם); cf. J. H. Mich. Notae crit. This last pronunciation is attested for, 1 Chronicles 24:3 , by D. Kimchi, who expressly remarks that the regular form ויּחלקם corresponds to it; cf. Norzi on this passage. Gesen. (in Thes. p. 483) and Ew. (83, c) regard ויּחלקם as a variety of the Piel (ויחלּקם), to which, however, Berth. rightly remarks that it would be worth a thought only if the punctuation ויחלקם were confirmed by good MSS, which is not the case, though we find the Piel in the Chronicle in 1 Chronicles 15:3 , and then with the signification to distribute. Berth. therefore holds - and certainly this is the more correct opinion - that the form ויּחלקם, attested by Kimchi for 1 Chronicles 24:3 , was the original reading in our verse also, and considers it a rare form of the impf.

Kal derived from ויּחלקם (cf. 1 Chronicles 24:4-5 ), by Kamets coming into the pretonic syllable, after the analogy of יּשׁחטוּם for ישׁחטוּם, 2 Kings 10:14 , and by the passing of an ă (Pathach) into ĕ (Seghol) before the Kamets, according to well-known euphonic rules. מחלקות is a second accusative: "in divisions." The tribe of Levi had been divided from ancient times into the three great families of Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites, corresponding to the three sons of Levi; cf. 1 Chronicles 6:1-53 ; 1 Chronicles 28:32 . - From 1 Chronicles 23:7 onwards we have an enumeration of the fathers'-houses into which these three families were divided: 1 Chronicles 23:7-11 , the fathers'-houses of the Gershonites; 1 Chronicles 23:12-20 , those of the Kohathites; and 1 Chronicles 23:21-23 , those of the Merarites. Berth., on the other hand, thinks that in these verses only the fathers'-houses of those Levites who performed the service of the house of Jahve, i.e., the 24,000 in 1 Chronicles 23:4 , and not the divisions of all the Levites, are enumerated.