1 Chronicles 9:41

From hence to the end of the chapter is a repetition of the ancestors and posterity of Saul king of Israel; which is made to lead on to and connect the following history of the kings of Judah, begun in this book, and carried on in the next unto the Babylonish captivity, see 1 Chronicles 8:29, and the notes there. 1 Chronicles 9:36 Ver. 36. See Gill on "1 Chronicles 9:35". 1 Chronicles 9:37 Ver. 37. See Gill on "1 Chronicles 9:35". 1 Chronicles 9:38 Ver. 38. See Gill on "1 Chronicles 9:35". 1 Chronicles 9:39 Ver. 39. See Gill on "1 Chronicles 9:35". 1 Chronicles 9:40 Ver. 40. See Gill on "1 Chronicles 9:35". 1 Chronicles 9:41 Ver. 41. See Gill on "1 Chronicles 9:35". 1 Chronicles 9:42 Ver. 42. See Gill on "1 Chronicles 9:35". 1 Chronicles 9:43 Ver. 43. See Gill on "1 Chronicles 9:35". 1 Chronicles 9:44

9:1-44 Genealogies. - This chapter expresses that one end of recording all these genealogies was, to direct the Jews, when they returned out of captivity, with whom to unite, and where to reside. Here is an account of the good state into which the affairs of religion were put, on the return from Babylon. Every one knew his charge. Work is likely to be done well when every one knows the duty of his place, and makes a business of it. God is the God of order. Thus was the temple a figure of the heavenly one, where they rest not day nor night from praising God, Re 4:8. Blessed be His name, believers there shall, not in turn, but all together, without interruption, praise him night and day: may the Lord make each of us fit for the inheritance of the saints in light.

28-54 The genealogy is from hence confined to the posterity of Abraham. Let us take occasion from reading these lists of names, to think of the multitudes that have gone through this world, have done their parts in it, and then quitted it. As one generation, even of sinful men, passes away, another comes. Ec 1:4; Nu 32:14, and will do so while the earth remains. Short is our passage through time into eternity. May we be distinguished as the Lord's people.

And in Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon,.... Whose name is here mentioned, which is not in 1 Chronicles 8:29 . Jehiel: whose wife's name was Maachah; as there, but here called his sister, as a wife sometimes is, Genesis 20:2. From hence to the end of the chapter is a repetition of the ancestors and posterity of Saul king of Israel; which is made to lead on to and connect the following history of the kings of Judah, begun in this book, and carried on in the next unto the Babylonish captivity, see 1 Chronicles 8:29, and the notes there.

18. the king's gate—The king had a gate from his palace into the temple (2Ki 16:18), which doubtless was kept constantly closed except for the monarch's use; and although there was no king in Israel on the return from the captivity, yet the old ceremonial was kept up, probably in the hope that the scepter would, ere long, be restored to the house of David. It is an honor by which Eastern kings are distinguished, to have a gate exclusively devoted to their own special use, and which is kept constantly closed, except when he goes out or returns (Eze 44:2). There being no king then in Israel, this gate would be always shut.

The family of King Saul. - This register has already occurred in 1 Chronicles 8:29-38 , along with those of other families of the tribe of Benjamin, and is repeated here only to connect the following history of the kingship with the preceding genealogical lists. It forms here the introduction to the narrative of Saul's death in 1 Chronicles 10:1-14 , which in turn forms the transition to the kingship of David. The deviations of this register from that in 1 Chronicles 8:29-38 , show that it has been derived from another document in more complete preservation than that in 1 Chronicles 8 , which had been handed down in connection with other genealogies of the Benjamite families, and had suffered considerably in its text. See the commentary on 1 Chronicles 8:29-38 .

22 . All these ] Cp. Ezra 2:41 (= Nehemiah 7:45 ); Nehemiah 11:19 . The discrepancy in numbers between Chron. and Neh. and also between Nehemiah 7 and Nehemiah 11 may be explained by supposing some difference in the manner of reckoning or some difference in the period referred to in their villages ] Cp. note on 1 Chronicles 9:16 . David and Samuel the seer ] The Chronicler attributes to David the organisation of the priests ( 1 Chronicles 24:3 ), of the Levites ( 1 Chronicles 23:27 ; 1 Chronicles 24:31 ), of the singers ( 1 Chronicles 25:1 ff.), and of the doorkeepers (in this passage). Samuel the seer is here associated with David in the work, perhaps as having himself exercised the doorkeeper’s office ( 1 Samuel 3:15 ). We have however no evidence outside Chron. of Samuel’s organising work for the sanctuary. set office ] R.V. mg. trust . The meaning is “office of trust”; cp. 1 Chronicles 9:26 ; 1 Chronicles 9:31 ; 2 Chronicles 31:15 ; 2 Chronicles 31:18 .

41 . The singers ] The Levitical order of singers was instituted in David’s time ( 1 Chronicles 15:17-24 ). There seem to have been 24 classes of singers ( 1 Chronicles 25:9-31 ). But the three great guilds of singers were called after the names of Heman the Kohathite, Asaph the Gershomite, and Jeduthun the Merarite ( 1 Chronicles 6:33-47 ; 1 Chronicles 25:1-7 ). Asaph ] No members of the Heman and Jeduthun guilds seem to have returned. Four of the 24 classes of singers were called after the sons of Asaph, i.e. the first, Joseph: the third, Zaccur: the fifth, Nethaniah: the seventh, Jesharelah ( 1 Chronicles 25:2 ; 1 Chronicles 25:9-10 ; 1 Chronicles 25:12 ; 1 Chronicles 25:14 ). Asaph himself enjoyed a great reputation as a Psalmist (cf. 2 Chronicles 29:30 , Nehemiah 12:46 ). The inscriptions of certain Psalms attribute their composition to Asaph (Psalms 50, 73-83).