Bible Commentaries

The porters - See 1 Chronicles 9:17-27; 1 Chronicles 23:5.

Obed-edom and Hosah 1 Chronicles 26:10 had been “porters,” or door - keepers, from the time of the bringing up of the ark into Jerusalem 1 Chronicles 15:24; 1 Chronicles 16:38.

This verse is obscure, but its probable meaning is the following: “To these divisions of the porters, principal men, (were assigned) the watches, together with their brethren, for service in the house of the Lord;” i. e., the “chief men” 1 Chronicles 26:1-11, amounting to no more than 93, kept the watch and ward of the house, together with a further number of their brethren (4,000, 1 Chronicles 23:5), who assisted them from time to time.

The house of Asuppim - literally, “the house of collections” (see the margin and compare Nehemiah 12:25 margin). A treasure-house of some kind or other is probably intended.

All recent commentators seem to be agreed that the words “to Shuppim” ought to be cancelled, the name having arisen from an accidental repetition of the preceding word, “Asuppim.”

The gate Shallecheth - literally, “the gate of projection” - the gate, i. e., through which were “thrown out” the sweepings of the temple, the ashes, the offal of the victims, and the like.

The causeway of the going up - Compare the marginal reference note.

Ward against ward - Or, “watch opposite to watch.” Hosah had in charge both the western gate of the temple, and also the gate Shallecheth, which was in the outer wall, opposite. Hence, he had to keep two watches, one over against the other.

Toward Asuppim two and two - It is conjectured that the “store-house” in question (1 Chronicles 26:15 note) had two doors, to each of which two porters were appointed.

“Parbar” must designate here the space between the western wall of the temple building and the wall of the court, which would be a sort of “precinct” or “purlieu” of the temple (2 Kings 23:11 note). Here were two gates, at one of which two guards were stationed; while at the Shallecheth, which gave upon the causeway, there were four. In this whole account, the temple is spoken of as if it were existing, when it was not as yet built. We must suppose that David formed the whole plan of the temple, and fixed the stations and numbers of the porters, though it was left for Solomon to carry out his instructions.

The divisions of the porters - The account of the porters here given makes them only twenty-four in number at any one time; 1 Chronicles 23:5 states that the duty was discharged by 4,000 persons. Perhaps of the 93 chief porters here spoken of 1 Chronicles 26:8-9, 1 Chronicles 26:11, 1 Chronicles 26:24 were always on guard as officers, while of the remaining 3,907, a certain proportion were each day on duty as their subordinates.

The foundations of a sacred treasury had therefore been laid as far back as the time of Samuel, when the Israelites began to recover from their last servitude. Such a treasury had been once before established, namely, under Joshua Joshua 6:24; but it appears to have been soon exhausted, and we hear nothing of it under any of the later judges until Samuel.

The “business of the Lord” in the provinces would consist especially in the collection of the tithes, the redemption-money, and the free-will offerings of the people. It may perhaps have included some religious teaching. Compare 2 Chronicles 17:7-9.

Rulers - This term is somewhat too strong. The same kind of office was assigned to Jerijah and his brethren in the trans-Jordanic region as to Hashabiah and his brethren in western Palestine 1 Chronicles 26:30, namely, a superintendence over religious matters and over the interests of the king.