Bible Commentaries

And Ahitub begat ^a Zadok, and Zadok begat Ahimaaz,

(a) Who was high priest after Abiathar was deposed, according to the prophecy of Eli the priest, (1 Samuel 2:31) , (1 Samuel 2:35).

And Johanan begat Azariah, (he [it is] that executed the ^b priest's office in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem:)

(b) And valiantly resisted king Uzziah, who would have usurped the priest's office (2 Chronicles 26:17-18).

And ^c Jehozadak went [into captivity], when the LORD carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

(c) That is, he was led into captivity with his father Seraiah the high priest, (2 Kings 25:18).

The sons of Kohath; ^d Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,

(d) Who seems to be called Izhar, (Exodus 6:21).

And the sons of Samuel; the firstborn ^e Vashni, and Abiah.

(e) Who is also called Joel, (1 Samuel 8:2) ; (1 Chronicles 6:33).

And these [are they] whom David set over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after that the ark had ^f rest.

(f) After it was brought to the place where the temple would be built and was no longer carried to and fro.

And his brother ^h Asaph, who stood on his right hand, [even] Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea,

(h) Meaning, the son of Heman, (1 Chronicles 6:33).

Their ⁱ brethren also the Levites [were] ^k appointed unto all manner of service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

(i) The Levites are called the singers brothers because they came from the same stock.

(k) Read (Numbers 4:4).

Now these [are] their ^l dwelling places throughout their castles in their coasts, of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites: for theirs was the ^m lot.

(l) Or, cities which were given to the Levites.

(m) They were first appointed, and prepared for.

And they gave them ⁿ Hebron in the land of Judah, and the suburbs thereof round about it.

(n) Which was also called Kirjatharba, (Genesis 23:2) ; (Joshua 21:11).

And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of Judah, [namely], Hebron, [the city] of ^o refuge, and Libnah with her suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa, with their suburbs,

(o) That he that had killed a man might flee to it for help till his case was tried, (Deuteronomy 19:2).

And ^p Hilen with her suburbs, Debir with her suburbs,

(p) Which Joshua called Holon, (Joshua 15:51) , (Joshua 21:15).

And out of the tribe of Benjamin; Geba with her suburbs, and ^q Alemeth with her suburbs, and Anathoth with her suburbs. All their cities throughout their families [were] thirteen cities.

(q) Or, Almon (Joshua 21:18).

And unto the sons of ^r Kohath, [which were] left of the family of that tribe, [were cities given] out of the half tribe, [namely, out of] the half [tribe] of Manasseh, by lot, ten cities.

(r) That is, they gave a portion to the Kohathites, who were the remnant of the tribe of Levi, out of the half tribe of Manasseh and out of Ephraim, (1 Chronicles 6:66).

Unto the sons of ^s Gershom [were given] out of the family of the half tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, and Ashtaroth with her suburbs:

(s) Who in the first verse is also called Gershon.