Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Chronicles · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Verſ. 1. THe ſonnes of Levi; Gerſhon, &c.] Levi was next in age to Reuben (Simeon onelyonly excepted, whoſe genealogy was joyned with Judahs, chap. 4.24. becauſe they dwelt amongſt the tribe of Judah) and therefore is Levies genealogie next recorded: for the genealogie of Gad, and the half tribe of Manaſſeh is onelyonly inſerted with Reubens in the former chapter, becauſe they dwelt together with the Reubenites without Jordan.
Verſ. 4. Eleazar begat Phinehas, Phinehas begat Abiſhua, &c.] Eleazar ſucceeded his father Aaron in the high prieſthood, in the fourtieth yeare after their coming out of Egypt, Numb. 20.25, &c. and 33.18. and was high prieſt all the time of Joſhua, and died immediately after him, as may ſeem by the relation of their deaths together, Joſh. 24.29, 33. Phinehas his ſonne that ſucceeded him, was he that ſlew Zimri and Cozbi in the wilderneſſe, and had thereupon a promiſe from God, that the high prieſthood ſhould be ſettled upon him and his ſeed for ever: ſee Numb. 25.7.—13. He ſucceeded his father Eleazar about the death of Joſhua, Joſh. 24.29, 33. How long he lived high prieſt it is no where expreſſed; but probable it is he was high prieſt all the time that the people ſerved the Lord after Joſhuahs death, in the dayes of the elders that out-lived Joſhua, Judg. 2.7. and perhaps in the time of the firſt revolting of the people in the time of the Judges (which muſt needs then be a matter of much grief to a man of ſuch zeal as he was) for it is evident that when the Iſraelites made warre againſt Benjamin, he was high prieſt, Joſh. 20.28. And Phinehas the ſonne of Eleazar, the ſonne of Aaron ſtood before it in thoſe dayes. As for the next three that follow, Abiſhau, & Bukki his ſonne, and Ʋzzi his ſonne, they were it ſeems high prieſts in thoſe corrupteſt times of Iſrael under the Judges: whereto agrees that which is by ſome ſaid, that in the dayes of Uzzi it was that Eli (and ſo his poſterity after him) got the high prieſts office, not being of Eleazars ſtock, but of the ſtock of Ithamar: and if ſo it were, then the foure next following of the ſtock of Eleazar were never high prieſts, to wit, Zerahiah, and Meraioth, and Amariah, and Ahitub; but Zadok the ſonne of Ahitub, verſ. 8. was the firſt that recovered that dignity again, which was in the dayes of Solomon, who thruſt out Abiathar of the poſterity of Eli, and of the ſtock of Ithamar, from being high prieſt, and put Zadok the ſonne of Ahitub in his room, 1. Kings 2.27, 35.
Verſ. 10. And Johanan begat Azariah, (he it is that executed the prieſts office in the temple that Solomon built in Jeruſalem.] That is, this is that Azariah of whom ſuch honourable mention is made in the book of the Chronicles, 2. Chron. 26.16. &c. who did ſo worthily execute & maintain the honour and office of the prieſthood againſt the intruſion and uſurpation of Uzziah the king of Judah; and it is expreſſely noted that it was in the temple which Solomon built in Jeruſalem, becauſe at the time when this was written, there was another Temple in Jeruſalem built by Zerub-babel. Yet ſome underſtand theſe words of Johanan the father of Azariah, that he was that Jehoiada that was high prieſt in the dayes of Athaliah, by whom both the Temple and Common-wealth were preſerved, when they were in danger to be ruined by her.
Verſ. 13. And Shallum begat Hil…iah.] Who found the book of the Law in the dayes of Joſiah, 2. Kings 22.8.
Verſ. 14. And Azariah begat Seraiah, &c.] Seraiah was the high prieſt whom Nebuchadnezzar ſlew: ſee 2. Kings 25.18,—21. He was alſo the father or grand-father of Ezra, Ezra 7.1. Now after theſe things in the reigne of Artaxerxes king of Perſia, Ezra the ſonne of Seraiah, the ſonne of Azariah, the ſonne of Hilkiah, &c. and then Jehozadak his ſonne was the father of Joſuah, who was ſo famous at the return of the Jews, and the rebuilding of the Temple, Hag. 1.1. In the ſecond yeare of Darius the king, in the ſixth monethmonth, in the firſt day of the monethmonth, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the Prophet, unto Zerubbabel the ſonne of Shealtiel, governour of Judah, and to Joſuah the ſonne of Joſedech the high prieſt.
Verſ. 19. And theſe are the families of the Levites according to their fathers.] That is, of theſe before named were the ſeverall families of the Levites called, to wit, the family of the Libnites, &c.
Verſ. 20. Of Gerſhom; Libni his ſonne, Jahath his ſonne, Zimmah his ſonne, &c.] Here follows a catalogue of thoſe that were ſucceſſively the Heads both of the Gerſhonites, Kohathites, and Merarites; perhaps unto the dayes of David, who did diſpoſe of the Levites into new orders: and whereas Zimmah is here ſaid to be the ſonne of Jahath, thereby is meant that he was his grandchild: for Shimei was the ſonne of Jahath, and Zimmah the ſonne of Shimei, verſ. 42, 43.
Verſ. 25. And the ſonnes of Elkanah; Amaſai, and Ahimoth.] The ſonnes of Elkanah are here more particularly expreſſed, becauſe from him deſcended that Elkanah, who was the father of Samuel.
Verſ. 26. As for Elkanah, the ſonnes of Elkanah; Zophai his ſonne, &c.] This is another Elkanah, who was the ſonne of Mahath, and grandchild of Amaſai, mentioned in the former verſe, as is evident, verſ. 35, 36.
Verſ. 27. Jeroham his ſonne, Elkanah his ſonne.] The father of Samuel.
Verſ. 31. And theſe are they whom David ſet over the ſervice of ſong in the houſe of the Lord, &c.] That is, theſe are they that David made chief in the three quires of ſingers after the Ark had reſt, that is, after it was brought to Davids houſe (for before it was removed from one place to another) to wit, theſe mentioned in the ſequel of this chapter; Heman of the Kohathites, ver. 33. who was the chief, and therefore had the middle quire, and Aſaph (who ſtood on Hemans right hand) v. 39. and was of the Gerſhonites; and Ethan, who was alſo called Jeduthun, chap. 25.1. and was of the Merarites, and ſtood on Hemans left hand, ver. 44. Theſe were in their times famous men, as being the chief ſingers, and withall Prophets, and penmen of ſome of the Pſalmes; 2. Chron. 29.30. Moreover, Hezekiah the king, and the princes commanded the Levites to ſing praiſe unto▪ the Lord with the words of David, and of Aſaph the ſeer.
Verſ. 33. Heman a ſinger, the ſonne of Joel, the ſonne of Shemuel.] That is, Samuel; for Heman was Samuels grandchild.
Verſ. 50. And theſe are the ſonnes of Aaron; Eleazar his ſonne, Phinehas his ſonne, &c.] By occaſion of the mention that is made of the ſeverall offices and imployments of the prieſts in the foregoing verſe, the catalogue of the ſonnes of Eleazar is here again ſet down unto the dayes of David, by whom the prieſts were divided into foure ſeverall orders.
Verſ. 57. And to the ſonnes of Aaron they gave the cities of Judah, &c.] And Simeon, Joſh. 21.9. And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, theſe cities which are here mentioned by name.
Verſ. 60. All their cities throughout their families, were thirteen cities.] To wit, the eleven here mentioned, and Ain in Judahs portion, and Gibeon in Benjamins, which are reckoned amongſt the reſt, Joſh. 21.16, 17. but are not here mentioned.
Verſ. 61. And unto the ſonnes of Kohath, which were left of the family of that tribe, were cities given out of the half tribe, &c.] That is, to the reſt of the ſonnes of Kohath, to wit, thoſe that were not of the prieſts the ſonnes of Aaron, there were cities given out of the half tribe of Manaſſeh, that was placed within Jordan; yea, and by lot there were given them in all ten cities, to wit, foure out of the tribe of Ephraim, and foure out of the tribe of Dan, and two out of the half tribe of Manaſſeh, moſt of which are expreſſed by name, verſ. 67, &c. and more fully, Joſh. 21.21.
Verſ. 65. And they gave by lot—theſe cities which are called by their names.] To wit, above, ver. 57, &c.
Verſ. 66. And the reſidue of the families of the ſonnes of Kohath, had cities, &c.] Here the cities that were given to the reſt of the Kohathites are expreſſed alſo by name, which were before ſpoken of, ver. 61. as they are alſo Joſh. 21.20. though indeed many of the names there and here differ; concerning which ſee the notes there.
Verſ. 69. And Aijalon with her ſuburbs, &c.] Theſe were given them out of the tribe of Dan; as alſo Eltekeh and Gibbethon, which are not here mentioned, Joſh. 21.23, 24.