1 Chronicles 23:4

1Ch 23:4 Of which, twenty and four thousand [were] to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand [were] officers and judges:

Ver. 4. Of which, twenty and four thousand were, &c.] That is, They performed their different offices in their various courses, Hinc sequitur, Hence it followeth, saith an expositor, that each priest and Levite ministered in the temple not much oftener than twice a year; for there were of them twenty-four classes, each whereof served a week together, and no more. Gospel ministers have a far harder task.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ch 23:4. To set forward the work of the house of the Lord — To take care that all the work of the temple, about sacrifices, should be punctually performed, either by themselves or others; which they were not to do all at once, but by courses, a thousand at a time. Six thousand were officers and judges — Not in the affairs of the temple, there the priests presided, but in several parts of the kingdom, where they assisted the princes and elders of every tribe, in the administration of justice.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Or, to have care over.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the Lord--They were not to preside over all the services of the temple. The Levites were subject to the priests, and they were superior to the Nethinim and other servants, who were not of the race of Levi. But they had certain departments of duty assigned, some of which are here specified.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(4) Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward.—It is clear from 1Ch_23:5 that David himself is supposed to utter both verses, thus personally assigning their commission to the Levites. The Hebrew here is peculiar. We may render: “Of these let there be for superintending the work of the house of Jehovah twenty-four thousand, and scribes and judges six thousand.”

To set forward.—An infinitive, as at 1Ch_22:12. The verb is that of which the participle often occurs in the titles of the Psalms. (Authorised “Version, “chief musician.”) It means “to lead,” or “superintend.” The Levites had a share in prisoners of war, according to Num_31:30. These they could employ in the more menial work of the sanctuary. The Gibeonites were spared on condition of becoming “hewers of wood and drawers of water,” i.e., Levitical bondsmen; and other whole cities may have received the same terms (Jos_9:23; Jos_9:27). We have details of the functions of these superintending Levites in 1Ch_23:28-32, below.

And six thousand were officers and judges.—See above. “Officers” (shôtĕrîm) are first mentioned in Exo_5:6 (see Note there; and comp. Deu_16:18). The word means writers (comp. Assyrian sadhâru, to write). The progress of the entire people in power and civilisation elevated the Levites also; and from a warlike troop of defenders of the sanctuary, they became peaceful guardians of the great Temple at Jerusalem and its treasures, musicians and artists in its service, instructors and judges scattered throughout the whole country (Ewald).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4. twenty and four thousand] These were divided into courses (1Ch_23:6), serving by turn, apparently twenty-four in number, consisting each of a thousand men. The priests also were divided into a corresponding number of courses (1Ch_24:4; 1Ch_24:18).

to set forward the work] R.V. to oversee the work. This phrase assumes that the work itself was done by others, e.g. by Nethinim (see 1Ch_9:2, note). In 1Ch_23:24 (cp. 1Ch_23:28), however, the Levites are described as doing the work.

officers and judges] Cp. 2Ch_19:8; 2Ch_19:11. In Deu_17:9 (cp. ib. Deu_16:18) the harder causes are reserved for “the priests the Levites,” ordinary causes being decided by judges who were not Levites.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Of which twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the Lord,.... To prepare for the work of the priests by slaying the sacrifices, flaying them, cutting them in pieces, and washing them, and bringing them to the altar; 1000 of these served weekly in their turns:

and six thousand were officers and judges: that acted as justices of the peace in the several parts of the country, heard causes and administered justice to the people, being trained up in and acquainted with the laws of God, civil as well as ecclesiastic; some were more properly judges, and others executioners of their sentence; see Deu 16:18.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Overseers. Hebrew shoterim. Septuagint, "scribes." Others suppose "lictors and executioners," who attended the judges. (Grotius) --- These were functions from which the priests were exempted; (Calmet) so that the Levites alone are meant. (Menochius) --- Judges. They had to decide the causes of the people, 2 Paralipomenon xxix. (Du Hamel)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

To set forward the work of the house of the Lord, i.e. to take care that all the work of the temple about sacrifices and other parts or means of God’s service should be punctually and diligently performed, either by themselves or others; which they were not to do all at once, but by courses, a thousand at a time, as we shall shortly see.

Officers and judges; whose work it seems to have been to judge of and determine all difficult causes or differences which might arise, either among the inferior priests or Levites about their sacred administrations, or among the people, which being governed in all their concerns only by the laws of Moses, it was fit and necessary that the priests and Levites should be consulted and concerned in their matters.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

4. To set forward the work of the house — Rather, to preside over the work; to attend to the various kinds of service specified in 1Ch_23:28-32.

Officers and judges — Hebrew, Shoterim and Shophetim. They served as local magistrates and judges throughout the various cities of the land. See notes on Jos_1:10, and comp. 1Ch_26:29, and 2Ch_19:8-10.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To set forward (Hebrew J"xen"l], Piel conjugation). The strict meaning of the word here is to superintend. The word has already occurred in the same sense invow 1Ch_15:21. Officers and judges (Hebrew The explanation of the nature of the work of these, as really outward work, for the "outward business of Israel," is distinctly stated in 1Ch_26:29; 2Ch_19:5-11. These officers are mentioned under the same Hebrew term in Exo_5:6, in a very different connection. It is plain that they were generally foremen, or overseers; while the judges took cognizance of matters which involved the interests of religion. This verse and the following give between them the four divisions of Levites, afterwards to be more fully described. The fuller account of the "twenty-four thousand" priests (including attendants) occupies ch. 24.; the "six thousand" officers and judges, 1Ch_26:20-32; the "four thousand" porters, 1Ch_26:1-19; and the "four thousand who praised the Lord with the instruments," ch. 25.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Officers - To take care that all the work of the temple about sacrifices should be punctually performed, either by themselves or others: which they were not to do all at once, but by courses, a thousand at a time. Judges - Not in the affairs of the temple; there the priests presided; but in several parts of the kingdom, where they assisted the princes and elders of every tribe, in the administration of justice.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Of which twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the Lord,.... To prepare for the work of the priests by slaying the sacrifices, flaying them, cutting them in pieces, and washing them, and bringing them to the altar; 1000 of these served weekly in their turns:

and six thousand were officers and judges: that acted as justices of the peace in the several parts of the country, heard causes and administered justice to the people, being trained up in and acquainted with the laws of God, civil as well as ecclesiastic; some were more properly judges, and others executioners of their sentence; see Deu 16:18.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

Of these, twenty-four thousand

"Of these Levities, 24,000" (See: Numbers)

six thousand

"6,000 Levites" (See: Numbers)

officers and judges

These Levites listened to legal arguments and administered justice according to the law of Moses.

four thousand

"4,000 Levites" (See: Numbers)

gatekeepers

These Levites guarded the temple entrance so no person who was ceremonially unclean entered.

that corresponded to

"based on" or "according to the descendants of"

Gershon, Kohath, and Merari

These are names of Levi's sons. (See: How to Translate Names)

translationWords

house of God

judge, judges

praise

Yahweh

praise

Levi

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.