1 Chronicles 6:16

(16-19) The three branches of Levi with their main subdivisions. Parallel passages, Exo_6:16-19; Num_3:17-20.

(16) Gershom.—See Note on 1Ch_6:1. In the Pentateuch, Gershom is son of Moses; Gershon, son of Levi.

(19) And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers.—The word’families” (Heb., mishpehuth) does not mean single households, but groups of households, or clans. The sentence concludes the short list of the great Levitical houses, just as at Exo_6:19. (See also Num_3:20, where a like formula appears to introduce what follows.)

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

1Ch 6:16. The sons of Levi, Gershom, &c. — This he repeats as the foundation of the following genealogy of those Levites who were not priests.

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

6:16-30 The second introduction of the Levites (6:16-19a) introduces the heads of all the Levitical families (6:19b-30). The list contains the genealogies of Gershon (6:20-21), Kohath (6:22-24), and Merari (6:29-30).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The sons of Levi; Gershom, &c.--This repetition (see Ch1 6:1) is made, as the historian here begins to trace the genealogy of the Levitical families who were not priests. The list is a long one, comprising the chiefs or heads of their several families until David's reign, who made a new and different classification of them by courses.

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

16–30 (= 1Ch_6:1-15 according to the Heb. division). The three clans of the Levites. The Levitic Descent of Samuel the Prophet

16. Gershom] elsewhere Gershon. Gershom was the name of Moses’ son; Exo_2:22.

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.

The sons of Kohath, Amminadab,.... The same with Izhar, Ch1 6:2 the posterity of his brethren, Amram, Hebron, and Uzziel, are omitted; and his genealogy is carried to a considerable length, for the sake of Samuel the prophet, who sprang from him: it stands thus, Korah, Assir, Elkanah, Ebiasaph, Assir, Tahath, Uriel, called Zephaniah, Ch1 6:36 Uzziah, the same with Azariah, Ch1 6:36. Shaul, whose name is Joel, Ch1 6:36 then through the sons of Elkanah, before mentioned, Amasai, Ahimoth, called Mahath, Ch1 6:35 another Elkanah, Zophai, or Zuph, Ch1 6:35. Nahath, the same with Toah, Ch1 6:34 and Tohu, Sa1 1:1, Eliab, called Eliel, Ch1 6:34, and Elihu, Sa1 1:1, Jeroham, another Elkanah, the father of Samuel the prophet, whose firstborn was Vashni, and whose name also was Joel, Ch1 6:33 and so here it is read in the Syriac and Arabic versions:

and his second son Abiah.

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

A general account of the several branches of the tribe of Levi.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Gerson. Hebrew here reads Gersom, though it had Gerson before, ver. 1.

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).

This he repeats, as the foundation of the following genealogy of those Levites who were not priests.

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

Ver. 16-19. These verses have a re-enumeration of the three sons of Levi, and differ from the enumeration of ver. 1, in being followed by the sons of each of these three, and afterwards by the line of descendants from each, instead of by the sons of only one, Kohath, and his descendant in only one stem, the high priest stem, and with only one object. All these names agree with Exo_6:17-19 and Num_3:17-20 (comp. Num_3:21-36 with Num_26:57-60), with the trifling exceptions already alluded to, in the Hebrew spelling of Gershom and the Authorized Version spelling of Shimei and the Authorized Version Mahali of Exo_6:19. The latter half of ver. 19, according to the Hebrew, should rather refer to what has preceded, and be a "subscription," though it might best suit the connection to regard it as introducing what was to follow, and as being a "superscription." Bertheau holds with the former of these views, Keil with the latter.

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

The sons of Kohath, Amminadab,.... The same with Izhar, Ch1 6:2 the posterity of his brethren, Amram, Hebron, and Uzziel, are omitted; and his genealogy is carried to a considerable length, for the sake of Samuel the prophet, who sprang from him: it stands thus, Korah, Assir, Elkanah, Ebiasaph, Assir, Tahath, Uriel, called Zephaniah, Ch1 6:36 Uzziah, the same with Azariah, Ch1 6:36. Shaul, whose name is Joel, Ch1 6:36 then through the sons of Elkanah, before mentioned, Amasai, Ahimoth, called Mahath, Ch1 6:35 another Elkanah, Zophai, or Zuph, Ch1 6:35. Nahath, the same with Toah, Ch1 6:34 and Tohu, Sa1 1:1, Eliab, called Eliel, Ch1 6:34, and Elihu, Sa1 1:1, Jeroham, another Elkanah, the father of Samuel the prophet, whose firstborn was Vashni, and whose name also was Joel, Ch1 6:33 and so here it is read in the Syriac and Arabic versions:

and his second son Abiah.

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.)

Gershon ... Kohath ... Merari

Translate the names of these men as in 1 Chronicles 6:1.

Libni ... Shimei

These are names of men. (See: How to Translate Names)

Amram ... Izhar ... Hebron ... Uzziel

Translate the names of these men as in 1 Chronicles 6:2.

translationWords

Levi

Shimei

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

And these are the ones that David stationed, etc. when they returned it from the house of Obed Edom, as it is written (below 16:37): “And he left there before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, Asaph and his brothers to serve before the Ark constantly, etc.” And it is written (verse 38f.): “... and Obed Edom the son of Jeduthun and Hosah as gate sentries before the Tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was in Gibeon, and Solomon stationed them in the Temple in Jerusalem.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.