1 Chronicles 9:19

1Ch 9:19 And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, [were] over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: and their fathers, [being] over the host of the LORD, [were] keepers of the entry.

Ver. 19. Being over the host of the Lord,] viz, When they of old encamped round about the tabernacle, in the wilderness.

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 9:19. Tabernacle — Namely, in time past, when the tabernacle was standing, before the temple was built. Their fathers — The Kohathites. Being over the host of the Lord — When the Israelites were in the wilderness, encamped in a military manner round about the tabernacle, with whom these were then placed. Keepers of the entry — Of the veil by which they entered into the tabernacle; which he calls the entry, because then there were no gates. The meaning is, that all things were now restored to their primitive order; and the several persons took those offices upon them, which their ancestors had before them.

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

Their charge was that none should enter into those places, which were only appointed for the Priests to minister in.

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

Verse 19. Keepers of the entry.] Whose business it was to suffer no person to come to the tabernacle but the priests, during the performance of the sacred service; see Jarchi.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(19) And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Koran.—Comp. 1Ch_26:1, which makes “Meshelemiah son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph” a guild of warders under David.

Ebiasaph—“The Father (i.e., God) gathered,” is a fuller form of Asaph, “He gathered.”

And his brethren, of the house of his father.—That is, the Korahites, as is immediately explained: his kinsmen belonging to his father-house or clan.

The work of the service (of Shallum),—That is, of the guild so called, is defined as that of “wardens of the thresholds of the tent,” that is, of the Temple, which had taken the place of the old Tent of Meeting.

And their fathers, being over the host of the Lord, were keepers of the entry.—“Their fathers” are the ancestors of the Korahite clan of Shallura.

The host of the Lord.—Or, rather, the encampment of Jehovah, means the tabernacle, or Tent of Tryst, which had only one entrance, over which, according to this passage—the Pentateuch is silent—the house of Shallum stood guard. 2Ch_31:2 applies the same archaic nomenclature to the Temple in Hezekiah’s reign, speaking of “the gates of the camps of Iahweh.”

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

19. son of Ebiasaph] By a misreading Shallum (= Meshelemiah; see above) is said to be “of the sons of Asaph” (read “Ebiasaph”) in 1Ch_26:1.

of the house of his father] R.V. of his father’s house.

being over the host of the Lord, were keepers] R.V. had been over the camp of the LORD, keepers. Nothing is said in the Pentateuch of “keepers of the entry to the tabernacle,” and probably in the present passage the entry to the camp, not to the tabernacle, is meant. With this view agrees the mention of Phinehas (1Ch_9:20), for it was the profanation of the camp, not of the tabernacle, which Phinehas avenged (Num_25:6-8), thus earning a blessing (Num_25:11-13).

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.

And Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah,.... Some think this refers to one that was in the times of David; but it seems rather to respect one that was after the Babylonish captivity, see Ch1 26:1 though he and his brethren were in an office established in the times of David, and the order of which was now, as then, observed:

was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: who was the chief porter, and kept the door; either that led into the outer court, and kept out all unclean persons from entering there; or that which led into the court of the priests, that none but priests might enter there.

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

Shallum the son of Kore - A different person from the Shallum of 1Ch 9:17, and with a different office, namely, the guarding the inner doors of the temple. The original Shallum, Shelemaiah, or Meshelemaiah, was a Levite of the time of David 1Ch 26:14. His descendants were still called by his name, but had now a more important charge assigned to them.

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

Service, to keep watch. (Calmet) --- Families. Hebrew, "fathers over the host, (Haydock) or camp of the Lord: keepers of the entry." The Corites, though not perhaps alone, performed what their fathers had done before the tabernacle, in the desert, and in the temple of Solomon; which were considered as the camp of the great king.

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).

Keepers of the gates of the tabernacle; or, who were, to wit, in time past, which is expressed in a like case, 1Ch 9:20, when the tabernacle was standing, before the temple was built. Their fathers; the Kohathites, of whom see on Num 4:4. Over the host of the Lord, or, with (as this Hebrew particle is oft used) the host, &c., i.e. when the Israelites were in the wilderness, encamped in a military manner round about the tabernacle, with or among whom these were then placed.

Keepers of the entry, i.e. of the veil by which they entered into the tabernacle; which he calls the entry distinctively, because then there were no gates. The meaning is, that all things were now restored to their primitive order and institution; and the several persons took those places and offices upon them, which their ancestors had before them.

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

Shallum. Marked as a different person from the former of the same name, by the description son of Kore, etc. The pedigree here given enables us to identify the person intended as Shelemiah or Moshelemiah. (1Ch_6:23, 27 26:1, 14) Keepers of the gates of the tabernacle; of the entry. These are descriptions of "service," not synonymous with those of vers. 17 and 18, where the words and rvB are found, in place of those used here, viz. ljaol and awObMh yremvo. They designate the care of the inner entrances of the sacred building. Their fathers were keepers of the entrance to the tabernacle, as these to the inner doors (margin, "thresholds") of the temple. So the following verse points the times of "the fathers.

Ver. 19, etc.

God"s door-keepers.

Some were appointed to serve as keepers of the gates," and some as "keepers of the entry," and one man was "porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation." David recognized an attractiveness in such offices because they secured constant presence in the holy courts. He says, "I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

I LOWLY SERVICES ARE ASKED AT OUR HANDS. Common life in the family, the business, and society has its many lowly services and its few great ones. And in religious life the same is true. Of most of us God asks that we will do little things for him well. What a gracious lesson in doing cheerfully lowly work our Lord gave us when he laid aside his garments, took a towel, girded himself, and began to wash the disciples" feet! "He that would he greatest among you let him be your servant.

II LOWLY SERVICES ARE NECESSARY TO THE GENERAL WELL-BEING. Illustrate from church offices. The organ-blower"s is a very humble office, but most necessary and useful. The verger, doorkeeper, cleaner, etc., are but in humble places and duties, and yet the comfort of "priest and people" depend on their lowly work. So in all good enterprises there is a great deal of mechanical and insignificant work demanded, but the efficient doing of them bears directly on the entire success. Standing quite alone, the humble duty seems scarce worth the doing, but when it is seen fitting into its place in the great whole, its real importance and dignity are recognized. Illustrations may be found in the importance of the lesser parts of a great machine or work of mechanical construction. A fine tower once fell in ruins to the surprise of all, until the builder confessed that he had neglected the little iron ties insignificant things that held the stones together. No man ever gains a worthy apprehension of life until he fully and finally settles with himself that he will think nothing small, and treat nothing as small, since "all things have their necessary uses," and God asks for "faithfulness in that which is least.

III LOWLY SERVICES FIND SPHERES FOR THE EXPRESSION OF CHARACTER. And the best; for men are less sophisticated, more simple and more genuine in them. If we would know what a man really is, we must not watch him merely on "show days," but rather see him in the private scenes of home and business. We put on character-garments for public scenes, just as we do outer coats for the streets. When "taken at unawares" we express what our character really is.

IV LOWLY SERVICES OFTEN BECOME THE MOST EFFICIENT TESTS OF CHARACTER. The necessity for personal attentions to the poor wounded man on the road to Jericho, tested and proved the selfishness of priest and Levite, as a call for some high and honourable service would not have done. And similar calls are made on us. We want to do the great things, and show off the blossoms of fine character which we have carefully stuck on. And God, in his providences, only provides humble spheres, unobserved places, and lowly work, which will let the fine pretences alone to wither and fall off, and only test and culture the real and the worthy and the true. Who of us can review our lives, and fail to see the places where, again and again, we were "weighed in the balances and found wanting" when we were asked to take some humble place of service or do some little thing for Jesus" sake? Still we are so unwilling to take the lowest rooms, even though Christ taught us that he looks among the people there to find the right-hearted, the worthy, whom he may hid "Go up higher." In respect of the power to hold and exhibit character, the little things often have more capacity than the big.

V LOWLY SERVICES FIT IN WITH GREATER ONES TO PERFECT THE WHOLE OF SERVICE, Door-keepers fit in with porters, and sacrificers, and singers, and priests, to make the whole of temple service. And the least piece lost from the whole mars the beauty of the perfect service. What God asks is faithfulness, and he can find it in the "least things." Remember George Herbert"s familiar verse, "Who sweeps a room," etc. R.T.

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

Tabernacle - Namely, in time past, when the tabernacle was standing, before the temple was built. Fathers - The Kohathites. Host - When the Israelites were in the wilderness, encamped in a military manner round about the tabernacle, with whom these were then placed. Entry - Of the veil by which they entered into the tabernacle; which he calls the entry because then there were no gates. The meaning is, that all things were now restored to their primitive order; and the several persons took those offices upon them, which their ancestors had before them.

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

And Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah,.... Some think this refers to one that was in the times of David; but it seems rather to respect one that was after the Babylonish captivity, see Ch1 26:1 though he and his brethren were in an office established in the times of David, and the order of which was now, as then, observed:

was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: who was the chief porter, and kept the door; either that led into the outer court, and kept out all unclean persons from entering there; or that which led into the court of the priests, that none but priests might enter there.

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.)

the guards of the thresholds of the Tent Shallum the son of Kore and his brethren of his father’s house, the Korahites, were the guards of the thresholds of the Tent of Meeting and did not allow any person to enter the Tent of Meeting, except the priests in their service

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.