1 Chronicles 9:28

28, 29. Duties of the Levites

28. And certain of them] The reference is to the Levites. The contents of 1Ch_9:28-29 clearly refer to Levitical duties (cp. 1Ch_23:29), and the transition from porters to Levites is made easier by the fact that the four porters last mentioned (1Ch_9:26-27) are Levites.

the ministering vessels] R.V. the vessels of service.

that they should bring them in and out by tale] R.V. for by tale were they brought in and by tale were they taken out.

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.

9:28-32 various articles used in worship: See Exod 25:8–30:38.

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

(28) The care of the sacred vessels of gold and silver. These were counted when brought out of the store rooms, and when replaced, to make sure that none was purloined. (Comp. Ezr_8:20 et seq.)

Tale.—“Reckoning,” “number.:”—

“ And every shepherd tells his tale

Under the hawthorn in the dale.”

Literally, for by number they used to bring them in (to the sanctuary), and by number they used to take them out.

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

And other of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the shewbread, to prepare it every sabbath,.... Twelve loaves of which were set every week before the ark upon the shewbread table, and the old ones taken away: now the work of these Levites was to make this shewbread, and get it ready every week to be set upon the table, and which was done not by them, but by priests; under the second temple, the family of Garmu was set over this work (a).

(a) Misn. Shekalim, ut supra. (c. 5. sect. 1.)

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

By tale - literally, “by number.” The vessels for service taken out of the treasury were counted, that the same number should be returned to the treasury after the service was over,

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

28. The ministering vessels — As these seem to be distinguished from the ordinary vessels of the sanctuary mentioned in the next verse, they are understood by Bertheau and Keil to be the peculiarly costly vessels; for example, “the golden cups for the libations, etc., which were brought from the treasure chamber only for a short time for use in the service.”

By tale — Or, by number. They were carefully numbered, both when brought in and taken out, lest any one of them should become lost or missing.

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

That they should bring them in by tale and by tale carry them out. That is, that they should scrupulously number them.

Vers. 28-32.

Every man to his own office.

The distribution of gifts is constantly recognized, and on this we have much apostolic teaching. But the answering distribution of offices requires to be more fully apprehended. The power and the place are divinely fitted together; and in the economy of the Divine administration we may be sure there are no more powers given than there are places in which the powers may find exercise. It follows upon this that each man is bound to realize his power, discover his place, fit into it faithfully, and interfere with no other mans work. The way in which one man"s gifts and work may fit into another man"s is often an insoluble puzzle to us, but is quite plain in the plan of Divine forethought, and will be discovered when we can read final issues. Each man stands right before God when he clearly sees his work and says, "This one thing I do." The following points have been, in part, presented in previous outlines; they should be dealt with now in the light of the above topic, "Every man to his own office:

I GOD HAS BOTH GIFTS AND SPHERES FOR THEIR EXERCISE. That be has gifts we know, but we too readily assume that the spheres are human arrangements.

II GOD"S PROVIDENCES TEND TOWARDS SECURING THE PROPER RELATION OF GIFTS AND SPHERES. A north-country proverb tersely expresses this, "The tools will come to the hands that can use them." Every man, sooner or later, gains his providential opportunity, when he may do what he can do.

III MAN"S WILFULNESS SERIOUSLY MINGLES THE GIFTS AND THE SPHERES. By some men"s failing to recognize their gifts; by others prostrating their Divine gifts to base and selfish uses; by some, when they know their gifts, refusing to occupy their spheres; and by the forcing of too many into certain particular spheres for which an undue preference is shown. What we need in Christ"s Church and work is a wise subdivision of labour and more earnest endeavour to do faithfully and well our little piece. And in just this our Lord and Master set us his own holy example.

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.

And other of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the shewbread, to prepare it every sabbath,.... Twelve loaves of which were set every week before the ark upon the shewbread table, and the old ones taken away: now the work of these Levites was to make this shewbread, and get it ready every week to be set upon the table, and which was done not by them, but by priests; under the second temple, the family of Garmu was set over this work (a).

(a) Misn. Shekalim, ut supra. (c. 5. sect. 1.)

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.)

Some of them

"Some of the guards"

they counted the articles when they were brought in and when they were taken out

This can be translated in active form. AT: "they counted the articles that people took out to use, and they counted the articles when people brought them back" (See: Active or Passive)

Some of them also were assigned to take care of

It is not clear who assigned these men, so if you have to translate in active form, use your language's most general way of doing so. AT: "The leaders also assigned some of them to take care of" or "Some of them also took care of" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

temple

holy

wine

oil

frankincense

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 some of them were in charge of the service vessels כְּלֵי הָעֲבוֹדָה, the service vessels - they would take them out by number and bring them by number.

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.