1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible

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I Chronicles 23:1	And *David, being old and full of days, made Solomon, his son, king over Israel.	Year of the World 2988. Full, satisfied, in the last year of his reign, and the 70th of his age. (Du Hamel) --- Cur non ut plenus vitae conviva recedit? (Lucretius iii.) --- Israel. This example was much followed by succeeding kings. (Calmet) --- Yet this is controverted. (Houbigant) (Haydock)
I Chronicles 23:2	And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, and the priests and Levites.	Princes, heads of families, or officers of the army, 1 Paralipomenon 25:1. (Menochius)
I Chronicles 23:3	And the Levites were numbered, from the age of thirty years, and upwards: and there were found of them thirty-eight thousand men.	Numbered at the same time, when David caused his son to be crowned, and made these fresh regulations, ver. 27., and 1 Paralipomenon 26:31. --- Upwards, according to the plan given by Moses. David afterwards ordered people of twenty years of age, to begin to serve in the tabernacle, as it was now fixed, and consequently the labours were diminished. This tended to augment the splendour of the religious worship, and to edify the people, who could not attend so constantly, in person.
I Chronicles 23:4	Of these twenty-four thousand were chosen, and distributed unto the ministry of the house of the Lord: and six thousand were the overseers and judges.	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)
I Chronicles 23:5	Moreover, four thousand were porters: and as many singers, singing to the Lord with the instruments which David had made to sing with.	David. Literally, "he." Septuagint, "they." Protestants, "which I made (said David) to praise therewith." (Haydock)
I Chronicles 23:6	*And David distributed them into courses, by the families of the sons of Levi; to wit, of Gerson, and of Caath, and of Merari. 1 Paralipomenon 6:1.	Into 24 courses, like the priests, that each class might serve twice a year for a whole week, 1 Paralipomenon 24:31. (Tirinus) --- God had already made choice of the posterity of Levi; and David, with the princes, Sadoc, etc., disposed of them by lots, (chap. 24:6.) to serve in the tabernacle, and in the future temple. (Worthington)
I Chronicles 23:7	The sons of Gerson were, Leedan and Semei.	Leedan, or Lebni, Numbers 3:18. (Menochius)
I Chronicles 23:8	The sons of Leedan: the chief, Jahiel, and Zethan, and Joel, three.	Chief, head of the rest; (Haydock) or all these three were chiefs, (Junius) no less than the sons of Semei, ver. 9.
I Chronicles 23:9	The sons of Semei: Salomith, and Hosiel, and Aran, three: these were the heads of the families of Leedan.	Semei; perhaps (Calmet) sons of Joel. (Du Hamel) --- The brother of Leedan had four sons, ver. 10. (Menochius)
I Chronicles 23:10	And the sons of Semei were, Leheth, and Ziza, and Jaus, and Baria: these were the sons of Semei, four.	Ziza. Hebrew has "Zina," but reads "Ziza," ver. 11. (Calmet)
I Chronicles 23:11	And Leheth was the first, Ziza the second: but Jaus and Baria had not many children, and therefore they were counted in one family, and in one house.	Children. All together were not more than the children of each of the preceding, so that they only formed one class. (Tirinus) --- It would have been too burdensome for them to have performed the same service with those who were far more numerous: (Haydock) therefore the sons of Semei were joined with the family of Leedan: (Calmet) or rather Jaus and Baria went together, as one family. --- Counted. Hebrew, "in one class, according to their father's house." (Haydock)
I Chronicles 23:12	The sons of Caath were, Amram, and Isaar, Hebron, and Oziel, four.
I Chronicles 23:13	The sons of Amram, Aaron, and Moses. And Aaron was separated to minister in the holy of holies, he and his sons, for ever, and to burn incense before the Lord, according to his ceremonies, and to bless his name for ever. 1 Paralipomenon 6:3. --- * Hebrews 5:4.	Minister. Hebrew, "to sanctify the holy of holies." --- His. Hebrew, "in his name," with solemnity, Numbers 6:23. The Levites might bless the name of the Lord.
I Chronicles 23:14	The sons also of Moses, the man of God, were numbered in the tribe of Levi.	Levi, but not among the priests, (Calmet) though their father was an extraordinary priest, appointed by God to anoint Aaron, Psalm xcviii. (Du Hamel)
I Chronicles 23:15	The sons *of Moses were, Gersom, and Eliezer: Exodus 2:22.; Exodus 18:3-4.	Eliezer. His being uncircumcised, had almost proved fatal to his father, Exodus 4:24. (Menochius) --- First. He might have other brothers, (Calmet) though the title may be given to an only son, ver. 17., and Matthew 1:25. Subuel was perhaps (Haydock) chief of a family, (Calmet) and was appointed over the treasury, 1 Paralipomenon 26:24. (Menochius)
I Chronicles 23:16	The sons of Gersom: Subuel, the first.
I Chronicles 23:17	And the sons of Eliezer were, Rohobia, the first: and Eliezer had no more sons. But the sons of Rohobia were multiplied exceedingly.
I Chronicles 23:18	The sons of Isaar: Salomith, the first.
I Chronicles 23:19	The sons of Hebron: Jeriau, the first, Amarias, the second, Jahaziel, the third, Jecmaam, the fourth.
I Chronicles 23:20	The sons of Oziel: Micha, the first, Jesia, the second.
I Chronicles 23:21	The sons of Merari: Moholi, and Musi. The sons of Moholi: Eleazar, and Cis.
I Chronicles 23:22	And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters: and the sons of Cis, their brethren, took them.
I Chronicles 23:23	The sons of Musi: Moholi, and Eder, and Jerimoth, three.
I Chronicles 23:24	These are the sons of Levi, in their kindreds and families, princes by their courses, and the number of every head that did the works of the ministry of the house of the Lord, from twenty years old and upwards.	Old. See ver. 3., and Numbers 4:3. --- And upwards; as long as they were able to serve. They were excused from carrying the tabernacle, etc., at fifty years of age, Numbers 8:25. (Abulensis) (Menochius) --- To those who were turned of thirty, the higher offices were entrusted; while the Levites began at twenty, to exercise themselves in things of less consequence, under the direction of their elder brethren. (Tirinus) --- The kings might declare, by the advice of the Sanhedrim, what laws were of a temporary nature. (Grotius) (Du Hamel)
I Chronicles 23:25	For David said: The Lord, the God of Israel, hath given rest to his people, and an habitation in Jerusalem, for ever.	Ever. They will not have to carry, the sacred vessels about, as formerly. (Haydock) --- In order that they may not be idle, we must therefore provide them some other employment, ver. 28, etc. (Tirinus)
I Chronicles 23:26	And it shall not be the office of the Levites to carry any more the tabernacle, and all the vessels for the service thereof.
I Chronicles 23:27	So according to the last precepts of David, the sons of Levi are to be numbered from twenty years old and upwards.
I Chronicles 23:28	And they are to be under the hand of the sons of Aaron, for the service of the house of the Lord, in the porches, and in the chambers, and in the place of purification, and in the sanctuary, and in all the works of the ministry of the temple of the Lord.	Place. Hebrew, "purifying all that is holy;" (Haydock) keeping clean all that is used about the sacred ministry. (Calmet)
I Chronicles 23:29	And the priests have the charge of the loaves of proposition, and of the sacrifice of fine flour, and of the unleavened cakes, and of the frying-pan, and of the roasting, and of every weight and measure.	And the priests, etc. This is not found in Hebrew or Septuagint. The Levites might prepare these things; though the priests alone were to offer them in sacrifice. (Tirinus) (Chap. 9:32., and Leviticus 24:8.) --- Others think that (Calmet) the priests received flour from the people, and baked it. (Menochius) --- But St. Jerome follows the tradition of the Jews, intimating that the priests sowed the corn, and did every thing about the loaves of proposition, Malachias 1:6. --- Flour, Leviticus 2:1. --- Cakes, Exodus 29:2. --- Roasting the first-fruits, Leviticus 2:14. (Menochius) --- Measure. A standard was kept in the temple, (Exodus 30:13.; Calmet) to prevent any fraud. The Ediles at Rome performed the same office. (Tirinus) --- There were not two measures in the country, as that would have caused confusion. (Du Hamel)
I Chronicles 23:30	And the Levites are to stand in the morning, to give thanks, and to sing praises to the Lord: and in like manner in the evening,	And the Levites. This also is omitted in Hebrew, "and to stand," etc., as all the preceding offices pertained to the Levites, (Haydock) and priests were bound equally with them to praise the Lord.
I Chronicles 23:31	As well in the oblation of the holocausts of the Lord, as in the sabbaths and in the new moons, and the rest of the solemnities, according to the number and ceremonies prescribed for every thing, continually, before the Lord.	Lord. Music accompanied this service twice a day, as it did the sacrifices which were offered for the prince, or for the nation, Numbers 10:10. (Calmet) --- Rest. Hebrew, "the set festivals, by number, according to the order prescribed unto them continually," etc. (Haydock)
I Chronicles 23:32	And let them keep the observances of the tabernacle of the covenant, and the ceremonies of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron, their brethren, that they may minister in the house of the Lord.	Brethren. Let them follow the directions of the high priests, who are of the same tribe. (Menochius)