1 Chronicles 9:17-27

9:17 The gatekeepers were:

Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brothers. Shallum was the leader; 9:18 he serves to this day at the King’s Gate on the east. These were the gatekeepers from the camp of the descendants of Levi.

9:19 Shallum son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his relatives from his family (the Korahites) were assigned to guard the entrance to the sanctuary. Their ancestors had guarded the entrance to the Lord’s dwelling place. 9:20 Phinehas son of Eleazar had been their leader in earlier times, and the Lord was with him. 9:21 Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the guard at the entrance to the meeting tent.

9:22 All those selected to be gatekeepers at the entrances numbered 212. Their names were recorded in the genealogical records of their settlements. David and Samuel the prophet had appointed them to their positions. 9:23 They and their descendants were assigned to guard the gates of the Lord’s sanctuary (that is, the tabernacle). 9:24 The gatekeepers were posted on all four sides – east, west, north, and south. 9:25 Their relatives, who lived in their settlements, came from time to time and served with them for seven-day periods. 9:26 The four head gatekeepers, who were Levites, were assigned to guard the storerooms and treasuries in God’s sanctuary. 9:27 They would spend the night in their posts all around God’s sanctuary, for they were assigned to guard it and would open it with the key every morning.

1 Chronicles 15:23-24

15:23 Berechiah and Elkanah were guardians of the ark; 15:24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God; Obed-Edom and Jehiel were also guardians of the ark.

1 Chronicles 16:38

16:38 including Obed-Edom and sixty-eight colleagues. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were gatekeepers.

1 Chronicles 26:1-12

Divisions of Gatekeepers

26:1 The divisions of the gatekeepers:

From the Korahites: Meshelemiah, son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph.

26:2 Meshelemiah’s sons:

The firstborn Zechariah, the second Jediael, the third Zebadiah, the fourth Jathniel, 26:3 the fifth Elam, the sixth Jehohanan, and the seventh Elihoenai.

26:4 Obed-Edom’s sons:

The firstborn Shemaiah, the second Jehozabad, the third Joah, the fourth Sakar, the fifth Nethanel, 26:5 the sixth Ammiel, the seventh Issachar, and the eighth Peullethai. (Indeed, God blessed Obed-Edom.)

26:6 His son Shemaiah also had sons, who were leaders of their families, for they were highly respected. 26:7 The sons of Shemaiah:

Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad. His relatives 10  Elihu and Semakiah were also respected.

26:8 All these were the descendants of Obed-Edom. They and their sons and relatives were respected men, capable of doing their responsibilities. There were sixty-two of them related to Obed-Edom.

26:9 Meshelemiah had sons and relatives who were respected – eighteen in all.

26:10 Hosah, one of the descendants of Merari, had sons:

The firstborn Shimri (he was not actually the firstborn, but his father gave him that status), 26:11 the second Hilkiah, the third Tebaliah, and the fourth Zechariah. All of Hosah’s sons and relatives numbered thirteen.

26:12 These divisions of the gatekeepers, corresponding to their leaders, had assigned responsibilities, like their relatives, as they served in the Lord’s temple.

1 Chronicles 26:2

26:2 Meshelemiah’s sons:

The firstborn Zechariah, the second Jediael, the third Zebadiah, the fourth Jathniel,

1 Chronicles 8:14

8:14 Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth,

1 Chronicles 1:15

1:15 Hivites, Arkites, Sinites,

Ezra 7:7

7:7 In the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, Ezra brought 11  up to Jerusalem 12  some of the Israelites and some of the priests, the Levites, the attendants, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants.

Nehemiah 7:73

7:73 The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all the rest of Israel lived in their cities.

The People Respond to the Reading of the Law

When the seventh month arrived and the Israelites 13  were settled in their cities, 14 


tn Heb “and his brothers belonging to the house of his father, the Korachites, to the work of the task, guardians of the threshold of the tent.”

tn Heb “and their fathers to the camp of the Lord, guardians of the entrance.” Here “fathers” is used in a more general sense of “forefathers” or “ancestors” and is not limited specifically to their fathers only.

tn The Hebrew term is רֹאֶה (roeh, “seer”), an older word for נָבִיא (navi’, “prophet”).

tn Heb “they – David appointed, and Samuel the seer, in their position.”

tn Heb “and they and their sons to the gates of the house of the Lord, of the house of the tent, [were assigned] as guards.”

tn Heb “in the house of God.”

tn Heb “in the house of God.”

tn Heb “gatekeepers.”

tn Heb “gatekeepers.”

10 tn Or “brothers.”

11 tc The translation reads the Hiphil singular וַיַּעֲל (vayyaal, “he [Ezra] brought up”) rather than the Qal plural וַיַּעַלוּ (vayyaalu, “they came up”) of the MT.

12 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

13 tn Heb “the sons of Israel.” So also in vv. 14, 17; 9:1.

14 tn The traditional understanding of the chapter and verse division here is probably incorrect. The final part of v. 73 is best understood as belonging with 8:1.