1 Chronicles 6:16-53

6:16 (6:1) ¹  The sons of Levi:

Gershom, ²  Kohath, and Merari.

6:17 These are the names of the sons Gershom:

Libni and Shimei.

6:18 The sons of Kohath:

Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

6:19 The sons of Merari:

Mahli and Mushi.

These are the clans of the Levites by their families. ³ 

6:20 To Gershom:

His son Libni, his son Jahath, his son Zimmah, 6:21 his son Joah, his son Iddo, his son Zerah, and his son Jeatherai.

6:22 The sons ⁴  of Kohath:

His son Amminadab, his son Korah, his son Assir, 6:23 his son Elkanah, his son Ebiasaph, his son Assir, 6:24 his son Tahath, his son Uriel, his son Uzziah, and his son Shaul.

6:25 The sons of Elkanah:

Amasai, Ahimoth, ⁵  6:26 his son Elkanah, ⁶  his son Zophai, his son Nahath, 6:27 his son Eliab, his son Jeroham, and his son Elkanah. ⁷ 

6:28 The sons of Samuel:

Joel the firstborn ⁸  and Abijah the second oldest.

6:29 The descendants of Merari:

Mahli, his son Libni, his son Shimei, his son Uzzah, 6:30 his son Shimea, his son Haggiah, and his son Asaiah.

Professional Musicians

6:31 These are the men David put in charge of music in the Lord’s sanctuary, ⁹  after the ark was placed there. 6:32 They performed music ¹⁰  before the sanctuary ¹¹  of the meeting tent until Solomon built the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem. ¹²  They carried out their tasks according to regulations.

6:33 These are the ones who served along with their sons:

From the Kohathites:

Heman the musician, son of Joel, son of Samuel, 6:34 son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Eliel, son of Toah, 6:35 son of Zuph, son of Elkanah, son of Mahath, son of Amasai, 6:36 son of Elkanah, son of Joel, son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah, 6:37 son of Tahath, son of Assir, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, 6:38 son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, son of Israel.

6:39 Serving beside him was his fellow Levite Asaph, ¹³  son of Berechiah, son of Shimea, 6:40 son of Michael, son of Baaseiah, ¹⁴  son of Malkijah, 6:41 son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Adaiah, 6:42 son of Ethan, son of Zimmah, son of Shimei, 6:43 son of Jahath, son of Gershom, son of Levi.

6:44 Serving beside them were their fellow Levites, the descendants of Merari, led by ¹⁵  Ethan, son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch, 6:45 son of Hashabiah, son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah, 6:46 son of Amzi, son of Bani, son of Shemer, 6:47 son of Mahli, son of Mushi, son of Merari, son of Levi.

6:48 The rest of their fellow Levites ¹⁶  were assigned to perform the remaining tasks at God’s sanctuary. ¹⁷  6:49 But Aaron and his descendants offered sacrifices on the altar for burnt offerings and on the altar for incense as they had been assigned to do in the most holy sanctuary. ¹⁸  They made atonement for Israel, just as God’s servant Moses had ordered. ¹⁹ 

6:50 These were the descendants of Aaron:

His son Eleazar, his son Phinehas, his son Abishua, 6:51 his son Bukki, his son Uzzi, his son Zerahiah, 6:52 his son Meraioth, his son Amariah, his son Ahitub, 6:53 his son Zadok, and his son Ahimaaz.

[6:16]  ¹ sn Chapter 6 of 1 Chr begins here in the Hebrew text; 6:16-81 ET = 6:1-66 HT. See the note at 6:1.

[6:16]  ² tn The name “Gershom” (also in vv. 17, 20, 43, 62, 71) appears as “Gershon” in 1 Chr 6:1.

[6:19]  ³ tn Heb “by their fathers.”

[6:22]  ⁴ tn Or perhaps, “descendants,” since the list differs from the one in v. 18.

[6:25]  ⁵ tn Heb “and Achimoth.”

[6:26]  ⁶ tc The consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib) has, “Elkanah, his son, Elkanah.” The marginal reading (Qere) is “Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah.” The text probably originally read simply, “Elkanah his son.”

[6:27]  ⁷ tc After the last named individual (“Elkanah” in v. 27) some LXX mss insert the words “Samuel his son” to facilitate a transition to the following verse, which beings “and the sons of Samuel.” Among the English versions that include this added phrase are NAB, NIV, and NLT.

[6:28]  ⁸ tc The Hebrew text lacks the name יוֹאֵל (yo’el, “Joel”), which has probably dropped out due to homoioteleuton (note the last three letters of the preceding name שְׁמוּאֵל (shÿmuel, “Samuel”).

[6:31]  ⁹ tn Heb “house.”

[6:32]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “they were serving…with music.”

[6:32]  ¹¹ tn Or traditionally “tabernacle.”

[6:32]  ¹² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[6:39]  ¹³ tn Heb “and his brother Asaph, the one who stood at his right hand.”

[6:40]  ¹⁴ tc A few Hebrew mss, one LXX ms, and the Syriac read “Maaseiah.”

[6:44]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and the sons of Merari, their brothers, on the left.”

[6:48]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “their brothers, the Levites.”

[6:48]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “were assigned to all the work of the tabernacle of the house of God.”

[6:49]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “for all the work of the holy of holies.”

[6:49]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “making atonement for Israel according to all which Moses the servant of God commanded.”