Commentaria in I Paralipomenon
Chapter 6. Synopsis of the Chapter
The sons of Levi, that is, the descendants of Levi, and from among them the singers and ministers of the temple appointed by David. Specifically, the descendants of Aaron the priests are enumerated, and the priestly cities and cities of refuge.
1. The sons of Levi: Gerson, Caath, and Merari. 2. The sons of Caath: Amram, Isaar, Hebron, and Oziel. 3. The sons of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Mary: the sons of Aaron: Nadab and Abiu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 4. Eleazar begot Phinees, and Phinees begot Abisue. 5. And Abisue begot Bocci, and Bocci begot Ozi, 6. Ozi begot Zarahia, and Zarahia begot Meraioth. 7. And Meraioth begot Amaria, and Amaria begot Achitob. 8. Achitob begot Sadoc, and Sadoc begot Achimaas. 9. Achimaas begot Azarias, Azarias begot Johanan. 10. Johanan begot Azarias: he it is who executed the priestly office in the house which Solomon built in Jerusalem. 11. And Azarias begot Amarias, and Amarias begot Achitob. 12. Achitob begot Sadoc, and Sadoc begot Sellum. 13. Sellum begot Helcias, and Helcias begot Azarias. 14. Azarias begot Saraias, and Saraias begot Josedec. 15. And Josedec went forth when the Lord carried away Juda and Jerusalem by the hand of Nabuchodonosor. 16. So the sons of Levi: Gerson, Caath, and Merari. 17. And these are the names of the sons of Gerson: Lobni and Semei. 18. The sons of Caath: Amram, and Isaar, and Hebron, and Oziel. 19. The sons of Merari: Moholi and Musi. And these are the kindreds of Levi according to their families. 20. Gersom: Lobni his son, Jahath his son, Zamma his son, 21. Joah his son, Addo his son, Zara his son, Jethrai his son. 22. The sons of Caath: Aminadab his son, Core his son, Asir his son, 23. Elcana his son, Abiasaph his son, Asir his son, 24. Thahath his son, Uriel his son, Ozias his son, Saul his son. 25. The sons of Elcana: Amasai and Achimoth, 26. and Elcana. The sons of Elcana: Sophai his son, Nahath his son, 27. Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elcana his son. 28. The sons of Samuel: the firstborn Vasseni, and Abia. 29. And the sons of Merari: Moholi; Lobni his son, Semei his son, Oza his son, 30. Sammaa his son, Haggia his son, Asaia his son. 31. These are they whom David appointed over the singers of the house of the Lord, from the time that the ark was placed, 32. and they ministered before the tabernacle of the testimony, singing, until Solomon built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem: and they stood according to their order in the ministry. 33. And these are they who assisted with their sons, of the sons of Caath: Heman the singer, the son of Johel, the son of Samuel, 34. the son of Elcana, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Thohu, 35. the son of Suph, the son of Elcana, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, 36. the son of Elcana, the son of Johel, the son of Azarias, the son of Sophonias, 37. the son of Thahath, the son of Asir, the son of Abiasaph, the son of Core, 38. the son of Isaar, the son of Caath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. 39. And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand: Asaph the son of Barachias, the son of Samaa, 40. the son of Michael, the son of Basaia, the son of Melchia, 41. the son of Athani, the son of Zara, the son of Adaia, 42. the son of Ethan, the son of Zamma, the son of Semei, 43. the son of Jeth, the son of Gersom, the son of Levi. 44. And the sons of Merari their brethren, on the left hand: Ethan the son of Cusi, the son of Abdi, the son of Maloch, 45. the son of Hasabias, the son of Amasias, the son of Helcias, 46. the son of Amasai, the son of Boni, the son of Somer, 47. the son of Moholi, the son of Musi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. 48. Their brethren also the Levites, who were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of the Lord. 49. But Aaron and his sons offered incense upon the altar of holocaust, and upon the altar of incense, for all the work of the Holy of Holies: and to pray for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. 50. And these are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinees his son, Abisue his son, 51. Bocci his son, Ozi his son, Zarahia his son, 52. Meraioth his son, Amarias his son, Achitob his son, 53. Sadoc his son, Achimaas his son. 54. And these are their dwelling places throughout the towns and borders, namely of the sons of Aaron, according to the kindreds of the Caathites: for the lot had fallen to them. 55. They gave them therefore Hebron in the land of Juda, and its suburbs round about; 56. but the fields of the city, and the villages, to Caleb the son of Jephone. 57. And to the sons of Aaron they gave cities to flee to, Hebron, and Lobna with its suburbs, 58. Jether also and Esthemo with their suburbs, and Helon and Dabir with their suburbs, 59. Asan also and Bethsemes and their suburbs. 60. And of the tribe of Benjamin, Gabee and its suburbs, and Almath with its suburbs, Anathoth also with its suburbs: all the cities, thirteen, according to their kindreds. 61. And to the rest of the sons of Caath of their kindred they gave out of the half tribe of Manasses ten cities in possession. 62. And to the sons of Gersom according to their kindreds, out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Aser, and out of the tribe of Nephthali, and out of the tribe of Manasses in Basan, thirteen cities. 63. And to the sons of Merari according to their kindreds, out of the tribe of Ruben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zabulon, they gave by lot twelve cities. 64. The children of Israel also gave to the Levites cities, and their suburbs: 65. and they gave by lot, out of the tribe of the children of Juda, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities, which they called by their names, 66. and to them that were of the kindred of the sons of Caath, and the cities in their borders were of the tribe of Ephraim. 67. So they gave them cities to flee to, Sichem with its suburbs in mount Ephraim, and Gazer with its suburbs, 68. Jecmaan also with its suburbs, and Bethoron in like manner, 69. and Helon also with its suburbs, and Gethremmon in the same manner. 70. And out of the half tribe of Manasses, Aner and its suburbs, Balaam and its suburbs: to those, namely, of the kindred of the sons of Caath who were left. 71. And to the sons of Gersom, of the kindred of the half tribe of Manasses, Gaulon in Basan and its suburbs, and Astharoth with its suburbs. 72. Out of the tribe of Issachar, Cedes and its suburbs, and Dabereth with its suburbs, 73. Ramoth also and its suburbs, and Anem with its suburbs. 74. And out of the tribe of Aser: Masal with its suburbs, and Abdon in like manner, 75. Hucac also and its suburbs, and Rohob with its suburbs. 76. And out of the tribe of Nephthali, Cedes in Galilee and its suburbs, Hamon with its suburbs, and Cariathaim and its suburbs. 77. To the rest of the sons of Merari, out of the tribe of Zabulon, Remmono and its suburbs, and Thabor with its suburbs: 78. beyond the Jordan also, over against Jericho, on the east of the Jordan, out of the tribe of Ruben, Bosor in the wilderness with its suburbs, and Jassa with its suburbs. 79. Cademoth also and its suburbs, and Mephaat with its suburbs. 80. And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Galaad and its suburbs, and Manaim with its suburbs, 81. and Hesebon also with its suburbs, and Jezer with its suburbs.
3. The sons of Aaron: Nadab and Abiu,—who, offering strange fire, were slain by God, Leviticus 10:2; there remained therefore only two, Eleazar and Ithamar; Eleazar was the elder and therefore succeeded Aaron in the pontificate, and his descendants down to Ozi, of whom presently.
5. Bocci begot Ozi.—After this Ozi, Heli was made High Priest, who was a great-grandson of Ithamar, not of Eleazar: Heli was succeeded by four of his descendants, the last of whom was Abiathar, who was deprived of the pontificate by Solomon on account of the conspiracy made with Adonias against him, and in his place was put Sadoc, who was of the descendants of Eleazar: hence the pontificate remained in his descendants until the Babylonian captivity. Wherefore the four in the middle who are named here from Ozi to Sadoc, namely Zaraias, Meraioth, Amarias and Achitob, were not pontiffs; but the rest after Sadoc were.
14. And Azarias begot Saraias.—This “Azarias” was that bold High Priest who withstood Ozias, or Azarias, the king, who wished to offer incense, and cast him out of the temple, as is told in 2 Paralipomenon 26. The son of Azarias was Saraias, who was High Priest after his father until the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and was slain by Nabuchodonosor with seventy chief men of the Jews, as is told in 4 Kings, last chapter. 15. The son of Saraias was Josedec, who, led away into Babylon, thence led the captive Jews away with Zorobabel the leader in the first year of Cyrus; the son of Josedec was Josue or Jesus the High Priest, who with Zorobabel restored the temple, as is said in 1 Esdras 5:2, as God had commanded him by Zacharias, chapter 3.
22. Core his son.—This is Core, who rebelled against Moses and was swallowed up alive by the earth opening, with his company; but his innocent sons were preserved unhurt by God by a miracle, and are therefore enumerated here. Of them was Elcana the father of Samuel.
28. The sons of Samuel,—who was the son of Elcana, last named in verse 27.
He is named right after him in order to indicate that he was his son. So Vatablus.
The firstborn Vasseni and Abia.—You will say: 1 Kings 8:2 it is said: “The name of his (Samuel’s) firstborn son was Joel; and the name of his second, Abia.” I answer that Joel had two names, and was called by another name Vasseni. Or certainly “Joel” has dropped out here, and “Vasseni” means “and the second Abia”; hence the Septuagint clearly translate: and the sons of Samuel, his firstborn Joel and the second Abia. These are they who, degenerate from Samuel, gave the people occasion to ask for a king, whence Samuel gave them Saul as king, 1 Kings 8.
54. And these are their dwelling places,—as if to say: These are the cities of the priests assigned to them by Josue, chapter 21, where they are enumerated in almost the same order as here.