Commentaria in I Paralipomenon
Chapter 9
1. So all Israel was numbered, and the sum of them was written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Juda: and they were carried away to Babylon for their transgression. 2. And they that dwelt first in their possessions and in their cities were: Israel, and the Priests, and the Levites, and the Nathinites. 3. And in Jerusalem dwelt of the children of Juda, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim and Manasses. 4. Othei the son of Ammiud, the son of Amri, the son of Omrai, the son of Bonni, of the children of Phares the son of Juda. 5. And of Siloni: Asaia the firstborn, and his sons. 6. And of the sons of Zara: Jehuel, and their brethren, six hundred and ninety. 7. And of the sons of Benjamin: Salo the son of Mosollam, the son of Oduia, the son of Asana: 8. and Jobania the son of Jeroham: and Ela the son of Ozi, the son of Mochori: and Mosollam the son of Saphatia, the son of Rahuel, the son of Jebanis, 9. and their brethren by their families, nine hundred and fifty-six. All these were chiefs of kindreds by the houses of their fathers. 10. And of the priests: Jedaia, Joiarib, and Jachin. 11. Azarias also the son of Helcias, the son of Mosollam, the son of Sadoc, the son of Maraioth, the son of Achitob, high priest of the house of God. 12. And Adaias the son of Jeroham, the son of Phassur, the son of Melchias: and Maasai the son of Adiel, the son of Jezra, the son of Mosollam, the son of Mosollamith, the son of Emmer, 13. their brethren also, chiefs by their families, a thousand seven hundred and sixty, most strong and valiant for the work of the ministry in the house of God. 14. And of the Levites: Semeia the son of Hassub, the son of Ezricam, the son of Hasebia, of the sons of Merari. 15. Bacbacar also the carpenter, and Galal, and Mathania the son of Micha, the son of Zechri, the son of Asaph: 16. and Obdia the son of Semeia, the son of Galal, the son of Idithun: and Barachia the son of Asa, the son of Elcana, who dwelt in the courts of Netophati. 17. And the porters: Sellum, and Accub, and Telmon, and Ahiman, and their brother Sellum was the chief, 18. until that time, in the king’s gate to the east, they watched in their turns of the sons of Levi. 19. And Sellum the son of Core, the son of Abiasaph, the son of Core, with his brethren, and the house of his father, these are the Core-ites over the works of the ministry, keepers of the entrances of the tabernacle: and their families by turns kept the entry of the camp of the Lord. 20. And Phinees the son of Eleazar was their leader before the Lord. 21. And Zacharias the son of Mosollamia was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the testimony. 22. All these chosen to be porters at the gates were two hundred and twelve: and they were enrolled in their own villages: whom David and Samuel the seer appointed in their faithfulness, 23. both them and their sons, at the doors of the house of the Lord, and in the tabernacle, in their turns. 24. The porters were on the four sides, that is, to the east, and to the west, and to the north, and to the south. 25. And their brethren dwelt in the villages, and came on their sabbaths from time to time. 26. To these four Levites was entrusted the whole number of the porters, and they were over the chambers and the treasures of the house of the Lord. 27. And they dwelt round about the temple of the Lord in their watches: that when it was time, they might open the doors in the morning. 28. Of their kind also were they that were over the vessels of the ministry: for the vessels were carried in and out by number. 29. Of these also were they that had charge of the vessels of the sanctuary, and were over the flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices. 30. And the sons of the priests made the ointments of spices. 31. And Mathathias the Levite, the firstborn of Sellum the Core-ite, was over those things that were fried in the pan. 32. And of the sons of Caath their brethren, were over the loaves of proposition, to prepare them always new every sabbath. 33. These are the chiefs of the singers by the families of the Levites, who dwelt in the chambers, that day and night they might continually attend to their ministry. 34. The heads of the Levites, chiefs by their families, dwelt in Jerusalem. 35. And in Gabaon dwelt the father of Gabaon, Jehiel, and the name of his wife was Maacha. 36. His firstborn son Abdon, and Sur, and Cis, and Baal, and Ner, and Nadab, 37. Gedor also, and Ahio, and Zacharias, and Macelloth. 38. And Macelloth begot Samaan: and these dwelt over against their brethren in Jerusalem, with their brethren. 39. And Ner begot Cis: and Cis begot Saul: and Saul begot Jonathan, and Melchisua, and Abinadab, and Esbaal. 40. And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal: and Meribbaal begot Micha. 41. And the sons of Micha: Phiton, and Melech, and Tharaa, and Ahaz. 42. And Ahaz begot Jara, and Jara begot Alamath, and Azmoth, and Zamri. And Zamri begot Mosa. 43. And Mosa begot Banaa: whose son Raphaia begot Elasa, of whom came Asel. 44. And Asel had six sons of these names: Ezricam, Bocru, Ismahel, Saria, Obdia, Hanan. These are the sons of
1. So all Israel was numbered—by David, 2 Kings 24.
And they were carried away to Babylon.—Thus far, therefore, Esdras has enumerated the Hebrews who preceded the captivity: but henceforth he will enumerate those who returned from it, and lived after it; where note that many of Israel, that is, of the ten tribes, after the schism migrated to Jerusalem: both because they abhorred the schism made by Jeroboam and wished to follow the ancient religion of the Jews and to worship God in the temple; and because when the ten tribes were carried away into Assyria by Theglathphalasar and Salmanasar, many of them fled to Jerusalem and joined themselves to the Jews. These afterwards with the Jews were carried away to Babylon, and thence after seventy years returned with them to Jerusalem; and this is what is said here. Hence he adds.
2. And they that dwelt first (formerly) in their possessions and in their cities were: (namely) Israel, the Nathinites, dwelling, namely, with the Jews in Judea, and thence carried with them to Babylon; when the captivity was ended, they likewise with them returned to Jerusalem and Judea, to their former possessions and cities, and dwelt in them as they had done before. Wherefore,
3. There dwelt in Jerusalem of the children of Juda, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim and Manasses.—These he then enumerates, saying:
4. Othei the son of Ammiud, etc.—Now the Nathinites, that is, the given and offered to the temple, were the Gabaonites, who on account of the fraud committed against Josue were appointed to the temple, condemned, namely, to carry water and wood to it. See what I said on Josue 9:23, and 2 Esdras 11:4 ff., where the same are enumerated.
5. And of Siloni:—understand, of the sons. Siloni was a famous man, sprung from the tribe of Juda, but not from Phares or Zara, as is clear from this place, but descended from Sela. For these three alone were the surviving sons of Juda, because Her and Onan were slain by God, Genesis 38.
16. In the courts (in Hebrew, in the villages which were called) of Netophati.
18. Until that time (namely from the first, verse 18, institution of the porters of the temple, until the overthrow of the temple by the Chaldeans) they watched, (in Hebrew, kept guard, these Levites,) in their turns: (both at the other gates of the temple, and especially) in the king’s gate to the east,—that is, at the eastern gate of the temple, which was near the palace of the king, through which therefore the king was wont to enter the temple, which hence in their own villages: (For some Levites dwelt in Jerusalem; others were distributed through other cities, towns and villages. Hence verse 25 it is said: “they dwelt in the villages”; yet at certain times, when they had to minister in turns in the temple, they came to Jerusalem. These turns and orders of their ministering) David appointed, (and before him,) Samuel, the seer (or Prophet, and that) in their faithfulness,—that is, in the power and authority entrusted and committed to them by God and the Republic for doing this. Secondly, “in their faithfulness,” says Vatablus, on account of their faithfulness; faithfulness, that is, fidelity; because he knew them to be and to be going to be faithful, and to perform this office faithfully. Thirdly, by faith you may understand a faithful office, that is, firm and stable, to appoint these porters “in faith,” that is, faithful, that is, firm and stable; that they might exercise the office of porters faithfully, that is, steadily and perpetually. So Vatablus. For this signifies the Hebrew beemunatham, that is, in their faith or in their stability.
33. Who dwelt in the chambers (that is, the rooms and halls attached to the temple)—that they might continually give themselves to singing the praises of God, hymns and psalms, and to instructing the people in the law of God. Hence they are also called Synagogues.
35. And in Gabaon dwelt.—He passes from the Levites to the Benjamites, in order to come down to Saul the first king of Israel, and then, he being removed, to David; for all this is written for David’s sake, because his royal family lasted until the captivity of Babylon, nay even to the Machabees; but then it ruled the people not with royal but with ducal authority.