Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
The leading men of the Jews are listed, who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem with the priests, Levites, and Nethinim: also the Benjaminites, and the parents and descendants of Saul.
Vulgate Text: 1 Paralipomenon 9:1-44
1. So all Israel was enrolled, and the sum of them was written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah; and they were carried away to Babylon because of their transgression. 2. Now the first to dwell in their possessions and cities were: Israelites, priests, Levites, and the Nethinim. 3. In Jerusalem lived some of the sons of Judah, sons of Benjamin, and sons of Ephraim and Manasseh. 4. Uthai the son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, of the sons of Perez the son of Judah. 5. And of the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn, and his sons. 6. Of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel, and their brothers, six hundred and ninety. 7. Of the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah; 8. and Ibneiah the son of Jeroham; and Elah the son of Uzzi, son of Michri; and Meshullam the son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah; 9. and their brothers according to their families, nine hundred and fifty-six. All these were heads of fathers' houses according to their fathers' houses. 10. Of the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, and Jachin; 11. and Azariah the son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the chief officer of the house of God; 12. and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah; and Maasai the son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer; 13. and their brothers, heads of their fathers' houses, one thousand seven hundred and sixty, very able men for the work of the service of the house of God. 14. Of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari; 15. and Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Mica, son of Zichri, son of Asaph; 16. and Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah the son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites. 17. The gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brother Shallum was the chief, 18. who until that time had been at the king's gate to the east, keeping watch in their turns of the sons of Levi. 19. Shallum the son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his brothers of his father's house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent; and their families had been in charge of the camp of the Lord, keepers of the entrance. 20. Phinehas the son of Eleazar was their leader before the Lord. 21. Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was gatekeeper of the entrance of the tent of meeting. 22. All these who were chosen as gatekeepers at the thresholds were two hundred and twelve. They were enrolled in their villages. David and Samuel the Seer established them in their trusted office, 23. both them and their sons, at the gates of the house of the Lord and the tabernacle, in their turns. 24. The gatekeepers were on the four sides: east, west, north, and south. 25. And their brothers who were in their villages were to come in every seven days, in turn, to be with them. 26. The four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with all the chambers and the treasures of the house of the Lord. 27. They lodged around the house of the Lord in their watches, for the duty of opening it every morning was theirs. 28. Some of them had charge of the utensils of service, for they were counted when they were brought in and when they were taken out. 29. Others were appointed over the furnishings and over all the holy utensils, and over the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the incense, and the spices. 30. The sons of the priests prepared the ointments of the spices. 31. Mattithiah the Levite, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was in charge of the things baked in pans. 32. Some of the sons of the Kohathites, their brothers, were in charge of the showbread, to prepare it every Sabbath. 33. These are the singers, heads of fathers' houses of the Levites, dwelling in the chambers, and free from other service, for they were employed in that work day and night. 34. These were heads of the Levites, chiefs according to their families; they lived in Jerusalem. 35. In Gibeon lived the father of Gibeon, Jehiel, and the name of his wife was Maacah. 36. His firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, and Nadab, 37. Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. 38. Mikloth begot Shimeam; they also lived opposite their brothers in Jerusalem, with their brothers. 39. Ner begot Kish, Kish begot Saul, and Saul begot Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal. 40. The son of Jonathan was Merib-baal, and Merib-baal begot Micah. 41. The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. 42. Ahaz begot Jarah, and Jarah begot Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri begot Moza. 43. Moza begot Binea; and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son. 44. Azel had six sons and these are their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These are the sons of Azel.
Verse 1: All Israel Was Enrolled
1. SO ALL ISRAEL WAS ENROLLED — by David, 2 Kings XXIV. AND THEY WERE CARRIED AWAY TO BABYLON. — Up to this point, therefore, Ezra has listed the Hebrews who preceded the Babylonian captivity: henceforth he will list those who returned from it and lived after it; where note that many from Israel, that is from the ten tribes, migrated to Jerusalem after the schism: both because they were horrified by the schism made by Jeroboam and wanted to follow the ancient religion of the Jews and worship God in the temple; and because when the ten tribes were carried off to Assyria by Tiglath-pileser and Shalmaneser, many of them fled to Jerusalem and joined themselves to the Jews. These were later carried off to Babylon together with the Jews, and from there after 70 years returned to Jerusalem with them; and this is what is said here.
Verse 2: Those Who Dwelt First
2. THOSE WHO DWELT FIRST (previously) IN THEIR POSSESSIONS AND CITIES: (namely) ISRAELITES, PRIESTS, LEVITES, AND NETHINIM — dwelling, that is, with the Jews in Judea, and from there carried off to Babylon with them; then when the captivity ended they returned together to Jerusalem and Judea to their former possessions and cities, and dwelt in them, as they had done before.
Verse 4: The Nethinim
4. UTHAI THE SON OF AMMIHUD, etc. — The Nethinim, that is 'given' and offered to the temple, were the Gibeonites, who because of their fraud were assigned to the temple by Joshua, condemned, that is, to carry water and wood to it. See what was said at Joshua IX, 23, and 2 Ezra XI, verse 1 and following, where the same persons are listed.
Verse 5: The Shilonites
5. AND OF THE SHILONITES: — understand, 'sons.' Shiloni was a famous man, descended from the tribe of Judah, but not from Perez or Zerah, as is clear from this passage, but descending from Shelah. For these three alone were the surviving sons of Judah, because Er and Onan were slain by God, Genesis XXXVIII.
Verse 16: The Villages of Netophah
16. IN THE COURTS (in Hebrew, in the villages which were called) OF NETOPHAH.
Verse 18: The King's Gate
18. UNTIL THAT TIME (namely from the first institution of the gatekeepers of the temple, until the destruction of the temple by the Chaldeans) THEY KEPT WATCH (in Hebrew, stood guard, these Levites) IN THEIR TURNS: (both at the other gates of the temple, and especially) AT THE KING'S GATE TO THE EAST — that is, at the eastern gate of the temple, which was near the king's palace, through which the king was accustomed to enter the temple, and which was therefore called the 'King's Gate.'
Verse 22: The Gatekeepers
22. ALL THESE CHOSEN AS GATEKEEPERS, etc. ENROLLED IN THEIR OWN VILLAGES — For some Levites dwelt in Jerusalem, while others were distributed through other cities, towns, and villages. But at certain times, when they had to minister in the temple in their turns, they came to Jerusalem. These turns and orders of their ministry DAVID ESTABLISHED (and before him) SAMUEL THE SEER (or Prophet, and that) IN THEIR TRUST — that is, in the power and authority entrusted and committed to them by God and the commonwealth for doing this. For this is what the Hebrew באמונתם beemunatham means, that is 'in trust,' or 'in their steadfastness.'
Verse 33: The Singers in the Chambers
33. WHO DWELT IN THE CHAMBERS (that is, in the rooms and halls annexed to the temple) — so that they might devote themselves continually to singing the praises, hymns, and psalms of God, and so that they might instruct the people in the law of God. Whence synagogues also received their name.
Verse 35: In Gibeon
35. IN GIBEON. — He passes from the Levites to the Benjaminites, so as to descend to Saul the first king of Israel, and then, with Saul removed, to David; for all these things are written on David's account, because his royal family endured until the Babylonian captivity, and indeed until the Maccabees; but then it presided over the people not with royal but with ducal authority.