Gill, in his commentary, gives us a useful summary of this chapter.
‘The genealogies of the several tribes being given, according to as they were written in the books of the kings of Israel, 1 Chronicles 9:1, an account follows of those who first settled in Jerusalem after their return from the Babylonish captivity; of the Israelites, 1 Chronicles 9:2, of the priests, 1 Chronicles 9:10, of the Levites, and of the charge and offices of several of the priests and Levites, 1 Chronicles 9:14, and the chapter is concluded with a repetition of the genealogy of the ancestors and posterity of Saul king of Israel, 1 Chronicles 9:35.’
This chapter tells us about the genealogies of the twelve tribes of Israel. Once again, there are some differences between the names listed here and the list of names given in Nehemiah 11:1-19. Notice the writer begins by telling us that ‘all Israel’ was listed, 1 Chronicles 9:1.
Poole, in his commentary, says the following.
‘No longer was there a kingdom of Judah and another kingdom of Israel; now they were all Israelites. Called here by the general name of Israelites, which was given to them before that unhappy division of the two kingdoms, and now is restored to them when the Israelites are united with the Jews in one and the same commonwealth, so that all the names and signs of their former division might be blotted out.’
Notice the writer says that Israel’s genealogies are recorded it in the book of kings Israel and Judah, 1 Chronicles 9:1 / 2 Chronicles 27:7 / 2 Chronicles 35:27 / 2 Chronicles 36:8.
Elsewhere we have reference to the Chronicles of King David, 1 Chronicles 27:24, the Book of the Kings of Israel, 1 Chronicles 9:2 / 2 Chronicles 20:34, and the Book of the Kings of Judah, 2 Chronicles 16:11 / 2 Chronicles 25:26 / 2 Chronicles 28:26 / 2 Chronicles 32:32.
The writer also tells us the reason why they were taken into captivity, it was because of their unfaithfulness, 1 Chronicles 9:1 / 1 Chronicles 5:25 / 2 Chronicles 36:14.
It was the priests, 1 Chronicles 9:10-13, Levites, 1 Chronicles 9:14-16, and temple servants, 1 Chronicles 9:17-27, Nethinim, Joshua 9:21, KJV, who returned to the land first, 1 Chronicles 9:2 / Ezra 1:1-11 / Ezra 2:1-60. The writer focuses on the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, 1 Chronicles 9:3 / Nehemiah 11:1-2 / Nehemiah 11:4-19.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The list here is nearly the same as that found in Ezra and Nehemiah, and contains those who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel, but the list in Nehemiah is more ample, probably because it contains those who came afterwards. The object of the sacred writer here was to give the list of those who came first.’
Uthai, the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the children of Pharez the son of Judah, 1 Chronicles 9:4, are all mentioned in Nehemiah 11:4-36. The Shilonites, 1 Chronicles 9:5 / Genesis 38:5, are called the Shelanites in Numbers 26:20.
The Pulpit Commentary says the following, concerning 1 Chronicles 9:6.
‘No corresponding list whatever is found in Nehemiah, but in Nehemiah 11:24, mention is made of ‘Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the children of Zerah.’ Zeta was the twin brother of Pharez, Genesis 38:30.’
Hodaviah, 1 Chronicles 9:7, is called Joed in Nehemiah 11:7. 1 Chronicles 9:8 gives us the names of three other Benjamite household heads. The heads of the Benjamites numbered nine hundred and fifty-six, 1 Chronicles 9:9. Nehemiah 11:7-8 gives the figure of nine hundred and twenty-eight.
The names mentioned in 1 Chronicles 9:10 are possibly individuals or the divisions of Levites in 1 Chronicles 24:7-18, where these same names appear. Azariah, 1 Chronicles 9:11, is called Seraiah in Nehemiah 11:11.
Ellicott, in his commentary, says the following concerning 1 Chronicles 9:12.
‘Nehemiah 11:12, runs: “And their brethren, doers of the work of the house, 822 and Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashur, son of Malchijah.” Thus, the line of Adaiah as given there exactly corresponds with the present passage, save that it inserts three names here wanting between Jeroham and Pashur: another illustration of the freedom of the compiler in dealing with these lists.’
The priests, who were heads of families, numbered one-thousand, seven hundred and sixty, 1 Chronicles 9:13. The ‘official in charge of the house of God’, 1 Chronicles 9:13, is usually a reference to the high priest, 2 Chronicles 31:10 / 2 Chronicles 31:13 / Nehemiah 11:11, but we must note this isn’t the case in 2 Chronicles 35:8.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following concerning 1 Chronicles 9:14.
‘Having given an account of the two first classes of the people, the Israelites and priests, the author of the book now proceeds to the Levites, the third class, and the first mentioned is Shemaiah, whose ancestors, Hashub, Azrikam, and Hashabiah, were of the sons of Merari, the third son of Levi.’
Zichri, 1 Chronicles 9:15, is called Zabdi in Nehemiah 11:17. Obadiah, 1 Chronicles 9:16, is called Abda in Nehemiah 11:17. Shemaiah, 1 Chronicles 9:16, is called Shammua in Nehemiah 11:17.
The Netophathites, 1 Chronicles 9:16, were those who lived in the city of Netophah, or it could be a group of villages located near Bethlehem, Nehemiah 7:26 / Nehemiah 12:28.
Here we read about the Levite gatekeepers, 1 Chronicles 26:1-19, or the Nethinim, KJV, Numbers 3:9 / Numbers 8:19. The name Nethinim was also applied to the Midianites and Gibeonites who helped the Levites in the temple service, Numbers 31:47 / Joshua 9:27.
Because the Gibeonites worked helping out in the temple, their genealogy is also recorded in Ezra 2:43-58 / Ezra 4:43-58 / Nehemiah 10:28. The Gibeonites were also considered a part of the covenant relationship that Israel had with God, Deuteronomy 29:11 / Nehemiah 10:28.
Notice that the Korahites were responsible for guarding the thresholds of the tent just as their ancestors had been responsible for guarding the entrance to the dwelling of the LORD, 1 Chronicles 9:19. This probably refers to the tent of meeting, 1 Chronicles 9:19.
These gatekeepers stood at the gate that was used by the king, 2 Kings 16:18 / Ezekiel 46:1-2. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, 1 Chronicles 9:20, is mentioned because of his faithful work during the days of Moses, Numbers 25:7-13, and his faithfulness to God continued as a gatekeeper in the days of Ezra.
Both Meshelemiah and Zechariah, 1 Chronicles 9:21, are mentioned as serving David, 1 Chronicles 26:8-11, in the tent of meeting, which would be the tabernacle.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following concerning Mattithiah.
‘He was the first-born of Shallum the Korahite; this Shallum would seem to be the person mentioned in 1 Chronicles 9:19, whose actual first-born was Zechariah, 1 Chronicles 26:2. Mattithiah may have been his eldest lineal descendant at the time here spoken of.’
Notice there is a lot said concerning how David organised the different ministries for temple worship, but not much is said concerning Samuel organising the tabernacle.
Notice that Samuel is called a seer, 1 Chronicles 9:22. Samuel was a prophet, priest, and judge, 1 Samuel 7:5-14. This tells us that the arrangement of the Levites may go back to Samuel at Shiloh, as well as David in Jerusalem.
Altogether, there were two hundred and twelve gatekeepers chosen, 1 Chronicles 9:17-22. They were appointed in David’s time to watch the gates of the temple, 1 Chronicles 9:23. Notice also that the gatekeepers were on the four sides, east, west, north and south, 1 Chronicles 9:24 / Ezekiel 42:16-20.
Gill, in his commentary, says the following concerning 1 Chronicles 9:25-26.
‘There was a new course of them every week, the old ones went off duty, and another course succeeded, which came out of the villages where they dwelt, and the old course retired to theirs. The four chief porters who were over all the two hundred and twelve, and had one over them, 1 Chronicles 9:17, these were never changed, nor went into the country villages, but were always upon the spot, and in their office, superintending the rest and were over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God, 1 Chronicles 26:20.’
They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they had to guard it and they had charge of the key for opening it each morning, 1 Chronicles 9:27.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following concerning 1 Chronicles 9:28.
‘The vessels for service taken out of the treasury were counted, that the same number should be returned to the treasury after the service was over.’
The special flour and wine, and the olive oil, incense and spices, 1 Chronicles 9:29-30, refer to the mixing of spices for the holy anointing oil, Exodus 30:25 / Exodus 30:33 / Exodus 30:35 / Exodus 37:29.
It could also be used for burials, 1 Chronicles 16:14 / Nehemiah 3:8. Mattithiah, the firstborn son of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with the responsibility for baking the offering bread, 1 Chronicles 9:31.
Ellicott, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The son of Shallum, or Meshelemiah, is called Zechariah, 1 Chronicles 26:2. If Zechariah was the chief branch of Shallum in the days of David, Mattithiah may have been so in the time of the chronicler or of his authority here.’
Some of the Kohathites, their fellow Levites, were in charge of preparing for every Sabbath the bread set out on the table, 1 Chronicles 9:32. The showbread, Exodus 25:30, was piled in two rows, 1 Chronicles 24:5-8.
Those who were musicians, heads of Levite families, stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because they were responsible for the work day and night, 1 Chronicles 9:33. The heads of Levite families, chiefs as listed in their genealogy, lived in Jerusalem, 1 Chronicles 9:34.
The genealogy mentioned in these verses is an introduction to the reign of David that begins in 1 Chronicles 10.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘1 Chronicles 9:35-44, is a duplicate of 1 Chronicles 8:29-38. Twelve generations of King Saul are listed here, and the reason for their being repeated would appear to be that they are an appropriate background for the record of the death of Saul, related in the very next chapter.’
Gill, in his commentary, says the following concerning Gibeon, 1 Chronicles 9:35.
‘Whose name is here mentioned, which is not in 1 Chronicles 8:29. Jehiel, whose wife’s name was Maakah, as there, but here called his sister, as a wife sometimes is, Genesis 20:2. From hence to the end of the chapter is a repetition of the ancestors and posterity of Saul king of Israel; which is made to lead on to and connect the following history of the kings of Judah, begun in this book, and carried on in the next unto the Babylonish captivity, 1 Chronicles 8:29.’
Ellicott, in his commentary, says the following concerning Baal, 1 Chronicles 9:36.
‘Baal has been compounded with Nadab to form a single name, Baal-Nadab. ‘Baal is prince.’ Compare Baal-Gad, ‘Baal is Gad’, Baal-Hanan, ‘Baal is bounteous’, 1 Chronicles 1:49. In that case, Ner is out of place.’
Selman, in his commentary, says the following concerning 1 Chronicles 9:37-38.
‘Since the genealogy continues for twelve generations after Saul, the fact that his dynasty crashed and his kingship was transferred to David did not remove his family’s place in Israelite history. They too had lived in Jerusalem, 1 Chronicles 9:38, and though we do not know whether this continued after the exile, even for them, there were signs of hope.’
Ahaz, 1 Chronicles 9:39, is named, but his name isn’t mentioned in 1 Chronicles 8:35. Eshbaal, 1 Chronicles 9:39, is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 8:33. Merib-Baal, 1 Chronicles 9:40, is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 8:34. Tahrea, 1 Chronicles 9:41, is called Tarea, back in 1 Chronicles 8:35.
Jarah, 1 Chronicles 9:42, is called Jehoaddah, back in 1 Chronicles 8:36. Rephaiah, 1 Chronicles 9:43, is also called Raphah, back in 1 Chronicles 8:37. Bocheru, 1 Chronicles 9:44, is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 8:38.