1 Chron. 23 David maketh Solomon king, 1 Chron. 23:1. The number and distribution of the Levites, according to their families, 1 Chron. 23:2–23. Their office, 1 Chron. 23:24–32.

Not that he did resign the kingdom to him, but that he declared his mind concerning his succession into the throne after his death. As David himself is called king, 1 Sam. 16:1, because he was appointed and anointed to be king after Saul’s death, though till then he was only a subject.

Partly to declare God’s mind and his own will, that Solomon should be his successor; and so to cut off the claims and pretences which others of his sons might make to the crown; and partly to acquaint them with those directions which he had received from God by the Spirit, as appears from 1 Chron.

From the age of thirty years and upward; not only till fifty, as it was appointed, Num. 4:2–3, but even till their death; for that was but a temporary law grounded upon a special reason, because the Levites were employed in carrying the tabernacle and sacred vessels from place to place; and…

To set forward the work of the house of the Lord, i.e. to take care that all the work of the temple about sacrifices and other parts or means of God’s service should be punctually and diligently performed, either by themselves or others; which they were not to do all at once, but by courses, a…

Porters; whose office was to take the charge of all the gates of the temple and its courts, that no forbidden or unclean person might enter there, and of the courts them selves, and of several chambers or buildings belonging to the temple and the service thereof: these also were to do their work by…

David divided them into courses; which he did not by his own invention, but as a man of God, and by the command of God, and with the advice and concurrence of Gad and Nathan the prophets, as is manifest from 2 Chron. 8:14, 2 Chron. 29:25.

The sons of Laadan, i.e. his posterity; and so in the following verses; for these could not be their immediate sons.

The sons of Shimei; not that Shimei named 1 Chron. 23:9, but another, and possibly the son or grandson of that Shimei.

They were reckoned together as one family, and were not called by the name of their two immediate parents, but by the name of their grandfather Shimei.

That he should sanctify the most holy things; not positively, for so he could not sanctify them, they being already sanctified by God in the highest degree; but negatively, i.e.

i.e. They were accounted only as common Levites, and were not priests; which is mentioned partly to secure the priesthood within the bounds to which God had confined it, lest they should presume to invade it upon a confidence in the nobleness of their extraction; and partly for the honour of Moses,…

The sons of Eliezer, for the son; the plural number for the singular, as Gen. 46:23, 1 Chron. 2:8, 1 Chron. 2:31, and oft elsewhere. Rehabiah the chief, Heb. the first-born. He is so called, not because others were born after him, but because none were born before him. See Poole “Matt. 1:25”.

As the Levites were anciently numbered from two several times, from the twenty-fifth year of their age, and from the thirtieth, Num. 4:3, Num. 8:24; in like manner and for the same reasons they are here numbered both from their twentieth year, as here, when they were more solemnly prepared for and…

Also unto the Levites; or rather, as concerning the Levites, of whom he is here speaking.

By the last words of David; by his last order and constitution, made by God’s direction and by the Spirit, as hath been once and again noted and proved before.

All holy things, i.e. holy places, and garments, and vessels, and sacrifices, which were to be washed and cleansed from any filthiness which possibly might cleave to them.

This is to be understood either, 1. Particularly of the measure or quantity of fine flour, and wine, and oil, which was fixed by God’s law. Or 2. Generally of all measures, used either in sacred or civil things, the public standards whereof were kept in the sanctuary or temple; of which see on Ex.

The two solemn times of offering sacrifices; which work was attended with public prayer and thanksgiving.

Commanded unto them, i.e. unto those persons, the Levites, of whom he speaks. Or, concerning them, i.e. about those things.

The charge of the sons of Aaron, i.e. what the priests should commit to their charge, or command them to do.