1 The sons of Levi; (this care to give the genealogies after the captivities was to show that God's promises to preserve the nation would be faithfully kept. Cp. Jer. 23:5,6) Gershom, Kohath, (the 2nd son placed 1st because Aaron descended from him) and Merari.
2 And the sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.
3 And the sons of Amram; Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. The sons also of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, (perished at Sinai for offering "strange fire". See Lev. 10:1. Cp. Num. 3:4. 1 Chron. 24:2) Eleazar, (his genealogy is given without a break up to the captivity. Cp. v.15. In Ezra 7:1-5 an abbreviated genealogy is given. Moses not enumerated here, though a priest [Ps. 99:6], because separated for civil government before the appointment of the Levite priesthood) and Ithamar.
4 Eleazar begat Phinehas, (cp. Ex. 6:25. Ps. 106:30. Num. 25:11) Phinehas begat Abishua,
5 And Abishua begat Bukki, and Bukki begat Uzzi,
6 And Uzzi begat Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begat Meraioth,
7 Meraioth begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub,
8 And Ahitub begat Zadok, (cp. 2 Sam. 8:17; 15:27. 1 Chron. 24:3,6,31) and Zadok begat Ahimaaz, (Cp. v.53. 2 Sam. 15:27,28. 18:19,22,27)
9 And Ahimaaz begat Azariah, and Azariah begat Johanan,
10 And Johanan begat Azariah, (he it is that executed the priest's office in the house that Solomon built in Jerusalem:) (See 2 Chron. 26:17)
11 And Azariah begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub,
12 And Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Shallum,
13 And Shallum (in Neh. 12:26 called Meshullam) begat Hilkiah, (the high priest in reign of Josiah [2 Kings 22:4. 2 Chron. 34:9) and Hilkiah begat Azariah,
14 And Azariah begat Seraiah, (carried away by Nebuchadnezzar, and put to death at Riblah [2 Kings 25:18,21]) and Seraiah begat Jehozadak,
15 And Jehozadak (the Jozadak was the father of Joshua the high priest, who returned from the captivity [Ezra 3:2]; 5:2. Num. 12:26. Hag. 1:1,12. Zech. 6:11]) went into captivity, when the Lord (Yahaveh) carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.
16 The sons of Levi; (these were not high priests) Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
17 And these be the names of the sons of Gershom; Libni, and Shimei.
18 And the sons of Kohath were, Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.
19 The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers.
20 Of Gershom; Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son,
21 Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeaterai his son.
22 The sons of Kohath; Amminadab (the other name was Izhar, v.2 and 38) his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,
23 Elkanah (a common Levitical name. Cp. v.25,27, and see 1 Sam. 1:1) his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son, (Cp. Ex. 6:24)
24 Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son.
25 And the sons of Elkanah; Amasai, and Ahimoth.
26 As for Elkanah: the sons of Elkanah; Zophai his son, and Nahath his son,
27 Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son.
28 And the sons of Samuel; the firstborn Vashni, (cp. 1 Sam. 8:2, where the firstborn's name "came to be" Joel. From 1 Chron. 6:28 it seems to have been originally Vashni. From v.33 he seems to have has 2 names) and Abiah.
29 The sons of Merari; Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzza his son,
30 Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son.
31 And these are they whom David set over the hands (i.e. hands being put for the work done by them) of song in the house of the Lord, after that the ark had rest. (See 16:1, 13:3 and Ex. 25:22)
32 And they ministered before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem: and then they waited on their office according to their order.
33 And these are they that with their sons. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman the singer, Samuel's grandson, (see 15:17-19:25:1-6. Cp 1 Kings 4:31, and see his name in the Psalm titles) the son of Joel, (see v.28) the son of Samuel, (The 21 generations given)
34 The son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah,
35 The son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai,
36 The son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah,
37 The son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,
38 The son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. (Traced back to fountain head)
39 And his brother Asaph, (i.e. in service. 16 generation) who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea,
40 The son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchiah,
41 The son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,
42 The son of Ethan, (same as Jeduthun [9:16; 16:44; 25:1. 2 Chron. 25:15. 14 generations) the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,
43 The son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi.
44 And their brethren (Heman, from Kohath [Levi's 2nd son]; Asapp, from Gershom [Levi's eldest son]; Ethan, from Merari [Levi's youngest son]) the sons of Merari stood on the left hand: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,
45 The son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah,
46 The son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shamer,
47 The son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.
48 Their brethren also the Levites were appointed to all manner of service of the tabernacle of the house of God. (cp. Ch. 29)
49 But Aaron and his sons burnt incense upon the altar of the burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, and were appointed for all the work of the holy of holies, and to make an atonement for Israel, (see ex. 3:5. cp. Num. 18:1-7. Lev. 8:2. This refutes the assertions of some that the kings of Judah were allowed to offer sacrifices or burn incense. Cp. 1 Kings 8:53) according to all that Moses (see 2 Chron. 24:9. Neh. 10:29, and Dan. 9:11) the servant of God had commanded. (Elohim)
50 And these (relating by way of summary) are the sons of Aaron; Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son,
51 Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son,
52 Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son,
53 Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son.
54 Now these are their dwelling places (cp. Josh. 21:4-12. This was the basis of their claim for reinstatement after their return from Babylon. Probably many of these places had changed their names in spelling or otherwise since those days. This account for all variations) throughout their districts in their borders, of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites: for theirs was the [first] lot.
55 And they gave them Hebron in the land of Judah, and the suburbs thereof round about it.
56 But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
57 And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of Judah, namely, Hebron, the city of refuge, and Libnah with her suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa, with their suburbs,
58 And Hilen (= Holon of Josh. 21:15) with her suburbs, Debir with her suburbs,
59 And Ashan with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs:
60 And out of the tribe of Benjamin; Geba with her suburbs, and Alemeth with her suburbs, and Anathoth with her suburbs. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities.
61 And to the sons of Kohath, which were left of the family of that tribe, were cities given out of the half tribe, namely, out of the half tribe of Manasseh, by lot, ten cities.
62 And to the sons of Gershom throughout their families out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.
63 To the sons of Merari were given by lot, throughout their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.
64 And the children of Israel gave to the Levites these cities with their suburbs.
65 And they gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities, which are called by their names.
66 [As for some] of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their lot (cp. Josh. 21:20) out of the tribe of Ephraim.
67 And they gave to them, of the city of refuge, Shechem (is the only one intended as a city of refuge) in hill country of Ephraim with her suburbs; they gave also Gezer with her suburbs, (see 1 Kings 9:15-17)
68 And Jokmeam with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her suburbs,
69 And Aijalon with her suburbs, and Gathrimmon with her suburbs:
70 And out of the half tribe of Manasseh; Aner with her suburbs, and Bileam with her suburbs, for the family of the remnant of the sons of Kohath.
71 To the sons of Gershom were given out of the family of the half tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, and Ashtaroth with her suburbs:
72 And out of the tribe of Issachar; Kedesh with her suburbs, Daberath with her suburbs,
73 And Ramoth with her suburbs, and Anem with her suburbs:
74 And out of the tribe of Asher; Mashal with her suburbs, and Abdon with her suburbs,
75 And Hukok with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs:
76 And out of the tribe of Naphtali; Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, and Hammon with her suburbs, and Kirjathaim with her suburbs.
77 To those remaining the sons of Merari were given out of the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmon with her suburbs, Tabor with her suburbs:
78 And on the other side Jordan by Jericho, on the east side of Jordan, were given them out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer in the wilderness with her suburbs, and Jahzah with her suburbs,
79 Kedemoth also with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs:
80 And out of the tribe of Gad; Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, and Mahanaim with her suburbs,
81 And Heshbon with her suburbs, and Jazer with her suburbs.