1 Chronicles 6ASV
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1 Chronicles6

American Standard Version · Public Domain

1The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

2And the sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.

3And the children of Amram: Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. And the sons of Aaron: Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

4Eleazar begat Phinehas, Phinehas begat Abishua,

5and Abishua begat Bukki, and Bukki begat Uzzi,

6and Uzzi begat Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begat Meraioth,

7Meraioth begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub,

8and Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Ahimaaz,

9and Ahimaaz begat Azariah, and Azariah begat Johanan,

10and Johanan begat Azariah (he it is that executed the priest’s office in the house that Solomon built in Jerusalem),

11and Azariah begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub,

12and Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Shallum,

13and Shallum begat Hilkiah, and Hilkiah begat Azariah,

14and Azariah begat Seraiah, and Seraiah begat Jehozadak;

15And Jehozadak went into captivity, when Jehovah carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

16The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.

17And these are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei.

18And the sons of Kohath were Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.

19The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses.

20Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son,

21Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son.

22The sons of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,

23Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son,

24Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son.

25And the sons of Elkanah: Amasai, and Ahimoth.

26As for Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah: Zophai his son, and Nahath his son,

27Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son.

28And the sons of Samuel: the first-born, Joel, and the second Abijah.

29The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son,

30Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son.

31And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of Jehovah, after that the ark had rest.

32And they ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of Jehovah in Jerusalem: and they waited on their office according to their order.

33And these are they that waited, and their sons. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel,

34the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah,

35the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai,

36the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah,

37the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,

38the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.

39And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea,

40the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah,

41the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,

42the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,

43the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi.

44And on the left hand their brethren the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,

45the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah,

46the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer,

47the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.

48And their brethren the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

49But Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of burnt-offering, and upon the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

50And these are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son,

51Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son,

52Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son,

53Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son.

54Now these are their dwelling-places according to their encampments in their borders: to the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites (for theirs was the first lot),

55to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah, and the suburbs thereof round about it;

56but the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

57And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge, Hebron; Libnah also with its suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa with its suburbs,

58and Hilen with its suburbs, Debir with its suburbs,

59and Ashan with its suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with its suburbs;

60and out of the tribe of Benjamin, Geba with its suburbs, and Allemeth with its suburbs, and Anathoth with its suburbs. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities.

61And unto the rest of the sons of Kohath were given by lot, out of the family of the tribe, out of the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, ten cities.

62And to the sons of Gershom, according to 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.

63Unto the sons of Merari were given by lot, according to their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.

64And the children of Israel gave to the Levites the cities with their suburbs.

65And 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 mentioned by name.

66And some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their borders out of the tribe of Ephraim.

67And they gave unto them the cities of refuge, Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim with its suburbs; Gezer also with its suburbs,

68and Jokmeam with its suburbs, and Beth-horon with its suburbs,

69and Aijalon with its suburbs, and Gath-rimmon with its suburbs;

70and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Aner with its suburbs, and Bileam with its suburbs, for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath.

71Unto the sons of Gershom were given, out of the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its suburbs, and Ashtaroth with its suburbs;

72and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kedesh with its suburbs, Daberath with its suburbs,

73and Ramoth with its suburbs, and Anem with its suburbs;

74and out of the tribe of Asher, Mashal with its suburbs, and Abdon with its suburbs,

75and Hukok with its suburbs, and Rehob with its suburbs;

76and out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its suburbs, and Hammon with its suburbs, and Kiriathaim with its suburbs.

77Unto the rest of the Levites, the sons of Merari, were given, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmono with its suburbs, Tabor with its suburbs;

78and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, were given them, out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer in the wilderness with its suburbs, and Jahzah with its suburbs,

79and Kedemoth with its suburbs, and Mephaath with its suburbs;

80and out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its suburbs, and Mahanaim with its suburbs,

81and Heshbon with its suburbs, and Jazer with its suburbs.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 1 Chronicles 6.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: Genealogies. (1-81).

vv1-81

We have an account of Levi in this chapter. The priests and Levites were more concerned than any other Israelites, to preserve their descent clear, and to be able to prove it; because all the honours and privileges of their office depended upon their descent. Now, the Spirit of God calls ministers to their work, without any limit as to the families they came from; and then, as now, though believers and ministers may be very useful to the church, none but our great High Priest can make atonement for sin, nor can any be accepted but through his atonement.

Cross References

1 Chronicles 6

Azariah stoutly resisted King Uzziah's attempt to usurp the priestly office in Solomon's temple.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v271 Samuel 1:1thematic

Identifies Elkanah and links the genealogy directly to the family of the prophet Samuel.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v55Joshua 21:11-13thematic

Corresponds to the detailed distribution of Hebron to the Aaronic priests as a city of refuge.

Supported by JFB

v61Joshua 21:26thematic

Explicit parallel noting the exact assignment of ten cities to the remaining Kohathites.

Supported by JFB

v81Joshua 21:39thematic

Direct parallel in the Joshua list of Levitical cities, naming both Heshbon and Jazer from Gad.

Supported by JFB

v142 Kings 25:18thematic

Seraiah, the last high priest of the first temple, was executed at Riblah by Nebuchadnezzar.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v281 Samuel 8:2thematic

Clarifies the names of Samuel's sons, identifying Joel (Vashni/and the second) and Abiah.

Supported by JFB

Identifies the appointment of Heman, Asaph, and Ethan by the Levites for music ministry.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v54Joshua 21:3-8thematic

Parallels the general lot-based allocation of cities to Levites and Kohathites from Israel's tribes.

Supported by JFB

v58Joshua 21:15thematic

Parallel list of Aaronic cities; matches Debir and Holon/Hilen with their suburbs.

Supported by JFB

v59Joshua 21:16thematic

Provides details for Beth-shemesh and other cities of the priests from Judah.

Supported by JFB

v60Joshua 21:17thematic

Lists the remaining Benjaminite cities of the priests to complete the total of thirteen cities.

Supported by JFB

v61Joshua 21:20-26thematic

The complete parallel list for the allocation of cities to the families of Kohath.

Supported by JFB

v65Genesis 49:7fulfillment

Levites scattered throughout Israel's tribal territories, fulfilling Jacob's ancient deathbed prophecy.

Supported by JFB

v67Joshua 21:21thematic

Direct parallel for the allotment of Shechem as a city of refuge in mount Ephraim.

Supported by JFB

v132 Kings 22:12-14thematic

Hilkiah was the high priest who famously found the Book of the Law under King Josiah.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v181 Samuel 1:1thematic

Traces Samuel's lineage (Elkanah, Jeroham, Tohu/Toah) back through the families of the Kohathite Levites.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v312 Samuel 6:17thematic

Details David bringing the ark to the tent, establishing when the ark 'had rest.'

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v37Numbers 16:1-35thematic

Provides the historical context of Korah, whose descendants are listed here in the musical line.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v37Numbers 26:11thematic

Confirms that the children of Korah did not die, allowing this lineage to continue.

Supported by Matthew Poole

Corresponds to the earlier mention of Gershom's descendants (Jahath, Zimmah, and Ethan/Joah).

Supported by Matthew Poole

Demonstrates generational shorthand; Zimmah's relationship is expanded as grandson of Gershom.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v431 Samuel 1:1thematic

Confirms Elkanah in Samuel's genealogy, linking these lists directly to the histories in Samuel.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v54Numbers 35:1-8thematic

The original Mosaic command directing the distribution of cities and suburbs to the Levites.

Supported by JFB

v64Numbers 35:2-5thematic

The Mosaic command directing the Israelites to give cities and suburbs to the Levites.

v67Joshua 20:7thematic

Identifies Shechem and Kedesh as designated cities of refuge in Joshua's time.

v71Joshua 21:27-33thematic

Detailed parallel passage listing the cities assigned to the sons of Gershom.

v77Joshua 21:34-40thematic

Corresponding record listing the tribal inheritance and cities of the Merari families.

v78Joshua 20:8thematic

Identifies Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan as eastern cities of refuge.

v81Joshua 13:25thematic

Defines the territory of Gad, explicitly including Jazer, which was later assigned to the Levites.

v1Exodus 6:16thematic

The foundational Exodus listing of the three primary sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v2Exodus 6:18thematic

Confirms the sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, aligning exactly with Chronicles.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v3Exodus 6:20thematic

Confirms Amram's marriage and his children: Aaron and Moses, the core Levitical leaders.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v4Exodus 6:25thematic

Establishes the early high-priestly succession from Eleazar to his zealous son, Phinehas.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v4Numbers 25:13thematic

God's covenant of an everlasting priesthood to Phinehas due to his zealous intervention.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v81 Kings 2:35thematic

Zadok is appointed high priest in Abiathar's place, fulfilling prophecy and securing this line.

Supported by Matthew Poole