Page:The Books of Chronicles (1916).djvu/213

Rh For the courses of the doorkeepers: of the Korahites; Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph. And Meshelemiah had sons; Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth; Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Eliehoenai the seventh. And Obed-edom had sons; Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, and Sacar the fourth, and Nethanel the fifth; Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peullethai the eighth: for God blessed him. Also unto Shemaiah his son were sons born, that ruled over the house of their father: for they were mighty men of valour. The sons of Shemaiah; Othni, and Rephael, and Obed, Elzabad, whose brethren were valiant men, Elihu, and Semachiah. All these were of the sons of Obed-edom: they and their sons and their brethren, able men in strength for the service; threescore and two of Obed-edom. And Meshelemiah had sons and brethren, valiant men, eighteen. Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons; Shimri the chief, (for

XXVI. 1—12 (cp. ix. 17—27).

1. Meshelemiah, etc.] For the names of the doorkeepers see notes on ix. 17 ff.

of the sons of Asaph] For Asaph read Ebiasaph, as in ix. 19.

3. Eliehoenai] The form differs from that in iii. 23, but has the same meaning, viz., "Mine eyes are towards Jehovah."

4. Obed-edom] For Obed-edom see xiii. 13, note.

5. for God blessed him] "him" refers to "Obed-edom" (ver. 4), who was blessed with eight sons. It seems likely that the phrase "God blessed him" is intended to be a reminiscence of xiii. 14 and indicates that the Levitical Obed-edom was strangely identified by tradition with Obed-edom the Gittite in whose house the Ark was temporarily left by David (xiii. 13). For other references to Obed-edom as one of the doorkeepers, see xv. 18, 24, xvi. 38. On the other hand he is classed as a singer in xv. 21, xvi. 5, passages which are probably additions to the original text of Chronicles, or at any rate represent later or divergent tradition.

7. whose brethren] The pronoun refers to Elzabad.

9. Meshelemiah] Cp. vv. 1—3 to which ver. 9 is a supplement.

10. Hosah] He is mentioned as a doorkeeper along with Obed-edom in xvi. 38.