1 Chronicles 9

This is the final chapter of the genealogical section of 1 Chronicles that begins in chapter 1. Following the Benjamite genealogy of the preceding chapter, 1 Chronicles 8, it lists those who lived in Jerusalem after the return from exile. It closes by repeating the genealogy of Saul's family, which leads into the account of Saul in 1 Chronicles 10.

Outline

• Verse 1: All Israel was reckoned by genealogies. Judah was carried away captive to Babylon because of its transgression.
• Verses 2–9: The first to return and dwell in their possessions were the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinims (those assigned to menial labor in the temple). Next come the descendants of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh who lived in Jerusalem. The descendants of Zerah numbered 690, and the descendants of Benjamin 956.
• Verses 10–13: A list of the priests, including Azariah, who was ruler of the house of God. Those able for the work of the service numbered 1,760.
• Verses 14–16: A list of the Levites, including Shemaiah of the descendants of Merari and Mattaniah, the great-grandson of Asaph.
• Verses 17–27: The 212 gatekeepers, with Shallum as their chief. Their office had been established by David and Samuel the seer; they guarded all four sides—east, west, north, and south—and opened the gates every morning.
• Verses 28–34: Those in charge of the vessels and utensils, the spices, the things baked in pans, and the showbread, along with the singers, who devoted themselves to their duties day and night.
• Verses 35–44: The genealogy of Saul's family, beginning with Jeiel of Gibeon and continuing through the six sons of Azel.

Key Verses

• 1 Chronicles 9:1 "who were carried away to Babylon for their transgression" — concluding the genealogies as a whole, this verse states the cause of the exile.
• 1 Chronicles 9:22 "whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their set office" — this shows that the temple duties of the returned community continued the earlier institutions.
• 1 Chronicles 9:33 "for they were employed in that work day and night" — this describes the full-time service of the Levitical singers.

People and Places

• Shallum: A Korahite and chief of the gatekeepers, descended from Korah.
• Phinehas: The son of Eleazar. He is described as having been ruler over the gatekeepers in former times.
• Saul: The son of Kish. His sons were Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.
• Merib-baal: The son of Jonathan, regarded as the same person as Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel.
• Gibeon: A town in the territory of Benjamin where Saul's ancestor Jeiel lived.
• The chapter also mentions priests, Levites, the showbread, and the Sabbath.

Points for Reflection

• The list in verses 2–17 overlaps substantially with Nehemiah 11. For this reason, the passage is commonly read as a list of Jerusalem's inhabitants after the return from exile.
• Verses 35–44 are nearly identical to 1 Chronicles 8:29–38. The repetition is explained as a bridge to the account of Saul in the next chapter.
• Esh-baal and Merib-baal are called Ish-bosheth and Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel. Some scholars explain this as a substitution of bosheth, meaning "shame," for the element baal in their names.
• Verse 3 mentions the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh alongside the others. Some read this as reflecting the Chronicler's emphasis on "all Israel."