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1 Chronicles 23:3-5

The Levites were counted from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand. David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of Yahweh’s house, six thousand were officers and judges, four thousand were doorkeepers, and four thousand praised Yahweh with the instruments which I made for giving praise.”

World English Bible · Public Domain
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Now David was old and full of days; and he made Solomon his son king over Israel. He gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites. The Levites were counted from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand. David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of Yahweh’s house, six thousand were officers and judges, four thousand were doorkeepers, and four thousand praised Yahweh with the instruments which I made for giving praise.”

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    The Levites were counted from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand.

    David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of Yahweh’s house, six thousand were officers and judges,

    four thousand were doorkeepers, and four thousand praised Yahweh with the instruments which I made for giving praise.”

  • KJV King James Version

    Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.

    Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges:

    Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    And the Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.

    Of these, twenty and four thousand were to oversee the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges;

    and four thousand were doorkeepers; and four thousand praised the LORD 'with the instruments which I made to praise therewith.'

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Cross-references (32)

  • 2 Chronicles 19:8 (v4) Moreover in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed Levites and priests, and of the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, for the judgment of…
  • Deuteronomy 16:18 (v4) You shall make judges and officers in all your gates, which Yahweh your God gives you, according to your tribes; and they shall judge the…
  • 1 Chronicles 23:24 (v3) These were the sons of Levi after their fathers’ houses, even the heads of the fathers’ houses of those who were counted individually, in…
  • 2 Chronicles 8:14 (v5) He appointed, according to the ordinance of David his father, the divisions of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their…
  • 2 Chronicles 29:25-26 (v5) He set the Levites in Yahweh’s house with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad…
Show all 32 cross-references
  • Psalms 87:7 (v5) Those who sing as well as those who dance say, “All my springs are in you.”
  • Amos 6:5 (v5) who strum on the strings of a harp; who invent for themselves instruments of music, like David;
  • Numbers 4:2-49 (v3) “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, from thirty years old and…
  • Deuteronomy 17:8-10 (v4) If there arises a matter too hard for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being…
  • 1 Kings 10:12 (v5) The king made of the almug trees pillars for Yahweh’s house, and for the king’s house, harps also and stringed instruments for the singers;…
  • 1 Chronicles 6:31-48 (v5) These are they whom David set over the service of song in Yahweh’s house, after the ark came to rest there. They ministered with song…
  • 1 Chronicles 6:48 (v4) Their brothers the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of God’s house.
  • 1 Chronicles 9:17-27 (v5) The gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brothers (Shallum was the chief), who previously served in the king’s gate…
  • 1 Chronicles 9:28-32 (v4) Certain of them were in charge of the vessels of service; for these were brought in by count, and these were taken out by count. Some of…
  • 1 Chronicles 9:33 (v5) These are the singers, heads of fathers’ households of the Levites, who lived in the rooms and were free from other service; for they were…
  • 1 Chronicles 15:16-24 (v5) David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers with instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and…
  • 1 Chronicles 16:38 (v5) and Obed-Edom with their brothers, sixty-eight; Obed-Edom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be doorkeepers;
  • 1 Chronicles 16:41-42 (v5) and with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen, who were mentioned by name, to give thanks to Yahweh, because his loving…
  • 1 Chronicles 23:28-32 (v4) For their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of Yahweh’s house, in the courts, and in the rooms, and in the purifying…
  • 1 Chronicles 25:1-7 (v5) Moreover, David and the captains of the army set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who…
  • 1 Chronicles 26:1-12 (v5) For the divisions of the doorkeepers: of the Korahites, Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph. Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah…
  • 1 Chronicles 26:20-27 (v4) Of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasures of God’s house and over the treasures of the dedicated things. The sons of Ladan, the sons of…
  • 1 Chronicles 26:29-31 (v4) Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were for the outward business over Israel, for officers and judges. Of the Hebronites, Hashabiah…
  • 2 Chronicles 20:19-21 (v5) The Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise Yahweh, the God of Israel, with an…
  • 2 Chronicles 35:15 (v5) The singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and…
  • Ezra 3:8-9 (v4) Now in the second year of their coming to God’s house at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the…
  • Ezra 7:7 (v5) Some of the children of Israel, including some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up…
  • Nehemiah 7:73 (v5) So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel, lived in their cities.…
  • Nehemiah 11:9 (v4) Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer; and Judah the son of Hassenuah was second over the city.
  • Nehemiah 11:22 (v4) The overseer also of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica, of the…
  • Malachi 2:7 (v4) For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Yahweh of Armies.
  • Acts 20:28 (v4) Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the…

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (16 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv4–5 Or, to have care over.

Or, to have care over.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv3–5 1Ch 23:3 Now the Levites were numbered from the…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv3–5 From the age of thirty years and upward; not…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv3–5 Now the Levites were numbered from the age of…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv3–4 Upwards - Not only 'till fifty, as it was…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv3, 5 Verse 3. Thirty years and upward] The enumeration of…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv3–5 1Ch 23:3. From the age of thirty years and…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv3–5 Numbered at the same time, when David caused his…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv3–5 the Levites were numbered . . . thirty and…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On v4 4. To set forward the work of the house…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv3–5 3. by their polls] Lit. by their skulls. “Poll”…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv3–5 (3) Now . . . and—i.e., after the council…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv3–5 Now the Levites were numbered from the age of…
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v5 And four thousand praised the Lord with the instruments…
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v4 Of these, twenty-four thousand
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v3 23:3-5 The Levites are recorded according to their roles…
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