Bible Strands
1 Chronicles 23:6
Then David divided the Levites into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — David acts as the organizing authority while finalizing the temple personnel roster after detailing the numbers of gatekeepers and musicians. He addresses the Levitical families to assign their specific service roles before the narrator moves to list the Gershonite descendants.
The words — וַיְחַלְּקֵם (va-yḥal-lᵊ-ḵem) literally renders "and he divided them," marking the administrative action. מַחְלְק֑וֹת (maḥ-lə-qōṯ) means "divisions" or "groups," defining the structural categories imposed on the clans.
The thread — The threefold Levi division into Gershon, Kohath, and Merari appears in 1 Chronicles 6:1 and 1 Chronicles 6:16. Solomon later implements this same clan-based framework for temple duties in 2 Chronicles 8:14.
Why it lands — The verse requires readers to note that worship service was allocated by family lineage rather than individual choice. It establishes a fixed, inherited administrative structure for Levitical duties.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Cross-references
- 1 Chronicles 6:1 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
- 2 Chronicles 8:14 In keeping with the ordinances of his father David, Solomon appointed the divisions of the priests over their service, and the Levites for their duties to offer praise and to minister before the priests according to the daily requirement. He also appointed gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate, for this had been the command of David, the man of God.
- 1 Chronicles 6:16 The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
- 2 Chronicles 29:25 Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet. For the command had come from the LORD through His prophets.
- Ezra 6:18 They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.
- Exodus 6:16 These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.
- Numbers 26:57 Now these were the Levites numbered by their clans: The Gershonite clan from Gershon, the Kohathite clan from Kohath, and the Merarite clan from Merari.
- 1 Chronicles 24:1 These were the divisions of the descendants of Aaron. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
- 1 Chronicles 26:1 These were the divisions of the gatekeepers: From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph.
- 2 Chronicles 31:2 Hezekiah reestablished the divisions of the priests and Levites—each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites—for the burnt offerings and peace offerings, for ministry, for giving thanks, and for singing praises at the gates of the LORD’s dwelling.