1 Chronicles 23:8

Study note

Setting — The chronicler records a genealogical roster of the Gershonite Levite families during the organization of temple service under David’s administration. The text functions as an administrative register rather than a narrative account.

The words — לַעְדָּ֗ן (la'.Dan) denotes the patriarch Ladan, while שְׁלֹשָֽׁה (she.lo.Shah) explicitly closes the list with the numeral three. These terms anchor the passage in precise tribal enumeration.

The thread — The Gershonite division and its family heads recur in the Levitical census of 1 Chronicles 15:7 and 1 Chronicles 15:11, where Joel appears among the Gershomite leaders. The chronicler’s lineage lists 1 Chronicles 6:33 separately places a Joel within the Kohathite line as the son of Samuel, confirming distinct family branches.

Why it lands — The verse demands recognition of the deliberate, recorded structure behind Israel’s worship service. Readers must account for the exact names and counts before drawing conclusions about Levitical authority or temple administration.

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.