Bible Strands
1 Chronicles 26:32
Among Jerijah’s relatives there were 2,700 capable men who were heads of families. King David appointed them over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh for every matter pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The chronicler records King David’s administrative appointments during the fortieth year of his reign, noting that capable men were mustered among Jerijah’s relatives at Jazer in Gilead.
The words — חַ֗יִל (Cha.yil) = ability and רָאשֵׁ֣י הָ/אָב֑וֹת (ra.Shei ha.'a.Vot) = heads of the fathers.
The thread — The text’s record of eastern tribal leaders serving both religious and royal functions aligns with the muster of Reubenites, Gadites, and half-Manasseh in 1 Chronicles 12:37 and the dual oversight structure described in 2 Chronicles 19:11.
Why it lands — The passage explicitly states that David assigned these men to govern affairs pertaining to God and the king, requiring readers to acknowledge the formal integration of tribal representation into both cultic administration and state governance.
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 his brethren, men of valour, were two thousand and seven hundred chief fathers, whom king David made rulers over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, for every matter pertaining to God, and affairs of the king.
Cross-references
- 2 Chronicles 19:11 Note that Amariah, the chief priest, will be over you in all that pertains to the LORD, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all that pertains to the king. And the Levites will serve as officers before you. Act resolutely; may the LORD be with the upright!”
- 1 Chronicles 12:37 And from east of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh there: 120,000 armed with every kind of weapon of war.
- 1 Chronicles 15:12 And he said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.
- 1 Chronicles 23:24 These were the descendants of Levi by their families—the heads of families, registered individually by name—those twenty years of age or older who worked in the service of the house of the LORD.
- 1 Chronicles 24:31 As their brothers the descendants of Aaron did, they also cast lots in the presence of King David and of Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the families of the priests and Levites—the family heads and their younger brothers alike.