Bible Strands
1 Chronicles 9:20
In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar had been in charge of the gatekeepers, and the LORD was with him.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The chronicler addresses the post-exilic community by listing the descendants of the Levitical gatekeepers now serving in Jerusalem. This verse follows the roster of Korahite threshold guards and precedes the specific appointment of Zechariah at the Tent of Meeting.
The words — נָגִיד (na.Gid) translates literally as "leader" or "commander," designating Phinehas’s administrative authority over the gatekeeping corps. The phrase לְפָנִים (le./fa.Nim) denotes "in earlier times," marking a historical shift in leadership.
The thread — Phinehas appears in Numbers 25:7 as the priest who intervened against Israelite idolatry, while his father Eleazar oversees Levitical duties in Numbers 3:32 and 4:16. The chronicler traces this priestly lineage to validate the current gatekeepers’ authority.
Why it lands — The text states that Phinehas led the gatekeepers and that the LORD was with him. It requires readers to accept that ongoing temple administration depends on established ancestral appointments and divine presence.
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 Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in time past, and the Lord was with him.
Cross-references
- Numbers 25:7 On seeing this, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand,
- Numbers 3:32 The chief of the leaders of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest; he oversaw those responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.
- Numbers 4:16 Eleazar son of Aaron the priest shall oversee the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. He has oversight of the entire tabernacle and everything in it, including the holy objects and their utensils.”
- Numbers 4:28 This is the service of the Gershonite clans at the Tent of Meeting, and their duties shall be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
- Numbers 4:33 This is the service of the Merarite clans according to all their work at the Tent of Meeting, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”
- Numbers 31:6 And Moses sent the thousand from each tribe into battle, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who took with him the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.
- 1 Samuel 16:18 One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and the LORD is with him.”
- Acts 7:9 Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him