scribes and judges: those mentioned in 1Ch 26:29-32 amounted to only 1700 and 2700, consequently only 4400 persons in all; so that it is quite possible the remaining 1600 were taken from among the Gershonites. Thus, therefore, from the fact that the Gershonites are omitted from our section, we cannot conclude that our catalogue is mutilated. In it all the chief branches of the Kohathites are named, viz., the two lines descended from Moses' sons (1Ch 24:20, 1Ch 24:21); then the Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites (1Ch 24:23-25), and the main branches of the Merarites (1Ch 24:26-30). 1Ch 24:20 is to be taken thus: Of the sons of Amram, i.e., of the Kohathite Amram, from whom Moses descended (1Ch 23:13), that is, of the chief Shubael, descended from Moses' son Gershon (1Ch 23:16), his son Jehdeiah, who as head and representative of the class made up of his sons, and perhaps also of his brothers, is alone mentioned.
Verse 21
Of the father's-house Rehabiah, connected with Eliezer the second son of Moses (1Ch 23:16); of the sons of this Rehabiah, Isshiah was the head.
Verse 22
Of the Izharites, namely of the father's-house Shelomoth (1Ch 23:18), his sons were under the head Jahath. The heads of the class formed by David mentioned in 1Ch 24:20-22, Jehdeiah, Isshiah, and Jahath, are not met with in 1 Chron 23 - a clear proof that 1 Chron 23 treats of the fathers'-houses; our section, on the contrary, of the official classes of the Levites.
Verses 23-25
1Ch 24:23-25 1Ch 24:23 treats of the Hebronites, as is clear from 1Ch 23:19; but here the text is imperfect. Instead of enumerating the names of the chiefs of the classes into which David divided the four fathers'-houses into which Hebron's descendants fell for the temple service, we find only the four names of the heads of the fathers'-houses repeated, just as in 1Ch 23:19, - introduced, too, by וּבני as sons of...Bertheau would therefore interpolate the name חברון after וּבני (according to 1Ch 23:19). This interpolation is probably correct, but is not quite beyond doubt, for possibly only the בּני of the four sons of Hebron named could be mentioned as being busied about the service of the sanctuary according to their divisions. In any case, the names of the heads of the classes formed by the Hebronites are wanting; but it is impossible to ascertain whether they have been dropped out only by a later copyist, or were not contained in the authority made use of by our historian, for even the lxx had our text.
Verses 26-30
The classes of the Merarites. As to Jaaziah and his sons, see the remarks on 1Ch 23:31. As Mahli's son
