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.
Parallel translations
- WEB These were the sons of Levi after their fathers’ houses, even the heads of the fathers’ houses of those who were counted individually, in the number of names by their polls, who did the work for the service of Yahweh’s house, from twenty years old and upward.
- KJV These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward.
- NKJV These were the sons of Levi by their fathers’ houses—the heads of the fathers’ houses as they were counted individually by the number of their names, who did the work for the service of the house of the Lord, from the age of twenty years and above.
- NASB These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers’ households, the heads of the fathers’ households of those among them who were counted, in the number of names by their head count, doing the work for the service of the house of the Lord, from twenty years old and upward.
- NLT These were the descendants of Levi by clans, the leaders of their family groups, registered carefully by name. Each had to be twenty years old or older to qualify for service in the house of the Lord.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
These were the Levites by their fathers' houses, the recorded heads who served in the LORD's house, counted from twenty years old and upward. A revised age for service is noted.
Overview
This summary verse identifies the listed men as household heads responsible for the work of God's house, now reckoned from age twenty rather than thirty. The lowered age reflects the changed circumstances David anticipated for the settled temple era. The detailed accounting underscores the importance of dedicated, identifiable servants for ongoing worship.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Num 10:21Then the Kohathites set out, transporting the holy objects; the tabernacle was to be set up before their arrival.
- Num 10:17Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites set out, transporting it.
- 1 Chr 23:3The Levites thirty years of age or older were counted, and the total number of men was 38,000.
- Num 4:3men from thirty to fifty years old—everyone who is qualified to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
- Ezra 3:8In the second month of the second year after they had arrived at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, and the rest of their associates including the priests, the Levites, and all who had returned to Jerusalem from the captivity, began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years of age or older to supervise the construction of the house of the LORD.
- Num 8:24“This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years of age or older shall enter to perform the service in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
- Num 3:47you are to collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel of twenty gerahs.
- Num 2:32These are the Israelites, numbered according to their families. The total of those counted in the camps, by their divisions, was 603,550.
- Num 1:22From the sons of Simeon, according to the records of their clans and families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
- 1 Chr 23:27For according to the final instructions of David, the Levites twenty years of age or older were counted,
- Num 1:2–4“Take a census of the whole congregation of Israel by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one.
- Num 1:18and on the first day of the second month they assembled the whole congregation and recorded their ancestry by clans and families, counting one by one the names of those twenty years of age or older,
- Num 3:15“Number the Levites by their families and clans. You are to count every male a month old or more.”
- Num 4:34–49So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation numbered the Kohathites by their clans and families,
- Num 3:20And the sons of Merari by their clans were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites, according to their families.
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The genealogies and the everlasting covenant with David trace the single thread of promise running through the generations straight to the Christ in whom the line reaches its goal.
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Original language
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