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1 Chronicles 6:16

The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
1 Chronicles 6:16 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
  • KJV The sons of Levi; Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
  • BSB The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
  • NKJV The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
  • NASB The sons of Levi were Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.

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

Levi's three sons were Gershom, Kohath, and Merari, the heads of the great Levitical families. This sets the framework for organizing all who served in worship.

Overview

After tracing the high-priestly line, the Chronicler steps back to the broader tribe of Levi and its three founding clans. From these families came the priests, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants. Structuring God's worship around appointed families shows that the service of God is ordered and gracious, gathering a whole people into his presence.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 2

  • Exod 6:16These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven years.
  • 1 Chr 6:1The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 Chronicles videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 Chronicles 6:16YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 ChroniclesMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

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.

How 1 Chronicles 6:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.