In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar had been in charge of the gatekeepers, and the LORD was with him.
Parallel translations
- WEB Phinehas the son of Eleazar was ruler over them in time past, and Yahweh was with him.
- KJV And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in time past, and the LORD was with him.
- NKJV And Phinehas the son of Eleazar had been the officer over them in time past; the Lord was with him.
- NASB Phinehas the son of Eleazar was supervisor over them previously, and the Lord was with him.
- NLT Phinehas son of Eleazar had been in charge of the gatekeepers in earlier times, and the Lord had been with him.
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
Recalls that Phinehas once ruled over the gatekeepers and that the Lord was with him. It cites a model of faithful, God-blessed leadership.
Overview
Phinehas son of Eleazar, famous for his zeal for God's holiness, formerly led these temple servants, and Yahweh was with him. The Chronicler holds him up as an exemplar of devoted ministry. Recalling that the Lord was with him encourages the restored community to expect God's presence as they serve Him faithfully.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Num 25:7–13On seeing this, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand,
- Num 3:32The chief of the leaders of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest; he oversaw those responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.
- 1 Sam 16:18One 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 7:9–10Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him
- Num 4:33This 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.”
- Num 4:16Eleazar 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.”
- Num 4:28This 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.
- Num 31:6And 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.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 9:20 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.