Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.
Read Chapter 23
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Numbered at the same time, when David caused his son to be crowned, and made these fresh regulations, ver. 27., and chap. xxvi. 31.
Upwards, according to the plan given by Moses. David afterwards ordered people of twenty years of age, to begin to serve in the tabernacle, as it was now fixed, and consequently the labours were diminished. This tended to augment the splendour of the religious worship, and to edify the people, who could not attend so constantly, in person.
The text of Chronicles makes a list of the Levites according to the importance and dignity given them by the great Moses. It demonstrates how the successors of Moses were chosen for this purpose and how Zadok was appointed as the high priest, along with his nephew Eleazari, and also Abimelech, nephew of Itamari. It includes two lineages, one of which is connected with Itamari which it attributes to those who descend from them. Also Luke mentions this genealogy in his Gospel, considering Zechariah as belonging to the lineage of Abijah. The aforementioned book [of Chronicles] shows that Abija was the seventh to obtain by lot this inheritance. - "Commentary on 1chronicles 23"
