1 Chronicles 23:28
in 1 Chronicles 23but their duty was to assist the descendants of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, being responsible for the courts and chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of Jehovah, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God;
KJV
Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God;
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 23
Commentary
6 notes on this verseHoly things - Holy places, and garments, and vessels, and sacrifices, which were to be washed and cleansed from any filthiness that might cleave to them.
This site's exposition
to wait on the sons of Aaron
on 1 Chronicles 23:28-32
The chapter's last section lists what the Levites do now that they carry nothing: assist the priests in the courts and chambers, purify the holy vessels, prepare the shewbread and the meal offerings, and stand every morning and evening to thank and praise the Lord. That standing praise carries forward the refrain planted at 16:34, praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever, now sung daily rather than once at the ark's homecoming. Verse 32 closes the assignment by calling the priests their brethren, a word Matthew Henry reads as a check on the priesthood's rank rather than a ground for it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), were to do the drudgery-work (if any work for God is to be called drudgery ) of the house of God, to keep the courts and chambers clean, set things in their places, and have them ready when there was occasion to use them.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the L ORD , to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for ever.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:96%@v12-13
Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Purifying of all holy things - Keeping all the vessels and utensils belonging to the sacred service clean and neat.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
For their station was alongside the sons of Aaron, etc. This resembles (Num.:2): “.. and they shall join with you and minister to you.”
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
the sons of the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and upwards Then David established these watches, so that when Solomon his son would come, they would be prepared for him.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מַעֲמָדָ֞ם | maamadam | function their | H4612 → | |
| לְיַד־ | leyad- | [was] to [the] side of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אַהֲרֹ֗ן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| לַעֲבֹדַת֙ | laavodat | for [the] service of | H5656 → | 145 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַחֲצֵרוֹת֙ | hachatzerot | the courts | H2691 → | 191 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַלְּשָׁכ֔וֹת | haleshakhot | the store-rooms | H3957 → | 47 times |
| וְעַֽל־ | veal- | and over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| טָהֳרַ֖ת | tohorat | [the] purification | H2893 → | |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | of every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| קֹ֑דֶשׁ | kodesh | holy thing | H6944 → | 469 times |
| וּמַֽעֲשֵׂ֔ה | umaaseh | and [the] work of | H4639 → | |
| עֲבֹדַ֖ת | ʾavodat | [the] service of | H5656 → | 145 times |
| בֵּ֥ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃ | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
מַעֲמָדָ֞םfunction their
maamadamH4612 →
לְיַד־[was] to [the] side of
leyad-H3027 →1618 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] descendants of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
אַהֲרֹ֗ןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
לַעֲבֹדַת֙for [the] service of
laavodatH5656 →145 times
בֵּ֣ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַחֲצֵרוֹת֙the courts
hachatzerotH2691 →191 times
וְעַל־and over
veal-H5921 →5755 times
הַלְּשָׁכ֔וֹתthe store-rooms
haleshakhotH3957 →47 times
וְעַֽל־and over
veal-H5921 →5755 times
טָהֳרַ֖ת[the] purification
tohoratH2893 →
לְכָל־of every
lekholH3605 →5413 times
קֹ֑דֶשׁholy thing
kodeshH6944 →469 times
וּמַֽעֲשֵׂ֔הand [the] work of
umaasehH4639 →
עֲבֹדַ֖ת[the] service of
ʾavodatH5656 →145 times
בֵּ֥ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
6 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Nehemiah 13:9Then I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God restored to them, along with the grain offerings and frankincense.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 29:5
“Listen to me, O Levites,” he said. “Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove from the Holy Place every impurity.
- 2 Chronicles 29:15–19
When they had assembled their brothers and consecrated themselves, they went in to cleanse the house of the LORD, according to the command of the king by the words of the LORD.
- Nehemiah 12:45
They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, as David and his son Solomon had prescribed.
- 2 Chronicles 29:5
Through
2 Chronicles 31:11Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare storerooms in the house of the LORD, and they did so.
it leads to
- Nehemiah 13:12–13
and all Judah brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storerooms.
- Nehemiah 13:5
and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites,…
- Nehemiah 10:38–39
A priest of Aaron’s line is to accompany the Levites when they collect the tenth, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of these tithes to the storerooms of the treasury in the…
- Nehemiah 13:12–13
About 1 Chronicles
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.