1 Chronicles 9:13
in 1 Chronicles 9and 1,760 of their relatives, the heads of their families, able men for the work of the service of the house of God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and their brethren, heads of their fathers’ houses, a thousand and seven hundred and threescore; very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.
KJV
And their brethren, heads of the house of their fathers, a thousand and seven hundred and threescore; very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.
⋯
This verse in 1 Chronicles 9
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAble men - Hebrew. mighty men of valour: which is here noted as an excellent qualification for their place; because the priests might meet with great opposition in the discharge of their office, in the execution of the censures upon all impure persons without exception, and in preserving sacred things from violation by the touch of forbidden hands.
This site's exposition
Jedaiah, and Jehoiarib, and Jachin
on 1 Chronicles 9:10-16
The priestly names at 9:10, Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, and Jachin, are not individuals but heads of three of the twenty-four courses David sets out fully in 1 Chr 24, Jehoiarib first, Jedaiah second, Jachin twenty-first, so the returned priesthood takes up an order older than the exile rather than inventing a new one. The Levites named through verse 16 trace back through Merari, Gershon and a line reaching Asaph, the singer's house chapter 16 already planted at the ark's return. The list works the way the Chronicler works genealogy throughout the book, naming continuity rather than narrating it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And their brethren, heads of the house of their fathers, one thousand and seven hundred and threescore. These, with other priests, made up this number, which was greater than those of Judah and Benjamin, that dwelt in Jerusalem, put together: very able men for the work of the service of the house of God: men that had not only strength of body, which some part of the work of the priests required; but had courage and fortitude of mind to set about the service of God with cheerfulness, and to preserve it from corruption.
Both these considerations made them very zealous and forward in setting up the worship of God among them; so they began their worship of God at the right end. Instances hereof we have here. Before the house of the Lord was built they had the house of the tabernacle, a plain and movable tent, which they made use of in the mean time.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
And their brethren - What a prodigious number of ecclesiastics to perform the Divine service of one temple! no less than one thousand seven hundred and eighty able-bodied men! and this number is reckoned independently of the two hundred and twelve porters who served at the gates of the house of the Lord, 1Ch 9:22.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַאֲחֵיהֶ֗ם | vaacheihem | and relatives their | H251 → | 630 times |
| רָאשִׁים֙ | rashim | chiefs | H7218 → | 599 times |
| לְבֵ֣ית | leveit | of [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אֲבוֹתָ֔ם | ʾavotam | ancestors their | H1 → | 1212 times |
| אֶ֕לֶף | ʾelef | one thousand | H505 → | 505 times |
| וּשְׁבַ֥ע | usheva' | and seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| מֵא֖וֹת | meot | hundred<s> | H3967 → | 581 times |
| וְשִׁשִּׁ֑ים | veshishim | and sixty | H8346 → | 59 times |
| גִּבּ֣וֹרֵי | giborei | <the> mighty [men] of | H1368 → | 158 times |
| חֵ֔יל | cheil | <the> ability of | H2428 → | 246 times |
| מְלֶ֖אכֶת | melekhet | [the] work of | H4399 → | 167 times |
| עֲבוֹדַ֥ת | avodat | [the] service of | H5656 → | 145 times |
| בֵּית־ | beit- | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃ | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
וַאֲחֵיהֶ֗םand relatives their
vaacheihemH251 →630 times
רָאשִׁים֙chiefs
rashimH7218 →599 times
לְבֵ֣יתof [the] house of
leveitH1004 →2046 times
אֲבוֹתָ֔םancestors their
ʾavotamH1 →1212 times
אֶ֕לֶףone thousand
ʾelefH505 →505 times
וּשְׁבַ֥עand seven
usheva'H7651 →394 times
מֵא֖וֹתhundred<s>
meotH3967 →581 times
וְשִׁשִּׁ֑יםand sixty
veshishimH8346 →59 times
גִּבּ֣וֹרֵי<the> mighty [men] of
giboreiH1368 →158 times
חֵ֔יל<the> ability of
cheilH2428 →246 times
מְלֶ֖אכֶת[the] work of
melekhetH4399 →167 times
עֲבוֹדַ֥ת[the] service of
avodatH5656 →145 times
בֵּית־[the] house of
beit-H1004 →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
8 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
1 Chronicles 26:32Among Jerijah’s relatives there were 2,700 capable men who were heads of families. King David appointed them over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh for every matter pertaining to God and…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 19:11
Note that Amariah, the chief priest, will be over you in all that pertains to the LORD, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all that pertains to…
- 1 Chronicles 15:12
And he said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel,…
- 1 Chronicles 24:31
As their brothers the descendants of Aaron did, they also cast lots in the presence of King David and of Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the families of the priests and Levites—the family…
- 1 Chronicles 12:37
And from east of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh there: 120,000 armed with every kind of weapon of war.
- 1 Chronicles 23:24
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.
- 2 Chronicles 19:11
Through
1 Chronicles 26:30From the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his relatives, 1,700 capable men, had charge of the affairs of Israel west of the Jordan for all the work of the LORD and for the service of the…
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 27:17
over Levi was Hashabiah son of Kemuel; over Aaron was Zadok;
- 1 Chronicles 23:19
The sons of Hebron: Jeriah was the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
- 1 Chronicles 27:17
Through
1 Chronicles 26:6Also to his son Shemaiah were born sons who ruled over their families because they were strong, capable men.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 26:8
All these were descendants of Obed-edom; they and their sons and brothers were capable men with strength to do the work—62 in all from Obed-edom.
- 1 Chronicles 26:8
About 1 Chronicles

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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.
