📖WEB · 1 Chronicles 23:18
What does 1 Chronicles 23:18 mean?
"The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief."
— 1 Chronicles 23:18 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.
The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief.
The sons of Eliezer were: Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief.
The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief, and Isshiah the second.
The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.
Explanation
This verse comes from a long genealogical list in 1 Chronicles 23, where King David, near the end of his life, organizes the Levites for service in the temple that his son Solomon would build. The verse simply states that among the descendants of Izhar (a son of Kohath, who was a son of Levi), a man named Shelomith held the position of chief, or head, of that family line. It is a brief administrative note within a much larger record of tribal and family structure.
To understand the context, it helps to know that 1 Chronicles was likely written after the Babylonian exile, compiled from earlier records, court annals, and genealogies, to help the returning Jewish community understand their identity, worship heritage, and connection to God's covenant history. The Chronicler placed heavy
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