📖WEB · 1 Chronicles 26:19
What does 1 Chronicles 26:19 mean?
"These were the divisions of the doorkeepers; of the sons of the Korahites, and of the sons of Merari."
— 1 Chronicles 26:19 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
To Shuppim and Hosah westward, by the gate of Shallecheth, at the causeway that goes up, watchman opposite watchman.
Eastward were six Levites, northward four a day, southward four a day, and for the storehouse two and two.
For Parbar westward, four at the causeway, and two at Parbar.
These were the divisions of the doorkeepers; of the sons of the Korahites, and of the sons of Merari.
Of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasures of God’s house and over the treasures of the dedicated things.
The sons of Ladan, the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, the heads of the fathers’ households belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehieli.
The sons of Jehieli: Zetham, and Joel his brother, over the treasures of Yahweh’s house.
Explanation
First Chronicles 26:19 is essentially a summary statement that closes out a longer list of names. It tells the reader that the group of gatekeepers just described belonged to two Levitical family lines: the Korahites (descendants of Korah) and the family of Merari. In plain language, the verse is like a heading or footnote saying, "This concludes the list of the temple doorkeepers, who came from these two priestly clans." It doesn't add new information so much as it organizes and labels what came before.
The context is the broader section of 1 Chronicles 23–26, where King David, near the end of his reign, organizes the Levites for service in the temple that his son Solomon would build. Chronicles was likely written after the Babylonian exile, addressed to the returning Jewish community, to remind them of their identity, worship structures, and the legitimacy of temple service. The Chronicler devotes considerable space to listing names of gatekeepers, musicians, treasurers, and officials because he wants to show that Israel's worship was carefully and divinely ordered, not haphazard. Chapter 26 specifically deals with the doorkeepers — the men responsible for guarding the gates and treasuries of the temple, assigned by lot to specific gates and watches (verses 1–18). Verse 19 simply notes that these partic
Compare translations
Go deeper with ScriptureCompanion AI
Ask questions about any verse, follow reading plans, write personal prayers, and track your daily habit — all grounded in verified scripture text.