📖WEB · 1 Chronicles 26:31
What does 1 Chronicles 26:31 mean?
"Of the Hebronites was Jerijah the chief, even of the Hebronites, according to their generations by fathers’ households. They were sought for in the fortieth year of the reign of David, and mighty men of valor were found among them at Jazer of Gilead."
— 1 Chronicles 26:31 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
All that Samuel the seer, and Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah, had dedicated, whoever had dedicated anything, it was under the hand of Shelomoth, and of his brothers.
Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were for the outward business over Israel, for officers and judges.
Of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brothers, men of valor, one thousand seven hundred, had the oversight of Israel beyond the Jordan westward, for all the business of Yahweh, and for the service of the king.
Of the Hebronites was Jerijah the chief, even of the Hebronites, according to their generations by fathers’ households. They were sought for in the fortieth year of the reign of David, and mighty men of valor were found among them at Jazer of Gilead.
His brothers, men of valor, were two thousand seven hundred, heads of fathers’ households, whom king David made overseers over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites, for every matter pertaining to God, and for the affairs of the king.
Explanation
This verse comes from a section of 1 Chronicles that catalogs the Levites, particularly the descendants of Kohath through the line of Hebron, who served in administrative and official capacities in Israel. In plain terms, the verse tells us that Jerijah was the head of the Hebronite clan, identified according to their family records, and that during the fortieth year of David's reign, a search was conducted through these genealogical records that turned up capable, valiant men located at Jazer in the region of Gilead, east of the Jordan River.
The book of 1 Chronicles was written after the Babylonian exile, likely by a priestly or Levitical author (traditionally associated with Ezra), for a Jewish community returning to the land and rebuilding its identity, worship, and institutions. Much of Chronicles retells Israel's history with special attention to genealogies, temple worship, and the organization of priests and Levites. This emphasis mattered deeply to a post-exilic audience because they needed to reestablish who belonged to which family, tribe, and duty, especially for temple service and administrative roles. The mention of "the fortieth year of the reign of David" places this particular census or search near the end of David's forty-year reign, suggesting it was part of his final organizational efforts to structure the kingdom's governance and religious life before Solomon took over.
Theologically, this verse reflects a broader biblical conviction that God is concerned with order, faithfulness, and the proper stewardship of communal life, even in seemingly mundane administrative details. The Chronicler devotes significant space to gen
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