📖WEB · 1 Chronicles 27:31
What does 1 Chronicles 27:31 mean?
"All these were the rulers of the property which was king David’s."
— 1 Chronicles 27:31 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
and over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the lowland was Baal Hanan the Gederite; and over the cellars of oil was Joash;
and over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite; and over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai;
and over the camels was Obil the Ishmaelite; and over the donkeys was Jehdeiah the Meronothite; and over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagrite.
All these were the rulers of the property which was king David’s.
Also Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, a man of understanding, and a scribe; and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni was with the king’s sons.
Ahithophel was the king’s counselor: and Hushai the Archite was the king’s friend.
After Ahithophel was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar. Joab was the captain of the king’s army.
Explanation
This verse is a closing summary line that appears at the end of a lengthy list in 1 Chronicles 27, where the Chronicler names the various officials responsible for overseeing King David's personal holdings—his vineyards, olive and sycamore groves, storehouses of oil, herds of cattle, camels, donkeys, and flocks. Each of these areas of property had a specific man appointed over it, and verse 31 simply states the obvious conclusion: all the men just named were the stewards who managed what belonged to David the king. In plain terms, it is an administrative footnote, tying together a detailed inventory of royal management.
The book of 1 Chronicles was written after the Babylonian exile, likely compiled by a scribe or group of scribes (traditionally associated with Ezra) for the Jewish community that had returned to the land. Its purpose was to remind post
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