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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
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Commentary & Explanation
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Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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CHAPTER 9
Inhabitants of Jerusalem are listed—Service of Levites, by wards, is
given—Family of Saul is named
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1 SO all Israel were
reckoned by agenealogies; and, behold, they were
written in the bbook of the kings of Israel and Judah,
who were carried away to Babylon for their
ctransgressiona.
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1a who were carried away to
Babylon for their transgression Amid the debate as to when the
Bible was written and compiled there come such statements as this which would
indicate that such 'compilation and editing' of the records did take place
post or during the Babylonian captivity. How else would such a statement
referencing the Babylonian captivity of the people being carried away for
their transgressions in a past tense so appear in the texts. Certainly many
of the texts were from records before, but through the transcribing,
compiling and editing with commentary added such as this, it become somewhat
clear that the compliling of the records took place after the carrying away
of the Jews to Babylon. That is after Ezekiel received the commandment to
write or compile the 'Stick' or Record of the Jews (See Ezekiel 37).
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2 ¶ Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in
their possessions in their cities were, the Israelites, the priests,
Levites, and the aNethinims.
3 And in Jerusalem dwelt of the children of Judah, and
of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim, and
aManasseha;
In Jerusalem Dwelt
It is of some interest to consider from a post Babylonian captivity
historical perspective who the record of Chronicles lists as dwelling in
Jerusalem and why this particular mix of inhabitants did dwell there. It
states that the children of Judah and the children of Benjamin did dwell there.
This is of no great surprise as Jerusalem was historically given to and a
part of the lands of inheritance given the tribe of Benjamin by Joshua. Also
the first king of Israel was of Benjamin, king Saul, so Benjamin having
dwellings in Jerusalem would be expected. Also that Judah was in Jerusalem
would be expected as king David is he who 'conquered' Jerusalem and his was
supported by Judah as well as being a bloodline descendant of Judah. This was
in fact therefore 'The City of David'.
But now we come to the consideration of why particularlly Ephraim and Manasseh
were also dwelling in Jerusalem and why no other tribes are so mentioned as
so doing. Just what did Ephraim and Manasseh have to do with Jerusalem a city
given to Benjamin and claimed by king David and those of Judah? We know that
Israel held the 'greater right' in David (2 Samuel 19:43), Israel being Ephraim. And that right
was beyond the fact that 10 tribes were of the kingdom of Israel and only two
were considered as being of Judah. Therefore herein lies an additional
circumstancial evidence that Joseph, particularly Ephraim did hold a relation
to king David and that relationship is laid out in the text
Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph. David
being legally and 'rightfully' the heir to
the covenant firstborn Ephraim through the Levirate marriage of Ruth to Boaz
and their first born son Obed being the heir of the Ephrathite/Ephraimite
house of Mahlon and Elimelech, and that Joseph and Rachel were informed by
revelation that the Messiah would come of the legal seed of Joseph; all this
would explain why Joseph's sons would have a place in the city of David,
Jerusalem. And from the Book of Mormon we particulary learn that the record
or stick of Joseph was being kept as the plates of brass by the kinsman and
descendant of Joseph alsl, Laban. Thus in the Book of Mormon we have confirming
evidence that Manasseh's and Ephraim's children where in Jerusalem, Laban,
Lehi and Ishmael all being of the house of Joseph and descended either from
Manasseh or Ephraim.
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3a and of the children of Ephraim, and
Manasseh In 1 Kings 12:23 it was indicated that those who made up
the kingdom of Judah were the Jews, a part of those of Benjamin and a
'remnant of the people'. Now therefore it is here that we further obtain an
indication of whom that 'remnant of the people' was made up of as it so
states here in verse 3 that in Jerusalem dwelt Judah, Benjamin and those of
'Epharim and Mannasseh'. This is significant because Laban, Lehi and Ishmael
of the Book of Mormon were all of the house of Joseph, of the tribes of
Mannasseh and Ephraim. Since Lehi had land of inheritance and dwelt in
Jerusalem all of his life, it would be reasonable to consider that Lehi's
family is one of those so stipulated who had 'always' dwelt in Jerusalem. Now
it is not all of Ephraim or Manasseh who lives in Jerusalem but a 'remnant of
the people'. The rest of those tribes would have dwelt in their own lands.
But as to particularly who these Ephraimites and Manassehites were, verse 9
where it speaks of who of Benjamin was in Jerusalem. It was the 'men who were
chief of the fathers of the house of their fathers'. As the precise genealogy
of those of Ehpraim and Manasseh is not given, one might presume that the
same as was true of Benjamin was true of Ephraim and Manasseh, that it was
thier chief leaders of their houses. This seems to be born out in that
Laban's family was the keeper of the brass plates, the Record or 'Stick' of
Joseph in the house of Joseph as explained in the Book of Mormon (See 1 Nephi
5:16).
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4 Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the children of Pharez the son of Judah.
5 And of the Shilonites; Asaiah the firstborn, and his sons.
6 And of the sons of Zerah; Jeuel, and their brethren, six hundred and ninety.
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7 And of the sons of Benjamin; Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hasenuah,
8 And Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, and Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephathiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah;
9 And their brethren, according to their generations, nine hundred and fifty and six. All these men were chief of the fathers in the house of their fathers.
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10 ¶ And of the apriests;
Jedaiah, and Jehoiarib, and Jachin,
11 And Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God;
12 And Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchijah, and Maasiai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;
13 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.
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14 And of the Levites; Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;
15 And Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Micah, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph;
16 And Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, that dwelt in the villages of the Netophathites.
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17 And the porters were, Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brethren: Shallum was the chief;
18 Who hitherto waited in the king's
agate eastward: they were porters in the companies
of the children of Levi.
19 And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of
Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the
Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of
the tabernacle: and their fathers, being over the
ahost of the LORD, were keepers of the entry.
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20 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in time past, and the LORD was with him.
21 And Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
22 All these which were chosen to be
porters in the gates were two hundred and twelve. These were reckoned
by their genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the
aseer did bordain in their set
office.
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23 So they and their children had the oversight of the gates of the house of the LORD, namely, the house of the tabernacle, by wards.
24 In four quarters were the porters, toward the east, west, north, and south.
25 And their brethren, which were in
their villages, were to come after aseven days from
time to time with them.
26 For these Levites, the four chief porters, were in their set office, and were over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God.
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27 ¶ And they lodged round about the house of God, because the charge was upon them, and the opening thereof every morning pertained to them.
28 And certain of them had the charge of the ministering vessels, that they should bring them in and out by tale.
29 Some of them also were appointed to oversee the vessels, and all the instruments of the sanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.
30 And some of the sons of the priests made the ointment of the spices.
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31 And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the set office over the things that were made in the pans.
32 And other of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the shewbread, to prepare it every sabbath.
33 And these are the
asingers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who
remaining in the chambers were free: for they were employed in
that work day and bnight.
34 These chief fathers of the Levites were chief throughout their generations; these dwelt at Jerusalem.
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35 ¶ And in Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon, Jehiel, whose wife's name was Maachah:
36 And his firstborn son Abdon, then Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Ner, and Nadab,
37 And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zechariah, and Mikloth.
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38 And Mikloth begat Shimeam. And they also dwelt with their brethren at Jerusalem, over against their brethren.
39 And Ner begat Kish; and Kish begat Saul; and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchi-shua, and Abinadab, and Esh-baal.
40 And the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal: and Merib-baal begat Micah.
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41 And the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tahrea, and Ahaz.
42 And Ahaz begat Jarah; and Jarah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza;
43 And Moza begat Binea; and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.
44 And Azel had six sons, whose names are these, Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan: these were the sons of Azel.
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