1 Chronicles 26:6

Also unto Shemaiah his son were sons born, that ruled throughout the house of their father: for they were mighty men of valour.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) That ruled throughout the house of their father.—Rather, The lords of their clan. The word translated “that ruled,” is not a verb, but an abstract noun (mimshāl), like our expression “the authorities,” or “the government.” It only occurs besides in Daniel 11:3; Daniel 11:5.

Mighty men of valour.—See Note on 1Chronicles 9:13.

Benson Commentary

1 Chronicles 26:6. They were mighty men of valour — This clause is divers times mentioned, because their office required both strength and courage: for they were to shut the doors of the temple, one whereof was so great and weighty that in the second temple it required twenty men to open and shut it. They were also to keep the guard, to keep out all unclean or forbidden persons, to prevent or suppress any tumults or disorders which might happen in the temple or in its courts, to keep the treasures of the temple, (1 Chronicles 26:20; 1 Chronicles 26:22; 1 Chronicles 26:24; 1 Chronicles 26:26,) to be officers and judges over Israel, (1 Chronicles 26:29,) and to manage every matter pertaining to God and the affairs of the king, 1 Chronicles 26:32.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

26:1-32 The offices of the Levites. - The porters and treasurers of the temple, had occasion for strength and valour to oppose those who wrongly attempted to enter the sanctuary, and to guard the sacred treasures. Much was expended daily upon the altar; flour, wine, oil, salt, fuel, beside the lamps; quantities of these were kept beforehand, besides the sacred vestments and utensils. These were the treasures of the house of God. These treasures typified the plenty there is in our heavenly Father's house, enough and to spare. From those sacred treasuries, the unsearchable riches of Christ, all our wants are supplied; and receiving from his fulness, we must give him the glory, and endeavour to dispose of our abilities and substance according to his will. We have an account of those employed as officers and judges. The magistracy is an ordinance of God for the good of the church, as truly as the ministry, and must not be neglected. None of the Levites who were employed in the service of the sanctuary, none of the singers or porters, were concerned in this outward business; one duty was enough to engage the whole man. Wisdom, courage, strength of faith, holy affections, and constancy of mind in doing our duty, are requisite or useful for every station.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Obed-edom and Hosah 1 Chronicles 26:10 had been "porters," or door - keepers, from the time of the bringing up of the ark into Jerusalem 1 Chronicles 15:24; 1 Chronicles 16:38.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

6. mighty men of valour—The circumstance of physical strength is prominently noticed in this chapter, as the office of the porters required them not only to act as sentinels of the sacred edifice and its precious furniture against attacks of plunderers or popular insurrection—to be, in fact, a military guard—but, after the temple was built, to open and shut the gates, which were extraordinarily large and ponderous.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

That ruled throughout the house of their father; that had the command of their brethren and families, being, as some say, captains of hundreds or of thousands; of which see Exodus 18:25 2 Kings 11:9.

They were mighty men of valor: this clause is divers times mentioned, because their office returned both strength and courage; for they were to shut the doors of the temple, one whereof was so great and weighty, that in the second temple it required the help of twenty men to open and shut it, as Josephus, an eye-witness, reports. They were also to keep the guard, and to keep out all unclean or forbidden persons, who might sometimes presumptuously attempt to enter into the temple, as Uzziah did, and to prevent or suppress any tumults or disorders which might happen in the temple or in its courts, and to keep the treasures of the temple. 1 Chronicles 26:20,22,24,26, and to be officers and judges over Israel, 1 Chronicles 26:29, and to manage every matter pertaining to God and the affairs of the king, 1 Chronicles 26:32.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Also unto Shemaiah his son,.... His firstborn, 1 Chronicles 26:4.

were sons born, that ruled throughout the house of their father; were heads of families, eminent and principal men:

for they were mighty men of valour; which their office sometimes required them to be, to guard the temple at night as well as day from thieves and robbers, and to hinder resolute men entering in, unfit for it, and seize on rioters, and quell tumults raised.

Geneva Study Bible

Also unto Shemaiah his son were sons born, that {c} ruled throughout the house of their father: for they were mighty men of valour.

(c) Or, like their father's house, meaning, worthy men and valiant.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. throughout the house] R.V. over the house.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 6, 7. - In the former of these verses, eulogy is pronounced by anticipation on the six grandsons of Obed-edom through his son Shemaiah, about to be mentioned in the latter verse. The singular number of the verb (נולַד), with a plural nominative, as found here, often occurs elsewhere, and repeatedly, even in this book, in cases where the relative pronoun אַשֶׁר intervenes between the subject and its verb. That ruled throughout the house of their father. The plural masculine abstract noun (הַמִּמְשָׁלִים) here employed, in place of a verbal or participial form, is intended to gain force. A similar use of the feminine form of the same noun in the singular, and with suffix, may be cited from 2 Chronicles 32:9. Whose brethren. An erroneous translation for his brethren; a correction, however, rendering more patent the inconvenience of the unexplained absence of the conjunction, which seems to be called for before both "Elzabad," and "his brethren." Bertheau suggests that other names are wanting which should fill up the meaning of "his brethren." The brethren intended were probably Elihu and Semachiah. 1 Chronicles 26:6

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Obed-edom's family. Obed-edom has been already mentioned in 1 Chronicles 16:38 and 1 Chronicles 15:24 as doorkeeper; see the commentary on the passage. From our passage we learn that Obed-edom belonged to the Kohathite family of the Korahites. According to 1 Chronicles 26:19, the doorkeepers were Korahites and Merarites. The Merarites, however, are only treated of from 1 Chronicles 26:10 and onwards. אדם וּלעבד (1 Chronicles 26:4) corresponds to ולמשׁלמיהוּ (1 Chronicles 26:2), and is consequently thereby brought under לקּרהים (1 Chronicles 26:1). Here, 1 Chronicles 26:4, 1 Chronicles 26:5, eight sons with whom God had blessed him (cf. 1 Chronicles 13:14), and in 1 Chronicles 26:6 and 1 Chronicles 26:7 his grandchildren, are enumerated. The verb נולד is used in the singular, with a subject following in the plural, as frequently (cf. Ew. 316, a). The grandchildren of Obed-edom by his first-born son Shemaiah are characterized as המּמשׁלים, the dominions, i.e., the lords (rulers) of the house of their fathers (ממשׁל, the abstract dominion, for the concrete משׁל; cf. Ew. 160, b), because they were חיל גּבּורי, valiant heroes, and so qualified for the office of doorkeepers. In the enumeration in 1 Chronicles 26:7, the omission of the ו cop. with אחיו אלזבד is strange; probably we must supply ו before both words, and take them thus: And Elzabad and his brethren, valiant men, (viz.) Elihu and Semachiah. For the conjecture that the names of the אחיו are not given (Berth.) is not a very probable one.