How were the porters assigned to the gates of the Lord’s house?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Their families cast lots equally, little and great, for every gate. The chapter records the families, gate assignments and stationed numbers, then the Levites responsible for treasures and work abroad.

Chapter breakdown

The chapter sets out the divisions of the porters and the offices of other Levites.

Among the Corites, Meselemia was son of Core, of Asaph’s sons. His sons were Zacharias firstborn, Jadihel second, Zabadias third, Jathanael fourth, Elam fifth, Johanan sixth and Elioenai seventh. Obededom’s sons were Semeias firstborn, Jozabad second, Joaha third, Sachar fourth, Nathanael fifth, Ammiel sixth, Issachar seventh and Phollathi eighth, for the Lord had blessed him. Semei his son had sons who headed their families because they were men of great valour. The sons of Semeias are named as Othni, Raphael, Obed, Elizabad, and his most valiant brethren, Eliu and Samachias. Obededom’s sons, their sons and brethren were most able for service, 62 in all. Meselemia’s sons and brethren, strong men, numbered 18.

Of Hosa, from Merari’s sons, Semri was chief. The verse says he had not a firstborn, and therefore his father made Semri chief.

Challoner explains that the firstborn was either dead or not fit to be chief, so Semri was made chief. The note offers these alternatives; it does not establish which was the case.

Helcias was second, Tabelias third and Zacharias fourth. Hosa’s sons and brethren numbered 13. These formed divisions of porters in which chiefs of the wards, as well as their brethren, always ministered in the Lord’s house.

Little and great cast lots equally by their families for every gate. The east fell to Selemias; the north to his son Zacharias, a very wise and learned man. The south fell to Obededom and his sons, in the part of the house where the council of the ancients was. Sephim and Hosa received the west, by the gate leading to the way of ascent, ward against ward. There were six Levites toward the east, four a day toward the north and likewise four a day toward the south; where the council was, two and two. At the porters’ cells toward the west there were four in the way and two at every cell. These were the divisions of porters from Core’s and Merari’s sons.

Achias was over the treasures of God’s house and the holy vessels.

Challoner gives alternative wording for holy vessels: vessels of the holy places, or of things holy, and supplies the Latin “Vasa sanctorum.”

The roster names Ledan’s sons, the sons of Gersonni, with Jehieli among the heads of their families. Jehieli’s sons Zathan and Joel, his brethren, were over the Lord’s house treasures, with the Amramites, Isaarites, Hebronites and Ozielites. Subael, son of Gersom, son of Moses, was chief over the treasures. The related line names Eliezer, his son Rohobia, then his son Isaias, his son Joram, his son Zechri and his son Selemith. Selemith and his brethren were over the treasures of holy things dedicated by King David, family heads, captains over thousands and hundreds, and captains of the host. From wars and battle spoils they had consecrated things for the building and furniture of the Lord’s temple. Things sanctified by Samuel the seer, Saul son of Cis, Abner son of Ner and Joab son of Sarvia—and by whoever had sanctified such things—were under Selemith and his brethren.

Chonenias and his sons were over the Isaarites for business abroad over Israel, to teach and judge them. Among the Hebronites, Hasabias and his most able brethren, 1,700, had charge over Israel beyond the Jordan westward, in all the Lord’s works and the king’s service. Jeria was chief of the Hebronites according to their families and kindreds. They were numbered in David’s fortieth year, and most valiant men were found in Jazer Galaad. His brethren of stronger age numbered 2,700 chiefs of families. David made them rulers over the Rubenites, Gadites and half tribe of Manasses, for all the service of God and the king.

The story inside

The account starts with the porters’ families and their numbers:62 from Obededom,18 from Meselemia and 13 from Hosa. It explains Semri’s appointment as chief and says chiefs and brethren alike ministered in the Lord’s house. Equal lots then assign the gates, followed by the stated numbers at each location. The next part identifies those over the house’s treasures, holy vessels and dedicated things. Battle spoils dedicated for the temple’s building and furniture, together with the named earlier dedications and those of any other donor, fall under Selemith and his brethren. The closing offices extend beyond the house: teaching and judging under Chonenias, western duties under Hasabias and 1,700 brethren, and duties over Ruben, Gad and half Manasses assigned to 2,700 family chiefs after the count in David’s fortieth year.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The porter roster and the station list give different information. Family totals are 62,18 and 13; station numbers specify six east, four a day north and south, two and two at the council, four in the western way and two at every cell. Retaining each location avoids replacing these details with an unsupported daily total.
2
The two Challoner notes remain distinct from the verses. One offers death or unfitness as alternatives explaining the firstborn; the other offers different renderings of holy vessels. Neither note licenses choosing one possibility as an established event or erasing the translation alternatives.
3
The treasures have named custodians and stated uses. Selemith and his brethren oversee dedicated things, including battle spoils for the temple’s building and furniture. The final offices separately concern teaching, judging and service of God and the king in named territories. These assignments do not by themselves prove transparent finances, incorruptible guards or successful justice everywhere.

Test your recall

The Lord blesses Obededom → his family is recorded with 62 able men. Hosa has no firstborn as stated → his father makes Semri chief; Challoner offers two possible explanations. Little and great share the lots → gates are assigned to the named families. Spoils are consecrated for temple building and furniture → Selemith and his brethren oversee those dedicated things. Hebronites are counted in David’s fortieth year → David assigns 2,700 family chiefs over Ruben, Gad and half Manasses for God’s and the king’s service.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 43924–43927
1 Paralipomenon Chapter 26 The divisions of the porters. Offices of other Levites.
Lines 43928–43952
26:1. And the divisions of the porters: of the Corites Meselemia, the son of Core, of the sons of Asaph. 26:2. The sons of Meselemia: Zacharias the firstborn, Jadihel the second, Zabadias the third, Jathanael the fourth, 26:3. Elam the fifth, Johanan the sixth, Elioenai the seventh. 26:4. And the sons of Obededom, Semeias the firstborn, Jozabad the second, Joaha the third, Sachar the fourth, Nathanael the fifth, 26:5. Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Phollathi the eighth: for the Lord had blessed him. 26:6. And to Semei his son were born sons, heads of their families: for they were men of great valour. 26:7. The sons then of Semeias were Othni, and Raphael, and Obed, Elizabad, and his brethren most valiant men: and Eliu, and Samachias. 26:8. All these of the sons of Obededom: they, and their sons, and their brethren most able men for service, sixty-two of Obededom. 26:9. And the sons of Meselemia, and their brethren strong men, were eighteen.
Lines 43954–43955
26:10. And of Hosa, that is, of the sons of Merari: Semri the chief, (for he had not a firstborn, and therefore his father made him chief.)
Lines 43957–43958
He had not a firstborn.... That is, his firstborn was either dead or not fit to be chief; and therefore he made Semri the chief.
Lines 43960–43965
26:11. Helcias the second, Tabelias the third, Zacharias the fourth: all these the sons, and the brethren of Hosa, were thirteen. 26:12. Among these were the divisions of the porters, so that the chiefs of the wards, as well as their brethren, always ministered in the house of the Lord.
Lines 43967–43987
26:13. And they cast lots equally, both little and great, by their families for every one of the gates. 26:14. And the lot of the east fell to Selemias. But to his son Zacharias, a very wise and learned man, the north gate fell by lot. 26:15. And to Obededom and his sons that towards the south: in which part of the house was the council of the ancients. 26:16. To Sephim, and Hosa towards the west, by the gate which leadeth to the way of the ascent: ward against ward. 26:17. Now towards the east were six Levites: and towards the north four a day: and towards the south likewise four a day: and where the council was, two and two. 26:18. In the cells also of the porters toward the west four in the way: and two at every cell. 26:19. These are the divisions of the porters of the sons of Core, and of Merari.
Lines 43989–43990
26:20. Now Achias was over the treasures of the house of God, and the holy vessels.
Lines 43992–43993
Holy vessels.... Or vessels of the holy places, or of things holy. Vasa sanctorum.
Lines 43995–44021
26:21. The sons of Ledan, the sons of Gersonni: of Ledan were heads of the families, of Ledan, and Gersonni, Jehieli. 26:22. The sons of Jehieli: Zathan and Joel, his brethren over the treasures of the house of the Lord, 26:23. With the Amramites, and Isaarites, and Hebronites, and Ozielites. 26:24. And Subael the son of Gersom, the son of Moses, was chief over the treasures. 26:25. His brethren also, Eliezer, whose son Rohobia, and his son Isaias, and his son Joram, and his son Zechri, and his son Selemith. 26:26. Which Selemith and his brethren were over the treasures of the holy things, which king David, and the heads of families, and the captains over thousands and over hundreds, and the captains of the host had dedicated, 26:27. Out of the wars, and the spoils won in battles, which they had consecrated to the building and furniture of the temple of the Lord. 26:28. And all these things that Samuel the seer and Saul the son of Cis, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Sarvia had sanctified: and whosoever had sanctified those things, they were under the hand of Selemith and his brethren.
Lines 44023–44040
26:29. But Chonenias and his sons were over the Isaarites, for the business abroad over Israel to teach them and judge them. 26:30. And of the Hebronites Hasabias, and his brethren most able men, a thousand seven hundred had the charge over Israel beyond the Jordan westward, in all the works of the Lord, and for the service of the king. 26:31. And the chief of the Hebronites was Jeria according to their families and kindreds. In the fortieth year of the reign of David they were numbered, and there were found most valiant men in Jazer Galaad, 26:32. And his brethren of stronger age, two thousand seven hundred chiefs of families. And king David made them rulers over the Rubenites and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasses, for all the service of God, and the king.