What is the meaning of 1 Chronicles 23:7? The Gershonites “Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.” (1 Chronicles 23:7) • Gershon was the eldest son of Levi (Genesis 46:11). • His descendants, the Gershonites, formed one of the three major Levitical clans alongside the Kohathites and Merarites (Numbers 3:17). • Under Moses, the clan was tasked with carrying the tabernacle’s curtains, coverings, and cords whenever Israel traveled (Numbers 4:24-28). • Here in 1 Chronicles 23, King David reorganizes the Levites for temple service, confirming that God’s earlier instructions still stand and now find a settled, permanent expression in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 23:24-26). • The brief phrase “The Gershonites” reminds us that every family line mattered to God’s plan and was recorded accurately for all generations (Exodus 32:32; Malachi 3:16). Ladan • Also called “Libni” in earlier genealogies (1 Chronicles 6:17), Ladan heads one branch of the Gershonite family. • His descendants are listed immediately afterward (1 Chronicles 23:8). • David assigns them duties in praise, gatekeeping, and maintaining the articles of the sanctuary (1 Chronicles 23:28-32). • Just as God appointed tasks to each clan in the wilderness, He now honors that order in the temple era—showing He does not forget promises made generations earlier (Numbers 8:19; Psalm 33:11). • Ladan’s placement first signals both primogeniture and the principle that faithful service, however quiet, gains God’s notice (1 Samuel 2:30; Matthew 25:21). Shimei • Shimei forms the second Gershonite branch; his children are listed next (1 Chronicles 23:9-10). • Earlier records link this same Shimei line with duties around the tabernacle’s framework (Numbers 3:21-26). • By David’s day, their role expands to worship leadership and oversight of temple treasuries (1 Chronicles 26:20-22). • The mention of Shimei assures us that no family is too minor for God’s detailed assignment—each name matters, each task fits into the whole (1 Corinthians 12:18-20; Ephesians 4:16). summary 1 Chronicles 23:7 identifies the two main Gershonite houses—Ladan and Shimei—within David’s reorganization of the Levites. The verse underscores God’s faithfulness to earlier commands, the value He places on every family and individual task, and the continuity between the wilderness tabernacle duties and the settled temple service. |
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