villages of the Netophathites. 17And the porters; Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brethren: Shallum was the chief; 18who hitherto waited in the king's gate eastward: they were the porters for the camp of the children of Levi. 19And Shallum the son of Kore, the son
to suppose that the Chronicler would here give a register of inhabitants of Jerusalem (which could not be included in the list of the separate tribes), and such a register would probably give a survey of the Levitical classes.
The verses present on analysis several confusing features, see notes on vv. 17, 22, 25, 33.
17. And the porters] Render, doorkeepers as in xvi. 38 and xxvi. 1. In Solomon's Temple there were "keepers of the threshold," three in number (2 Kin. xxv. 18), priests in rank (ibid. xii. 9).
A distinction between the doorkeepers and the Levites (ver. 14) seems to be implied, but in vv. 19, 26 the doorkeepers, or at any rate their leaders, are called Levites (cp. Neh. xi. 15, 19 with 1 Chr. xxvi.). The supposed distinction may have died out before the Chronicler's period, or perhaps earlier and later stages are reflected in the chapter (see also the note on ver. 26).
Shallum. . .Ahiman] These two names are absent from Neh. xi. 19 together with the clause Shallum was the chief. This omission of all reference to Shallum must be accidental.
Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon] The three names represent families, not individuals; cp. Ezra ii. 42 = Neh. vii. 45, where the fuller form is given, the children of Shallum, . . . the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub. . . . These names persist in the five lists of porters which refer to post-exilic times; Ezra ii. 42 = Neh. vii. 45; Neh. xi. 19 = 1 Chr. ix. 17 (Shallum is to be supplied in Neh. from Chron.); Neh. xii. 5 (Meshullam = Shallum). For the Chronicler's traditions of Levites, singers, and doorkeepers of the Davidic period, see chs. xv., xxiv. ff.
Ahiman] Elsewhere in the O.T. this name occurs only among the names of the sons of Anak, and it is probable that the Chronicler (or some scribe) made here an error of transcription, and that Ahiman has arisen from the word AHEIHEM "their brethren" which follows. A fourth name was probably given in the original text, for see ver. 26.
18. who] i.e. Shallum (ver. 17), called Shelemiah in xxvi. 14 (= Meshelemiah, ib. ver. 1). As mentioned above, a family is meant.
hitherto] i.e. to the time of the Chronicler.
the king's gate eastward] That the king had an entrance into the Temple named after him appears from 2 Kin. xvi. 18, and that this gate was on the east from Ezek. xlvi. 1, 2.
for the camp of the children of Levi] i.e. the Temple; but the phrase, which is derived from Numb. ii. 17, in its original context of course signifies the Tabernacle of the Mosaic period. Doubtless it is used
