LORD according to the ordinance given unto them by the hand of Aaron their father, as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded him.
20And of the rest of the sons of Levi: of the sons of Amram, [1]Shubael; of the sons of Shubael, Jehdeiah. 21Of Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah, Isshiah the chief. 22Of the Izharites, [2]Shelomoth; of the sons of Shelomoth, Jahath. 23And the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth. 24The sons of Uzziel, Micah; of the sons of Micah, Shamir. 25The brother of Micah, Isshiah: of the sons of Isshiah, Zechariah. 26The sons of Merari; Mahli and Mushi: the
20—31 (cp. xxiii. 13—23). Families of the Levites.
These verses repeat the list of Levitic families given in xxiii. 6—23 with the important omission of the whole of the Gershonites (xxiii. 6—11), but with some additions to the Kohathite and Merarite families. Further, six "heads" of classes mentioned in xxiii. are here replaced by new names. These features, together with several details, point to the conclusion that the present list is the work of a later writer than the Chronicler.
20 And of the rest of the sons of Levi: of, etc.] These are probably the words of the glossator, introducing the list which follows and which he intended as a corrective to the list in xxiii. 6—23.
Amram] The four Kohathite families are now noticed in order, viz. Amram, Izhar (ver. 22), Hebron (ver. 23), Uzziel (ver. 24).
Shubael] Called "Shebuel" in xxiii. 16, xxvi. 24.
21. Of Rahabiah] He (like Shubael) was descended from Moses; xxiii. 15—17.
22. Shelomoth] Called "Shelomith" in xxiii. 18.
23. And the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the chief] The words of Hebron and the chief which are printed in italics in the text above have been omitted in the Heb. by some error of transmission. They are rightly restored in accordance with xxiii. 19.
26. The sons of Merari] In xxiii 21 only two families of Merari are mentioned, viz., Mahli and Mushi. Here however a third family "the sons of Jaaziah" is mentioned. Probably the fuller text is right to this extent that there was a family tracing their ancestry to Jaaziah and claiming that this Jaaziah was of Merarite descent; but is wrong in making Jaaziah an immediate son of Merari, parallel with the famous Mahli and Mushi. Hence the following word Beno (lit. his son) should probably be struck out as an erroneous gloss (see also ver. 27).
