26For the courses of the doorkeepers: of the Korahites; [1]Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of [2]Asaph. 2And Meshelemiah had sons; Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth; 3Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Eliehoenai the seventh. 4And Obed-edom had sons; Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, and Sacar the fourth, and Nethanel the fifth; 5Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peullethai the eighth: for God blessed him. 6Also unto Shemaiah his son were sons born, that ruled over the house of their father: for they were mighty men of valour. 7The sons of Shemaiah; Othni, and Rephael, and Obed, Elzabad, whose brethren were valiant men, Elihu, and Semachiah. 8All these were of the sons of Obed-edom: they and their sons and their brethren, able men in strength for the service; threescore and two of Obed-edom. 9And Meshelemiah had sons and brethren, valiant men, eighteen. 10Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons; Shimri the chief, (for
Ch. XXVI. 1—12 (cp. ix. 17—27).The Courses of the
Doorkeepers.
1. Meshelemiah, etc.] For the names of the doorkeepers see notes on ix. 17 ff.
of the sons of Asaph] For Asaph read Ebiasaph, as in ix. 19.
3. Eliehoenai] The form differs from that in iii. 23, but has the same meaning, viz., "Mine eyes are towards Jehovah."
4. Obed-edom] For Obed-edom see xiii. 13, note.
5. for God blessed him] "him" refers to "Obed-edom" (ver. 4), who was blessed with eight sons. It seems likely that the phrase "God blessed him" is intended to be a reminiscence of xiii. 14 and indicates that the Levitical Obed-edom was strangely identified by tradition with Obed-edom the Gittite in whose house the Ark was temporarily left by David (xiii. 13). For other references to Obed-edom as one of the doorkeepers, see xv. 18, 24, xvi. 38. On the other hand he is classed as a singer in xv. 21, xvi. 5, passages which are probably additions to the original text of Chronicles, or at any rate represent later or divergent tradition.
7. whose brethren] The pronoun refers to Elzabad.
9. Meshelemiah] Cp. vv. 1—3 to which ver. 9 is a supplement.
10. Hosah] He is mentioned as a doorkeeper along with Obed-edom in xvi. 38.
