their brethren by courses, as well to the great as to the small: 16beside them that were reckoned by genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even every one that entered into the house of the LORD, [1]as the duty of every day required, for their service in their charges according to their courses; 17and them that were reckoned by genealogy of the priests by their fathers' houses, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their courses; [2]18and them that were reckoned by genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation: for in their [3]set office they sanctified themselves in holiness: 19also for the sons of Aaron the priests, which were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in every several city, there were men
to the great as to the small] i.e. to old and to young alike.
16. beside] i.e. with the exception of.
as the duty of every day required] Or, as mg., for his daily portion.
17. and them that] Render probably and as for the registration of the priests it was made by their families. . . .
18. and them that] Render, and the registration included all their little ones, etc. The connection of the last part of the verse is very obscure.
their set office] Or, as mg., their trust (so also above ver. 15).
they sanctified themselves in holiness] Or, they busied themselves with the distribution of the sanctified things. No reliance can be placed on the soundness of the text.
19. Again a most obscure verse, apparently meaning that the priests had certain special officers, other than Kore and his subordinates, who were charged with superintending the distribution in the outlying districts. Text and interpretation are alike uncertain. Kittel regards vv. 17—19 as a late addition.
the suburbs] Cp. 1 Chr. v. 16 (mg. "pasture lands"), vi. 55, 57 [40, 42, Heb.].
Ch. XXXII. 1—8 (cp. 2 Kin. xviii. 13—16). Sennacherib's threatened Invasion. Hezekiah's Precautions.
The Chronicler introduces us somewhat abruptly to the Assyrian crisis. From 2 Kin. we learn that Hezekiah renounced the suzerainty of Assyria (xviii. 7), which his father Ahaz had acknowledged (ibid. xvi. 7). Thereupon Sennacherib invaded Judah, and Hezekiah was obliged to acknowledge with a heavy payment of tribute his dependence on the
