History · Chapter 6 of 29

1 Chronicles 6

The tribe of Levi is traced in detail: the high-priestly line from Aaron through Zadok down to the exile, the wider Levitical families, and the singers David appointed to lead worship, including Heman, Asaph, and Ethan. The chapter closes with the cities given to the Levites throughout Israel, the places from which they served God among all the tribes.

What happens in 1 Chronicles 6

The chapter lists the sons of Levi, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, and follows the high-priestly line from Aaron through Eleazar, Phinehas, Zadok, and on to Jehozadak, who went into captivity when Judah was exiled. It records the broader Levitical families and then names the men David set over the service of song after the ark had rest, tracing the ancestries of the chief singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan back through Levi.

It notes that Aaron and his sons alone offered on the altars and made atonement for Israel. The remainder of the chapter details the dwelling places and pasture lands granted to the Levites, cities allotted from among the various tribes, including cities of refuge such as Hebron and Shechem, so the Levites lived scattered throughout the whole nation.

1 Chronicles 6 in context

For a community rebuilding worship around the second temple, the Levitical genealogies were vital. They established who could legitimately serve as priest and who belonged to the choirs and gatekeepers. The Chronicler, deeply concerned with proper worship, gives Levi generous space, grounding the restored temple service in an unbroken priestly line reaching back to Aaron and forward through the exile.

Main themes of 1 Chronicles 6

1 Chronicles 6 (KJV)

1The sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 2And the sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. 3And the children of Amram; Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. The sons also of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 4Eleazar begat Phinehas, Phinehas begat Abishua, 5And Abishua begat Bukki, and Bukki begat Uzzi, 6And Uzzi begat Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begat Meraioth, 7Meraioth begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub, 8And Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Ahimaaz, 9And Ahimaaz begat Azariah, and Azariah begat Johanan, 10And Johanan begat Azariah, (he it is that executed the priest’s office in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem:) 11And Azariah begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub, 12And Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Shallum, 13And Shallum begat Hilkiah, and Hilkiah begat Azariah, 14And Azariah begat Seraiah, and Seraiah begat Jehozadak, 15And Jehozadak went into captivity, when the LORD carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. 16The sons of Levi; Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. 17And these be the names of the sons of Gershom; Libni, and Shimei. 18And the sons of Kohath were, Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. 19The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers. 20Of Gershom; Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, 21Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeaterai his son. 22The sons of Kohath; Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, 23Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son, 24Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. 25And the sons of Elkanah; Amasai, and Ahimoth. 26As for Elkanah: the sons of Elkanah; Zophai his son, and Nahath his son, 27Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. 28And the sons of Samuel; the firstborn Vashni, and Abiah. 29The sons of Merari; Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzza his son, 30Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son. 31And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after that the ark had rest. 32And they ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem: and then they waited on their office according to their order. 33And these are they that waited with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel, 34The son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, 35The son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, 36The son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, 37The son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, 38The son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. 39And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea, 40The son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchiah, 41The son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, 42The son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, 43The son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi. 44And their brethren the sons of Merari stood on the left hand: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, 45The son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, 46The son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shamer, 47The son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. 48Their brethren also the Levites were appointed unto all manner of service of the tabernacle of the house of God. 49But Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of the burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, and were appointed for all the work of the place most holy, and to make an atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. 50And these are the sons of Aaron; Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 51Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 52Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 53Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son. 54Now these are their dwelling places throughout their castles in their coasts, of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites: for theirs was the lot. 55And they gave them Hebron in the land of Judah, and the suburbs thereof round about it. 56But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 57And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of Judah, namely, Hebron, the city of refuge, and Libnah with her suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa, with their suburbs, 58And Hilen with her suburbs, Debir with her suburbs, 59And Ashan with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs: 60And out of the tribe of Benjamin; Geba with her suburbs, and Alemeth with her suburbs, and Anathoth with her suburbs. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities. 61And unto the sons of Kohath, which were left of the family of that tribe, were cities given out of the half tribe, namely, out of the half tribe of Manasseh, by lot, ten cities. 62And to the sons of Gershom throughout their families out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. 63Unto the sons of Merari were given by lot, throughout their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. 64And the children of Israel gave to the Levites these cities with their suburbs. 65And they gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities, which are called by their names. 66And the residue of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their coasts out of the tribe of Ephraim. 67And they gave unto them, of the cities of refuge, Shechem in mount Ephraim with her suburbs; they gave also Gezer with her suburbs, 68And Jokmeam with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her suburbs, 69And Aijalon with her suburbs, and Gathrimmon with her suburbs: 70And out of the half tribe of Manasseh; Aner with her suburbs, and Bileam with her suburbs, for the family of the remnant of the sons of Kohath. 71Unto the sons of Gershom were given out of the family of the half tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, and Ashtaroth with her suburbs: 72And out of the tribe of Issachar; Kedesh with her suburbs, Daberath with her suburbs, 73And Ramoth with her suburbs, and Anem with her suburbs: 74And out of the tribe of Asher; Mashal with her suburbs, and Abdon with her suburbs, 75And Hukok with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs: 76And out of the tribe of Naphtali; Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, and Hammon with her suburbs, and Kirjathaim with her suburbs. 77Unto the rest of the children of Merari were given out of the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmon with her suburbs, Tabor with her suburbs: 78And on the other side Jordan by Jericho, on the east side of Jordan, were given them out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer in the wilderness with her suburbs, and Jahzah with her suburbs, 79Kedemoth also with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs: 80And out of the tribe of Gad; Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, and Mahanaim with her suburbs, 81And Heshbon with her suburbs, and Jazer with her suburbs.

Verses to carry from 1 Chronicles 6

“And Jehozadak went into captivity, when the LORD carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.”1 Chronicles 6:15

“And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after that the ark had rest.”1 Chronicles 6:31

“But Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of the burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, and were appointed for all the work of the place most holy, and to make an atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.”1 Chronicles 6:49

Reflection

Even the priests who made atonement went into exile, showing that no human mediator is finally enough. We need One who never fails and never departs. Give thanks today that in Christ you have a great High Priest who has entered God's presence for you and never leaves His post.

A prayer from 1 Chronicles 6