1 Chronicles 26:12

“Among these were the divisions of the porters, even among the chief men, etc.] These before named were the principal men of the porters, among which was a division or distribution of them into classes or courses, in which they served weekly in turn: having wards one against another, to minister in the house of the Lord; meaning either to watch in, as on the north against the south, and the east against the west, and “vice versa”. The Jews say f110, the priests kept ward in three places in the house of the sanctuary; in the house of Abtines, in the house of Nitzotz, and in the house of Moked; and the Levites in twenty one places, five at the five gates of the mountain of the house, four at…”

“Among these were the divisions of the porters, even among the chief men--These were charged with the duty of superintending the watches, being heads of the twenty-four courses of porters.”

“This verse is obscure, but its probable meaning is the following: “To these divisions of the porters, principal men, (were assigned) the watches, together with their brethren, for service in the house of the Lord;” i. e., the “chief men” 1 Chronicles 26:1-11, amounting to no more than 93, kept the watch and ward of the house, together with a further number of their brethren (4,000, 1 Chronicles 23:5), who assisted them from time to time. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Wards - Heb. having wards answerably to their brethren the other Levites, who were divided into twenty - four courses, as the priests also and the porters were. 1 Chronicles 26:13”

“wards: That is, classes against each other. Ward formerly signified a class or division. we still apply the term to the different apartments in hospitals, and to the more extensive districts into which the city of London is divided. Ch1 25:8 1 Chronicles 26:13”

“The division of the doorkeepers according to their posts of service. Ch1 26:12. "To these classes of doorkeepers, viz., to the heads of the men, (were committed) the watches, in common with their brethren, to serve in the house of Jahve." By מחלקות לאלּה it is placed beyond doubt that the above-mentioned names and numbers give us the classes of the doorkeepers. By the apposition הגּברים לראשׁי, the meaning of which is discussed in the commentary on Ch1 24:4, השׁ מחלקות is so defined as to show that properly the heads of the households are meant, only these having been enumerated in the preceding section, and not the classes. Ch1 26:13 The distribution of the stations by lot followed (cf. Ch1…”