1 Chronicles 26:29

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 1 Chronicles 26:29 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were for the outward business over Israel, for officers and judges.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were for the outward business over Israel, for officers and judges.
1 Chronicles 26:29 — American Standard Version

Context — 1 Chronicles 26

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
29Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were for the outward business over Israel, for officers and judges.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were for the outward business over Israel, etc.] Which was done out of the temple, and out of Jerusalem, in the several parts of the country: for officers and judges; to administer justice and judgment, and to take care that the laws of God were observed, both with respect to things civil and religious, and delinquents punished; which is a better sense than what Jarchi and Kimchi put upon this, outward business, as if it lay in taking care to have timber cut down in the forest, and stones dug and hewed in the mountains, for the building of the temple; and that the lands were ploughed, and the vineyards, gardens, and orchards, dressed, which were…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“OFFICERS AND JUDGES. (Ch1 26:29-32) officers and judges--The word rendered "officers" is the term which signifies scribes or secretaries, so that the Levitical class here described were magistrates, who, attended by their clerks, exercised judicial functions; there were six thousand of them (Ch1 23:4), who probably acted like their brethren on the principle of rotation, and these were divided into three classes--one (Ch1 26:29) for the outward business over Israel; one (Ch1 26:30), consisting of seventeen hundred, for the west of Jordan "in all business of the Lord, and in the service of the king"; and the third (Ch1 26:31-32), consisting of twenty-seven hundred, "rulers for every matter…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Judges - Judges over the people, in the several cities and towns, to determine questions and controversies which might arise among them. And the reason why the Levites were intrusted with these matters was, because the common law of Israel, by which they had and held all their rights was no other than the law of God, whereof the priests and Levites being the established interpreters, must needs be the most proper judges of things depending thereon. 1 Chronicles 26:30”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Izharites: Ch1 26:23, Ch1 23:12 the outward: Ch2 34:13; Neh 11:16 officers: Ch1 23:4; Ch2 19:8-11 1 Chronicles 26:30”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“The officials for the external business. - Ch1 26:29. "As to the Izharites, Chenaniah (see on Ch1 15:22) with his sons was for the outward business over Israel for scribes and judges." According to this, the external business of the Levites consisted of service as scribes and judges, for which David had set apart 6000 Levites ( Ch1 23:4). Without sufficient reason, Bertheau would refer the external business to the exaction of the dues for the temple, because in Neh 11:16 ההיצנה המּלאכה for the temple is spoken of. But it does not at all follow that in our verse the external work had any reference to the temple, and that the scribes and judges had only this narrow sphere of action, since…”
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Sources and verification