Barnes' Notes on 1 Chronicles 9:2

A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.

Notes on the Whole Bible
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · 19th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.

The first inhabitants - i. e. the first inhabitants of the holy land after the return from the captivity. They are enumerated under four heads: (1) Israelites, i. e. the mass of the laity, whether belonging to the ten tribes or the two; (2) priests; (3) Levites; and (4) the lowest order of the ministry, the Nethinims. These last, whose name is derived from a root “to give,” were a sort of sacred slaves - persons “given” to the Levites to perform the more laborious duties of the sanctuary. Some had been “given” as early as the time of Moses Numbers 31:47; and the number afterward increased Joshua 9:23; Ezra 8:20. At the time of the return from the captivity, owing to the small number of Levites who came back Ezra 2:40-42, the services of the Nethinims became very important. They are mentioned under the name of Nethinims only in Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah. return to 'Top of Page'

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