Wesley Corpus

Chapter XXIII David declares Solomon his successor, ver. 1. Numbers the Levites and appoints them their several offices, ver. 2 - 5. Takes an account of the families of the Levites, ver. 6 - 23. Reckons them from twenty years old, and appoints them their work, ver. 24 - 32. Gathered, &c. - To declare God's mind and his own will, that Solomon should be his successor: and to acquaint them with those directions which he had received from God by the spirit. Upwards - Not only 'till fifty, as it was appointed, Numb 4:2,3, but even 'till their death: for that was but a temporary law grounded upon a special reason, because the Levites were employed in carrying the tabernacle and sacred vessels from place to place; and therefore God would have them freed from those burdens when they came to feel the infirmities of age: which reason wholly ceasing upon the building of the temple, their work being far easier than it had been, and their service being more a privilege than a burden, their time of service is justly prolonged. Officers - To take care that all the work of the temple about sacrifices should be punctually performed, either by themselves or others: which they were not to do all at once, but by courses, a thousand at a time. Judges - Not in the affairs of the temple; there the priests presided; but in several parts of the kingdom, where they assisted the princes and elders of every tribe, in the administration of justice. Sanctify - That he might keep them from pollution: for these most holy things were polluted when they were touched by any other person. He and his - Not only his eldest sons the high - priests successively, but all his posterity or all the priests; for the works here following were not peculiar to the high - priest, but common to all the priests. Levi - They were accounted only as common Levites, and were not priests: which is mentioned for the honour of Moses, and the demonstration of his eminent piety and self - denial, who willingly left the government to Joshua, and the priesthood to Aaron, and was content to have his posterity reduced to a private and mean condition.