1 Chronicles 9 | |
---|---|
Book | Books of Chronicles |
Category | Ketuvim |
Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
Order in the Christian part | 13 |
1 Chronicles 9 is the ninth chapter of the Books of Chronicles in the Hebrew Bible or the First Book of Chronicles in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.[1][2] The book is compiled from older sources by an unknown person or group, designated by modern scholars as "the Chronicler", and had the final shape established in late fifth or fourth century BCE.[3] This chapter contains list of Jerusalem's inhabitants in the post-exilic period (verses 1–34), and closes with the family of Saul (verses 35–44), an almost literal repetition of the list of descendants in 1 Chronicles 8:29–38.[4] The first part of the chapter (verses 1–34) belongs to the section focusing on the list of genealogies from Adam to the lists of the people returning from exile in Babylon (1 Chronicles 1:1 to 9:34), whereas the second part (verses 35–44) belongs to the section focusing on the kingship of David (1 Chronicles 9:35 to 29:30).[1]
This chapter was originally written in the Hebrew language. It is divided into 44 verses.
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).[5]
There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: S; 4th century[a]), Codex Alexandrinus (A; A; 5th century) and Codex Marchalianus (Q; Q; 6th century).[9]
This section contains a list of people returning from Babylonian exile to Jerusalem, in following order: Israel (non-clerics, naming four tribes: Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, Manasseh; verses 1–9), priests (verses 10–13), and Levites (verses 14–16).[4][11] Verses 2–17 were probably adapted from Nehemiah 11:3-19.[4]
The gatekeepers (or 'porters') are described at length as members of the Levite families (cf. Nehemiah 11:19ff; they are listed separately from other 'Levites'), with specific duties (verses 18–19) to guard 'thresholds of the tent' as well as the entrances. These duties were established during the desert-dwelling period and had not changed since that time. These gatekeepers are different from the singers, who only began to hold their office when their job as bearers of the ark became unnecessary (cf. 1 Chronicles 6:13).[15] Apart from guard duties, the gatekeepers were also in charge of utensils, furniture, materials for service, and baking the flat cakes and "rows of bread" (cf. Leviticus 24:5–9).[22] 1 Chronicles 26:1–19 also give special attention to gatekeepers.[23]
This section focuses on the genealogy of Saul, the first ruler of Israel, nearly identical to the list in 1 Chronicles 8:29–38, to conclude the genealogies of the tribes of Israel.[23][24]