The books of Chronicles

by W. A. L. Elmslie

Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon] The three names represent families, not individuals; compare Ezra ii. 42 = Nehemiah vii. 45, where the fuller form is given, the children of Shallum, ... the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub.... These names persist in the five lists of porters which refer to post-exilic times; Ezra ii. 42 = Nehemiah vii. 45; Nehemiah xi. 19 = 1 Chronicles ix. 17 (Shallum is to be supplied in Nehemiah from Chronicles); Nehemiah xii. 5 (Meshullam = Shallum). For the Chronicler’s traditions of Levites, singers, and doorkeepers of the Davidic period, see chapters xv., xxiv. ff.

Ahiman] Elsewhere in the Old Testament this name occurs only among the names of the sons of Anak, and it is probable that the Chronicler (or some scribe) made here an error of transcription, and that Ahiman has arisen from the word AHEIHEM “their brethren” which follows. A fourth name was probably given in the original text, for see verse 26.

¹⁸who hitherto waited in the king’s gate eastward: they were the porters for the camp of the children of Levi.

18. who] i.e. Shallum (verse 17), called Shelemiah in xxvi. 14 (= Meshelemiah, xxvi. verse 1). As mentioned above, a family is meant.

hitherto] i.e. to the time of the Chronicler.

the king’s gate eastward] That the king had an entrance into the Temple named after him appears from 2 Kings xvi. 18, and that this gate was on the east from Ezekiel xlvi. 1, 2.

for the camp of the children of Levi] i.e. the Temple; but the phrase, which is derived from Numbers ii. 17, in its original context of course signifies the Tabernacle of the Mosaic period. Doubtless it is used with the implication that the institution of the gatekeepers dated back to that age: compare verse 19 ad fin., and contrast verse 22.

¹⁹And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of his father’s house, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates[¹] of the tabernacle[²]: and their fathers had been over the camp of the Lord, keepers of the entry;

[¹] Hebrew thresholds.

[²] Hebrew Tent.