⁵Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peullethai the eighth: for God blessed him. ⁶Also unto Shemaiah his son were sons born, that ruled over the house of their father: for they were mighty men of valour.
5. for God blessed him] “him” refers to “Obed-edom” (verse 4), who was blessed with eight sons. It seems likely that the phrase “God blessed him” is intended to be a reminiscence of xiii. 14 and indicates that the Levitical Obed-edom was strangely identified by tradition with Obed-edom the Gittite in whose house the Ark was temporarily left by David (xiii. 13). For other references to Obed-edom as one of the doorkeepers, see xv. 18, 24, xvi. 38. On the other hand he is classed as a singer in xv. 21, xvi. 5, passages which are probably additions to the original text of Chronicles, or at any rate represent later or divergent tradition.
⁷The sons of Shemaiah; Othni, and Rephael, and Obed, Elzabad, whose brethren were valiant men, Elihu, and Semachiah. ⁸All these were of the sons of Obed-edom: they and their sons and their brethren, able men in strength for the service; threescore and two of Obed-edom.
7. whose brethren] The pronoun refers to Elzabad.
⁹And Meshelemiah had sons and brethren, valiant men, eighteen.
9. Meshelemiah] Compare verses 1–3 to which verse 9 is a supplement.
¹⁰Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons; Shimri the chief, (for though he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him chief;) ¹¹Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth: all the sons and brethren of Hosah were thirteen.
10. Hosah] He is mentioned as a doorkeeper along with Obed-edom in xvi. 38.
¹²Of these were the courses of the doorkeepers, even of the chief men, having charges[¹] like as their brethren, to minister in the house of the Lord.
[¹] Or, wards over against their brethren.