Porters

How Nave’s arranged it

• Guards at the city gates, the doors of the king' s palace, and doors of the temple1 Chronicles 9:17–322 Chronicles 34:132 Chronicles 35:15
• Lodged round about the temple in order to be present for opening the doors1 Chronicles 9:27
• One-third were porters of the temple2 Chronicles 23:4
• One-third were porters of the king' s house2 Chronicles 23:5
• One-third were porters of the gate of the foundation2 Chronicles 23:5
• They also served as porters of the gates of the wallsNehemiah 12:25
• They served in twenty-four courses1 Chronicles 26:13–19
• Their posts were determined by lot1 Chronicles 24:311 Chronicles 26:13–19

The passages, in Bible order (9)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 9 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. 1 Chronicles 9:17–32

   These were the gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives.

   ›Commentary on 1 Chronicles 9:17–321 voice

   “And the porters,.... Or keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: were Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brethren; Shallum was the chief; of these four porters, and their brethren.

   Everything gathered on 1 Chronicles 9:17–32→

   Verse page →Original language →

2. 1 Chronicles 9:27

   They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they were responsible for guarding it and opening it every morning.

   ›Commentary on 1 Chronicles 9:272 voices

   “And they lodged round about the house of God,....

   “It is good for ministers to be near their work, that they may give themselves wholly to it. The Levites pitched about the tabernacle when they marched through the wilderness.

   Everything gathered on 1 Chronicles 9:27→

   Verse page →Original language →

3. 1 Chronicles 24:31

   As their brothers the descendants of Aaron did, they also cast lots in the presence of King David and of Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the families of the priests and Levites—the family heads and their younger brothers alike.

   ›Commentary on 1 Chronicles 24:312 voices

   “These likewise cast lots over against their brethren, the sons of Aaron,.... These, being divided into twenty four classes also, cast lots, which class should answer to, attend upon, and serve the first course of the priests, and which the second, and so on.

   “The principal fathers over against their younger brethren - i. e., “all the Levitical houses enumerated drew lots in their courses on equal terms, the older families having no advantage over the younger ones.” As there were 24 courses of the priests, so we must suppose that there were 24 of the Levites, though the number of the families as given in the text 1 Chr. 23:7-23; 1Ch 24:20-30 is 25.

   Everything gathered on 1 Chronicles 24:31→

   Verse page →Original language →

4. 1 Chronicles 26:13–19

   They cast lots for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike.

   ›Commentary on 1 Chronicles 26:13–192 voices

   “And they cast lots,.... To determine at which gate each should stand, who at this gate, and who at the other, &c. as well the small as the great, according to the house of their fathers, for every gate; meaning, not little ones and grown persons in a family, but the smaller and poorer families, and the larger and richer ones, had their places assigned them at the several gates, as the lot directed; they did not go according to the dignity and precedence of their families, but according to lot.

   “They cast lots - for every gate - None of these captains or their companies were permitted to choose which gate they would guard, but each took his appointment by lot.

   Everything gathered on 1 Chronicles 26:13–19→

   Verse page →Original language →

5. 2 Chronicles 23:4

   This is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who come on duty on the Sabbath shall keep watch at the doors,

   ›Commentary on 2 Chronicles 23:42 voices

   “The people were divided into three bodies; one attended as guards to the king, while the other two were posted at all the doors and gates, and the captains and military officers who entered the temple unarmed to lull suspicion, were furnished with weapons out of the sacred armory, where David had deposited his trophies of victory and which was reopened on this occasion.

   “The writer of Chronicles relates the orders that were given to the Levites, the author of Kings those received by the royal body-guard (2Ki 11:5 note).

   Everything gathered on 2 Chronicles 23:4→

   Verse page →Original language →

6. 2 Chronicles 23:5

   a third shall be at the royal palace, and a third at the Foundation Gate, while all the others are in the courtyards of the house of the LORD.

   ›Commentary on 2 Chronicles 23:51 voice

   “The people were divided into three bodies; one attended as guards to the king, while the other two were posted at all the doors and gates, and the captains and military officers who entered the temple unarmed to lull suspicion, were furnished with weapons out of the sacred armory, where David had deposited his trophies of victory and which was reopened on this occasion.

   Everything gathered on 2 Chronicles 23:5→

   Verse page →Original language →

7. 2 Chronicles 34:13

   were over the laborers and supervised all who did the work, task by task. Some of the Levites were secretaries, officers, and gatekeepers.

   ›Commentary on 2 Chronicles 34:132 voices

   “Also they were over the bearers of burdens,....

   “Of the Levites there were scribes - Hereto the word “scribe” has never been used to designate a class (compare 1Ki 4:3). But here an order of scribes, forming a distinct division of the Levitical body, has been instituted.

   Everything gathered on 2 Chronicles 34:13→

   Verse page →Original language →

8. 2 Chronicles 35:15

   The singers, the descendants of Asaph, were at their stations according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer. And the gatekeepers at each gate did not need to leave their position, because their fellow Levites made preparations for them.

   ›Commentary on 2 Chronicles 35:152 voices

   “They might not depart - The singers and porters remained at their posts, while other Levites sacrificed for them and brought them their share of the lambs.

   “The singers with their sacred songs and music expressed and excited the joy of the congregation, and made the service very pleasant to them; and the porters at the gates took care that there should be no breaking in of any thing to defile or disquiet the assembly, nor going out of any from it, that none should steal away till the service was done.

   Everything gathered on 2 Chronicles 35:15→

   Verse page →Original language →

9. Nehemiah 12:25

   Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates.

   ›Commentary on Nehemiah 12:252 voices

   “Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were porters,.... At the gates of the temple, see 1Ch 9:15, keeping the ward, at the thresholds of the gates; of the temple, where they stood and watched; or "at the collection of the gates", meaning either where the people were gathered together, or where money gathered was laid up; and so some render it, "the treasuries of the gates": unless a place called Asuppim should be meant, 1Ch 26:15.

   “In 1Ch 9:17, 1Ch 9:24, 1Ch 9:26, four families of porters only are mentioned; six are implied here, in Neh 7:45, and in Ezr 2:42. From 1Ch 26:14-19 it appears that the temple had four chief gates, fronting the cardinal points, and two minor ones, “toward Asuppim,” and “at Parbar.”

   Everything gathered on Nehemiah 12:25→

   Verse page →Original language →