All these which were chosen to be porters in the gates were two hundred and twelve. These were reckoned by their genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their set office.

1 CHRONICLES 9:22KJV
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1 Chronicles 9:22 (KJV)

What does 1 Chronicles 9:22 mean?

1 Chronicles 9:22 describes how 212 men were chosen to serve as gatekeepers for the temple, with their selection carefully recorded by family lines in their villages. King David and Samuel the prophet appointed these men to this official duty, making sure their roles were established and recognized.

This verse is part of a historical record explaining how the temple’s security and order were organized after the return from exile. The chronicler is recounting how important roles, like the porters or gatekeepers, were not randomly assigned but were given to specific families, with their appointments going back to respected leaders like David and Samuel. This highlights the careful planning and continuity in temple service.

The Hebrew behind 1 Chronicles 9:22

  • "chosen" (בָּרוּרִים, bārurim): This word means "selected" or "picked out," emphasizing that the gatekeepers were not just volunteers but were specifically chosen for their role.
  • "porters" (שֹׁעֲרִים, shōʿărîm): This term refers to gatekeepers, whose job was to guard and control access to the temple, an important and trusted position.
  • "genealogy" (יִתְיַחְשׂוּ, yityaḥsū): This word means "to be enrolled by genealogy," showing that the selection was based on family records, not just ability or preference.
  • "ordain" (יַסְּדוּם, yassədum): This means "to establish" or "appoint," indicating that David and Samuel formally set these men in their positions, giving the role official status.

Why 1 Chronicles 9:22 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the gatekeepers’ roles were not casual or temporary but were established by respected leaders and based on family lineage, showing the importance of order and tradition in temple service.
  • The mention of both David and Samuel connects the temple practices to Israel’s foundational leaders, underlining the continuity and authority behind these appointments.
  • By recording the number and the method of selection, the chronicler emphasizes the care and legitimacy in organizing temple worship, which would have reassured those returning from exile about the stability and sacredness of their restored community.

Where else these words appear

“chosen” Hebrew H1305 · used in 16 verses

  • 2 Samuel 22:27 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.
  • Psalms 18:26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
  • Jeremiah 51:11 Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple.

“genealogy” Hebrew H3187 · used in 20 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 4:33 And all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baal. These were their habitations, and their genealogy.
  • 1 Chronicles 7:9 And the number of them, after their genealogy by their generations, heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valour, was twenty thousand and two hundred.
  • 2 Chronicles 31:18 And to the genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation: for in their set office they sanctified themselves in holiness:

“gates” Hebrew H5592 · used in 28 verses

  • Exodus 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
  • 2 Kings 25:18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
  • Jeremiah 52:19 And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.

“porters” Hebrew H7778 · used in 37 verses

  • 2 Samuel 18:26 And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.
  • 1 Chronicles 23:5 Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.
  • Ezra 7:7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.