NOTES for Ch1 9:1-44

The survey of the settlement of the entire land by the tribes of Israel is complete, and now our attention turns to those who settled in Jerusalem. Even from this dry list of names we can see that, for the compilers of the genealogies, Jerusalem was something more than any other city, and even more than the capital of the state. Jerusalem’s role in the life of the state is certainly great, but far more important is the fact that the Ark of the Covenant is housed in this city; sacrifices are offered and people stand in prayer before the Lord here, and His house will be built here as well.

It is therefore entirely natural that most of the list of Jerusalem’s inhabitants consists of the names of those appointed to serve the Lord, with their duties set out in detail. And just as a ray of sunlight, illuminating the familiar details of the world around us, changes their appearance, so the Ark of the Covenant, by its mere presence, enables us to perceive differently than before those people whose names appear in lists that seem so simple and have become so familiar...