The sons of Kohath,.... The second son of Levi:

Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four; see Exodus 6:18.

The fathers'-houses of the Kohathites. - The four sons of Kohath who are named in 1 Chronicles 23:12, as in 1 Chronicles 6:2; 1 Chronicles 6:18, and Exodus 6:18, founded the four families of Kohath, Numbers 3:27. From Amram came Aaron and Moses; see on Exodus 6:20. Of these, Aaron with his sons was set apart "to sanctify him to be a most holy one; he and his sons for ever to offer incense before Jahve, to serve Him, and to bless in His name for ever." קדשׁ ק להקדּישׁו signifies neither, ut ministraret in sancto sanctorum (Vulg., Syr.), nor, ut res sanctissimas, sacrificia, vasa sacra etc. consecrarent (Cler.). Against this interpretation we adduce not only the objection advanced by Hgstb. Christol. iii. p. 119, trans., that the office assigned by it to the Levites is far too subordinate to be mentioned here in the first place, but also the circumstance that the suffix in הקדּישׁו, after the analogy of שׁרתו, must denote the object of the sanctifying; and this view is confirmed by the subject, who offers incense and blesses, not being expressed with להקטיר and לברך. The Vulgate translation cannot be accepted, for קדשׁים קדשׁ cannot be the ablative, and the most holy place in the temple is always called הקּדשׁים קדשׁ with the article. קדשׁים קדשׁ, without the article, is only used of the most holy things, e.g., of the vessels connected with the worship, the sacrificial gifts, and other things which no lay person might touch or appropriate. See on Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 2:3, and Daniel 9:24. Here it is committed to Aaron, who, by being chosen for the priest's service and anointed to the office, was made a most holy person, to discharge along with his sons all the priestly functions in the sanctuary. Specimens of such functions are then adduced: יי לפני הקטיר, the offering of the sacrifice of incense upon the altar of the inner sanctuary, as in 2 Chronicles 2:3, 2 Chronicles 2:5; Exodus 30:7.; לשׁרתו, "to serve Him," Jahve, - a general expression, including all the other services in the sanctuary, which were reserved for the priests; and בּשׁמו לברך, to bless in His name, i.e., to pronounce the blessing in the name of the Lord over the people, according to the command in Numbers 6:23, cf. 1 Chronicles 16:2; Deuteronomy 21:5; not "to bless His name" (Ges., Berth.). To call upon or praise the name of God is שׁמו בּרך, Psalm 96:2; Psalm 100:4; and the assertion that בשׁם בּרך is a somewhat later phrase formed on the model of בשׁם קרא, for "to call upon God" (Ges. in Lex. sub voce בלך), is quite groundless. Our phrase occurs as early as in Deuteronomy 10:8 and Deuteronomy 21:5; and the latter passage in connection with לשׁרתו of the priests; in the former, of the tribe of Levi, but so used that it can refer only to the priests, not to the Levites also.

The sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.

1Ch 23:12-20. Of Kohath.

12. The sons of Kohath-He was the founder of nine Levitical fathers' houses.

23:1-23 David, having given charge concerning the building of the temple, settles the method of the temple service, and orders the officers of it. When those of the same family were employed together, it would engage them to love and assist one another.