Purifying of all holy things - Keeping all the vessels and utensils belonging to the sacred service clean and neat.

Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron,.... The priests:

for the service of the house of the Lord; to assist them therein, and not to bear burdens as in times past; the Targum is,"wherefore the place of their habitations was by the side of the sons of Aaron, for the worship of the sanctuary of the Lord:"

in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God; to keep the house, and all the apartments in it, courts and chambers, clean, by sweeping and washing them, and carrying out all the filth thereof made by the sacrifices, and otherwise.

Their appointed place or post was at the hand of the sons of Aaron, i.e., they were ready to the priest's hand, to aid him in carrying on the service of the house of God. "Over the courts and the cells (of the courts; cf. 1 Chronicles 9:26), and the purifying of every holy thing," i.e., of the temple rooms and the temple vessels. On ל before כּל־קדשׁ, used for mediate connection after the stat. const., cf. Ew. 289, b. עבדת וּמעשׂה, and for the performance of the service of the house of God. Before מעשׂה, על is to be supplied from the preceding. The individual services connected with the worship are specialized in 1 Chronicles 23:29-31, and introduced by the preposition ל. For the bread of the pile, i.e., the shew-bread (see on Leviticus 24:8.), viz., to prepare it; for the laying of the bread upon the table was the priest's business. For fine meal (סלת, see on Leviticus 2:1) for the meat-offering and unleavened cakes (המּצּות רקיקי, see on Leviticus 2:4), and for the pans, i.e., that which was baked in pans (see on Leviticus 2:5), and for that which was roasted (מרבּכת, see on Leviticus 6:14), and for all measures of capacity and measures of length which were kept by the Levites, because meal, oil, and wine were offered along with the sacrifices in certain fixed quantities (cf. e.g., Exodus 29:40; Exodus 30:24), and the Levites had probably to watch over the weights and measures in general (Leviticus 19:35).

Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the {f} purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God;

(f) In washing and cleansing all the holy vessels.

23:28 Holy things - Holy places, and garments, and vessels, and sacrifices, which were to be washed and cleansed from any filthiness that might cleave to them.

their...: Heb. their station was at the hand of the sons of Aaron

Margin office

i.e. their new office, since their former office of bearing the tabernacle was ended.

23:24-32 Now the people of Israel were so many, there should be more employed in the temple service, that every Israelite who brought an offering might find a Levite ready to help him. When more work is to be done, it is pity but there should be more workmen. A new heart, a spiritual mind, which delights greatly in God's commandments, and can find a refreshing feast in his ordinances, forms the great distinction between the true Christian and all other men in the world. To the spiritual man every service will yield satisfaction. He will be ever abounding in the work of the Lord; being never so happy as when employed for such a good Master, in so pleasant a service. He will not regard whether he is called to take the lead, or to keep the charge of others who are placed over him. May we seek and serve the Lord uprightly, and leave all the rest to his disposal, by faith in his word.