1 Chronicles 6 · WEB
The Genealogy of Levi and the Levitical Cities
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The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
2The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
3The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
4Eleazar became the father of Phinehas, Phinehas became the father of Abishua,
5and Abishua became the father of Bukki, and Bukki became the father of Uzzi,
6and Uzzi became the father of Zerahiah, and Zerahiah became the father of Meraioth,
7Meraioth became the father of Amariah, and Amariah became the father of Ahitub,
8and Ahitub became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Ahimaaz,
9and Ahimaaz became the father of Azariah, and Azariah became the father of Johanan,
10and Johanan became the father of Azariah (it was he who executed the priest's office in the house that Solomon built in Jerusalem).
11Azariah became the father of Amariah, and Amariah became the father of Ahitub,
12and Ahitub became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Shallum,
13and Shallum became the father of Hilkiah, and Hilkiah became the father of Azariah,
14and Azariah became the father of Seraiah, and Seraiah became the father of Jehozadak;
15and Jehozadak went into captivity when Yahweh carried Judah and Jerusalem into captivity by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.
16The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
17These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei.
18The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
19The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers.
20Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son,
21Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son.
22The sons of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,
23Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son,
24Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son.
25The sons of Elkanah: Amasai and Ahimoth.
26As for Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah: Zophai his son, and Nahath his son,
27Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son.
28The sons of Samuel: the firstborn Joel, and the second Abijah.
29The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son,
30Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son.
31These are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of Yahweh, after that the ark had rest.
32They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon had built the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem: and they waited on their office according to their order.
33These are those who waited, and their sons. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel,
34the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah,
35the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai,
36the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah,
37the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,
38the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.
39His brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea,
40the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah,
41the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,
42the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,
43the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi.
44On the left hand their brothers the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,
45the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah,
46the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer,
47the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.
48Their brothers the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of God's house.
49But Aaron and his sons offered on the altar of burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.
50These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son,
51Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son,
52Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son,
53Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son.
54Now these are their dwelling places according to their encampments in their borders: to the sons of Aaron, of the family of the Kohathites (for theirs was the first lot),
55to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah, and its suburbs around it;
56but the fields of the city, and its villages, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
57To the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah with its suburbs, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its suburbs,
58Hilen with its suburbs, Debir with its suburbs,
59Ashan with its suburbs, and Beth Shemesh with its suburbs;
60and out of the tribe of Benjamin: Geba with its suburbs, Alemeth with its suburbs, and Anathoth with its suburbs. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities.
61To the rest of the sons of Kohath were given by lot, out of the family of the tribe, out of the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, ten cities.
62To the sons of Gershom, according to their families, out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.
63To the sons of Merari according to their families were given by lot, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.
64The children of Israel gave to the Levites the cities with their suburbs.
65They gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities which are mentioned by name.
66Some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their borders out of the tribe of Ephraim.
67They gave to them the cities of refuge: Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim with its suburbs, Gezer with its suburbs,
68Jokmeam with its suburbs, Beth Horon with its suburbs,
69Aijalon with its suburbs, and Gath Rimmon with its suburbs;
70and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner with its suburbs, and Bileam with its suburbs, for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath.
71To the sons of Gershom were given, out of the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its suburbs, and Ashtaroth with its suburbs;
72and out of the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its suburbs, Daberath with its suburbs,
73Ramoth with its suburbs, and Anem with its suburbs;
74and out of the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its suburbs, and Abdon with its suburbs,
75Hukok with its suburbs, and Rehob with its suburbs;
76and out of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its suburbs, Hammon with its suburbs, and Kiriathaim with its suburbs.
77To the rest of the Levites, the sons of Merari, were given, out of the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmono with its suburbs, Tabor with its suburbs;
78and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, were given them, out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its suburbs, Jahzah with its suburbs,
79Kedemoth with its suburbs, and Mephaath with its suburbs;
80and out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its suburbs, Mahanaim with its suburbs,
81Heshbon with its suburbs, and Jazer with its suburbs.
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Summary
This long chapter traces the tribe of Levi: the priestly line from Aaron through Phinehas, Zadok, and down to the exile; the genealogies of Levi's three sons and their descendants; and then the three Levitical musicians David appointed — Heman, Asaph, and Ethan. The chapter concludes with the list of 48 Levitical cities distributed throughout the land of Israel. Levi receives the most detailed treatment of any tribe in the genealogies, reflecting its central role in Israel's worship.
Themes
- The centrality of priestly worship in Israel's life
- Music and song as integral to worship
- God's provision of cities for those with no territorial inheritance
Key verses
- 1 Chr 6:15 — “Jehozadak went into captivity when Yahweh carried Judah and Jerusalem into captivity by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.”
- 1 Chr 6:31 — “These are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of Yahweh, after that the ark had rest.”
- 1 Chr 6:49 — “Aaron and his sons offered on the altar of burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel.”
Context & background
The Levites had no single territory of their own; instead, they were distributed throughout Israel in 48 designated cities (see Joshua 21), ensuring every tribe had access to priestly instruction. Hebron (modern Hebron, West Bank) was given to the Aaronite priests as a city of refuge. The genealogy of the high priests runs from Aaron through Zadok — the loyal priest under David and Solomon — and continues to Jehozadak, who was taken to Babylon (modern central Iraq) in 586 BC. The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan are credited with several psalms.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 1-2 — Elkanah and Samuel appear in this Levitical genealogy (v. 26-28)
- Hebrews 7:11-28 — Jesus as the ultimate high priest, surpassing the Aaronic priesthood traced here
- Joshua 21 — The full list of Levitical cities assigned
- Numbers 35:1-8 — God commands the Levitical cities
- Psalm 88 (Heman), Psalm 50/73-83 (Asaph), Psalm 89 (Ethan) — Psalms by these appointed musicians