1 Chronicles Chapter 9
Leaders in Jerusalem
A. Leaders in Jerusalem at the return from exile
1. (1 Chronicles 9:1-2) Summary of the genealogies
“So all Israel was recorded by genealogies, and, behold, they were written in the book of the kings of Israel, and Judah was carried away to Babylon for their transgression. Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were, the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the Nethinim.”
The Chronicler begins with a sweeping explanation that lays the foundation for the entire post-exilic context. He reaches back over centuries of covenant history to remind the restored community why they were scattered and why they have now returned. The text states that all Israel was recorded by genealogies, which reflects the Chronicler’s conviction that identity is inseparable from God’s covenantal order. Genealogies preserved tribal structure, inheritance rights, priestly legitimacy, military organization, and the continuity of God’s promises from Abraham through David and into the restored remnant. These records, written in the book of the kings of Israel, were not the canonical books of Kings, rather they were public royal archives that documented the kingdom’s internal structure, its families, and its history in accordance with God’s covenant with His people.
The statement that Judah was carried away to Babylon for their transgression is a blunt theological explanation. The Chronicler wastes no time blaming political miscalculations, foreign aggression, or failed alliances. The fall of Judah was the direct result of covenant unfaithfulness. God had warned them repeatedly through prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Micah. Their idolatry, injustice, and moral rebellion brought discipline upon the nation. Yet the fact that they are now back in the land showcases the faithfulness of God even when His people had been unfaithful. Their exile did not nullify the covenant with David, nor did it cancel the promises given to Abraham. God preserved the nation, the land, and even their genealogical identity through seventy years of captivity.
The Chronicler then leaps forward, skipping the exile itself, and focuses immediately on restoration. He notes that the first inhabitants who dwelt in their possessions were Israelites, priests, Levites, and the Nethinim. This demonstrates that God not only brought the people back, He restored them into their proper covenantal roles. The Israelites reclaimed their ancestral lands, the priests resumed their duties at the altar, the Levites returned to service in the various spiritual and practical functions of temple worship, and the Nethinim, who were servants dedicated to temple service, resumed their God assigned work. This is a deliberate reversal of exile. Every detail points back to God’s covenant faithfulness. He preserved their land for them, He preserved their lineage, and He restored them to the proper worship of Himself.
This text also highlights that Israel has been reunited. There is no longer a northern kingdom and a southern kingdom. The Chronicler uses the term Israelites to refer to the whole restored nation. God has erased the old political division and reconstituted His people as one community under His covenant. Just as the land kept its Sabbaths during the seventy years of exile, the people now keep their identity through genealogical restoration and return to their proper roles. All of this demonstrates the sovereign hand of God preserving His people, purifying His worship, and preparing the way for the unfolding of His redemptive plan.
2. (1 Chronicles 9:3-9) Leading post-exilic citizens of Jerusalem
“And in Jerusalem dwelt of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim and Manasseh. Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the children of Pharez the son of Judah. And of the Shilonites, Asaiah the firstborn, and his sons. And of the sons of Zerah, Jeuel, and their brethren, six hundred and ninety. And of the sons of Benjamin, Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hasenuah. And Ibneiah the son of Jeroham. And Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri. And Meshullam the son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah. And their brethren, according to their generations, nine hundred fifty and six. All these men were chief of the fathers in the house of their fathers.”
The Chronicler now shifts from the theological explanation of restoration to a concrete listing of those who took the lead in rebuilding Jerusalem. The city was the covenant center of the nation, and to occupy it required both courage and commitment. The people who moved into Jerusalem were essentially pioneers of the restoration era. Life in the city was difficult, the walls were broken, structures ruined, and security uncertain. Those who returned were not casual settlers, they were the core of the faithful remnant.
The list begins with the children of Judah and the children of Benjamin. These were the two tribes historically associated with the southern kingdom and with the Davidic monarchy. Their presence in Jerusalem reaffirms the continuation of David’s line and the restoration of proper worship centered in the temple. Yet the passage also records people from Ephraim and Manasseh, which reflects a reunification of Israel. God is restoring not merely a political entity but a covenant community composed of all tribes, fulfilling His promise that He would gather His people from all their scattered locations.
The mention of individuals by name, such as Uthai, Asaiah, Jeuel, and Meshullam, gives the passage a sense of personal history. These men were not anonymous figures. They were real leaders who undertook real sacrifices. The Chronicler identifies them as heads of fathers’ houses. This means they served as representatives of their clans and bore responsibility for guiding their families in the restored community. Their leadership was not political but covenantal. They were stabilizers of worship, guardians of family integrity, and builders of national identity.
The numbers also reveal the strength and commitment of the returning remnant. Six hundred ninety descendants of Zerah and nine hundred fifty six men of Benjamin demonstrate that God preserved not only individuals but entire family lines. The exile did not erase their identity or reduce them to assimilation. God preserved their structure so that Israel could be rebuilt according to His order rather than human invention.
This list parallels the list in Nehemiah eleven, though not identically. These lists reflect different stages in the restoration process and different emphases in the ministries of the Chronicler and Nehemiah. While scholars debate the exact correspondences between the lists, the essential point is clear. God rebuilt His people through faithful heads of households, rooted in their genealogical lines, committed to temple worship, and ready to endure hardship for the sake of restoring Jerusalem. Their presence in the city demonstrates the renewal of covenant life and the beginning of a new chapter in Israel’s history.
B. Other post exilic leaders in Jerusalem
1. (1 Chronicles 9:10-13) Leaders among the priests
“And of the priests, Jedaiah, and Jehoiarib, and Jachin, and Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God. And Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchijah, and Maasai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer, and their brethren, heads of the house of their fathers, a thousand and seven hundred and threescore, very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.”
The Chronicler now highlights the priestly leadership that returned to Jerusalem after the exile. These men were not simply religious representatives, they were descendants of the God appointed priestly line that traced back through Zadok and ultimately to Aaron. They stood at the heart of Israel’s restored worship. The mention of names such as Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jachin, and Azariah serves to anchor the priesthood historically and genealogically, confirming that the restored community’s worship was legitimate and rooted in God’s ordained order rather than improvisation. Azariah is singled out as ruler of the house of God, indicating his responsibility for the administration, purity, and management of the temple, a role that required both spiritual discernment and organizational strength.
These priests are described as heads of their fathers’ houses. This reinforces that the priesthood was never a freelance institution. It operated through divinely established lineage, through family responsibility, and through a continuous generational commitment to the service of the Lord. The total number is given as one thousand seven hundred and sixty, which reveals the remarkable preservation of priestly families even during the harsh conditions of exile. The Babylonian captivity did not erase the priestly line. God preserved it, protected it, and brought it back to reestablish the center of worship in Jerusalem.
The text describes these priests as very able men. In the KJV this phrase translates a Hebrew expression that is used repeatedly throughout Scripture to describe mighty men of valour. It is used of warriors in the days of Joshua, Gideon, David, and throughout Israel’s military history. The use of this term for priests is deliberate and striking. It teaches that true ministry requires courage, endurance, and spiritual fortitude. These men stood at the heart of a restored nation with the responsibility of guarding the sanctity of worship and ensuring that the people approached God according to His instructions. In a broken city, with external enemies and internal challenges, the work of ministering before the Lord demanded strength equal to that of a soldier on the battlefield. Their valor was exercised not with the sword, but with faithfulness, purity, and unwavering devotion to the service of the sanctuary.
These priests, therefore, were not passive religious functionaries. They were spiritually courageous men who bore the weight of Israel’s covenant identity. Through them the sacrificial system resumed, the altar once again burned with offerings, and the people’s sins were addressed according to the Law of Moses. Their presence in the genealogy demonstrates the priority of worship in the restoration period, reminding the reader that God rebuilds His people from the inside out, beginning with their relationship with Him at the temple.
2. (1 Chronicles 9:14-16) Leaders among the Levites
“And of the Levites, Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari, and Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph. And Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, that dwelt in the villages of the Netophathites.”
The Chronicler next identifies the Levites who served alongside the priests in the restored community. The Levites were a broader tribe of ministering servants whose work encompassed music, teaching, guarding, assisting in sacrifices, and maintaining the operations of the temple. The mention of Shemaiah, Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah situates this ministry firmly within the ancient Levitical structure, especially tracing certain lines back to Merari and to the great musical families of Asaph and Jeduthun.
This detail is significant because worship in the restored temple required far more than priestly sacrifices. It required the entire structure of Levitical service. The Levites were entrusted with the sacred songs of Israel, the psalms, the public reading of Scripture, and the instruction of the people in God’s Law. The explicit naming of descendants of Asaph and Jeduthun shows that God preserved the musical and prophetic ministry associated with worship in the days of David. This highlights continuity, not innovation. The restored community did not create new forms of worship. They returned to the Davidic pattern that God Himself had established.
Obadiah and Berechiah are also noted, and Berechiah dwelt in the villages of the Netophathites, which were near Bethlehem. This indicates that not all Levites lived inside Jerusalem. Many lived in surrounding towns and traveled to the temple as part of their rotation of service. Their inclusion demonstrates that the ministry of the Levites extended beyond the city gates, touching the daily lives of God’s people in their towns and teaching centers. The Levites formed the connective tissue between the temple and the nation.
This passage also reinforces that God intentionally restored ordered worship. The Levites returned with their genealogies intact, their musical heritage preserved, and their teaching responsibility undiminished. Their presence proves that the post exilic community was not an informal gathering of survivors. It was a restored covenant nation built on the structures God Himself designed. Worship was central. Order was essential. Genealogy mattered. And the Levites ensured that the spiritual life of the people was grounded in the Word of God and the praise of God.
3. (1 Chronicles 9:17-34) Levite gatekeepers and temple workers
“And the porters were Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brethren. And Shallum was the chief. Who hitherto waited in the king’s gate eastward. They were porters in the companies of the children of Levi. And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle. And their fathers, being over the host of the Lord, were keepers of the entry. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in time past, and the Lord was with him. And Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah, was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 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. So they and their children had the oversight of the gates of the house of the Lord, namely the house of the tabernacle, by wards. In four quarters were the porters, toward the east, west, north, and south. And their brethren, which were in their villages, were to come after seven days from time to time with them. For these Levites, the four chief porters, were in their set office, and were over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God. And they lodged round about the house of God, because the charge was upon them, and the opening thereof every morning pertained to them. And certain of them had the charge of the ministering vessels, that they should bring them in and out by tale. Some of them also were appointed to oversee the vessels, and all the instruments of the sanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the incense, and the spices. And some of the sons of the priests made the ointment of the spices. And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the set office over the things that were made in the pans. And other of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the shewbread, to prepare it every sabbath. And these are the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free, for they were employed in that work day and night. These chief fathers of the Levites were chief throughout their generations. These dwelt at Jerusalem.”
This section records one of the most essential ministries in the life of the restored temple, the ministry of the gatekeepers. The porters were not mere doormen. They were guardians of sacred space, protectors of the temple precincts, and overseers of order within the worship of God. Their lineage traced back to Korah, yet unlike their rebellious ancestor recorded in Numbers sixteen, these descendants served faithfully in the house of the Lord. The Chronicler makes special note that Shallum was chief among them, indicating an established hierarchy within the Levite gatekeeping ministry.
The gatekeepers served at the king’s gate on the east, demonstrating that their work was historically rooted in pre exilic temple order. Their fathers had served as keepers of the entrance to the camp of the Lord during Israel’s wilderness years. This continuity reinforces the Chronicler’s purpose, which is to show that the restored community was not an improvisation but a deliberate reestablishment of God’s ordained structure of worship. The mention of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, reminds the reader of his zeal recorded in Numbers chapter twenty five. The Lord was with Phinehas, and the Chronicler uses this memory to teach that the same divine favor rested on those who served faithfully in the same role during the restoration.
The number of gatekeepers, two hundred and twelve, is recorded by genealogy. Nothing in temple service was random. Each man’s lineage confirmed his legitimacy for the task, and David and Samuel the seer had ordained this office in earlier generations. The gatekeepers were stationed at the four directions of the temple, east, west, north, and south. The structure demonstrates perfect order, symmetry, discipline, and responsibility. Their brethren from outlying villages rotated into service every seven days, showing that the temple functioned continuously, day and night, without interruption.
Their responsibilities went far beyond simply guarding doors. They oversaw the chambers and the treasuries of the house of God. They lodged around the temple grounds so that the opening of the temple each morning was entrusted to them alone. Some were responsible for the ministering vessels, bringing them in and out according to the prescribed count. Others managed the sanctuary furnishings, the flour, the wine, the oil, the incense, and the spices. These were vital resources for daily offerings, purification rituals, and the ongoing worship of God. Certain sons of the priests were entrusted with preparing the sacred ointment, reflecting obedience to the instructions God gave Moses in Exodus chapter thirty.
Mattithiah, the firstborn of Shallum, supervised the items baked in pans, which refers to elements of the grain offerings. Other Kohathites prepared the showbread each Sabbath according to the instructions in Leviticus. The singers, who were Levites and heads of their father’s houses, were exempt from other duties because they were employed continually in worship. Day and night they served, preserving the musical and prophetic ministry established by David. These men lived in Jerusalem because their work required unbroken dedication. The Chronicler presents a picture of ordered, reverent, disciplined worship under leaders who understood the sacredness of their calling.
This entire section reveals that God expects order, purity, diligence, and faithfulness in His worship. The restored community was defined not by its political power but by its reverence for the presence of God. Gatekeepers, treasurers, musicians, bakers, and guards all worked together to maintain the holiness of the temple and to preserve the pattern God established. Their faithfulness served as a quiet testimony that even in a fragile, post exilic community, the worship of God stood at the center of national life.
4. (1 Chronicles 9:35-44) The ancestors and descendants of King Saul
“And in Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon, Jehiel, whose wife’s name was Maachah. And his firstborn son Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Ner, and Nadab, and Gedor, and Ahio, and Zechariah, and Mikloth. And Mikloth begat Shimeah. And they also dwelt with their brethren at Jerusalem, over against their brethren. And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchi shua, and Abinadab, and Esh baal. And the son of Jonathan was Merib baal, and Merib baal begat Micah. And the sons of Micah were Pithon, and Melech, and Tahrea, and Ahaz. And Ahaz begat Jarah, and Jarah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri, and Zimri begat Moza, and Moza begat Binea, and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son. And Azel had six sons, whose names are these, Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel.”
This genealogy closes the chapter by revisiting the family line of Saul. The Chronicler recounts the ancestry and descendants of Israel’s first king, beginning with Jehiel of Gibeon and continuing down to the sons of Azel. The emphasis rests particularly on the line through Ner and Kish, which culminated in Saul and his sons Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh baal. This record demonstrates that the lineage of Saul was not erased from Israel’s memory. Although Saul’s dynasty fell and kingship was transferred to David, God did not blot out his family. The continuation of Saul’s line through Jonathan to Merib baal, also known as Mephibosheth, and through Micah’s descendants, shows the enduring mercy of God even toward a dynasty that failed in its covenant responsibilities.
The Chronicler includes twelve generations after Saul, a remarkable span that reaches well into the post exilic era. This presence of Saul’s descendants in the record shows that the fall of a king did not equal the destruction of his family. They continued to live among the people of God, including in Jerusalem itself. Their preservation demonstrates that God’s dealings with Saul were disciplinary rather than annihilating. The Chronicler also quietly includes a note of hope. If even the house of Saul survived the exile and restoration, then every tribe, every family, and every household within Israel could look to the future with the same expectation of God’s faithfulness. The narrative of Saul’s family becomes another testimony that God preserves His people, even when they fail, and that He continues to weave every family line into the larger story of His redemptive plan.
