1 Chronicles 9:21

And Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(21) And.—Omit. The verse returns abruptly from the Mosaic to the Davidic age.

Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah had charge of the north gate under David (1Chronicles 26:12).

Was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.—Was a doorkeeper of the tent of meeting. The verse seems to refer the functions of Zechariah to Mosaic antiquity; but comp. Note on 1Chronicles 9:19. The relation of this company to those mentioned in 1Chronicles 9:17 is indeterminate.

Benson Commentary

1 Chronicles 9:21. Zechariah was porter — Chief porter, namely, in the time of David, as the following verse shows. Of the door of the tabernacle — The door which led out of the priests’ court into the tabernacle, in which the ark was placed. Before the temple was built, they had a mean and moveable tent which they made use of in the mean time. They that cannot yet have a temple, let them be thankful for a tabernacle, and make the best use of it. Never let God’s work be left undone, for want of a place to do it in.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

9:1-44 Genealogies. - This chapter expresses that one end of recording all these genealogies was, to direct the Jews, when they returned out of captivity, with whom to unite, and where to reside. Here is an account of the good state into which the affairs of religion were put, on the return from Babylon. Every one knew his charge. Work is likely to be done well when every one knows the duty of his place, and makes a business of it. God is the God of order. Thus was the temple a figure of the heavenly one, where they rest not day nor night from praising God, Re 4:8. Blessed be His name, believers there shall, not in turn, but all together, without interruption, praise him night and day: may the Lord make each of us fit for the inheritance of the saints in light.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Shallum the son of Kore - A different person from the Shallum of 1 Chronicles 9:17, and with a different office, namely, the guarding the inner doors of the temple. The original Shallum, Shelemaiah, or Meshelemaiah, was a Levite of the time of David 1 Chronicles 26:14. His descendants were still called by his name, but had now a more important charge assigned to them.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

18. the king's gate—The king had a gate from his palace into the temple (2Ki 16:18), which doubtless was kept constantly closed except for the monarch's use; and although there was no king in Israel on the return from the captivity, yet the old ceremonial was kept up, probably in the hope that the scepter would, ere long, be restored to the house of David. It is an honor by which Eastern kings are distinguished, to have a gate exclusively devoted to their own special use, and which is kept constantly closed, except when he goes out or returns (Eze 44:2). There being no king then in Israel, this gate would be always shut.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

To wit, in the, time of David, as the following verse showeth. See 1 Chronicles 26:1,2 27:2.

Porter, i.e. chief porter.

Of the door of the tabernacle, i.e. of the door which led out of the priests’ court into the tabernacle, in which the ark was placed, 2 Samuel 6:17.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah,.... Some think this refers to one that was in the times of David; but it seems rather to respect one that was after the Babylonish captivity, see 1 Chronicles 26:1 though he and his brethren were in an office established in the times of David, and the order of which was now, as then, observed:

was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: who was the chief porter, and kept the door; either that led into the outer court, and kept out all unclean persons from entering there; or that which led into the court of the priests, that none but priests might enter there.

Geneva Study Bible

And Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

21. Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah] Cp. 1 Chronicles 26:2; 1 Chronicles 26:14, according to which Zechariah’s watch was on the North.

the tabernacle of the congregation] R.V. the tent of meeting. Cp. 1 Chronicles 6:32, note. The Temple is not mentioned because the reference is to the time of David; cp. 1 Chronicles 9:22.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 21. - Zechariah (see 1 Chronicles 26:1, 2, 11, 14). 1 Chronicles 9:21

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

1 Chronicles 9:21 is quite unconnected with the preceding context, the conjunction w being omitted, and its contents also present considerable difficulties. Zechariah, the son of Meshelemiah, can only be the Zechariah who is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 26:2 as the first-born of Meshelemiah, and who lived in the time of David; for at the time when David divided the porters into classes, there fell to him the lot towards midnight, i.e., the duty of waiting at the door on the north side of the holy place (1 Chronicles 26:14). With this, indeed, the general statement of our verse, "he was porter of the door (or the entrance) of the tent of the covenant," is not inconsistent. But what purpose does this general statement serve? With what design is Zechariah, and he alone, mentioned? We have no means of giving a definite answer to this question; but he may perhaps be named as being the person who, before David's division of the Levites into classes was carried out, had charge of the porters' service in the tabernacle. But even if this conjecture be accepted as well grounded, the abrupt way in which it is mentioned still remains enigmatical.