1 Chronicles 23:7-11·~1 min

The Gershonites

The Gershonites are traced through Ladan and Shimei. Ladan’s sons are named, and Shimei’s sons in this line are identified as family heads.

T⁷he Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei. ⁸The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the first, Zetham, and Joel— three in all. ⁹The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran— three in all. These were the heads of the families of Ladan.

Another line of Shimei is named through four sons. Because Jeush and Beriah have few sons, they are counted together as one family with one assignment.

¹⁰And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei— four in all. ¹¹Jahath was the first and Zizah was the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were counted as one family and received a single assignment.

Section summaryThe Gershonite lines are listed through Ladan and Shimei, with their leading sons named. One branch is compressed into a single family and assignment because its numbers are small.

Role in the chapterThis section begins the detailed clan register that gives concrete shape to David’s divisions. It shows how the larger order is worked out at the family level.