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.
All these which were chosen to be porters in the gates were two hundred and twelve. So great a number being appointed to posts of the nature specified, implies that they performed their duties by a system of rotation.
These were reckoned by their genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain.
For a long time after the entrance into Canaan there was great disorder and irregularity prevailing among the Levites, both as to the time and manner of discharging their sacred duties. Samuel, among the many important services which, by his public administration as a judge, he rendered to his country, devised a plan for the methodical arrangement of the Levitical functions in the tabernacle. And as his scheme seems to have been only partially developed at the period compulsory retirement from public life, he communicated his intentions to David (most probably at Nob, cf. 1 Samuel 19:18), who when he was fully established on the throne, finally matured the project, by distributing the Levitical tribe into twenty-four courses, which were called in rotation to do duty at the sanctuary. They were required, according to the royal regulations, to travel from the cities and villages where they were located, to Jerusalem, at stated seasons in succession, for the purpose of ministering in or about the temple during their allotted term of service. [Samuel is called "the seer;" for he retained during his lifetime, and was known ever after by the simple name haaro'eh (H7200), "the seer," a name which preceded the introduction and use of the higher designation naabiy' (H5030). The distinction between these was wide and important; because although they related to an office of the same generic character-namely, that of a special revelation-the latter belonged to a more advanced state of the ancient preparatory church: "the seer" had respect to receiving revelation as an act, but the prophet as a functionary.]