提要
歷代志一書，特別重視祭司，編輯者可能是文士以斯拉。他自己便是由亞倫、以利亞撒、非尼哈、撒督等祭司的後代（拉7：1~5）但是歷代志此處記錄這些細節的主要理由，是因為祭司體系和亞倫的事奉是世襲的，所以必須保持正確的記錄。以色列的各族經過被擄而分散，就更有必要嚴格保持族譜的記錄。因為當他們由被擄之地歸回時，他們需要這些資料，以便安家在他們家族所繼承的領土上。同時，想重執祭司之職的人，也可按族譜確立自己的身份及祖系。在以斯拉記，我們讀到一些返回的人，不被接受為祭司，因為他們無法證明自己有當祭司的祖先。（拉2：62）
亞倫的祭司譜系中只有他第三個兒子，以利亞撒被提到（6：3~15），被俘到巴比倫的大祭司耶何耶大即是他的後代。以利亞撒是亞倫在拿答和亞比戶被滅之後所剩兩個兒子的老大（6：3）。拿答和亞比戶因在聖殿中罪大惡極地獻上「凡火」，而被上帝擊殺至死（利10：11~12）。為了這個緣故，我們在本章餘下部份，亞倫後代之中看不到他們的名字。他們死得斷子絕孫。
亞倫第四個兒子以撒瑪的族譜，也沒有記在經上，因為他的後代並沒有成為祭司。以利，撒母耳時代的大祭司，乃是由以撒瑪那一房來的；但是因為他的子孫墮落，誤用了祭司的功能，而受咒詛。（撒上2：30~34；3：12~14）最後，被免除了祭司的事奉。亞比亞他也屬於以撒瑪那一房，則被所羅門王革除（王上2：26~27）。從此以後，只有以利亞撒這一房的後代才能做祭司（代上6：49~53）。
大衛王熱愛音樂，並且寫了很多歌曲。在此我們讀到他指定利未族歌者和樂師在聖殿做音樂服事，並特挑出三位有音樂天才的人負責管理，每位都各由利未支派產生。他們的後代記在經上（6：31~48），並且繼承了音樂的事奉，支持崇拜。今天上帝也賜恩給許多聖徒，在信徒聚會時服事音樂，帶領崇拜。
利未三個兒子的支派：革順、哥轄、米拉利，負責全國的屬靈供應。哥轄支派的人，負責上帝家中至聖的事務。利未族的其他支派則被指派做上帝家中其他的事情（6：48）。所有利未族人，上帝都賜給亞倫家（哥轄支派）的大祭司，成為他們的幫手。祭司們對全國代表上帝，並做人與上帝之間的中介，照摩西的指示為以色列人求赦罪（6：49；民18：1~8）。
利未族不像其他各族繼承了土地，因為他們所承繼的，乃是主自己。不過，他們也得到分布全國的許多不同城市（6：54~81；書21）。於是利未族人，實際上是分散的；如同雅各預言，其先祖叛逆，而有此結果（創34：24~30；49：5~7。但是因為以色列民拜金牛犢犯罪時，利未人為上帝忠貞堅立，所以上帝替他們轉禍為福）（出32：26~28）。利未支派的人承受的城市產業，和利未人在多方面事奉上帝（6：48）證明了上帝的愛和關懷，要祂的百姓有充足的屬靈領導，並且受祂的律法妥善指導，能夠走在討祂喜悅的路途上。
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Overview
The book of Chronicles has a priestly emphasis, and the compiler, probably Ezra the scribe, was himself a priestly descendant of Aaron through Eleazar, Phineas, and Zadok (Ezra 7:1-5); thus he had a natural interest in these genealogies. But the main reason the chronicler goes into such detail here is because accurate information was essential, since the priesthood and Levitical service was hereditary. The scattering of the tribes of Israel through the captivities necessitated the keeping of strict genealogical records, for when they returned from exile, they needed to have this information in order to settle in the territory of land their family had received as an inheritance. They also needed to be sure that those leading in worship and acting as priests were authorized to do so. In the book of Ezra, we read that some men who returned were put out of the priesthood because they could not prove their priestly ancestry (Ezra 2:62).
Only the high priestly line of Eleazar, Aaron's third son, is traced (6:3-15). It is listed successively from Eleazar to Jehozadak, the high priest at the time of the Babylonian captivity. Eleazar was the elder of Aaron's two remaining sons after Nadab and Abihu (6:3) had been struck dead by God for sacrilegiously offering "strange fire" in the Tabernacle (Leviticus 10:1-2). For this reason, we see that later on in the chapter their names are not mentioned among the sons of Aaron (6:50), and they died without offspring.
The genealogy of Aaron's fourth son, Ithamar, is also not recorded, since his line later came to be unacceptable for priesthood. Eli, the high priest in the early days of Samuel, was from the line of Ithamar; but because of his sons' corruption and their misuse of priestly functions, they were cursed (1 Samuel 2:30-34; 3:12-14) and eventually cut off from priestly service. Abiathar, in the line of Ithamar, was removed by King Solomon (1 Kings 2:26-27), and from then on only the house of Zadok, from the line of Eleazar, served as priests. The second and shorter high priestly genealogy (1 Chronicles 6:49-53) is not a mere repetition but serves to legitimize the line of Zadok.
King David has a great love for music and composed many songs. Here we read that he appointed official Levitical singers and musicians — three musically gifted men, one from each Levitical clan. Their descendants are listed (6:31-48), and they inherited the role of ministering in music, thus assisting in worship. Today God has also gifted many of His people to minister musically to the fellowship of believers and lead in worship.
The clans from the three sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, were responsible for spiritual nurturing of the nation and were to be a unifying factor in their placement throughout all Israel. The Kohathites were responsible for the most holy articles in the House of God. The other clans of Levites were appointed for other kinds of service concerning the House of God (6:48). All the Levites were given by God to the high priestly family of Aaron (the Kohathites) to be a help to them. The priests represented God to the nation and served as mediators between the people and their God, making atonement for the sins of Israel according to the instruction of Moses (6:49; Numbers 18:1-8).
The tribe of Levi was not given an inheritance of land like the other tribes, for their inheritance was to be the Lord Himself. They were, however, given various cities scattered thoughout the whole land (6:54-81; Joshua 21). The tribe of Levi, then, was indeed scattered, just as Jacob had predicted, because of Levi's treachery (Genesis 34:24-30; 49:5-7). But God turned this curse into a blessing, because the Levites alone stood loyal to Him at the time of Israel's sin with the golden calf (Exodus 32:26-28). These lists of Levitical cities and the Levites who served God in every capacity (6:48) give evidence to God's love and concern that His people have adequate spiritual leadership and are well instructed in His laws, that they might walk in ways pleasing to Him.
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