For their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of Yahweh, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God;
      II. A further account of the Levites' work. What the work of the priests was we are told (1 Chronicles 23:13; 1 Chronicles 23:13): To sanctify the most holy things, to burn incense before the Lord, and to bless in his name; that work the Levites were not to meddle with, and yet they had work enough, and good work, according to that to which they were appointed, 1 Chronicles 23:4; 1 Chronicles 23:5. 1. Those of them that were to set forward the work of the house of God (1 Chronicles 23:4; 1 Chronicles 23:4) were therein to wait on the sons of Aaron (1 Chronicles 23:28; 1 Chronicles 23:28), were to do the drudgery-work (if any work for God is to be called drudgery) of the house of God, to keep the courts and chambers clean, set things in their places, and have them ready when there was occasion to use them. They were to prepare the show-bread which the priests were to set on the table, to provide the flour and cakes for the meat-offerings, that the priests might have every thing ready to their hands. 2. Those of them that were judges and officers had an eye particularly upon all measure and size,1 Chronicles 23:29; 1 Chronicles 23:29. The standards of all weights and measures were kept in the sanctuary; and the Levites had the care of them, to see that they were exact, and to try other weights and measures by them when they were appealed to. 3. The work of the singers was to thank and praise the Lord (1 Chronicles 23:30; 1 Chronicles 23:30), at the offering of the morning and evening sacrifices, and other oblations on the sabbaths, new moons, c., 1 Chronicles 23:31; 1 Chronicles 23:31. Moses appointed that they should blow with trumpets over their burnt offerings and other sacrifices, and on their solemn days, Numbers 10:10. The sound of the trumpet was awful, and might be affecting to the worshippers, but was not articulate, nor such a reasonable service as this which David appointed, of singing psalms on those occasions. As the Jewish church grew up from its infancy, it grew more and more intelligent in its devotions, till it came at length, in the gospel, to put away childish things,1 Corinthians 13:11; Galatians 4:3; Galatians 4:9. 4. The work of the porters (1 Chronicles 23:5; 1 Chronicles 23:5) was to keep the charge of the tabernacle and of the holy place, that none might come nigh but such as were allowed, and those no nearer than was allowed them, 1 Chronicles 23:32; 1 Chronicles 23:32. They were likewise to keep the charge of the sons of Aaron, to be at their beck and go on their errands, who are yet called their brethren, to be a memorandum to the priests that, though they were advanced to a high station, yet they were hewn out of the same rock with common Levites, and therefore must not lord it over them, but in all instances treat them as brethren.