And the sons of Samuel: the firstborn was Vashni, and Abiah This Abiah was Joel (below v. 18, I Sam. 8:2), or the meaning is: and the second one (וְהַשֵּׁנִי) was Abiah, i.e., the second to the first was Abiah, and the second to Abiah was Joel, whose name was not written. A similar case [in which the ה הַיְדִיעָה, the definite article, is omitted] is (II Kings 7:10): “... but the horses are tethered and the donkeys (וַחֲמוֹר) are tethered,” like וְהַחֲמוֹר ; and similarly (Jud. 6:25): “and the second bull (הַפָּר הַשֵּׁנִי)” similarly, “the first (הָרִאשׁוֹן).”

And these are the ones that David stationed, etc. when they returned it from the house of Obed Edom, as it is written (below 16:37): “And he left there before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, Asaph and his brothers to serve before the Ark constantly, etc.” And it is written (verse 38f.): “... and Obed Edom the son of Jeduthun and Hosah as gate sentries before the Tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was in Gibeon, and Solomon stationed them in the Temple in Jerusalem.”

according to their custom according to the custom to which David had stationed them.

And his brother Asaph, who stood at his right [at the right] of Heman and his sons.

And the sons of Merari their brethren were on the left like what is said (in German, gebreder). On the left of Heman and his sons, for Heman and his sons were in the middle.

And their brethren the Levites were appointed for the entire service of the Tabernacle of the House of God for gate sentries and to flay [the sacrificial animals], as is written further: (II Chron. 35: 11): “...and the Levites were flaying.”

And these are the sons of Aaron who were offering on the altar of the burnt offering and on the altar of the incense.

Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son He enumerates only those who were until Solomon.

And these were their settlements for their palaces in their border, etc. until “for theirs was the lot,” i.e., for the Levites and for the priests. All Israel cast lots [to determine] how much of the land of Israel would go to them and to the priests and to the Levites, and the lot fell to Judah first. That is the meaning of “for theirs was the lot”; they were the first to give them the towns mentioned here.

they gave to Caleb because Moses gave it to him.

and to the tribe of Benjamin, Geba because the lot fell to Benjamin to give these towns.

And to the sons of Kehath who remained for the priests came from Kehath, and they already said what they gave to the priests, the sons of Kehath.

And to the sons of Kehath who remained from the family of the tribe of Levi.

from half the tribe of Manasseh, by lot ten cities And to half the tribe of Manasseh, the lot fell to give the sons of Kehath, the Levites, ten cities.

And they gave by lot from the tribe of the sons of Judah and from the tribe of the sons of Simeon Though he did not mention Simeon [in the preceding verses], as giving cities, it gave its share from what Judah gave it. Neither is Judah mentioned above regarding the giving itself, and whatever he mentioned above from (v. 40): “And they gave them Hebron” until (v. 48): “And from the tribe of Benjamin,” the sons of Judah and the sons of Simeon gave; and since he did not mention it above, he mentions it here now.

that they called by names That is to say, that they were called by names previously. Since [the tribe of] Benjamin was friendly with the sons of Aaron, [Scripture] mentions them here, even though it had mentioned them previously.

And from the families of the sons of Kehath the cities of... were Although half the tribe of Manasseh gave to them, Ephraim also gave to them by lot.

And from half the tribe of Manasseh, etc. until “half the tribe of Manasseh” that was in trans-Jordan and in the land of Israel.

to the family of the remaining sons of Kehath They are the Levites, and the meaning is that Ephraim and Manasseh gave everything to that remnant mentioned above (verse 46): “And to the sons of Kehath who remained from the family of the tribe.”

To the sons of Gershom, from the family of half the tribe of Manasseh Although they gave to the sons of Kehath by lot, the lot fell to them also to give likewise to the sons of Gershom.

To the sons of Merari who remained, from the tribe of Zebulun i.e., those who did not receive those twelve cities that Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun gave them, and this is the meaning of “who remained from the tribe of Zebzulun”: i.e., from the share of Zebulun, they [the tribe of Naphtali] gave to the remaining sons of Merari.