And Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was overseer of the treasures.
One line in a long list of temple officials names the man in charge of the treasuries — and traces his family back to Moses. The same family had already produced Israel's first idol-priest. So this one line carries both a warning and a comfort.
Chronicles enrols Moses' own children among the Levites, with no rank above the rest.
Aaron and Moses belonged to the sons of Kohath. But Aaron and his sons are separated "for ever" from this family of Levites, to hold the office of the priesthood "for ever" (v. 13). Moses was once "king in Jeshurun" — lawgiver, mediator, and leader of the people. Yet he and his sons enter into the tribe of Levi (vv. 14-26). From the moment the reign of Solomon begins, his family holds no place above his brothers. So we see him on the holy mountain, disappearing completely along with Elijah, to give place to Jesus alone, entering into His kingdom.
The list names two charges: the treasures of God's house and the gifts dedicated to it. A descendant of Moses holds the first, and the whole store waits for Solomon.
Among the Levites (vv. 20-28) we find those appointed over the treasures of the house of God and over the treasures of the holy things. This period came before the reign of peace. During it, a descendant of Moses (v. 24) was the overseer of the treasures. Another, Shelomith with his brothers, had charge "over all the treasures of the dedicated things, which king David… and the captains of the host, had dedicated… to maintain the house of Jehovah"… until the moment when Solomon would use all these treasures.
Shorter still, a reference work fixes his identity by the two verses that name him:
Son of Gershom and 'ruler of the treasures' of the house of God. 1 Chr. 23:16; 1 Chr. 26:24.
An earlier descendant of Gershom went the other way. One writer points to a reading of Judges 18:30 that names him.
Some translations of Judges 18:30 give the tragic words, "Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land." If this reading is correct — and it probably is, though we may not be fully sure of it — then the first idol priest recorded in Israel was the grandson of Moses.
One writer draws the lesson out: no one inherits a spiritual life from a parent.
This Levite, who took the place of priest in connection with idolatry, was a descendant of no other than Moses himself, the great lawgiver of Israel. What a thought! Is it not true? Is it not written on every verse we have read, "You must be born again"? There is no such thing as spiritual descent. There is no such thing as inheriting spiritual traits. The child of Moses may become the leader in a falling away from God, and just as much an enemy of God as an uncircumcised heathen king.
One descendant of Gershom stole treasure. Another guarded it.
But there is joy as well as sorrow as we trace the descendants of Moses, for "Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was ruler of the treasures." (1 Chron. 26:24)… This was in the days of David. It is refreshing to find these children of Moses entrusted with some of the most responsible work in the kingdom — especially when we remember that "Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Moses" was glad to share in the theft of Micah's treasures. (Judges 18:18-20).
These sons could not be priests. One writer still reads their record as a promise coming true.
The sons of Moses, "the man of God," could not serve as priests, as their brothers the sons of Aaron did. They were counted in the tribe of Levi (1 Chron. 23:14-17)… They held an honourable position in David's kingdom. That lets us point to the sons of Moses as a striking example of a gracious promise coming true: "The children of Your servants shall continue; their seed shall be established before You."
(The closing promise comes from an older translation of Psalm 102:28. The phrase "ruler of the treasures" is also from an older translation; the ESV reads "chief officer in charge of the treasuries".)
- Levelled — Chronicles enrols Moses' sons as ordinary Levites. Their father's name wins them no rank above their brothers.
- Broken — An earlier son of this line became a priest to idols in Dan. Faith is not passed down a bloodline.
- Restored — One man in this family helped steal treasure. Shebuel is trusted to guard it.
- Entrusted — His post is one of the most responsible in the kingdom: the treasures given to keep God's house.
- Continued — Those treasures waited for Solomon to use them, and the family kept for that work shows a promise coming true — the children of God's servants continue.
And his brethren, of Eliezer Rehabiah his son, and Isaiah his son, and Joram his son, and Zichri his son, and Shelomith his son.
This verse is a bare chain of names: five generations from Eliezer, the second son of Moses, down to Shelomoth. Why does Scripture keep this list, and what did these men do in David's kingdom?
This list sits in a chapter of duty rosters for gatekeepers and treasurers. One commentator shows why such details matter to God:
In 1 Chronicles 26 we have the porters, for it is part of majesty to think of what is least. The Spirit of God condescends to arrange by David for the porters, just as truly as He did for the high priest, or for the different courses of priesthood. All has its place, and whatever has to do with the service of God is great in God's eyes. Indeed, it is only we who make so much of the differences between great and small. To God, the smallest thing has a value.
Eliezer's descendants appear here as Levites and nothing more. Aaron's sons kept the priesthood for good. Moses' own family joined the ordinary ranks:
Aaron and Moses both belonged to the sons of Kohath. But Aaron and his sons are "forever" separated from this family of Levites to carry out the office of the priesthood "forever" (v. 13). As for Moses — once "king in Jeshurun," lawgiver, mediator, and leader of the people — he and his sons enter the tribe of Levi (vv. 14-26). From the moment the reign of Solomon begins, his family holds no place higher than their brothers. So on the holy mountain we see him disappear completely, together with Elijah, to give place to Jesus alone, entering into His kingdom.
Jeshurun is a poetic name for Israel.
Moses' family line had already produced a scandal in the book of Judges. Set against it, the men of this verse stand out:
But there is joy as well as sorrow as we trace the descendants of Moses, for "Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was ruler of the treasures" (1 Chron. 26:24). And Shelomith, descended from Eliezer, Gershom's brother, was another who was "over all the treasures of the dedicated things" (1 Chron. 26:26). This was in the days of David. It is refreshing, indeed, to find these children of Moses entrusted with some of the most responsible work in the kingdom. It strikes us all the more when we remember that "Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Moses" was glad to share in the theft of Micah's treasures (Judges 18:18-20).
Translations spell the name Shelomith or Shelomoth. The man is the same.
Shelomoth's charge was not petty cash. It was the spoil of David's wars, set aside for one purpose and guarded until the day came to spend it:
Among the Levites (vv. 20-28) we find those appointed over the treasures of the house of God and over the treasures of the holy things. During this period before the reign of peace, a descendant of Moses (v. 24) was the overseer of the treasures. Another, Shelomith with his brothers, had charge "over all the treasures of the dedicated things, which king David … and the captains of the army had dedicated … to maintain the house of the LORD" — until the moment when Solomon would use all these treasures.
Read the chain of names as a whole and it shows a promise kept. The sons of Moses never held the priesthood, yet they gained honour in David's kingdom:
The sons of Moses "the man of God" could not serve as priests, as their brothers the sons of Aaron could. They were named of the tribe of Levi (1 Chron. 23:14-17). … The honourable position they held in David's kingdom lets us point to the sons of Moses as a striking example of that gracious promise fulfilled: "The children of Your servants shall continue; their seed shall be established before You."
- Recorded. God records the work of the gatekeeper as surely as the work of the high priest. To Him the smallest thing has value.
- Levelled. Moses' own household ranks as plain Levites, with no place above their brothers. On the holy mountain Moses himself gives place to Jesus alone.
- Recovered. An earlier descendant of Moses shared in stealing Micah's treasures. These descendants guard the treasure of God's house.
- Reserved. They guarded the dedicated spoils of David's wars. The treasure stayed intact until Solomon's peaceful reign spent it.
- Continued. Five generations from Eliezer to Shelomoth show the promise made good: the children of God's servants continue, and God establishes their seed before Him.
This Shelomith and his brethren were over all the treasures of the dedicated things, which king David, and the chief fathers, the captains over thousands and hundreds, and the captains of the host, had dedicated
This verse ends a list of Levites who guarded the temple's stored wealth — gifts set apart by the king, by family heads, and by army officers. Two questions follow: what were these treasures, and who was fit to keep them?
One writer traces the two kinds of treasure in this section, and how long the keepers had to wait:
Among the Levites (vv. 20-28) we find those appointed over the treasures of the house of God and over the treasures of the holy things. During this period before the reign of peace, a descendant of Moses (v. 24) was the overseer of the treasures. Another, Shelomith with his brothers, had charge "over all the treasures of the dedicated things" … until the moment when Solomon would use all these treasures.
The same writer, on David's earlier campaigns, shows what David did with the spoil he took, and where his mind was fixed:
David consecrates all the spoil from the victory over the enemy as well as Toi's free-will offerings to the Lord. He claims nothing of it all for himself. What purpose will these riches serve? 1 Chronicles 18:7-8 shows us that the spoil came to Jerusalem. Out of this great quantity of bronze Solomon made "the bronze sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of bronze" for the temple of the Lord… From now on his only thought is that the fruit of all his victories should beautify the final, unchangeable dwelling place of his God in the midst of Israel.
One writer shows who these keepers were, what they could not do, and what they were still given:
The sons of Moses "the man of God" could not, like their brothers the sons of Aaron, serve as priests. They were counted in the tribe of Levi (1 Chron. 23:14-17). During David's reign, "Shebuel the son of Gershom," Moses' eldest son, was "ruler of the treasures." Shelomith, descended from Moses' second son, was the keeper, with his brothers, of "all the treasures of the dedicated things," given expressly for the upkeep of the house of Jehovah (1 Chron. 26:24-28). They were privileged to hold an honourable position in David's kingdom. So we can point to the sons of Moses as a striking example of that gracious promise fulfilled: "The children of Your servants shall continue; their offspring shall be established before You."
One writer sets that trust beside an earlier man of the same family line:
But there is joy as well as sorrow as we trace the descendants of Moses… It is refreshing, indeed, to find these children of Moses entrusted with some of the most responsible work in the kingdom. That is all the more so when we remember that "Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Moses" was glad to share in the theft of Micah's treasures (Judges 18:18-20).
Another writer treats the two kinds of treasure here as a picture, and says the spoils of war stand for truth won through conflict:
Here again we may be enriched by "the revenues of the ages." In the house that pictures better things we read of treasures: both the dedicated things and what they took as the spoils of war (see 1 Chr. 26:20-28). The spoils of victory found there picture how the whole circle of truth is open to us today. Men of God won much of that truth through many a conflict.
- Won. The treasure here was battle spoil, not spare income. David kept none of it — every victory went into the house of his God.
- Given. The giving crossed every rank. The king, the heads of families and the army officers all put their gains into one fund for the upkeep of the house.
- Guarded. Named men held the dedicated things: Shelomith and his brothers. Treasure can be kept well for years before anyone spends it.
- Granted. The keepers came from Moses' own line. They could not serve as priests, yet they held an honourable charge — one writer calls it the promise kept that the children of God's servants will be established.
- Restored. An earlier son of that same family had joined in stealing treasure. Later sons of the same line were trusted to guard it.
(from the wars and out of the spoils had they dedicated [them], to maintain the house of Jehovah),
This verse tells us where the temple treasure came from. Men took it in war, then gave it to God to keep His house in repair. Why does plunder from a battlefield end up in a place of worship?
The men named here were not owners but custodians. One group looked after the treasures of the house of God. Another looked after the gifts set apart from war. The gifts came from the king and his officers, and the keepers held them all for a temple nobody had built yet.
Among the Levites (vv. 20-28) we find those appointed over the treasures of the house of God and over the treasures of the holy things. This period came before the reign of peace. In it a descendant of Moses (v. 24) was the overseer of the treasures. Another, Shelomith with his brothers, had charge over all the treasures of the dedicated things, which King David, the heads of the fathers' houses, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and the commanders of the army had dedicated. They held them all until the moment when Solomon would use them.
David fought the wars; Solomon would spend what they brought in. So what did David do with everything he captured?
David consecrates all the spoil from the victory over the enemy (vv. 11-12) as well as Toi's freewill offerings to the Lord. He claims nothing of it for himself. What purpose will these riches serve? 1 Chronicles 18:7-8 shows us that the spoil came to Jerusalem. Out of this great quantity of bronze Solomon made "the bronze sea, the pillars, and the vessels of bronze" for the temple of the Lord... From now on he has one thought only: the fruit of all his victories must adorn the final, unchangeable dwelling place of his God among Israel.
Behind David's wars another hand is at work. One writer sees God Himself collecting what His house would need. He had done the same thing once before, for the tent of worship in the desert.
The Lord is bringing costly things for His temple. Once before He prepared gold and silver for His tabernacle in the wilderness. He did it when Israel came out of Egypt loaded with jewels of gold and of silver, "and they plundered the Egyptians" (Ex. 12:35-36). Now the Lord is plundering the nearby Gentile nations. For all this is for the temple. Some are compelled by war, others give freely. All contribute.
Who can be trusted with wealth like this? The men chosen were descendants of Moses. One writer finds that striking, because an earlier man in that family had helped steal another person's treasure.
But there is joy as well as sorrow as we trace the descendants of Moses, for "Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was ruler of the treasures" (1 Chron. 26:24). ... This was in the days of David. It is refreshing indeed to find these children of Moses trusted with some of the most responsible work in the kingdom. It means all the more when we remember that "Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Moses" was glad to share in the theft of Micah's treasures (Judges 18:18-20).
Two writers treat the stored plunder as a picture. Other men fought for the truth we hold today, they say, and we inherited it from them.
Here again "the revenues of the ages" may enrich us. In this house, which is a picture for us, we read of treasures: both the dedicated things and what men took as the spoils of war (see 1 Chr. 26:20-28). The spoils of victory stored there picture how the whole circle of truth is open to us today. Men of God won much of it through many a conflict.
The same holds for each of us. A battle fought for God leaves the fighter richer than before.
Faith, no doubt, always gathers fresh riches from every conflict. The spoil of the enemy does not rightly belong to them, but to those who overcome them. This spoil, again, may well remind us of those fresh views of Christ which we gain from the very conflict in which we have engaged for Him.
- Won. The treasure came out of real wars. God plundered the nations to supply His temple, just as He once plundered Egypt to supply the tent of worship.
- Given. David claimed none of the spoil. He had one thought: the fruit of his victories must adorn God's dwelling place.
- Guarded. Descendants of Moses took charge of the dedicated things. An earlier man in that family had helped steal another man's treasure; now the family guards the Lord's.
- Held. The keepers owned nothing. They guarded it all until Solomon spent it on the house he would build.
- Inherited. What men win in conflict becomes the common store. Others fought for the truth we hold now, and every battle for Christ gives fresh views of Him.
and all that Samuel the seer, and Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah had dedicated all that was dedicated was under the hand of Shelomith and of his brethren.
Four names stand together in this verse: a prophet, a rejected king, and two army commanders. Each of them had set something aside for the Lord, and the gifts were still in store, listed and guarded, generations later.
The verse sits in a list of Levites who guarded what people had given to God. One commentator sets out both the inventory and its purpose:
Among the Levites (vv. 20-28) we find those appointed over the treasures of the house of God and over the treasures of the holy things. This was the time before the reign of peace. A descendant of Moses (v. 24) was the overseer of the treasures. Another, Shelomith with his brothers, had charge over all the treasures of the dedicated things: the gifts of king David, of the chief fathers, of the captains over thousands and hundreds, and of the captains of the army. They had dedicated them out of the wars and out of the spoils, to maintain the house of the Lord. There the treasures stayed, until the moment when Solomon would use them.
No one had spent any of it yet. The treasury sat ready for a house that did not yet stand.
The source of this wealth was battle. David's habit with captured treasure explains how a war chest became a temple fund:
David sets apart for the Lord all the spoil from his victory over the enemy. He claims none of it for himself. What purpose will these riches serve? 1 Chronicles 18:7-8 shows us that they brought it to Jerusalem. Out of this great quantity of bronze Solomon made the bronze sea, the pillars and the vessels of bronze for the temple of the Lord… David's one thought is that the fruit of all his victories should adorn the final, unchanging dwelling place of his God among Israel.
Samuel is the first name listed, and his gift came long before David reigned. One writer sees it as preparation for an order still to come:
Samuel seems to have made some preparations for the new order that the Lord meant to bring in when the Kingdom was set up. He dedicated treasure to maintain the house of the Lord, as David did soon after him (1 Chron. 26:28). It is interesting to see also that some of his descendants led the praises of Israel when the service of song began in the temple (1 Chron. 6:33).
Joab's inclusion here is striking, because his record elsewhere is ugly. One writer traces how little of that record Chronicles keeps:
Joab was energetic and brave, but he had no scruples once something blocked his path. Above all he was cunning in claiming and keeping the first place. That role, so blameworthy in the books of Samuel and Kings, has disappeared in Chronicles… In Chronicles his whole part comes down to three mentions, one of them 1 Chronicles 26:28.
The same writer, reaching our verse, adds:
Here for the third time Joab's activity appears in a favourable light.
Shelomoth — Shelomith in some translations — held this treasure in trust. He did not own it. One writer looks at priests and Levites who carried holy vessels and weighed every item. He draws out the lesson:
May we copy them in the responsibilities the Lord entrusts to us, whether great or small. May we never treat anything He puts into our hand as our own. It is something we must hand back to Him, after we have managed it faithfully for Him. Most of the time the frauds, great or small, that Christians fall into… have no other cause than this. They treat as their own personal property something the Lord has given them to manage.
One writer takes the stored treasure as a picture of what God's people hold today. He names two kinds of deposit:
Here again we may be enriched by "the revenues of the ages," for in the house that pictures these things we read of treasures: both the dedicated things and what was taken as the spoils of war. (See 1 Chr. 26:20-28). We may take the spoils of victory found there as a picture of the way the whole circle of truth is open to us today. Men of God won much of it through many a conflict.
- Dedicated — the treasure came out of war and spoils. Men gave it to maintain the house of the Lord, and David kept none of it for himself.
- Deposited — Samuel gave long before the temple existed. He was preparing for the new order God meant to bring in with the kingdom.
- Recorded — Chronicles drops most of Joab's dark story. This verse is the third place where his activity appears in a good light.
- Guarded — every dedicated gift stayed under the hand of Shelomoth and his brothers. Solomon's reign of peace finally put it to use.
- Administered — what God puts in our hand is never ours. We hold it to hand back to Him. Forget that, and fraud follows.