Gershon, Gershonites

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Eldest son of Levi, born before the children of Israel entered Egypt, and his descendants (Gen. 46:1111And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. (Genesis 46:11); 1 Chron. 6:11The sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. (1 Chronicles 6:1); 1 Chron. 23:66And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. (1 Chronicles 23:6)). At the numbering of the Israelites in the wilderness there were 7,500 Gershonites as a branch of the Levites. Their charge was the frame-work of the tabernacle and the tent, with the hangings and curtains. For the transport of these they had two wagons and four oxen (Num. 3:17-2517And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. 18And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; Libni, and Shimei. 19And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers. 21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites. 22Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred. 23The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward. 24And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael. 25And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, (Numbers 3:17‑25); Num. 4:22-3822Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families; 23From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. 24This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens: 25And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers' skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, 26And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve. 27At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service: and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens. 28This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation: and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 29As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers; 30From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation. 31And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof, 32And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden. 33This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 34And Moses and Aaron and the chief of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites after their families, and after the house of their fathers, 35From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation: 36And those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty. 37These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, which Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses. 38And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers, (Numbers 4:22‑38); Num. 7:77Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Gershon, according to their service: (Numbers 7:7)). They had thirteen of the Levitical cities (Josh. 21:6, 27-336And the children of Gershon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. (Joshua 21:6)
27And unto the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the other half tribe of Manasseh they gave Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Beesh-terah with her suburbs; two cities. 28And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon with her suburbs, Dabareh with her suburbs, 29Jarmuth with her suburbs, En-gannim with her suburbs; four cities. 30And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs, Abdon with her suburbs, 31Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs; four cities. 32And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Hammoth-dor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs; three cities. 33All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs. (Joshua 21:27‑33)
). In the kingdom, under Asaph and his sons, they “prophesied according to the order of the king.” Others had charge of the “treasures of the house of God, and were over the treasures of the holy things,” and of the precious stones (1 Chron. 23:6-76And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 7Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei. (1 Chronicles 23:6‑7); 1 Chron. 25:22Of the sons of Asaph; Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asarelah, the sons of Asaph under the hands of Asaph, which prophesied according to the order of the king. (1 Chronicles 25:2); 1 Chron. 26:20-2220And of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasures of the house of God, and over the treasures of the dedicated things. 21As concerning the sons of Laadan; the sons of the Gershonite Laadan, chief fathers, even of Laadan the Gershonite, were Jehieli. 22The sons of Jehieli; Zetham, and Joel his brother, which were over the treasures of the house of the Lord. (1 Chronicles 26:20‑22); 1 Chron. 29:88And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of the Lord, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite. (1 Chronicles 29:8)). See GERSHOM, No. 2.