What Does 1 Chronicles 26:8 Mean?
All these were of the sons of Obededom, they and their sons and their brethren, men of strength, strong for the serving; threescore and two of Obededom.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
All these of the sons of Obed-edom: they and their sons and their brethren, able men for strength for the service, were threescore and two of Obed-edom.THE KEY
The same root names Obed-edom as a servant and names his family’s work as service: here, strength is shown through what it serves.
THE MEANING
Strength becomes visible when capacity is gathered into shared work. The Hebrew lets Obed-edom’s name and the word for service echo through one root, joining identity with the family’s work. The sixty-two are counted as a kinship body equipped for that service.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that strength is merely personal force or status; here, strength is named in relation to service.
THE ROOT
עֲבֹדָה
ʿavodah ʿoved
GROWS FROM
עבד
To serve, work, or labor.
“serving” in this verse is ʿavodah ʿoved. The word for “service” and the name Obed share the root עבד. The verse joins the family’s identity to its work, showing strength as capacity directed toward service.
ALSO GROWS
ʿāvad: To serve or work.
עָבַד
This verb is the action underneath the family’s service.
ʿeved: Servant.
עֶבֶד
This noun names the person by the work of serving, echoing the name Obed.
ʿavodah: Service, work, or labor.
עֲבֹדָה
This is the word used for the work the family is equipped to carry.
THE PATTERN
Strength becomes visible as people bring their capacity to work that serves others.
Moreover, you shall look out from all the people for men of strength, who stand in awe of God, men of truth, who hate plunder; and set such over them as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.This is the serving of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for the load.As each has received a gift, serve it to one another as good stewards of the many-colored favor of God.THE THREAD
And look, the watches of the priests and the Levites will be with you for all the serving of the house of God; and every willing skillful man will be with you for all manner of work, for every kind of serving. Also the princes and all the people will be wholly at your word.The word for “service” here shares the עבד root with both Obed-edom’s name and the service assigned to his family. This verse widens the picture to a whole community of skilled people gathered around the work.
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