As for the divisions of the gatekeepers …: Verses 1-9 list the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah. Two major groups within the clan of Korah are listed, represented by Meshelemiah and Obed Edom (but see the comments regarding Obed Edom’s genealogy in 1 Chr 26.4). For gatekeepers see the comments on 1 Chr 9.17. Revised English Bible says “door-keepers.” Good News Translation has made it explicit that these gatekeepers were Levites and that they were guards at the Temple.

The Korahites refers to descendants of Korah. According to Num 16.1, Korah was a descendant of Kohath, one of Levi’s sons. Meshelemiah is called “Shelemiah” in verse 14 (see the comments there). This may be a variant of the name “Shallum” in 1 Chr 9.17 (see also Ezra 2.42; Neh 7.45). Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, as well as nearly all other versions, read Meshelemiah as in 1 Chr 9.21, even though in the Hebrew text the name here, and in verses 2 and 9, is “Meshelemyahu” (La Bible du Semeur, La Bible Pléiade, Chouraqui).

Asaph was the leader of one of the groups of Temple singers and was a descendant of Gershon, another of Levi’s sons (see 1 Chr 6.39-43). So the name Asaph is surprising here since (1) he was a descendant of Gershon and not of Kohath, and (2) according to 1 Chr 9.19, Kore was the son of Ebiasaph (see also Exo 6.24). This difficulty is removed in the Septuagint, which has a corrupted form of the name “Ebiasaph” here instead of Asaph. According to 1 Chr 6.23 and 37-38, Ebiasaph, not Asaph, was a descendant of Korah. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament recommends that the Masoretic Text here be corrected to read “Ebiasaph” instead of Asaph and gives a {C} rating to the recommended reading. A number of versions correct the Masoretic Text here to read “Ebiasaph” (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, La Bible Pléiade, El libro del Pueblo de Dios, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Osty-Trinquet) or “Abiasaph” (New American Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Such a correction brings the genealogy in line with 9.19 and Exo 6.24. It is also possible that Asaph is simply an abbreviated form of the name “Ebiasaph,” but in any case, this Asaph is not the same person as the Temple musician named Asaph.

Bible en français courant provides a helpful model for expressing the meaning of this verse and the beginning of the next one, saying “1 The gatekeepers also formed groups. Meshelemiah, son of Kore and grandson of Abiasaph, from the clan of Kore 2 had seven sons…” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .