(25) And their brethren, which were in their villages.—The families of the Temple warders, like those of the singers, lived on their farms in the villages round Jerusalem, and came up for their duties in weekly rotation (1Chronicles 9:16; Nehemiah 12:29).

After seven days.—Every seventh day; that is, on the Sabbath, when each class entered on its duties.

1 Chronicles 9:25. Their brethren were to come — From their several villages to the place of worship. After seven days — Every seventh day the courses were changed, and the new-comers were to tarry till the next sabbath day. From time to time with them — To be with them, with the chief porters, who always abode in the place of God’s worship.

9:1-44 Genealogies. - This chapter expresses that one end of recording all these genealogies was, to direct the Jews, when they returned out of captivity, with whom to unite, and where to reside. Here is an account of the good state into which the affairs of religion were put, on the return from Babylon. Every one knew his charge. Work is likely to be done well when every one knows the duty of his place, and makes a business of it. God is the God of order. Thus was the temple a figure of the heavenly one, where they rest not day nor night from praising God, Re 4:8. Blessed be His name, believers there shall, not in turn, but all together, without interruption, praise him night and day: may the Lord make each of us fit for the inheritance of the saints in light.See the marginal references. If the number of warders was, as stated in Nehemiah (Nehemiah 11:19) 172 (i. e. 168 besides the four chief warders), and the number employed at any one time was, as under David 1 Chronicles 26:17-18, twenty-four, then the turn of the courses to keep ward came every seven weeks. 18. the king's gate—The king had a gate from his palace into the temple (2Ki 16:18), which doubtless was kept constantly closed except for the monarch's use; and although there was no king in Israel on the return from the captivity, yet the old ceremonial was kept up, probably in the hope that the scepter would, ere long, be restored to the house of David. It is an honor by which Eastern kings are distinguished, to have a gate exclusively devoted to their own special use, and which is kept constantly closed, except when he goes out or returns (Eze 44:2). There being no king then in Israel, this gate would be always shut. From their several villages to the place of worship.

After seven days: every sabbath or seventh day the courses were changed, and the new comers were to tarry till the next sabbath day. See 2 Kings 11:5,7,9.

With them, i.e. to be with them, i.e. with the chief porters, who always abode in the place of God’s worship, and to minister to them.

And their brethren, which were in their villages,.... Assigned them to dwell in:

were to come after seven days from time to time with them; there was a new course of them every week; the old ones went off of duty, and another course succeeded, which came out of the villages where they dwelt, and the old course retired to theirs.

And their brethren, which were in their villages, were to come after {g} seven days from time to time with them.

(g) They served weekly, as in Ex 29:30.