(16) To Shuppim and Hosah.--No such name as Shuppim (1Chronicles 7:12) occurs among those of the Levitical warders as given above in 1Chronicles 26:1-11. It is almost certainly a mistaken repetition of the last two syllables of Asuppim, which immediately precedes it. (The mistake is as old as the Vulgate; the LXX. has ??? ????????, perhaps reading lishnayim instead of le Shuppim.) Read: And to Hosah (the lot fell) to the west, with the gate Shalleketh on the highway that goeth up.

The gate Shalleketh, mentioned here only. The name means casting down (in Isaiah 6:13, it denotes felling a tree); and hence this gate has been identified with the "Rubbish" or "Refuse Gate." (Comp. Nehemiah 3:13.) It seems an objection to this, that the gate faced the highway that goeth up from the lower city to the Temple. Perhaps the name alludes to the drop, or steep descent, from the Sanctuary to the city.

Ward against ward.--Heb., mishm?r l?'ummath mishm?r. Compare the use of the same preposition in 1Chronicles 26:12 and 1Chronicles 25:8; 1Chronicles 24:31. Here the meaning seems to be that Hosah had to guard two posts, viz., the western gate of the Temple, and the gate Shalleketh which lay opposite, in the western wall of the Temple area. (The LXX. has ??????? ????????? ???????; the Vulgate custodia contra custodiam; implying that Hosah's warders were stationed opposite to each other.) But perhaps these concluding words refer to all four stations, and should be rendered, ward like ward, or ward and ward alike, or post over against post.

26:1-32 The offices of the Levites. - The porters and treasurers of the temple, had occasion for strength and valour to oppose those who wrongly attempted to enter the sanctuary, and to guard the sacred treasures. Much was expended daily upon the altar; flour, wine, oil, salt, fuel, beside the lamps; quantities of these were kept beforehand, besides the sacred vestments and utensils. These were the treasures of the house of God. These treasures typified the plenty there is in our heavenly Father's house, enough and to spare. From those sacred treasuries, the unsearchable riches of Christ, all our wants are supplied; and receiving from his fulness, we must give him the glory, and endeavour to dispose of our abilities and substance according to his will. We have an account of those employed as officers and judges. The magistracy is an ordinance of God for the good of the church, as truly as the ministry, and must not be neglected. None of the Levites who were employed in the service of the sanctuary, none of the singers or porters, were concerned in this outward business; one duty was enough to engage the whole man. Wisdom, courage, strength of faith, holy affections, and constancy of mind in doing our duty, are requisite or useful for every station.To Shuppim and Hosah the lot came forth westward,.... Of Shuppim no mention is before made; of Hosah, see 1 Chronicles 26:10 their lot was to be placed at the gates on the western wall, where were four; the two more southward being assigned to the sons of Obededom, whose lot also was southward, are taken notice of under the division in the preceding verse; Parbar was another, 1 Chronicles 26:18, and another follows here:

with the gate Shallecheth, by the causeway of the going up; this gate was in later times called Coponius, from the name of a Roman commander, in the times of Herod, who might give it this name on his account; it might have the name of Shallecheth either from "sending out", or carrying out the filth of the temple through it; or rather from "casting up the causeway", as here expressed, which was the going up, or ascent, Solomon made, by which he went up to the temple, 1 Kings 20:5 and which agrees with the description Josephus (a) gives of one of the gates on the western wall, that it led to the royal palace, the valley between being filled up for the passage; on each side of which causeway, it is said, grew oaks and teil trees, see Isaiah 6:13 which served both to keep up the causeway, and to make a fine, pleasant, shady walk for the king to pass through to the temple; all which are observed by Dr. Lightfoot (b):

ward against ward; for as the gates answered one another, so the wards or watches at them.

(a) Antiqu. l. 15. c. 11. sect. 5. (b) Ut supra, (Prospect of the Temple), c. 5. sect. 1.