(9) These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan.--Rather, heads of the father-houses to Laadan. The names seem to be at once those of the clans, or guilds, and of their existing chiefs. But perhaps we should render, These are the chief father-houses. To Laadan, then, pertained six houses, viz., Jehiel, Zetham, Joel, Shelomith, Haziel, and Haran.
Verse 9. - This verse purports to give the three sons of Shimei, but not the Shimei of ver. 7, but of a descendant of Laadan. This is made clear, not only by the remaining clause of this verse, which says, "These were the chief of the fathers of Landau," and again by the enumeration in ver. 10 of sons of that Shimei who is coupled with Landau in ver. 7, but also by a comparison of 1 Chronicles 24:22; 1 Chronicles 26:21-26. It is, of course, possible that the name stands here in error for some other name, but the supposition is gratuitous.
23:1-23 David, having given charge concerning the building of the temple, settles the method of the temple service, and orders the officers of it. When those of the same family were employed together, it would engage them to love and assist one another.
Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, these were the chief of the fathers of Laadan; of the families that sprang from him.