The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 31:17 Explained

2 Chronicles 31:17

KJV: Both to the genealogy of the priests by the house of their fathers, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their courses;

YLT: and the genealogy of the priests by the house of their fathers, and of the Levites, from a son of twenty years and upward, in their charges, in their courses;

Darby: both to the priests enregistered according to their fathers' houses, and to the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges, by their divisions;

ASV: and them that were reckoned by genealogy of the priests by their fathers houses, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their offices by their courses;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Both to the genealogy  of the priests  by the house  of their fathers,  and the Levites  from twenty  years  old  and upward,  in their charges  by their courses; 

What does 2 Chronicles 31:17 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Chronicles 31:11-21 - Order And Prosperity
There are several noticeable expressions in this paragraph. We are told that they brought in the dedicated things faithfully, 2 Chronicles 31:12; and that the small as well as the great received their share, even as the daily portion of each required, 2 Chronicles 31:16, r.v. margin; also that the priests sanctified themselves in holiness, 2 Chronicles 31:18, as though touched and quickened by the generous gifts of the people. And in consequence of their entire devotion to the service of the sanctuary, adequate provision was made for their wives and children; while officers were appointed to distribute equal ration to all in the cities of the priests, who, from age or other reasons, were not able to serve in the Temple.
The closing expression about Hezekiah, that he began nothing into which he did not put his heart and that God placed the crown of prosperity on him and his work, presents a striking contrast to the tale of disaster in the reign of Ahaz, and is an incentive to all of us to go and do likewise. See Romans 12:11. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Chronicles 31

1  The people go forward in destroying idolatry
2  Hezekiah orders the courses of the priests and Levites,
4  and provides for their work and maintenance
5  The people's forwardness in offerings and tithes
11  Hezekiah appoints officers to dispose of the tithes
20  The sincerity of Hezekiah

What do the individual words in 2 Chronicles 31:17 mean?

and who were written in the genealogy to the priests according to house of their father and to the Levites from twenty years old and up according to their work by their divisions
וְאֵ֨ת הִתְיַחֵ֤שׂ הַכֹּהֲנִים֙ לְבֵ֣ית אֲבוֹתֵיהֶ֔ם וְהַ֨לְוִיִּ֔ם מִבֶּ֛ן עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וּלְמָ֑עְלָה בְּמִשְׁמְרוֹתֵיהֶ֖ם בְּמַחְלְקוֹתֵיהֶֽם

הִתְיַחֵ֤שׂ  who  were  written  in  the  genealogy 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Infinitive construct
Root: הִתְיַחֵשׂ 
Sense: genealogy.
הַכֹּהֲנִים֙  to  the  priests 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
לְבֵ֣ית  according  to  house 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֲבוֹתֵיהֶ֔ם  of  their  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וְהַ֨לְוִיִּ֔ם  and  to  the  Levites 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
עֶשְׂרִ֥ים  twenty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: עֶשְׂרִים  
Sense: twenty, twentieth.
שָׁנָ֖ה  years  old 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
וּלְמָ֑עְלָה  and  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Adverb, third person feminine singular
Root: מַעַל 
Sense: higher part, upper part adv.
בְּמִשְׁמְרוֹתֵיהֶ֖ם  according  to  their  work 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מִשְׁמֶרֶת  
Sense: guard, charge, function, obligation, service, watch.
בְּמַחְלְקוֹתֵיהֶֽם  by  their  divisions 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מַחֲלֹקֶת  
Sense: division, course, class, share, allotment.