Who till now waited in the king's gate eastward: they were porters in the companies of the children of Levi.
Who till now waited in the king's gate eastward: they were porters in the companies of the children of Levi.
who hitherto waited in the king's gate eastward: they were the porters for the camp of the children of Levi.
Up till then they had been at the king's door to the east. They were door-keepers for the tents of the sons of Levi.
Who hitherto waited in the king's gate eastward: they were porters in the companies of the children of Levi.
who hitherto [waited] in the king's gate eastward: they were the porters for the camp of the children of Levi.
who hitherto waited in the king's gate eastward: they were the porters for the camp of the children of Levi.
The king's gate - That by which the kings of Judah went to the temple; see on 2 Kings 16:18 (note).
Who hitherto waited - Translate, "Who to this day waits. These were the porters in the stations of the sons of Levi." The words of the first clause refer to Shallum, and imply that, whereas Shallum (or his house) had originally the general superintendence of the temple gates, a change had been made when the author wrote, and Shallum's charge had become the east gate only. The second clause means; "these were the porters in those fixed stations at the outer gates of the Temple, which corresponded to the camp stations of the Levites who guarded the tabernacle in the early times."
9:18 King's gate — In the east-gate of the temple, which was so called, because the kings of Judah used to go to the temple through that gate. Under this gate he comprehends all the rest, which also were guarded by these porters.
Companies — Or, according to the courses. They kept the gates successively, according to that method into which the Levites were distributed, for the more convenient management of their several offices; among which this of the porters was one.