Solomon also built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon as fortress cities with walls, gates, and crossbars;

“Let’s build up these cities,” Asa told Judah. “We’ll surround them with walls, towers, gates, and crossbars while the land is still ours, because we sought the Lord our God and he sought us and surrounded us with rest.” As a result, the people successfully completed their building projects.

This is what you must do: A third of you priests and Levites coming on sabbath duty will guard the gates,

He posted guards at the gates of the Lord’s temple so that no one who was unclean in any way could enter.

Hezekiah’s reform

Hezekiah reappointed the priests and the Levites, each to their divisions and their tasks, to make entirely burned offerings and well-being sacrifices, to serve, to give thanks, and to offer praise in the gates of the Lord’s camp.

The Asaphite singers also remained at their stations as ordered by David, Asaph, Heman, and the king’s seer Jeduthun, as did the guards at the various gates. They didn’t need to leave their tasks because their fellow Levites prepared food for them.