דברי הימים א, פרק כ״ו, פסוק י״ח

The security network on the western side of the Temple was carefully organized into key positions, with an exact number of Levite guards assigned to each location. The focal point of this western sector was a unique structure or room known as the Parbar [רלב״ג, מצודת דוד]. The name itself indicates a place that faces outward. It functioned as a pavilion or platform extending outside the primary sacred boundaries, or perhaps as an isolated exterior zone where people did not normally walk [רש״י, מנחת שי, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם]. According to one perspective, this specific area was designated for the disposal of ashes [מלבי״ם].

Access to this western structure required walking up a designated path, which was heavily monitored. Four Levites, or four distinct groups of guards, were stationed specifically to watch the ascending road leading to the Parbar. However, the physical structure of the Parbar itself required a smaller security presence, with only two guards assigned to protect it directly [רלב״ג, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם].

These specific assignments help complete the broader picture of the Temple security system. With the addition of these western posts, the total number of Levite guard stations reached twenty-four. In some of these locations, Levites were even stationed alongside the guarding priests [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד]. The guards operated on a daily rotation. When multiplying the minimum number of guards per shift by the twenty-four shifts, the total comes remarkably close to the four thousand gatekeepers recorded earlier in the broader census. The final tally is simply a rounded figure, presenting the overarching number without deducting the minor mathematical difference [רלב״ג].