1 Chronicles 24:1 Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
1 Chronicles 24:2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest’s office.
1 Chronicles 24:3 And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service.
David assigned the offices with the help of two representatives of the descendants of Eleazar and Ithamar.
Though here named with Zadok he is not called
“the priest,” but merely
“the son of Abiathar” (
v. 6). Abiathar had long been David’s priest and counselor, and was associated in the priesthood with Zadok in the reign of David (
ch. 15:11). Abiathar had recently been implicated in Adonijah’s rebellion (
1 Kings 1:7, 18, 19; 1 Kings 2:26, 27; see on
2 Sam. 8:17).
1 Chronicles 24:4 And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar, and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers.
The basis of division was according to the heads of the different families, not according to the individual members of the families.
1 Chronicles 24:5 Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for the governors of the sanctuary, and governors of the house of God, were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.
Literally,
“these with these.” The purpose was to determine the question of precedence in the order of ministration (
v. 19) in which the priests were to serve (see
Luke 1:5, 8, 9).
The two types of governors here mentioned denoted religious functionaries of the highest order—chief priests. The terms may be practically synonymous, or the latter may denote high priests. Both houses had provided religious leaders of the first rank. Now the assignments were determined by lot in order that no preference might be shown to either side.
1 Chronicles 24:6 And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe, one of the Levites, wrote them before the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and before the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites: one principal household being taken for Eleazar, and one taken for Ithamar.
The list appears in
vs. 7-18. There seems to be no means by which it may be determined to which of the lines individual clans belonged, whether to Eleazar or to Ithamar.
1 Chronicles 24:19 These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the Lord, according to their manner, under Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.
That is, the numerical order established for their ministerial services in the house of the Lord.
That is, according to the specific order that had been fixed by Aaron. Each of the 24 classes took its turn in rotation, for the carrying out of the services in the house of the Lord.
1 Chronicles 24:20 And the rest of the sons of Levi were these: Of the sons of Amram; Shubael: of the sons of Shubael; Jehdeiah.
Rest of the sons of Levi.
Verses 20-31 give a second enumeration of the Levitical classes (see
ch. 23:7-23). The object of this second listing may be to designate the heads of the families at a different time. The list begins with the Kohathites, but omits the Gershonites (see
ch. 23:7-11).
1 Chronicles 24:21 Concerning Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah, the first was Isshiah.
1 Chronicles 24:22 Of the Izharites; Shelomoth: of the sons of Shelomoth; Jahath.
1 Chronicles 24:23 And the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth.
The words
“Hebron” and
“first” are not found in the Hebrew of this text but have evidently been supplied by the translators from
ch. 23:19.
1 Chronicles 24:24 Of the sons of Uzziel; Michah: of the sons of Michah; Shamir.
Or,
“Micah” (
ch. 23:20). The Hebrew is the same in both instances.
1 Chronicles 24:25 The brother of Michah was Isshiah: of the sons of Isshiah; Zechariah.
Or,
“Jesiah” (
ch. 23:20). The Hebrew is the same in both cases.
1 Chronicles 24:26 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi: the sons of Jaaziah; Beno.
Literally,
“his son.” Some think that this clause should be connected with what follows in
v. 27, and should read:
“The sons of Jaaziah his son.” That is, the sons of Merari belonging to Jaaziah his son, were Shoham, and Zaccur, and Ibri. Others think Beno is a variant of Bani (
ch. 6:46).
1 Chronicles 24:28 Of Mahli came Eleazar, who had no sons.
1 Chronicles 24:31 These likewise cast lots over against their brethren the sons of Aaron in the presence of David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites, even the principal fathers over against their younger brethren.
Heb. le‘ummah, “correspondingly to.” The meaning is that they cast lots, like their brethren the priests. The Levitical houses enumerated drew lots on equal terms with the elder families, who had no advantage over them. Junior and senior branches of the Levites were treated alike.