The First Book of the Chronicles
1 Chronicles 24
Chapter XXIV · Vol. II, pp. 837–838
1 The divisions of the sons of Aaron by lot into four and twenty orders. 20 The Kohathites, 27 and the Merarites divided by lot.
1 Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. Thea sons of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
2 But bNadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest's office.
3 And David distributed them, both Zadok cof the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service.
c ver.6,31. 2 Sa.8.17. ch.18.16.
4 And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and thus were they divided.1 Among the sons of dEleazar 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.
1 To avoid all confusion, now that they were much increased, David distributed the priests, as he had done the Levites, into several courses, which no doubt was a divine direction as well as the other. He appointed sixteen courses of the sons of Eleazar, under as many heads of their families, and half as many of the posterity of Ithamar.—Patrick.
d Nu.25.11-13. ch.15.6-12. 1 Sa.2.30-38.
5 Thus were they divided eby lot,2 one sort with another; for the governors of the sanctuary, fand governors of the house of God,3 were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.
e Jos.18.10. Pr.16.33; 18.18. Ac.1.26.
2 The adoption of the lot was not with the mere view of avoiding any charge of partiality, it was a divine ordinance, by which an appeal was made to God for deciding what was unknown or doubtful, or above human wisdom. By this ordinance the whole land of Canaan had been distributed, so that this use of it was in conformity with the general law of appeal to God, Pr.16.33.—C.
f ch.9.29.
3 Grotius, Dathe, &c., render this 'chiefs of the judges.' The heads of the two families of Eleazar and Ithamar were the administrators of religion and the dispensers of justice. For though the high-priesthood had been at first settled in the line of Eleazar, and in the person of Phinehas, Nu. 25.12, that prerogative had been transferred before the time of Eli to the race of Ithamar, and after him it seems to have been shared equally by the descendants of both. Hence David, to prevent jealousy between the families, makes this distribution by lot.—I.
6 And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the gscribe, 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 principal4 household being taken for Eleazar, and one taken for Ithamar.
9 The fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin,5
5 The variation of Miniamin and Mijamin is caused by the elision of n, which is occasioned by the reduplication of the succeeding letter.—I.
10 The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to kAbijah,6
k Lu.1.5. Ne.12.4,17.
6 As the evangelist Luke mentions the course of Abia as that to which Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, belonged, it is evident that these courses of the priests established by David (no doubt under divine direction) were continued with some alteration till the days of Christ. These records must therefore have been very useful after the Babylonish captivity.—I.
11 The ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,
12 The eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,
13 The thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,
15 The seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Aphses,
16 The nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezekel,
17 The one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and twentieth to Gamul,
18 The three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah.
19 These were the morderings7 of them in their service to come into the house of the LORD,n according to their manner, under Aaron8 their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.
m Nu.24.5. 1 Co.1.10; 14.40. Col.2.5.
7 Yet the precise arrangements cannot easily be ascertained, in consequence of some obscurities in the text. To reconcile ver. 4 with ver. 6 Geddes (who has bestowed much pains on these lists) translates the latter clause of ver. 6 thus:—'and Abiathar, the son of Abimelech, and the other paternal chiefs of the priests and Levites: one paternal chief being taken for Ithamar, and two for Eleazar.'—I.
n A new order entered every Sabbath, 2 Ki.11.5,7. ch.9.25.
8 That is, according to the manner that had begun under the superintendence of Aaron, and was now completed by direction of David.—C.
20 And the rest of the sons of Levi were these: oOf the sons of Amram; Shubael: of the sons of Shubael;9 Jehdeiah.
o ch.23.14-17; 26.23-28.
9 Or, Shebuel.
21 Concerning Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah, the first was Isshiah.1
1 Probably Isshiah is a contracted form or a corruption of Jeshaiah.—I.
22 Ofp the Izharites; Shelomoth:2 of the sons of Shelomoth; Jahath.
p ch.23.18; 26.20.
2 Or, Shilomith.
23 And the sons of qHebron; Jeriah3 the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth.
q ch.6.2; 15.9; 23.19; 26.31.
3 There is some confusion in the list of names here. Dathe, following the Sept., thinks the verse describes the sons of Jeriah, and that the name of the eldest has dropped out. The variations here exist only in the translation, the original being uniformly Jerijah, Michah, and Isshiah.—I.
25 The brother of Michah was Isshiah: of the sons of Isshiah; Zechariah.
26 The ssons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi: the sons of Jaaziah; Beno.
s ch.23.21-23; 6.19. Ex.6.19. Nu.3.20,33.
27 The sons of Merari by Jaaziah; Beno, and Shoham, and Zaccur, and Ibri.
29 Concerning Kish: the son of Kish was Jerahmeel.
30 Theu sons also of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites, after the house of their fathers.
u ch.23.23.
31 These likewise xcast lots over against their brethren the sons of Aaron,4 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.
x These Levites cast lots to determine which order of the priests each should assist, ver. 5, 6.
4 Each course of priests required a corresponding course of Levites, who accordingly were chosen by lot, without any regard to seniority. David honours the solemn transaction by his royal presence—a lesson to all kings, by which they should learn, that while they may not intrude into the service of the sanctuary, 2 Ch.26.18, it is their duty to take order that it be regularly organized.—C.
Notes
Reflections.—Nothing ought to be done in the ordering of ecclesiastical offices but according to God's direction. What solemnity ought to take place in the settlement of ministers! and what order should be observed in the discharge of their work! But great will be the solemnity of the admission and comely the orders of the ransomed priests in their new-covenant state, particularly in the temple above! How happy their blessed equality! No difference is made between bond or free, old or young; but Christ is all and in all!