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1
Chronicles Chapter Twenty-four
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 24
This
chapter relates the distribution David made of the priests into twenty four
classes or courses, and which were observed by lot, and each course had an head
or principal man over it, 1 Chronicles 24:1
and of a like distribution of the Levites into the same number of courses, to
attend the priests in theirs, 1 Chronicles 24:20.
1 Chronicles
24:1 Now these
are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron were
Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
YLT
1And to the sons of Aaron
[are] their courses: sons of Aaron [are] Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and
Ithamar,
Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron,.... Into the
classes or courses following:
the sons of Aaron; Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar; 1 Chronicles 6:3,
these were the immediate sons of Aaron; but the division or distribution of
them into classes are of their posterity in the times of David, who descended
from the two latter.
1 Chronicles
24:2 2 And
Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children; therefore
Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests.
YLT
2and Nadab dieth, and Abihu,
in the presence of their father, and they had no sons, and Eleazar and Ithamar
act as priests.
But Nadab and Abihu died before their father,.... While he
was living, see Leviticus 10:1.
and had no children, therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the
priests' office: otherwise, as Jarchi observes, had their brethren left children,
they would have come into the office before them.
1 Chronicles
24:3 3 Then
David with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar,
divided them according to the schedule of their service.
YLT
3And David distributeth
them, and Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar,
according to their office in their service;
And David distributed them,.... The posterities of
Eleazar and Ithamar into certain classes or courses:
both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of
Ithamar; these were the two principal men of the respective families, the
one was high priest, and the other "sagan" or deputy; or they both officiated
as high priests alternately, until the one was removed in Solomon's time, and
the other established alone. And now their brethren the priests, who were under
each of these, are the persons David divided into classes:
according to their offices in their service: to perform
their office as priests in the service of the temple in their turns.
1 Chronicles 24:4 4 There were more leaders
found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar, and thus they
were divided. Among the sons of Eleazar were sixteen heads of their
fathers’ houses, and eight heads of their fathers’ houses among the sons of
Ithamar.
YLT
4and there are found of the
sons of Eleazar more for heads of the mighty men than of the sons of Ithamar;
and they distribute them: Of the sons of Eleazar, heads for a house of fathers,
sixteen; and of the sons of Ithamar, for a house of their fathers, eight.
And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of
the sons of Ithamar,.... Or heads of men, heads of their fathers' houses and
families:
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; in all twenty four, and
into so many classes or courses did David divide them; Jarchi says at first
when the tabernacle was at Shiloh, there were but sixteen courses, eight from
Eleazar, and eight from Ithamar, as is explained in the treatise of fastingF14T.
Bab. Taanith, fol. 27. 1. ; but when David saw that there were more heads of
men, or chief men of Eleazar's, he divided the courses of Eleazar into two
parts, and fixed sixteen courses; and the courses of Ithamar he established as
at first, eight courses; left them as they were, which he thinks appears from 1 Chronicles 24:6
but of the former number of courses, and when and by whom fixed, the Jews are
dividedF15T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 27. 1. ; See Gill on Luke 1:5. Perhaps
there were none before David's time.
1 Chronicles 24:5 5 Thus they were divided by
lot, one group as another, for there were officials of the sanctuary and
officials of the house of God, from the sons of Eleazar and from the
sons of Ithamar.
YLT
5And they distribute them,
by lots, one with another, for princes of the sanctuary, and princes of God,
have been of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.
Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another,.... Which
course should serve first, and which next, and so on; and who should be the
chief to each course; which course was to serve a week, and then go out; and
this method was taken to prevent envy, strife, and contention about precedence:
for the governors of the sanctuary; or of the holy things,
or who presided in things ecclesiastical:
and governors of the house of God: or rather
"governors of God", appointed by him judges in civil things:
were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar: there were,
of both families, some employed both in sacred and civil things, and who
presided in each.
1 Chronicles 24:6 6 And the scribe, Shemaiah
the son of Nethanel, one of the Levites, wrote them down before the
king, the leaders, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the
heads of the fathers’ houses of the priests and Levites, one father’s
house taken for Eleazar and one for Ithamar.
YLT
6And Shemaiah son of
Nethaneel the scribe, of the Levites, writeth them before the king and the
princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and heads of the
fathers, for priests and for Levites: one house of a father being taken
possession of for Eleazar, and one being taken possession of for Ithamar.
And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe,.... The
Targum is, Moses the chief scribe, so called: one
of the Levites wrote them: the lots, and the names
upon them, put into the urn, and as they came out, which was first, second,
&c. and this was done
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; and in this public manner, before such great personages, and in
the presence of those that were interested in the affair, that it might appear
plainly no fraudulent methods were taken, and that there might be no suspicion
of any:
one principal household being taken for Eleazar, and one for
Ithamar; the sense of Jarchi as above, and other Jewish writers, is, that
one was added to each family of Eleazar, and so made sixteen, and Ithamar's
were retained, and left as at first, eight: but the sense is, that first one
family of Eleazar was taken, and then one of Ithamar's family, and then one of
Eleazar's again, and so on until sixteen were gone through; and then the other
eight were divided under so many heads of the family of Eleazar.
1 Chronicles 24:7 7 Now the first lot fell to
Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,
YLT
7And the first lot goeth out
for Jehoiarib, for Jedaiah the second,
Verses 7-18
Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib,.... And the
other twenty three to the following persons in order:
Jedaiah, Harim, Seorim, Malchijah, Mijamin, Hakkoz, Abijah,
Jeshua, Shecaniah, Eliashib, Jakim, Huppah, Jeshebeab, Bilgah, Immer, Hezir,
Aphses, Pethahiah, Jehezekel, Jachin, Gamul, Delaiah, and Maaziah; of all which
courses we know little more than their names, though they continued in some
form or other both under the first and second temple, to the destruction of it;
the Jews say only four of these courses returned from the Babylonish captivity,
which were those of Jedaiah, Harim, Pashur, and Immer; though Pashur is not
among these here; yet they say each of these four had six lots, and that the
names and the order of the other courses were retained and continued under
them, and supplied by them: hence we read of Mattithiah, from whom sprung the
Maccabees, as of the course of Jehoiarib,"In those days arose Mattathias
the son of John, the son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib, from
Jerusalem, and dwelt in Modin.' (1 Maccabees 2:1)which was
the first course, and the most honourable; wherefore JosephusF16Vita
ejus, sect. 1. , who was of it, valued himself upon it, that he was not only of
the priestly order, but of the first class or course of the twenty four; and we
also read of the course of Abijah, the eighth course, of which was Zechariah
the father of John the Baptist, Luke 1:5 of these
courses; see Gill on Luke 1:5.
1 Chronicles 24:8 8 the third to Harim, the
fourth to Seorim,
YLT
8for Harim the third, for
Seorim the fourth,
1 Chronicles 24:9 9 the fifth to Malchijah,
the sixth to Mijamin,
YLT
9for Malchijah the fifth,
for Mijamin the sixth,
1 Chronicles 24:10 10 the seventh to Hakkoz, the
eighth to Abijah,
YLT
10for Hakkoz the seventh, for
Abijah the eighth,
1 Chronicles 24:11 11 the ninth to Jeshua, the
tenth to Shecaniah,
YLT
11for Jeshuah the ninth, for
Shecaniah the tenth,
1 Chronicles 24:12 12 the eleventh to Eliashib,
the twelfth to Jakim,
YLT
12for Eliashib the eleventh,
for Jakim the twelfth,
1 Chronicles 24:13 13 the thirteenth to Huppah,
the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,
YLT
13for Huppah the thirteenth,
for Jeshebeab the fourteenth,
1 Chronicles 24:14 14 the fifteenth to Bilgah,
the sixteenth to Immer,
YLT
14for Bilgah the fifteenth,
for Immer the sixteenth,
1 Chronicles 24:15 15 the seventeenth to Hezir,
the eighteenth to Happizzez,[a]
YLT
15for Hezir the seventeenth,
for Aphses the eighteenth,
1 Chronicles 24:16 16 the nineteenth to
Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezekel,[b]
YLT
16for Pethahiah the
nineteenth, for Jehezekel the twentieth,
1 Chronicles 24:17 17 the twenty-first to
Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul,
YLT
17for Jachin the one and
twentieth, for Gamul the two and twentieth,
1 Chronicles 24:18 18 the twenty-third to
Delaiah, the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.
YLT
18for Delaiah the three and
twentieth, for Maaziah the four and twentieth.
1 Chronicles 24:19 19 This was the
schedule of their service for coming into the house of the Lord according to
their ordinance by the hand of Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel
had commanded him.
YLT
19These [are] their
appointments for their service, to come in to the house of Jehovah, according
to their ordinance by the hand of Aaron their father, as Jehovah God of Israel,
commanded them.
These were the orderings of them,.... Their classes or
courses into which they were divided:
in their service to come into the house of the Lord; to perform
their service in the temple, according to their turns, and in course as fixed
by lot; one class or course served one week, and then went out, and another
came in, each consisting of 1000 men, see 1 Chronicles 23:4.
according to their manner; law, right, custom, here
prescribed for them: under Aaron their father; that is, him who was high priest
for the time being; who bore this name because his successor and
representative, under whose inspection, direction, and authority, all the rest
of the priests were, and whom they were to obey in all things:
as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him; to take care
they should be done.
1 Chronicles 24:20 20 And the rest of the sons
of Levi: of the sons of Amram, Shubael;[c] of the
sons of Shubael, Jehdeiah.
YLT
20And for the sons of Levi
who are left: for sons of Amram, Shubael; for sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah.
Verses 20-30
And the rest of the sons of Levi were these,.... Who were
not priests, only Levites; and from hence, to 1 Chronicles 24:30
their names are given; of the sons of Amram, Shubael, and his son Jehdeiah;
Rehabiah the son of Eleazar, and Isshiah the son of Rehabiah; of the Izharites,
so called from Izhar, the brother of Amram, Shelomoth, and his son Jahath; and
of the sons of Hebron, another brother of Amram, Jeriah, Amariah, Jahaziel, and
Jekameam; of the sons of Uzziel, another brother of Amram, Michah, and his son
Shamir; Isshiah the brother of Michah, and his son Zechariah: the sons of
Merari, Mahli and Mushi, his immediate sons; from whom sprung by Jaaziah, Beno,
Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri; of Mahli sprung Eleazar, who had no sons; and Kish,
whose son was Jerahmeel; the sons of Mushi, another son of Merari, Mahli, Eder,
and Jerimoth; most of these names are the same with those in 1 Chronicles 23:16,
these were the sons of the Levites, after the house of their
fathers; some of the principal of them.
1 Chronicles 24:21 21 Concerning Rehabiah, of
the sons of Rehabiah, the first was Isshiah.
YLT
21For Rehabiah: for sons of
Rehabiah, the head Ishshiah.
1 Chronicles 24:22 22 Of the Izharites,
Shelomoth;[d] of the
sons of Shelomoth, Jahath.
YLT
22For the Izharite:
Shelomoth; for sons of Shelomoth: Jahath.
1 Chronicles 24:23 23 Of the sons of Hebron,[e] Jeriah was
the first, [f] Amariah
the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
YLT
23And sons of Jeriah: Amariah
the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth.
1 Chronicles 24:24 24 Of
the sons of Uzziel, Michah; of the sons of Michah, Shamir.
YLT
24Sons of Uzziel: Michah; for
sons of Michah: Shamir.
1 Chronicles 24:25 25 The brother of Michah,
Isshiah; of the sons of Isshiah, Zechariah.
YLT
25A brother of Michah [is]
Ishshiah; for sons of Ishshiah: Zechariah;
1 Chronicles 24:26 26 The sons of Merari were
Mahli and Mushi; the son of Jaaziah, Beno.
YLT
26sons of Merari: Mahli and
Mushi; sons of Jaaziah: Beno;
1 Chronicles 24:27 27 The sons of Merari by
Jaaziah were Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.
YLT
27sons of Merari: of Jaaziah:
Beno, and Shoham, and Zaccur, and Ibri.
1 Chronicles 24:28 28 Of Mahli: Eleazar, who had
no sons.
YLT
28For Mahli: Eleazar, who had
no sons;
1 Chronicles 24:29 29 Of Kish: the son of Kish,
Jerahmeel.
YLT
29for Kish: sons of Kish:
Jerahmeel.
1 Chronicles 24:30 30 Also the sons of Mushi were
Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites according
to their fathers’ houses.
YLT
30And sons of Mushi [are]
Mahli, and Eder, and Jerimoth; these [are] sons of the Levites, for the house
of their fathers,
1 Chronicles 24:31 31 These also cast lots just
as their brothers the sons of Aaron did, in the presence of King David, Zadok,
Ahimelech, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the priests and
Levites. The chief fathers did just as their younger brethren.
YLT
31and they cast, they also,
lots over-against their brethren the sons of Aaron, before David the king, and
Zadok, and Ahimelech, and heads of the fathers, for priests and for Levites;
the chief father over-against his younger brother.
These likewise cast lots over against their brethren, the sons of
Aaron,.... These, being divided into twenty four classes also, cast
lots, which class should answer to, attend upon, and serve the first course of
the priests, and which the second, and so on. And this they did in the same
solemn and public manner as the priests had done:
in the presence of David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and
the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites; as in 1 Chronicles 24:6.
even the principal fathers over against their younger brethren; the sense is,
either that the one stood over against the other, to be distributed by lot, the
one as well as the other; or they were chosen by lot, let it fall as it would,
without any regard to age or dignity, to the seniority or largeness of houses
and families; but as they were chosen, be they younger or elder, richer or
poorer, their families more or less numerous and ancient, so they took their
places.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)