1 Chronicles 24:2

2 And Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children; therefore Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests.

1 Chronicles 24:2 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 24:2

But Nadab and Abihu died before their father
While he was living, see ( Leviticus 10:1 Leviticus 10:2 )

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 24:2 In-Context

1 Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

2 And Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children; therefore Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests.

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.

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.

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.