1 Chronicles 24:1-6

The Divisions of Priests

1 These were the divisions of the descendants of Aaron: The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests.

3 With the help of Zadok a descendant of Eleazar and Ahimelek a descendant of Ithamar, David separated them into divisions for their appointed order of ministering.

4 A larger number of leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than among Ithamar’s, and they were divided accordingly: sixteen heads of families from Eleazar’s descendants and eight heads of families from Ithamar’s descendants.

5 They divided them impartially by casting lots, for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of God among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.

6 The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officials: Zadok the priest, Ahimelek son of Abiathar and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar.

1 Chronicles 24:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

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, 1Ch 24:1-19 and of a like distribution of the Levites into the same number of courses, to attend the priests in theirs, 1Ch 24:20-31.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Chronicles 23:6; 1 Chronicles 28:13; 2 Chronicles 5:11; 2 Chronicles 8:14; 2 Chronicles 23:8; 2 Chronicles 31:2; 2 Chronicles 35:4,5; Ezra 6:18
• 2. Numbers 3:2-4
• 3. S Exodus 6:23
• 4. Leviticus 10:1-2; Numbers 3:4
• 5. S 2 Samuel 8:17
• 6. ver 31; 1 Chronicles 25:8; 1 Chronicles 26:13
• 7. 1 Chronicles 18:16