1 Chronicles 24:2

2 But Nadav and Avihu died before their father and had no children; therefore El'azar and Itamar functioned as the cohanim.

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 The divisions of the descendants of Aharon were as follows: The sons of Aharon: Nadav, Avihu, El'azar and Itamar.

2 But Nadav and Avihu died before their father and had no children; therefore El'azar and Itamar functioned as the cohanim.

3 David, together with Tzadok from the descendants of El'azar, and Achimelekh from the descendants of Itamar, arranged them in divisions for service.

4 There were more men who were chiefs found among the descendants of El'azar than among the descendants of Itamar; therefore there were sixteen divisions of the descendants of El'azar, headed by clan leaders, and eight divisions of the descendants of Itamar, according to their clans.

5 They were assigned [periods of service] by lot, the one group equally with the other, since both the descendants of El'azar and the descendants of Itamar had officers of the sanctuary and officers of God.