1 Chronicles 24:2

2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children; therefore, Eleazar and Ithamar had the priesthood.

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 sons of Aaron also had their courses. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children; therefore, Eleazar and Ithamar had the priesthood.

3 And David distributed them, Zadok being of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their turns in their ministry.

4 And there were more men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar, and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar, there were sixteen chief men of the houses of their fathers and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the houses of their fathers.

5 They divided them, therefore, by lot, one with another for of the sons of Eleazar and of the sons of Ithamar there were princes of the sanctuary and princes of God.