1 Chronicles 24:4

4 and the sons of Eleazar were found many more in the men princes, than the sons of Ithamar. And David parted to them, that is, to the sons of Eleazar, sixteen princes by their families (and houses); and to the sons of Ithamar eight princes by their families and houses. (and there were found many more leaders of the sons of Eleazar, than of the sons of Ithamar. And David ordained to them, that is, to the sons of Eleazar, sixteen leaders by their families and houses; and to the sons of Ithamar eight leaders by their families and houses.)

1 Chronicles 24:4 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 24:4

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 fasting ^F14; 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 divided ^F15; (See Gill on Luke 1:5). Perhaps there were none before David's time.

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 27. 1.
F15 T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 27. 1.

1 Chronicles 24:4 In-Context

2 but Nadab and Abihu were dead without free children before their father, and Eleazar and Ithamar were set in priesthood. (and Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and had no children, and so Eleazar and Ithamar became priests, that is, the High Priests.)

3 And David parted them, that is, (with the help of) Zadok, of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech, of the sons of Ithamar, by their whiles, and their service; (And David, with the help of Zadok, of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech, of the sons of Ithamar, divided them for their duties, and their service;)

4 and the sons of Eleazar were found many more in the men princes, than the sons of Ithamar. And David parted to them, that is, to the sons of Eleazar, sixteen princes by their families (and houses); and to the sons of Ithamar eight princes by their families and houses. (and there were found many more leaders of the sons of Eleazar, than of the sons of Ithamar. And David ordained to them, that is, to the sons of Eleazar, sixteen leaders by their families and houses; and to the sons of Ithamar eight leaders by their families and houses.)

5 And he parted ever either families among themselves by lots; for there were princes of the saintuary, and princes of the house of God, as well of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar. (And he divided both families among themselves by lots; for there were officers of the sanctuary, and officers of the House of God, from the sons of Eleazar, and from the sons of Ithamar.)

6 And Shemaiah, the son of Nethaneel, a scribe of the lineage of Levi, described them before the king and [the] princes, and before Zadok, the priest, and Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar, and to the princes of the families of the priests and of the deacons; he described one house of Eleazar, that was sovereign to [the] others, and the tother house of Ithamar, that had [the] other priests and deacons under him. (And Shemaiah, the son of Nethaneel, a writer, or a secretary, of the Levite tribe, listed them before the king, and the officers, and Zadok, the priest, and Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar, and the leaders of the families of the priests and the Levites; he listed one household, or family, of Eleazar, that was the leader of the others, and another household, or family, of Ithamar, that had the other priests and Levites under him.)