The Histories · Old Testament

1 Chronicles 24

1 Chronicles 24: the twenty-four courses of the priests

General context

The chapter divides the sons of Aaron. Nadab and Abihu "died before their father, and had no children", so Eleazar and Ithamar carried on the priesthood. David, with Zadok of Eleazar's line and Ahimelech of Ithamar's, distributes them by their offices; Eleazar's house yields sixteen chief men and Ithamar's eight, and they are divided by lot "one sort with another", since governors of the sanctuary came from both. Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel, a Levite scribe, writes the results before the king, the princes, Zadok, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar and the chiefs, taking one household for Eleazar and one for Ithamar in turn. The twenty-four lots are then listed: the first to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, and so on through Abijah the eighth to Maaziah the twenty-fourth. These are their orderings for coming into the house of the Lord, "under Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him". The rest of the Levites follow by house: Shubael of Amram's line, Rehabiah, the Izharites, the four sons of Hebron, Uzziel's line, and the Merarites including a branch through Jaaziah and the note that Eleazar of Mahli had no sons. They likewise cast lots "over against their brethren the sons of Aaron" before David, Zadok and Ahimelech, "the principal fathers over against their younger brethren".

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 24:1, 1 Chronicles 24:2, 1 Chronicles 24:3, 1 Chronicles 24:4, 1 Chronicles 24:5, 1 Chronicles 24:6, 1 Chronicles 24:7, 1 Chronicles 24:10, 1 Chronicles 24:18, 1 Chronicles 24:19, 1 Chronicles 24:20, 1 Chronicles 24:23, 1 Chronicles 24:27, 1 Chronicles 24:28, 1 Chronicles 24:31

1 Chronicles 24 (KJV)

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

²But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest’s office.

³And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service.

⁴And there were more chief 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 house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers.

⁵Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for the governors of the sanctuary, and governors of the house of God, were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.

⁶And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe, one of the Levites, wrote them before the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and before the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites: one principal household being taken for Eleazar, and one taken for Ithamar.

⁷Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,

⁸The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,

⁹The fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin,

¹⁰The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,

¹¹The ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,

¹²The eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,

¹³The thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

¹⁴The fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,

¹⁵The seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Aphses,

¹⁶The nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezekel,

¹⁷The one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and twentieth to Gamul,

¹⁸The three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah.

¹⁹These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the Lord, according to their manner, under Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.

²⁰And the rest of the sons of Levi were these: Of the sons of Amram; Shubael: of the sons of Shubael; Jehdeiah.

²¹Concerning Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah, the first was Isshiah.

²²Of the Izharites; Shelomoth: of the sons of Shelomoth; Jahath.

²³And the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth.

²⁴Of the sons of Uzziel; Michah: of the sons of Michah; Shamir.

²⁵The brother of Michah was Isshiah: of the sons of Isshiah; Zechariah.

²⁶The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi: the sons of Jaaziah; Beno.

²⁷The sons of Merari by Jaaziah; Beno, and Shoham, and Zaccur, and Ibri.

²⁸Of Mahli came Eleazar, who had no sons.

²⁹Concerning Kish: the son of Kish was Jerahmeel.

³⁰The sons also of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites after the house of their fathers.

³¹These likewise cast lots over against their brethren the sons of Aaron in the presence of David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites, even the principal fathers over against their younger brethren.

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Historical context

The chapter states that Nadab and Abihu died before Aaron and childless, without giving the cause. The priest of Ithamar's line is "Ahimelech the son of Abiathar" here, where chapter 18 had "Abimelech the son of Abiathar" and chapter 15 named Abiathar himself; the text does not comment on the forms. The lot, not seniority, fixes the order of the twenty-four courses, though Eleazar's house supplies twice as many heads. The text names a scribe, Shemaiah, and the witnesses before whom the lots were recorded. The eighth course is Abijah; Luke's Gospel later places Zacharias "of the course of Abia", a phrase that presupposes this arrangement without retelling it. The Levite list at the end repeats names from chapter 23 and adds a Merarite branch through Jaaziah that chapter 23 did not include. The closing verse says the principal fathers cast lots on the same footing as their younger brethren; the text presents this as the procedure and does not explain its purpose further.

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 24:2, 1 Chronicles 24:6, 1 Chronicles 18:16, 1 Chronicles 24:4, 1 Chronicles 24:5, 1 Chronicles 24:10, Luke 1:5, 1 Chronicles 24:26, 1 Chronicles 24:31

Literary context

The chapter is built around a list of twenty-four lots, each verse pairing two ordinals with two names, so the reading itself falls into a rhythm of turns. Before the list the narrator explains the unequal houses and the equalizing device, the lot; after it he anchors the whole in Aaron and the Lord's command, so the human procedure is set under a divine one. The opening note that two of Aaron's sons died childless reduces four lines to two and makes the division that follows possible. The Levite section repeats the pattern of chapter 23 with fewer names and the same ordinals for Hebron's sons, and the final verse mirrors the priests' lot with "likewise", extending the same fairness to the Levites, principal and younger alike. The chapter has no speech and no event, only an arrangement made to last.

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 24:8, 1 Chronicles 24:17, 1 Chronicles 24:5, 1 Chronicles 24:19, 1 Chronicles 24:2, 1 Chronicles 24:23, 1 Chronicles 24:31

Key moments

Two sons died childless (1 Chronicles 24:2). Nadab and Abihu die before Aaron, leaving Eleazar and Ithamar as priests.
Sixteen and eight (1 Chronicles 24:4). Eleazar's line yields sixteen chief men and Ithamar's eight.
Divided by lot (1 Chronicles 24:5). The courses are assigned by lot, drawing from both houses.
Written by Shemaiah the scribe (1 Chronicles 24:6). A Levite scribe records the lots before the king, priests and chiefs.
The first lot to Jehoiarib (1 Chronicles 24:7). The list of twenty-four courses begins.
The eighth to Abijah (1 Chronicles 24:10). Abijah's course is the eighth, a name Luke later attaches to Zacharias.
Levites cast lots likewise (1 Chronicles 24:31). The remaining Levites cast lots before David on equal terms with their elders.

For reflection

Eleazar's house has twice the chief men of Ithamar's, yet the order of service is settled by lot, principal and younger alike. What might be gained by letting chance, rather than rank, decide who goes first?