1 Chronicles 24:5

_THUS 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._ Thus were they divided by lot. This method of allocation was adopted manifestly to remove all cause of jealousy as to precedence and the right of performing particular duties....

Verse 1 Chronicles 24:5. _THEY DIVIDED BY LOT_] This prevented jealousies: for, as all the families were equally noble, they had equal right to all ecclesiastical and civil distinctions....

ONE SORT WITH ANOTHER - i. e., “the assignment of their order in the courses was made by lot to the families belonging to Eleazar, and to the families belonging to Ithamar, equally.” Both houses had furnished functionaries of the highest class, and therefore no preference was now given to either over the other....

EXPOSITION 1 CHRONICLES 24:1 The twenty-four classes of priests. 1 CHRONICLES 24:1 The Hebrew of this verse reads, AND TO THE SONS OF AARON, THEIR DIVISIONS מַחְלְקוֹתָם); THE SONS OF AARON: NADEB AND ABIHU, ELEAZAR AND ITHAMAR. The word "divisions" is the same word that is translated "courses" in 1 Chronicles 24:6, and which verse also would read literally, "And David divided them divisions to the sons of Levi, to Gershon, Kohath, and Merari." Our present verse evidently continues both the subject and construction of that verse. Of the four sons ...

THUS WERE THEY DIVIDED BY LOT, ONE SORT WITH ANOTHER,.... Which course should serve first, and which next, and so on; and who should be the chief to each course; which course was to serve a week, and then go out; and this method was taken to prevent envy, strife, and contention about precedence: FOR THE GOVERNORS OF THE SANCTUARY; or of the holy things, or who presided in things ecclesiastical: AND GOVERNORS OF THE HOUSE OF GOD: or rather "governors of God", appointed by him judges in civil things: WERE OF THE SONS OF ELEAZAR, AND OF THE SONS OF ITHAMAR: there were, of both families, some employed both in sacred and civil things, and who presided in each....

3. THE TWENTY-FOUR COURSES OF THE PRIESTS CHAPTER 24 _ 1. The twenty-four courses (1 Chronicles 24:1)_ 2. The organization of other Levites (1 Chronicles 24:20) In the previous chapter we read of 24,000 Levites set apart for the service. In the next chapter we find twenty-four leaders of song and music appointed, and here David instituted twenty-four courses of priests. Each of these ministered a full week, from one sabbath to the next. These courses were not only continued by Solomon, but also by Hezekiah and Josiah. From Luke 1:5, we learn the same order was still followed in the days our Lord was born. Zecharias belonged to the eighth course, that of Abijah. In the bo

The courses of the priests (the sons of Aaron), twenty-four in number, took their turns in the service of the Temple, and each course cast lots for the particular place of service of each priest (_cf._ Luke 1:8 f.). 1 Chronicles 24:20. Another list of Levites; this is probably from a later hand; the names coincide to a large extent with those already given in 1 Chronicles 23:7, though some new ones are added....

DIVIDED BY LOT. See note on the Urim and Thummim (Exodus 28:30). GOD. Hebrew. _Elohim._ (with Art.). the [true] God. App-4. AND OF. Some codices, with four early printed editions, Aramaean, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "and from among"....

_one_sort _with another_ i.e. sons of Eleazar with sons of Ithamar. _the governors of the sanctuary, and governors_of the house _of God were of the sons_, etc.] R.V. THERE WERE PRINCES OF THE SANCTUARY, AND PRICES OF GOD, BOTH OF THE SONS etc. The _princes of the sanctuary_(Isaiah 43:28) are probably the same as the _princes of God_and as the _chiefs of the priests_(2 Chronicles 36:14). The Heb. expression in 2 Chronicles 35:8 is different (_rulers of the house of God_)....

GOVERNORS OF THE HOUSE OF GOD— _Governors of God, 1:_e. the judges, says Houbigant. The ministers of religion are expressed in the foregoing words, _the governors of the sanctuary._ Grotius has very justly observed, that _governors of God,_ never signify in the sacred writings those who minister to God, but governors in the common-wealth, _chiefs,_ or _judges._...