XXIV. 1 Chronicles 24 contains (1) an account of the organisation of the priests in twenty-four classes (1 Chronicles 24:1); (2) a recapitulation of the Levitical classes, as described in the last chapter (1 Chronicles 24:20).... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THESE ARE THE DIVISIONS. — Literally, _And for the sons of Aaron, their divisions_ (_were as follows_). The sentence forms a superscription to the section (1 Chronicles 24:1). THE SONS OF AARON are named above (1 Chronicles 6:3). (Comp. Exodus 6:23.) As usual, the writer starts _ab ovo. _... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NADAB AND ABIHU DIED BEFORE THEIR FATHER. — Leviticus 10:1 tells why: viz., because they offered “strange fire” before the Lord. (See also Numbers 3:4, from which our text appears to be derived.) AND HAD NO CHILDREN. — Literally, _And sons had not become_ (been born) _to them._ THEREFORE ELEAZ... [ Continue Reading ]
AND DAVID DISTRIBUTED THEM. — The same phrase as at 1 Chronicles 13:3. (See Note there.) BOTH ZADOK OF THE SONS OF ELEAZAR, AND AHIMELECH OF THE SONS OF ITHAMAR. — This expression forms part of the _subject_ of the Hebrew sentence. The construction is like that in 1 Chronicles 24:2, “And Nadab died... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WERE MORE CHIEF MEN FOUND. — Literally, _And the sons of Eleazar were found more numerous as regards the heads of the men than the sons of Ithamar._ The basis of division was not the individual members of the different families, but the heads of them. There were more head men, or heads of... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS WERE THEY DIVIDED BY LOT, ONE SORT WITH ANOTHER. — Literally, _And they divided them by lots, these with those: i.e.,_ the sons of Eleazar with those of Ithamar, the clans of each standing together, apart from those of the other, and the lots being drawn for each alternately. The object was to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHEMAIAH... WROTE THEM. — Made a list of the names in the order determined by lot, as given below (1 Chronicles 24:7). THE CHIEF OF THE FATHERS. — Better, _the heads of the houses_ or _clans._ ONE PRINCIPAL HOUSEHOLD BEING TAKEN... — The Hebrew text is corrupt, but we may with great probability... [ Continue Reading ]
JEHOIARIB... JEDAIAH. — See 1 Chronicles 9:10. The Maccabean princes were of the house of Jehoiarib (1MMalachi 2:1). CAME FORTH. — From the urn (Joshua 16:1; Joshua 19:1).... [ Continue Reading ]
(7-10) The order of the twenty-four classes of priests, as decided by the drawings. We have no means of discovering to which of the lines individual clans belonged, whether to that of Eleazar or to that of Ithamar.... [ Continue Reading ]
HARIM — _i.e., hârûm,_ flat-nosed. (Comp. Latin _Naso._) This name recurs in Ezra 2:39; Nehemiah 3:11. SEORIM (_barley_) — i.e., bearded (Latin, _Barbatus_)_,_ _IS_ not found elsewhere.... [ Continue Reading ]
MALCHIJAH. — Nehemiah 3:11. MIJAMIN. — Looks like _on the right hand._ Perhaps the first syllable is a disguise of _Mê_ (water — a metaphorical term for _son_)_,_ and then the name would be equivalent to Benjamin (Nehemiah 12:5).... [ Continue Reading ]
HAKKOZ. — _The thorn._ (Comp. _koz,_ thorn, 1 Chronicles 4:8.) ABIJAH. — Called “Abia” (Luke 1:5). To this class or course of the priests belonged Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist.... [ Continue Reading ]
JESHUAH. — Heb., _Yĕshûa’;_ in Greek, Ἰησοῦ, Jesus (Ezra 2:2). The name only occurs in Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah. The Syriac and Arabic read “Elisha” here. SHECANIAH. — 1 Chronicles 3:21. This was a common name in the post-exilic age (_Iah is a neighbour_)_. _... [ Continue Reading ]
ELIASHIB (_God will restore_)_. — _1 Chronicles 3:24. JAKIM (_He, i.e., God, or Jah, will establish_). — Equivalent to Eliakim and Jecamiah (1 Chronicles 8:19).... [ Continue Reading ]
HUPPAH. — (_Covering, canopy;_ Isaiah 4:5). Here only as a proper name; but comp. “Huppim” (1 Chronicles 7:12). JOSHEBEAB. — Only here. It means, _May the Father_ (_i.e.,_ God) _cause to lead captive!_ But the LXX. reads Ιεσβααλ_,_ or Ισβααλ : _i.e., Eshbaal,_ “man of Baal.” So Vulg., “Isbaab.”... [ Continue Reading ]
IMMER. — 1 Chronicles 9:10; Jeremiah 20:1 (perhaps a _lamb_). BILGAH. — Nehemiah 10:9 (“Bilgai”), 12:5 (_smiling; c_omp. Isaac, _the laugher_)_. _... [ Continue Reading ]
HEZIR. — _Hog._ (See Nehemiah 10:21.) The Syriac and Arabic read “Ahaziah;” but Vulg. and LXX. prove “Hezir.” APHSES. — Heb., _ha-piççêç_ (_the scatterer_)_:_ here only. LXX. Αφεσση; Vulg., “Aphses;” Syriac and Arabic, “Phasin.”... [ Continue Reading ]
PETHAHIAH. — Ezra 10:23, (_Iah openeth, i.e.,_ setteth free). (Comp. Jephthah: _He, i.e., Iah, openeth._) JEHEZEKEL. — Heb., _Yĕhezqêl:_ Ezekiel.... [ Continue Reading ]
JACHIN. — Genesis 46:10; 1 Kings 7:21 (_He, i.e., Jah, setteth up, maketh firm_). The same name as Jehoiachin. GAMUL. — Here only as proper name (_weaned,_ Isaiah 11:8).... [ Continue Reading ]
DELAIAH. — 1 Chronicles 3:24, a common post-exilic name (_Jah draws out, i.e., frees_)_:_ but comp. Jeremiah 36:12, and Note on 1 Chronicles 3:1. MAAZIAH. — Here only. Perhaps “Maadiah” (Nehemiah 12:5) should be read. So Syriac, “Ma’adyâ;” Arabic, “Mi’diyyâ.” But LXX. (Vat.), “Maasai” (? Maaseiah);... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE WERE THE ORDERINGS OF THEM IN THEIR SERVICE. — Better, _These were their classes for their service._ ACCORDING TO THEIR MANNER, UNDER AARON. — Better, _according to their rule_ (or order; Vulg., _ritum_)_, ordained through Aaron,_ &c. (See Numbers 2:1; Numbers 4:1; Numbers 4:17.) All the sacer... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE REST OF THE SONS OF LEVI WERE THESE. — Rather, _And for the sons of Levi that were left over; i.e.,_ after the priests had been separately dealt with. The list begins with the Kohathite heads, omitting the Gershonites (1 Chronicles 23:7), perhaps owing to a _lacuna_ in the chronicler’s MS. a... [ Continue Reading ]
CONCERNING REHABIAH: OF THE SONS. — _For Rehabiah: for the sons of Rehabiah, the chief_ (head) _was Isshiah._ 1 Chronicles 23:17 only says that the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THE IZHARITES. — _For the Izharites._ The Gentilic form of this designation indicates that Shubael, Rehabiah, and others of these proper names, are likewise names of houses or clans. SHELOMOTH is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 23:18, but not the chief, “Jahath.”... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SONS OF HEBRON; JERIAH THE FIRST. — The Hebrew text is here mutilated. Our translators have emended it from 1 Chronicles 23:19. The names of the houses or classes are given, without those of the heads.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF UZZIEL... OF the SONS OF MICHAH. — With 1 Chronicles 24:24, comp. 1 Chronicles 23:20. “Jesiah” there is the same Hebrew name as is here spelt “Isshiah;” it should be _Yishshîyah_ in both places. SHAMIR and ZECHARIAH are the heads of the bnê Micah and bnê Isshiah. Only five heads of the... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF MERARI. — 1 Chronicles 24:26 : the Merarite heads. (Comp. 1 Chronicles 23:21.) THE SONS OF JAAZIAH; BENO. — _Beno_ is the Hebrew for “his son,” and can hardly be a proper name. The clause should be connected immediately with what follows in 1 Chronicles 24:27, and the whole translated t... [ Continue Reading ]
SHOHAM (_onyx_) and Ibri (_Hebrew_) do not occur as individual names elsewhere, but there is no reason to doubt their genuineness. Some commentators pronounce 1 Chronicles 24:26, spurious, against the evidence of the ancient versions.... [ Continue Reading ]
OF MAHLI CAME ELEAZAR. — Literally, _To Mahli, Eleazar; and there became not to him sons._ (Comp. 1 Chronicles 23:22.) The clan Eleazar did not branch out into new clans, but, being few in number, amalgamated with that of Kish-Jerahmeel.... [ Continue Reading ]
CONCERNING KISH. — Literally, _To Kish, the sons of Kish, Jerahmeel._ The plural, “sons of Kish,” as in 1 Chronicles 23:22.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS ALSO OF MUSHI. — So 1 Chronicles 23:23. (See Notes there.) Only the names of the houses or classes are mentioned, without those of the chiefs. (Comp. 1 Chronicles 24:23, _supra._) THESE WERE THE SONS OF THE LEVITES AFTER THE HOUSE OF THEIR FATHERS. — Rather, _according to their father-hous... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE LIKEWISE CAST LOTS OVER AGAINST THEIR BRETHREN THE SONS OF AARON. — Rather, _Just like, in the same way as their brethren,_ the priests. The same compound preposition (_le‘ummath_) recurs in 1 Chronicles 26:12; 1 Chronicles 26:16. In 2 Samuel 16:13 it has the sense of _over against,_ or _paral... [ Continue Reading ]