Why did Eleazar’s families receive 16 chiefs while Ithamar’s received eight?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

More of Eleazar’s sons were found among the principal men. David divided both families together by lot, and the chapter records the 24 courses and the remaining Levite families.

Chapter breakdown

The priests are divided into 24 courses for temple service, followed by the chiefs of the Levites.

Aaron’s sons were Nadab, Abiu, Eleazar and Ithamar. Nadab and Abiu died before their father and had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar performed the priestly office. David distributed them according to their courses and ministry, with Sadoc from Eleazar’s sons and Ahimelech from Ithamar’s sons. Eleazar’s sons had more principal men: 16 chiefs by their families, compared with eight among Ithamar’s families and houses. Both families were divided together by lot, since both had princes of the sanctuary and princes of God. Semeias, son of Nathanael, the scribe and Levite, wrote them down before the king, the princes, Sadoc the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar and the princes of the priestly and Levitical families. The account describes “one house, which was over the rest, of Eleazar: and another house, which had the rest under it, of Ithamar.”

The lots came out in this order: first Joiarib; second Jedei; third Harim; fourth Seorim; fifth Melchia; sixth Maiman; seventh Accos; eighth Abia; ninth Jesua; tenth Sechenia; eleventh Eliasib; twelfth Jacim; thirteenth Hoppha; fourteenth Isbaab; fifteenth Belga; sixteenth Emmer; seventeenth Hezir; eighteenth Aphses; nineteenth Pheteia; twentieth Hezechiel; twenty-first Jachin; twenty-second Gamul; twenty-third Dalaiau; twenty-fourth Maaziau.

These were their courses according to their ministries, for entering the Lord’s house and following their manner of service under Aaron their father, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded.

Among the remaining sons of Levi, Amram’s line had Subael, and Subael’s line had Jehedeia. Jesias was chief among Rohobia’s sons. Isaar’s son was Salemoth, and Salemoth’s son was Jahath. The next verse says “And his son Jeriau the first,” then lists Amarias second, Jahaziel third and Jecmaan fourth. Oziel’s son was Micha, whose son was Samir. Micha’s brother was Jesia, whose son was Zacharias. Merari’s sons were Moholi and Musi; Oziau’s son was Benno. The following verse lists “The son also of Merari Oziau, and Soam, and Zacchur, and Hebri.” Moholi’s son Eleazar had no sons. Cis’s son was Jeramael. Musi’s sons were Moholi, Eder and Jerimoth. These were Levi’s sons according to their family houses.

They too cast lots alongside their brethren, Aaron’s sons, before King David, Sadoc, Ahimelech and the princes of the priestly and Levitical families, both elder and younger. The lot divided all equally.

The story inside

The chapter first explains which of Aaron’s sons carried on the priestly office: Nadab and Abiu had died without children, leaving Eleazar and Ithamar. Their families did not have equal numbers of principal men, so the division named 16 chiefs from Eleazar and eight from Ithamar. Both families took part in the lots, and Semeias recorded the results before the named leaders. The full sequence of 24 courses follows, tied to entering the Lord’s house under the command given through Aaron. The account then names the remaining Levite family houses. Their closing allocation also used lots before David and the priestly and Levitical leaders, with elder and younger included and all divided equally.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The family counts have a stated reason. Eleazar’s line had more principal men, producing 16 chiefs alongside Ithamar’s eight. Both lines nevertheless shared the casting of lots and both had princes of the sanctuary and princes of God. The chapter does not describe a strict alternation between the two lines.
2
The sequence is part of the account’s substance. It names every course from Joiarib first to Maaziau twenty-fourth and connects their ministry to entering the Lord’s house under Aaron, as God commanded. It gives no calendar dates or length for each course, so those details cannot be supplied from this chapter.
3
The Levite roster keeps particular relationships and limits. Eleazar is said to have no sons, rather than no children. Some clauses leave their family connections difficult to follow; their wording is retained instead of silently assigning a parent. The closing lot includes elder and younger and divides all equally.

Test your recall

Nadab and Abiu die before Aaron without children → Eleazar and Ithamar perform the priestly office. More principal men belong to Eleazar’s line → 16 chiefs from that line and eight from Ithamar’s. Both families have princes of the sanctuary and princes of God → both share the casting of lots. Semeias records the allocation before the named leaders → the 24 courses are listed in order for their commanded ministry. The remaining Levite families also cast lots before the leaders → elder and younger are included and all are divided equally.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 43742–43746
1 Paralipomenon Chapter 24 The divisions of the priests into four and twenty courses, to serve in the temple: the chiefs of the Levites.
Lines 43747–43771
24:1. Now these were the divisions of the sons of Aaron: The sons of Aaron: Nadab, and Abiu, and Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24:2. But Nadab and Abiu died before their father, and had no children: so Eleazar, and Ithamar did the office of the priesthood. 24:3. And David distributed them, that is, Sadoc of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their courses and ministry. 24:4. And there were found many more of the sons of Eleazar among the principal men, than of the sons of Ithamar. And he divided them so, that there were of the sons of Eleazar, sixteen chief men by their families: and of the sons of Ithamar eight by their families and houses. 24:5. And he divided both the families one with the other by lot: for there were princes of the sanctuary, and princes of God, both of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar. 24:6. And Semeias the son of Nathanael the scribe a Levite, wrote them down before the king and the princes, and Sadoc the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the princes also of the priestly and Levitical families: one house, which was over the rest, of Eleazar: and another house, which had the rest under it, of Ithamar.
Lines 43773–43796
24:7. Now the first lot came forth to Joiarib, the second to Jedei, 24:8. The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, 24:9. The fifth to Melchia, the sixth to Maiman, 24:10. The seventh to Accos, the eighth to Abia, 24:11. The ninth to Jesua, the tenth to Sechenia, 24:12. The eleventh to Eliasib, the twelfth to Jacim, 24:13. The thirteenth to Hoppha, the fourteenth to Isbaab, 24:14. The fifteenth to Belga, the sixteenth to Emmer, 24:15. The seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Aphses, 24:16. The nineteenth to Pheteia, the twentieth to Hezechiel, 24:17. The one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and twentieth to Gamul, 24:18. The three and twentieth to Dalaiau, the four and twentieth to Maaziau.
Lines 43798–43801
24:19. These are their courses according to their ministries, to come into the house of the Lord, and according to their manner under the hand of Aaron their father: as the Lord the God of Israel had commanded.
Lines 43803–43826
24:20. Now of the rest of the sons of Levi, there was of the sons of Amram, Subael: and of the sons of Subael, Jehedeia. 24:21. Also of the sons of Rohobia the chief Jesias. 24:22. And the son of Isaar Salemoth, and the son of Salemoth Jahath: 24:23. And his son Jeriau the first, Amarias the second, Jahaziel the third, Jecmaan the fourth. 24:24. The son of Oziel, Micha: the son of Micha, Samir. 24:25. The brother of Micha, Jesia: and the son of Jesia, Zacharias. 24:26. The sons of Merari: Moholi and Musi: the son of Oziau: Benno. 24:27. The son also of Merari Oziau, and Soam, and Zacchur, and Hebri. 24:28. And the son of Moholi: Eleazar, who had no sons. 24:29. And the son of Cis, Jeramael. 24:30. The sons of Musi: Moholi, Eder, and Jerimoth. These are the sons of Levi according to the houses of their families.
Lines 43828–43833
24:31. And they also cast lots over against their brethren the sons of Aaron before David the king, and Sadoc, and Ahimelech, and the princes of the priestly and Levitical families, both the elder and the younger. The lot divided all equally.