UNROLL
Early dawn in a stone-paved court: in the lower third, small, a ring of priests in white linen stands in silence around a low cedar table covered with white linen, a plain clay jar and a single burning clay lamp on it, beneath a calm, pale dawn sky above a plain wall.

The Book of

1 Chronicles 24

Twenty-four families of priests and a lot to set each one’s turn. The eighth, Abijah’s, still matters a thousand years later.

31 verses≈ 4 min4 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–9GenealogiesAll Israel, from Adam
  2. 10Saul fallsThe kingdom turned to David
  3. 11–12David kingAll Israel gathers
  4. 13–16The arkBrought home with songs
  5. 17The covenantA house forever
  6. 18–20David's warsThe LORD gave victory
  7. 21The siteOrnan's threshing floor
  8. 22–27Preparing the templePriests, Levites and singersChapter 24
  9. 28–29David's farewellBe strong, and do the work

Twenty-Four Divisions of Priests

Family line

Aaron’s four sons

  1. These were the divisions of the descendants of Aaron.

  2. Aaron
    • Nadab
    • Abihu
    • Eleazar
    • Ithamar

    The first high priest

    The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

  3. Eleazar and Ithamar served

    But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

Morning in the stone court of David's house: the old white-bearded king sits under a plain awning with Zadok and Ahimelech standing near him, the scribe Shemaiah sits at a low table with a scroll on his knees and a reed pen raised, and a priest in white linen draws one small wooden token from a clay jar held by another while the heads of families watch.

Thus they were divided by lot, for there were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God among both Eleazar’s and Ithamar’s descendants.

The scribe, Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officers: Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the heads of families of the priests and the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar, and then one from Ithamar.

0:26

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Reflect

Your turn

Twenty-four families would serve by turns, each in its week, and then go home to wait for the next. The order was written down “in the presence of the king,” and no family could choose the best weeks for itself. Faithfulness meant being ready when your turn came. What part has God given you right now? How can you do it faithfully, even when no one is watching?

Priests’ divisions

Lots 1 to 12

  1. Jedaiah: Ezra 2:36

    1 Jehoiarib · 2 Jedaiah

    The first lot fell to Jehoiarib,

    the second to Jedaiah,

  2. Harim: Ezra 2:39

    3 Harim · 4 Seorim

    the third to Harim,

    the fourth to Seorim,

  3. 5 Malchijah · 6 Mijamin

    the fifth to Malchijah,

    the sixth to Mijamin,

  4. Abijah: Luke 1:5

    7 Hakkoz · 8 Abijah

    the seventh to Hakkoz,

    the eighth to Abijah,

  5. 9 Jeshua · 10 Shecaniah

    the ninth to Jeshua,

    the tenth to Shecaniah,

  6. 11 Eliashib · 12 Jakim

    the eleventh to Eliashib,

    the twelfth to Jakim,

Dawn on a hill road winding up toward a small walled town on a narrow ridge: about a dozen priests, young and gray, in white linen under plain brown wool cloaks, bundles on their backs and staffs in hand, walk up between terraced olive slopes.

Priests’ divisions

Lots 13 to 24

  1. 13 Huppah · 14 Jeshebeab

    the thirteenth to Huppah,

    the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

  2. Immer: Ezra 2:37

    15 Bilgah · 16 Immer

    the fifteenth to Bilgah,

    the sixteenth to Immer,

  3. 17 Hezir · 18 Happizzez

    the seventeenth to Hezir,

    the eighteenth to Happizzez,

  4. 19 Pethahiah · 20 Jehezkel

    the nineteenth to Pethahiah,

    the twentieth to Jehezkel,

  5. 21 Jachin · 22 Gamul

    the twenty-first to Jachin,

    the twenty-second to Gamul,

  6. 23 Delaiah · 24 Maaziah

    the twenty-third to Delaiah,

    and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.

according to the regulations prescribed for them by their forefather Aaron, as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded him.

1 Chronicles 24:19

Question

Quick question

Twenty-four lots set the order of the priests, and their names were kept for centuries.

Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, served in one of these divisions. Which one?

The Rest of the Levites

Family line

The rest of the Levites

  1. ShubaelJehdeiah

    From Amram

    Now these were the rest of the descendants of Levi:

    From the sons of Amram: Shubael;

    from the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah.

  2. RehabiahIsshiah

    As for Rehabiah, from his sons: The first was Isshiah.

  3. ShelomothJahath

    Izharites

    From the Izharites: Shelomoth;

    from the sons of Shelomoth: Jahath.

  4. Hebron
    • Jeriah
    • Amariah
    • Jahaziel
    • Jekameam

    From the sons of Hebron: Jeriah was the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

  5. MicahShamir

    From Uzziel

    From the sons of Uzziel: Micah;

    from the sons of Micah: Shamir.

  6. IsshiahZechariah

    Micah’s brother

    The brother of Micah: Isshiah;

    from the sons of Isshiah: Zechariah.

  7. Merari
    • Mahli
    • Mushi

    From Merari

    The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.

  8. Jaaziah
    • Beno
    • Shoham
    • Zaccur
    • Ibri

    The son of Jaaziah: Beno.

    The descendants of Merari from Jaaziah: Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.

  9. MahliEleazar

    who had no sons

    From Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons.

  10. KishJerahmeel

    From Kish: Jerahmeel the son of Kish.

  11. Mushi
    • Mahli
    • Eder
    • Jerimoth

    And the sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

  12. By their families

    These were the sons of the Levites, according to their families.

As their brothers the descendants of Aaron did, they also cast lots in the presence of King David and of Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the families of the priests and Levites—the family heads and their younger brothers alike.

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1 Chronicles 24

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A verse to carry with you

This was their appointed order for service when they entered the house of the LORD, according to the regulations prescribed for them by their forefather Aaron, as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded him.

1 Chronicles 24:19

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