Commentaria in I Paralipomenon
Chapter 24
The priests are distributed into 24 classes, and to each is assigned its class of Levites to serve it in the sacrifice.
1. And the sons of Aaron had these distributions: the sons of Aaron: Nadab, and Abiu, and Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2. But Nadab and Abiu died before their father without children: and Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priestly office. 3. And David divided them, that is, Sadoc of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their courses and ministry. 4. And there were found many more chief men among the sons of Eleazar than among the sons of Ithamar. And he divided to them, that is, to the sons of Eleazar, sixteen chiefs by their families: and to the sons of Ithamar eight by their families and houses. 5. And he divided both families among themselves by lots; for there were princes of the sanctuary, and princes of God, as well of the sons of Eleazar as of the sons of Ithamar. 6. And Semeias the son of Nathanael, a scribe of the Levites, wrote them down before the king and the princes, and Sadoc the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the chiefs of the families of the priests and Levites: one house, which presided over the others, Eleazar had, and another house, which had the others under it, Ithamar. 7. And the first lot came out for Joiarib, the second for Jedei, 8. the third for Harim, the fourth for Seorim, 9. the fifth for Melchia, the sixth for Maiman, 10. the seventh for Accos, the eighth for Abia, 11. the ninth for Jesua, the tenth for Sechenia, 12. the eleventh for Eliasib, the twelfth for Jacim, 13. the thirteenth for Hoppha, the fourteenth for Isbaab, 14. the fifteenth for Delga, the sixteenth for Emmer, 15. the seventeenth for Hezir, the eighteenth for Aphses, 16. the nineteenth for Pheteia, the twentieth for Hezechiel, 17. the twenty-first for Jachin, the twenty-second for Gamul, 18. the twenty-third for Dalaiau, the twenty-fourth for Maaziau. 19. These were their courses according to their ministries, to enter into the house of the Lord, and according to their rite under the hand of Aaron their father: as the Lord the God of Israel had commanded. 20. And of the sons of Levi that remained, of the sons of Amram was Subael, and of the sons of Subael, Jehedeia. 21. Of the sons also of Rohobia the chief was Jesias. 22. And of Isaar, Salemoth, and the son of Salemoth, Jahath: 23. and his son Jeriau the first, Amarias the second, Jahaziel the third, Jecmaan the fourth. 24. The son of Oziel, Micha; the son of Micha, Samir. 25. The brother of Micha, Jesia; and the son of Jesia, Zacharias. 26. The sons of Merari: Moholi and Musi. The son of Oziau: Benno. 27. The son also of Merari: Oziau, and Soam, and Zachur, and Hebri. 28. And of Moholi, Eleazar, who had no children. 29. And of Cis, the son Jerameel. 30. The sons of Musi: Moholi, Eder, and Jerimoth: these were the sons of Levi according to the houses of their families. 31. And they also cast lots against their brethren the sons of Aaron, before David the king, and Sadoc, and Ahimelech, and the chiefs of the families of the priests and Levites, as well the greater as the lesser: the lot divided all equally.
3. And David divided them, that is, Sadoc of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their courses,—namely he divided all the priests, the descendants of Eleazar and Ithamar, into 24 classes. David divided them, I say, not by himself, but by two High Priests, namely by Sadoc who was of the descendants of Eleazar, and by Ahimelech who was of the descendants of Ithamar. For this distribution of the priests belonged to the High Priest, not to the king. 5. And he divided both families among themselves by lots,—lest anyone could complain that he had been unjustly passed over, and another preferred out of favour, but that all should be reckoned of equal right and condition; wherefore the matter was done by lot, and the lot assigned to each his order and turn.
For they were princes of the sanctuary.—There were 24 priestly families, and each had its own prince, namely the firstborn; who in his course presided over all, and directed all things in the temple; wherefore he was himself the chief Priest of his class, and therefore was called Pontiff. There were therefore 24 Pontiffs or princes of the Priests; of whom frequent mention is made in the Gospels; but above all these stood and presided the high Pontiff, namely Sadoc.
6. Ahimelech the son of Abiathar.—From this it seems that the High Priest Abiathar, being sick, or occupied with other things, entrusted his duties to his son Ahimelech, that he with the High Priest Sadoc might attend, and distribute these 24 classes of Priests.
10. The eighth Abia,—Of this was Zacharias the father of John the Baptist; wherefore it is certain that he was not the High Priest. For the High Priest had no course, but presided over all. Whether Zacharias was a Pontiff, that is, prince and firstborn of his family of Abia, as St. Dionysius wills, Celestial Hierarchy chapter 4, likewise whether he was of the descendants of Eleazar, or of the descendants of Ithamar, is uncertain.
26. The son of Oziau Benno,—and the rest who are enumerated in verse 27, as I shall now say.
27. The son also of Merari, Oziau.—These words seem to be taken as a parenthesis; for the following, namely: “Soam and Zachur and Hebri,” are sons of Oziau. This is clear from the Hebrew and Chaldee, which have thus: The sons of Merari by Oziau, Benno and Soam and Zachur and Hebri. (For since he had said: “The son of Oziau Benno,” and had not said whose son “Oziau” was, he explains this by adding: “The son of Merari Oziau,” then goes on to the other sons of Oziau besides Benno already named, saying: And Soam and Zachur and Hebri.—For the sons of Merari, namely Moholi and Musi, he had already enumerated in verse 26.) So Vatablus, Pagninus and others.
31. And they also cast lots against their brethren —namely opposite to or over against their brethren, that is, their kinsmen: and, as Vatablus translates, over against their brethren. The Septuagint, like their brethren, as if to say: As the priests, descendants of Aaron, divided into 24 classes, had cast lots by what order each should minister in the tabernacle; so also the Levites received by lot their turns of ministering.