1 Chronicles 24:5
in 1 Chronicles 24Thus they were divided by lot, for there were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God among both Eleazar’s and Ithamar’s descendants.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for there were princes of the sanctuary, and princes of God, both of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 24
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
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.
This site's exposition
more leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants
on 1 Chronicles 24:4-6
The text records the imbalance: “sixteen heads of families from the descendants of Eleazar and eight from the descendants of Ithamar”. The courses are still “divided by lot”, one house drawn against another in turn. The commentators note that lots settle a sacred office again at Acts 1:26.
This site's exposition
Thus they were divided by
Lots set the divisions between Eleazar's and Ithamar's houses. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown say the lot removed all cause of jealousy over rank. Matthew Henry calls the lot an appeal to God and compares the choice of Matthias in Acts 1:26.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
The lot is an appeal to God, and ought to be managed with corresponding reverence and sincerity. Matthias was chosen to the apostleship by lot, with prayer ( Acts i. 24, 26 ), and I know not but it might be still used in faith in parallel cases, as an instituted ordinance.
Of the twenty-four chief men of the priests sixteen were of the house of Eleazar and eight of Ithamar; for the house of Ithamar may well be supposed to have dwindled since the sentence passed on the family of Eli, who was of that house. The method of drawing the lots is intimated (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
"And I know not, says Mr. Henry, but it might be still used in faith, in parallel cases, as an instituted ordinance." Of God - Or rather, of the things of God, that is, of all persons ministering in the sanctuary, and of all holy ministrations done in it, and of all other matters of the Lord, as they are called by way of distinction from, the king's matters, 2 Chron. xix, 11.
Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּחְלְק֥וּם | vaiyachlekum | and they divided them | H2505 → | 65 times |
| בְּגוֹרָל֖וֹת | begoralot | by lots | H1486 → | 78 times |
| אֵ֣לֶּה | ʾeleh | these | H428 → | 746 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| אֵ֑לֶּה | ʾeleh | these | H428 → | 746 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הָי֤וּ | hayu | they were | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| שָֽׂרֵי־ | sarei- | officials of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ | kodesh | holiness | H6944 → | 469 times |
| וְשָׂרֵ֣י | vesarei | and [the] officials of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| מִבְּנֵ֥י | mibenei | from [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֶלְעָזָ֖ר | ʾelazar | Eleazar | H499 → | 72 times |
| וּבִבְנֵ֥י | uvivnei | and among [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אִיתָמָֽר׃ ס | ʾitamar | Ithamar | H385 → | 21 times |
וַיַּחְלְק֥וּםand they divided them
vaiyachlekumH2505 →65 times
בְּגוֹרָל֖וֹתby lots
begoralotH1486 →78 times
אֵ֣לֶּהthese
ʾelehH428 →746 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
אֵ֑לֶּהthese
ʾelehH428 →746 times
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
הָי֤וּthey were
hayuH1961 →3559 times
שָֽׂרֵי־officials of
sarei-H8269 →421 times
קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙holiness
kodeshH6944 →469 times
וְשָׂרֵ֣יand [the] officials of
vesareiH8269 →421 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
מִבְּנֵ֥יfrom [the] descendants of
mibeneiH1121 →4930 times
אֶלְעָזָ֖רEleazar
ʾelazarH499 →72 times
וּבִבְנֵ֥יand among [the] descendants of
uvivneiH1121 →4930 times
אִיתָמָֽר׃ סIthamar
ʾitamarH385 →21 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 27:1When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put Him to death.
it leads to
- Mark 15:1
Early in the morning, the chief priests, elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin devised a plan. They bound Jesus, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate.
- John 18:28
Then they led Jesus away from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. By now it was early morning, and the Jews did not enter the Praetorium, to avoid being defiled and unable to eat the Passover.
- Micah 2:1
Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands.
- Luke 22:66
At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and scribes, met together. They led Jesus into their Sanhedrin and said,
- Psalms 2:2
The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the LORD and against His Anointed One:
- Mark 15:1
Through
Acts 4:6along with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and many others from the high priest’s family.
it leads to
- Luke 3:2
during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
- John 18:24
Then Annas sent Him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.
- Luke 3:2
Through
1 Chronicles 24:31As 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…
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 24:5–6
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.
- 1 Chronicles 24:5–6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Chronicles
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.