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1 Chronicles 24:5

in 1 Chronicles 24

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.

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.

This verse in 1 Chronicles 24

Commentary

8 notes on this verse
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

there were more chief men found

on 1 Chronicles 24:4-6

The imbalance stands unresolved in the text itself, sixteen chief men from Eleazar's house against eight from Ithamar's, yet the courses divide by lot without regard to the numbers, one house drawn against another in turn. Shemaiah the scribe records the assignment in the presence of David, the princes, Zadok and Ahimelech, so the courses stand as public record rather than private arrangement. The commentators note that casting lots to settle a sacred office recurs later at Acts 1:26, when the apostles choose Matthias the same way.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

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.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

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

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

"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 & Brown

1802–1910

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

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

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 words

Every 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.

  • וַיַּחְלְק֥וּםand they divided them

    vaiyachlekumH250565 times

  • בְּגוֹרָל֖וֹתby lots

    begoralotH148678 times

  • אֵ֣לֶּהthese

    ʾelehH428746 times

  • עִם־with

    ʾim-H59731050 times

  • אֵ֑לֶּהthese

    ʾelehH428746 times

  • כִּי־for

    ki-H35884482 times

  • הָי֤וּthey were

    hayuH19613559 times

  • שָֽׂרֵי־officials of

    sarei-H8269421 times

  • קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙holiness

    kodeshH6944469 times

  • וְשָׂרֵ֣יand [the] officials of

    vesareiH8269421 times

  • הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים<the> God

    haelohimH4302601 times

  • מִבְּנֵ֥יfrom [the] descendants of

    mibeneiH11214930 times

  • אֶלְעָזָ֖רEleazar

    ʾelazarH49972 times

  • וּבִבְנֵ֥יand among [the] descendants of

    uvivneiH11214930 times

  • אִיתָמָֽר׃ סIthamar

    ʾitamarH38521 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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 27:1

    When 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:

  • Through

    Acts 4:6

    along 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.

  • Through

    1 Chronicles 24:31

    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…

    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.

About 1 Chronicles

Cedars Are Cut Down for the Jerusalem Temple, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Cedars Are Cut Down for the Jerusalem Temple, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.

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.