1 Chronicles 24:6
in 1 Chronicles 24The 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Shemaiah the son of Nethanel the scribe, who was of the Levites, wrote them in the presence of the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the priests and of the Levites; one fathers’ house being taken for Eleazar, and one taken for Ithamar.
KJV
And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe, one of the Levites, wrote them before the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and before the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites: one principal household being taken for Eleazar, and one taken for Ithamar.
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 24
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd Shemaiah - “Moses the great scribe, who is called Shemaiah, the son of Nethaneel, of the tribe of Levi, wrote them down.” - T. One principal household - for Eleazar - The family of Eleazar was the most illustrious of the sacerdotal families, because Eleazar was the first-born of Aaron, Ithamar’s family was the second in order and dignity; therefore one of the principal families of Eleazar was first taken, and then one of Ithamar’s, and thus alternately till the whole was finished.
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 Awakening3 voices
The sixteen chief names of Eleazar were put in one urn, the eight for Ithamar in another, and they drew out of them alternately, as long as those for Ithamar lasted, and then out of those only for Eleazar, or two for Eleazar, and then one for Ithamar, throughout. Among these twenty-four courses the eighth is that of Abijah or Abia (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
One, &c. - Or, the chief of one house of the fathers was taken (by lot) for Eleazar (out of his family) and that which was taken after it was taken for Ithamar, out of his family.
And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
one principal household--The marginal reading is preferable, "one house of the father." The lot was cast in a deliberate and solemn manner in presence of the king, the princes, the two high priests, and the chiefs of the priestly and Levitical families.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Wrote them before the king - i. e., “wrote down their names as the lots were drawn forth.” Ahimelech the son of Abiathar - A wrong reading. It should be “Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech.” See the 2Sa 8:17 note.
The words behind it
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיִּכְתְּבֵ֡ם | vaiyikhtevem | and he recorded them | H3789 → | 224 times |
| שְֽׁמַֽעְיָה֩ | shema'yah | Shemaiah | H8098 → | 41 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| נְתַנְאֵ֨ל | netanel | Nethanel | H5417 → | 14 times |
| הַסּוֹפֵ֜ר | hasofer | the scribe | H5608 → | 159 times |
| מִן־ | min- | one of | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַלֵּוִ֗י | halevi | the Levite[s] | H3881 → | 291 times |
| לִפְנֵ֨י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְהַשָּׂרִים֙ | vehasarim | and the officials | H8269 → | 421 times |
| וְצָד֣וֹק | vetzadok | and Zadok | H6659 → | 53 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֗ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| וַאֲחִימֶ֙לֶךְ֙ | vaachimelekh | and Ahimelech | H288 → | 16 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֶבְיָתָ֔ר | ʾevyatar | Abiathar | H54 → | 30 times |
| וְרָאשֵׁי֙ | verashei | and [the] heads of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| הָֽאָב֔וֹת | haavot | the fathers | H1 → | 1212 times |
| לַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים | lakohanim | of the priests | H3548 → | 750 times |
| וְלַלְוִיִּ֑ם | velalviyim | and of the Levites | H3881 → | 291 times |
| בֵּֽית־ | beit- | a house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אָ֣ב | ʾav | a father | H1 → | 1212 times |
| אֶחָ֗ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| אָחֻז֙ | ʾachuz | drawn | H270 → | 67 times |
| לְאֶלְעָזָ֔ר | leelazar | for Eleazar | H499 → | 72 times |
| וְאָחֻ֥ז׀ | veachuz | and drawn | H270 → | 67 times |
| אָחֻ֖ז | ʾachuz | drawn | H270 → | 67 times |
| לְאִיתָמָֽר׃ פ | leitamar | for Ithamar | H385 → | 21 times |
וַֽיִּכְתְּבֵ֡םand he recorded them
vaiyikhtevemH3789 →224 times
שְֽׁמַֽעְיָה֩Shemaiah
shema'yahH8098 →41 times
בֶן־[the] son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
נְתַנְאֵ֨לNethanel
netanelH5417 →14 times
הַסּוֹפֵ֜רthe scribe
hasoferH5608 →159 times
מִן־one of
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַלֵּוִ֗יthe Levite[s]
haleviH3881 →291 times
לִפְנֵ֨י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
הַמֶּ֤לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וְהַשָּׂרִים֙and the officials
vehasarimH8269 →421 times
וְצָד֣וֹקand Zadok
vetzadokH6659 →53 times
הַכֹּהֵ֗ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
וַאֲחִימֶ֙לֶךְ֙and Ahimelech
vaachimelekhH288 →16 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אֶבְיָתָ֔רAbiathar
ʾevyatarH54 →30 times
וְרָאשֵׁי֙and [the] heads of
verasheiH7218 →599 times
הָֽאָב֔וֹתthe fathers
haavotH1 →1212 times
לַכֹּהֲנִ֖יםof the priests
lakohanimH3548 →750 times
וְלַלְוִיִּ֑םand of the Levites
velalviyimH3881 →291 times
בֵּֽית־a house of
beit-H1004 →2046 times
אָ֣בa father
ʾavH1 →1212 times
אֶחָ֗דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
אָחֻז֙drawn
ʾachuzH270 →67 times
לְאֶלְעָזָ֔רfor Eleazar
leelazarH499 →72 times
וְאָחֻ֥ז׀and drawn
veachuzH270 →67 times
אָחֻ֖זdrawn
ʾachuzH270 →67 times
לְאִיתָמָֽר׃ פfor Ithamar
leitamarH385 →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 13:52Then He told them, “For this reason, every scribe who has been discipled in the kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
it leads to
- 1 John 2:7–8
Beloved, I am not writing to you a new commandment, but an old one, which you have had from the beginning. This commandment is the message you have heard.
- Titus 1:9
He must hold firmly to the faithful word as it was taught, so that he can encourage others by sound teaching and refute those who contradict it.
- 2 Timothy 3:16–17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
- 1 John 2:7–8
Through
Ezra 7:6this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for…
it leads to
- Ezra 8:22
For I was ashamed to ask the king for an escort of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our enemies on the road, since we had told him, “The hand of our God…
- Ezra 7:28
and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the…
- Ezra 8:31
On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to protect us from the hands…
- Nehemiah 2:18
I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me. “Let us start rebuilding,” they replied, and they set their hands to this…
- Ezra 8:22
Through
1 Chronicles 18:16Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha was the scribe;
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 8:17
Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was the scribe;
- 2 Samuel 8:17
About 1 Chronicles

Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonEarly monarchyAhimelechPriest of Nob who gave the fugitive David the showbread and Goliath's sword, not knowing the king's quarrel; slain with eighty-fiv…
- PersonWildernessEleazarAaron's third son who succeeded him as high priest on Mount Hor, founding the line that runs to Phinehas and Zadok.
- PersonWildernessIthamarAaron's fourth son, ordained priest in Leviticus 8; overseer of the tabernacle's accounts and the Gershonite and Merarite service.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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.
