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1 Chronicles 24:6

in 1 Chronicles 24

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.

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.

This verse in 1 Chronicles 24

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

And 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

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

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

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

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 & Brown

1802–1910

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

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 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.

  • וַֽיִּכְתְּבֵ֡םand he recorded them

    vaiyikhtevemH3789224 times

  • שְֽׁמַֽעְיָה֩Shemaiah

    shema'yahH809841 times

  • בֶן־[the] son of

    ven-H11214930 times

  • נְתַנְאֵ֨לNethanel

    netanelH541714 times

  • הַסּוֹפֵ֜רthe scribe

    hasoferH5608159 times

  • מִן־one of

    min-H44801188 times

  • הַלֵּוִ֗יthe Levite[s]

    haleviH3881291 times

  • לִפְנֵ֨י<to> before

    lifneiH64402123 times

  • הַמֶּ֤לֶךְthe king

    hamelekhH44282525 times

  • וְהַשָּׂרִים֙and the officials

    vehasarimH8269421 times

  • וְצָד֣וֹקand Zadok

    vetzadokH665953 times

  • הַכֹּהֵ֗ןthe priest

    hakohenH3548750 times

  • וַאֲחִימֶ֙לֶךְ֙and Ahimelech

    vaachimelekhH28816 times

  • בֶּן־[the] son of

    ben-H11214930 times

  • אֶבְיָתָ֔רAbiathar

    ʾevyatarH5430 times

  • וְרָאשֵׁי֙and [the] heads of

    verasheiH7218599 times

  • הָֽאָב֔וֹתthe fathers

    haavotH11212 times

  • לַכֹּהֲנִ֖יםof the priests

    lakohanimH3548750 times

  • וְלַלְוִיִּ֑םand of the Levites

    velalviyimH3881291 times

  • בֵּֽית־a house of

    beit-H10042046 times

  • אָ֣בa father

    ʾavH11212 times

  • אֶחָ֗דone

    ʾechadH259971 times

  • אָחֻז֙drawn

    ʾachuzH27067 times

  • לְאֶלְעָזָ֔רfor Eleazar

    leelazarH49972 times

  • וְאָחֻ֥ז׀and drawn

    veachuzH27067 times

  • אָחֻ֖זdrawn

    ʾachuzH27067 times

  • לְאִיתָמָֽר׃ פfor Ithamar

    leitamarH38521 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 13:52

    Then 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,

  • Through

    Ezra 7:6

    this 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…

  • Through

    1 Chronicles 18:16

    Zadok 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;

About 1 Chronicles

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.