# 1 Chronicles 24

1 Chronicles 24 is the twenty-fourth chapter of the Books of Chronicles in the Hebrew Bible or the First Book of Chronicles in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The book is compiled from older sources by an unknown person or group, designated by modern scholars as "the Chronicler", and had the final shape established in late fifth or fourth century BCE. This chapter records the organization and departments of priests (verses 1–19) and a list of non-priestly Levites (verses 20–31). The whole chapter belongs to the section focusing on the kingship of David (1 Chronicles 9:35 to 29:30), which from chapter 22 to the end does not have any parallel in 2 Samuel.

## Text

This chapter was originally written in the Hebrew language. It is divided into 31 verses.

### Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).
Extant manuscripts of a Koine Greek translation known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE, include Codex Vaticanus (B; ${\mathfrak {G}}$$^B$; 4th century), Codex Alexandrinus (A; ${\mathfrak {G}}$$^A$; 5th century) and Codex Marchalianus (Q; ${\mathfrak {G}}$$^Q$; 6th century).

## David organizes the priests (24:1–19)

This section details the organization of the priests, the highest branch of the Levites, in a more advanced and systematic manner than anywhere else in the Hebrew Bible and was adhered rigidly until the Roman period (cf. Luke 1:5). Lists of the priestly families also found partially in 1 Chronicles 9:10–13; Nehemiah 10:2–8; Nehemiah 12:1–7; Nehemiah 12:12–21.

### Verse 1

    Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
Among the four sons of Aaron (Exodus 6:23), Nadab and Abihu died without children (verse 2); and the other two had to supply the "chief men of the house", of which Eleazar had sixteen, and Ithamar eight (verse 4).

### Verse 3

    And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service.
Of the two priestly families (1 Chronicles 15:11; 18:16–17; 25:1; cf. 2 Samuel 8:16–18), Zadok represented the family of Eleazar, and Ahimelech represented the family of Ithamar, to help David organizing the priests. The Chronicler emphasizes the equal treatment of the two groups in the passage (cf 24:31; 26:13) using a procedure of drawing lots (verse 5), also in 1 Chronicles (24:31; 25:8; 26:13) and elsewhere (for examples. Nehemiah 10:35), to indicate God's hand in the distribution of the personnel.

### List of the priestly divisions

| Verse | Division ! | English name | Hebrew name | Greek name | Note |
| 7 | 1st | Jehoiarib | יה֣וֹיָרִ֔יב | Ἰωαρίμ | 1 Chronicles 9:10. In Talmud Arakhin 11b Rabbi Yosei ben Halafta states that when Solomon's Temple was burnt on the ninth of Ab [586 BCE] the 'priestly guard' was of Jehoiarib division, and they were singing Psalm 94, but only to the first half of Psalm 94:23 (until "their own wickedness") before 'the enemies came and overwhelmed them'. Mattathias ben Johanan was a descendant of Jehoiarib according to 1 Maccabees 2:1. |
| 7 | 2nd | Jedaiah | ידַעְיָ֖ה | Ἰεδίᾳ | 1 Chronicles 9:10; one fragment of Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q325; "Mishmarot D") mentions: The beginning of the se[cond] month is [on the si]xth [day] of the course of Jedaiah. On the second of the month is the Sabbath of the course of Harim.... |
| 8 | 3rd | Harim | חָרִם֙ | Χαρὶβ | Nehemiah 10:5; Nehemiah 12:15, possibly "Rehum" in Nehemiah 12:3; one fragment of Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q325; "Mishmarot D") mentions: The beginning of the se[cond] month is [on the si]xth [day] of the course of Jedaiah. On the second of the month is the Sabbath of the course of Harim.... |
| 8 | 4th | Seorim | שְׂעֹרִ֖ים | Σεωρὶμ | Meaning "barley" or "bearded"; Latin: Barbatus. Listed in the Yemeni inscription with the division number and place of residence. |
| 9 | 5th | Malchijah | מַלְכִּיָּה֙ | Μελχίᾳ | Nehemiah 10:3, Nehemiah 12:42; other mentions: 1 Chronicles 9:12, Nehemiah 11:12; Jeremiah 21:1; Jeremiah 38:1. Listed in the Yemeni inscription with the division number and place of residence. Another Malchijah, an Israelitish layman, was in Nehemiah 3:11 and Ezra 10:25. |
| 9 | 6th | Mijamin | מִיָּמִ֖ן | Μεϊαμὶν | Nehemiah 10:7; Nehemiah 12:5; "Minjamin" in Nehemiah 12:17 Listed in the Yemeni inscription with the division number and place of residence. |
| 10 | 7th | Hakkoz | הַקּוֹץ֙ | Κὼς | Ezra 2:61; Nehemiah 3:4, 21. Listed in the Yemeni inscription with the division number and place of residence. |
| 10 | 8th | Abijah | אֲבִיָּ֖ה | Ἀβίᾳ | Nehemiah 10:7; Nehemiah 12:4, 17. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, was of the course of Abijah (Luke 1:5; also spelled as "Abia"). Listed in the Yemeni inscription with the division number and place of residence. |
| 11 | 9th | Jeshua | יֵשׁ֙וּעַ֙ | Ἰησοῦ | Ezra 3:2; Ezra 5:2.This Hebrew name is rendered as Ἰησοῦς in Greek, and as "Jesus" in English. Listed in the Yemeni inscription with the division number and place of residence. |
| 11 | 10th | Shecaniah | שְׁכַנְיָ֖הוּ | Σεχενίᾳ | Nehemiah 12:3; possibly "Shebaniah" in Nehemiah 10:4, Nehemiah 12:14. also in 1 Chronicles 3:21 Listed in the Yemeni inscription with the division number and place of residence. |
| 12 | 11th | Eliashib | אֶלְיָשִׁיב֙ | Ἐλιαβὶ | Nehemiah 13:4-7; also 1 Chronicles 3:24. Listed in the Yemeni inscription with the division number and place of residence. |
| 12 | 12th | Jakim | יָקִ֖ים | Ἰακὶμ | Equivalent to Eliakim and Jecamiah (1 Chronicles 8:19). Listed in the Yemeni inscription with the division number and place of residence. |
| 13 | 13th | Huppah | חֻפָּה֙ | Ὀπφᾷ | Another use as "covering, canopy" in Isaiah 4:5; probably the same as "Huppim" in 1 Chronicles 7:12. Listed in the Yemeni inscription with the division number and place of residence. |
| 13 | 14th | Jeshebeab | יֶֽשֶׁבְאָ֖ב | Ἰεσβαὰλ | Spelled in LXX as Ιεσβααλ or Ισβααλ, Eshbaal, "man of Baal"; Vulgate has "Isbaab." Listed in the Yemeni inscription with the division number and place of residence. |
| 14 | 15th | Bilgah | בִלְגָּה֙ | Βελγᾷ | Nehemiah 12:5; "Bilgai" in Nehemiah 10:8 |
| 14 | 16th | Immer | אִמֵּ֖ר | Ἐμμὴρ | 1 Chronicles 9:12; Ezra 2:37; Jeremiah 20:1. |
| 15 | 17th | Hezir | חֵזִיר֙ | Χηζὶν | Listed in the Caesarea inscription with the division number and place of residence. Mentioned as a name of a layman in Nehemiah 10:20. |
| 15 | 18th | Happizzez | הַפִּצֵּ֖ץ | Ἀφεσὴ | Listed in the Caesarea inscription with the division number and place of residence. Spelled in LXX as Αφεσση, in Vulgate as "Aphses;" in Syriac and Arabic as "Phasin." |
| 16 | 19th | Pethahiah | פְתַחְיָה֙ | Φεταίᾳ | Ezra 10:23; Nehemiah 9:5 Listed in the Caesarea inscription with the division number and place of residence. |
| 16 | 20th | Jehezkel | יחֶזְקֵ֖אל | Ἐζεκὴλ | Listed in the Caesarea inscription with the division number and place of residence. |
| 17 | 21st | Jachin | יָכִין֙ | Ἀχὶμ | 1 Chronicles 9:10; Nehemiah 11:10 Other mentions: Genesis 46:10; 1 Kings 7:21. The same name as Jehoiachin. probably "Achim" in Matthew 1:14 |
| 17 | 22nd | Gamul | גָמ֖וּל | Γαμοὺλ | Another use as "weaned" in Isaiah 11:8. |
| 18 | 23rd | Delaiah | דְלָיָ֙הוּ֙ | Ἀδαλλαὶ | 1 Chronicles 3:24; Nehemiah 6:10; Nehemiah 7:62; Ezra 2:60.; spelled with the addition of a shurek (וּ) in Jeremiah 36:12, 25. |
| 18 | 24th | Maaziah | מַֽעַזְיָ֖הוּ | Μαασαὶ | Nehemiah 10:8; probably "Maadiah" in Nehemiah 12:5. |

## Remaining Levite assignments (24:20–31)

This section contains the list of Levites which overlaps with the one in 1 Chronicles 23:7–23. The Levites had similar rotation schedule as the priests (verse 31), and used the same system of drawing lots as the priests with almost the same witnesses, indicating that the Levites are considered as important as the priests.

## Document witnesses for priestly divisions

* Josephus wrote that David divided the Levites into twenty-four courses, sixteen of the house of Eleazar and eight of the house of Ithamar and he ordained each course to minister eight days, from Sabbath to Sabbath (Antiquities 7.14.7.).
* Babylonian Talmud has a statement by Rabbi Hama ben Guria that "Moses instituted for Israel eight Mishmaroth ("priestly divisions")—four from [the family of] Eleazar and four from [the family of] Ithamar; Samuel increased them to sixteen; David increased them to twenty four" (Taanith 27a).
* After the Temple destruction in 70 CE, there was a custom of publicly recalling the courses of the priests every Sabbath, a practice that reinforced the prestige of the priests' lineage. A manuscript discovered in the Cairo Geniza, dated 1034 CE, records a customary formula recited weekly in the synagogues, during the Sabbath day:
    "Today is the holy Sabbath, the holy Sabbath unto the Lord; this day, which is the course? [Appropriate name] is the course. May the Merciful One return the course to its place soon, in our days. Amen."
       After which, they would recount the number of years that have passed since the destruction of Jerusalem, and conclude with the words:
    "May the Merciful One build his house and sanctuary, and let them say Amen."
* Three stone inscriptions were discovered bearing the names of the priestly wards, their order and the name of the locality to which they had moved after the destruction of the Second Temple:
    1. In 1920, a marble stone inscription was found in Ashkelon showing a partial list of the priestly wards, attesting to the existence of such plaques, perhaps mounted to the walls of synagogues.
    2. In 1962 three small fragments of one Hebrew stone inscription, dated to the 3rd/4th centuries, were found in Caesarea Maritima, bearing the partial names of places associated with the priestly courses (the rest of which had been reconstructed) as follows:
* The 17th course Hezir Ma]mliah
* The 18th course Hapizzez Nazareth
* The 19th course Pethahia Akhlah Arab
* The 20th course Ezekiel Mi]gdal Nunaiya
This is the oldest inscription mentioning Nazareth as a location, outside the Bible and pilgrim notes.
    3. In 1970 the stone inscription DJE 23 was discovered on a partially buried column in a mosque, in the Yemeni village of Bayt Ḥaḍir, showing ten names of the priestly wards and their respective towns and villages. The Yemeni inscription is the longest roster of names of this sort ever discovered, unto this day. The names legible on the stone column discovered by Walter W. Müller read as follows:
| English Translation | Original Hebrew |
| [Se'orim 'Ayṯoh-lo], fourth ward | שְׂעוֹרִים עיתהלו משמר הרביעי |
| [Malkiah, Beṯ]-Lehem, the fif[th] ward | מַלְכִּיָּה בית לחם משמר החמשי |
| Miyamin, Yudfaṯ (Jotapata), the sixth ward | מִיָמִין יודפת משמר הששי |
| [Haqo]ṣ, 'Ailebu, the seventh ward | הַקּוֹץ עילבו משמר השביעי |
| Aviah 'Iddo, Kefar 'Uzziel, the (eighth) ward | אֲבִיָּה עדו כפר עוזיאל משמר |
| the eighth (ward). Yešūa', Nišdaf-arbel | השמיני יֵשׁוּעַ נשדפארבל |
| the ninth ward | משמר התשיעי |
| Šekhaniyahu, 'Avurah Cabūl, the t[enth] ward | שְׁכַנְיָה עבורה כבול משמר העשירי |
| Eliašīv, Cohen Qanah, the elev[enth] ward | אֶלְיָשִׁיב כהן קנה משמר אחד עשר |
| Yaqīm Pašḥūr, Ṣefaṯ (Safed), the twelf[th] ward | יָקִים פַּשְׁחוּר צפת משמר שנים עשר |
| [Ḥū]ppah, Beṯ-Ma'on, the (thirteenth) ward | חוּפָּה בית מעון משמר שלשה |
| the thirteenth (ward). Yešav'av, Ḥuṣpiṯ Šuḥīn | עשר יֶשֶׁבְאָב חוצפית שוחין |
| the fourteenth wa[rd] | משמר ארבע עשר |
* A seventh-century poet, Eleazar ben Killir, wrote a liturgical poem detailing the 24-priestly wards and their places of residence. Historian and geographer, Samuel Klein (1886–1940), thinks that Killir's poem proves the prevalence of this custom of commemorating the courses in the synagogues of the Land of Israel.