1 Chronicles 24:4

2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest’s office.

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.

And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers.

5 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.

6 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.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
Since more leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than those of Ithamar, they were divided accordingly. There were sixteen heads of families from the descendants of Eleazar and eight from the descendants of Ithamar.
KJV
And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers.
WEB
There were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and they were divided like this: of the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen, heads of fathers’ houses; and of the sons of Ithamar, according to their fathers’ houses, eight.
ASV
And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and [thus] were they divided: of the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen, heads of fathers` houses; and of the sons of Ithamar, according to their fathers` houses, eight.
DARBY
And there were more head-men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar, and [thus] were they divided: of the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen heads of fathers' houses, and eight of the sons of Ithamar according to their fathers' houses.
BLB
And there were found of the sons of Eleazar more for heads of the mighty men than of the sons of Ithamar, and they were divided. Among the sons of Eleazar, heads for a house of fathers, sixteen. And among the sons of Ithamar, for a house of their fathers, eight.
ÅB
Da det viste seg at Eleasars sønner hadde flere overhoder enn Itamars sønner, inndelte de dem slik at Eleasars sønner fikk seksten overhoder for sine familier og Itamars sønner åtte for sine familier.
OTB
Flere overhoder ble funnet blant Eleazars sønner enn blant Itamars sønner,
og de delte dem deretter.
Det var seksten overhoder for fedrehusene blant Eleazars sønner,
og åtte blant Itamars sønner etter deres fedrehus.
B1930
Da det viste sig at Eleasars sønner hadde flere overhoder enn Itamars sønner, inndelte de dem således at Eleasars sønner fikk seksten overhoder for sine familier og Itamars sønner åtte for sine familier.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 1 Chronicles 15:6–12

    Of the sons of Merari; Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty:

    Read in context
  • Numbers 25:11–13

    Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.

    Read in context
  • 1 Chronicles 23:24

    These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward.

    Read in context