6The sons of Levi; [1]Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. And the sons of 2Kohath; Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.3And the children of Amram; Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. And the sons of Aaron; Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 4Eleazar begat Phinehas, Phinehas begat Abishua; 5and Abishua begat Bukki, and Bukki begat Uzzi; 6and Uzzi begat Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begat Meraioth; 7Meraioth begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub; 8and Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat
is very evident when it is considered chronologically. Allowing the standard 40 years for each of the twenty-three priests in the list we get 40 × 12 + 40 × 11 = 920 years. This is in agreement with the unhistorical but beautifully regular chronology of the Priestly conception of the history, which allowed 480 years from the Exodus (Aaron) to Solomon's Temple, and again 480 years to the foundation of the second Temple (Jeshua)—the Captivity (Jehozadak) being reckoned as taking place in the eleventh generation of the second period. (3) The list presents some noteworthy features. The line of high-priests from Eli to Abiathar is ignored, but this is natural, since the ascendancy of the Zadokite line was ascribed to the Divine anger against the house of Eli (1 Sam. iii. 12—14; 1 Kin. ii. 27). It is curious, however, that this list of the high-priests omits Jehoiada (mentioned in 2 Kin. xi. 9; 2 Chr. xxii. 11) and Urijah (2 Kin. xvi. 11 ff.) and an Azariah in the reign of Uzziah (2 Chr. xxvi. 20) who should come between Amariah of Jehoshaphat's reign and Hilkiah in the time of Josiah. (4) Finally note that the list of high-priests as far as the reign of David is repeated in vv. 50—53. It is a very difficult problem to determine the relation between the two lists (see the head-note to ver. 50).
1. The sons of Levi] So Gen. xlvi. 11; Ex. vi. 16; Num. iii. 17, xxvi. 57—all from P.
2. the sons of Kohath] So Ex. vi. 18; Num. iii. 19.
3. Aaron, and Moses] The same order in Ex. vi. 20. Aaron was the elder (Ex. vii. 7).
And the sons of Aaron] So Ex. vi. 23. Nadab and Abihu perished childless; Lev. x. 1 ff.
4. Phinehas] Num. xxv. 7 ff, xxxi. 6; Josh. xxii. 13 ff.
8. Ahitub begat Zadok] So also xviii. 16, but wrongly. The assertion that Ahitub was father of Zadok was derived by the Chronicler from 2 Sam. viii. 17, but the text of that passage has undoubtedly been altered (see Commentaries ad loc.) and it read originally "and Zadok, and Abiathar the son of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub." Actually there were two leading priestly families in David's day represented respectively by Zadok and Abiathar. Of these Solomon deposed Abiathar (thus fulfilling the curse which was
- ↑ In ver. 16, Gershom.
