“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.”
My Notes
What Does 1 Chronicles 24:5 Mean?
"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." The priestly divisions are determined by LOT — not by seniority, not by political influence, not by personal preference. The LOT decides. The twenty-four priestly courses (verse 7-18) that will serve in the temple for centuries are established through the RANDOM casting that God controls. The same lot that allocated tribal territories now allocates priestly schedules.
The phrase "divided by lot, one sort with another" (vayyechallequm begoralot eleh le'ummat eleh — they divided them by lots, these alongside those) emphasizes EQUALITY: the lot treats both priestly families — Eleazar's descendants and Ithamar's descendants — the SAME. 'One sort with another' means the lots are cast WITHOUT favoritism. Eleazar's family (which was larger — verse 4) and Ithamar's family share the same process. The lot doesn't respect family size or seniority.
The phrase "governors of the sanctuary, and governors of the house of God" (sarei qodesh vesarei haElohim — princes of holiness and princes of God) gives the priests a TITLE of nobility: they are PRINCES (sarei — commanders, chiefs, rulers) of the sacred domain. The priestly office carries royal-level AUTHORITY within its sphere. The priests are the rulers of the holy space — their jurisdiction is the sanctuary, and within that jurisdiction, they are sovereign.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What role was determined by something outside your control — and do you trust the process?
- 2.What does the LOT (not politics or seniority) deciding the schedule teach about divine fairness?
- 3.How does 'princes of holiness' describe the authority priests carry within their sacred domain?
- 4.What organizational structure from centuries ago still shapes the roles people occupy today?
Devotional
The LOT decides — not politics, not seniority, not family influence. The twenty-four priestly courses that will serve in the temple for CENTURIES are determined by the casting of lots. God's randomness distributes the schedule. The divine will operates through the humanly uncontrollable. Nobody can game the lot. Nobody can buy a better rotation.
The EQUALITY of the process matters: Eleazar's family and Ithamar's family receive the same treatment. 'One sort with another' — the lots are cast without favoritism. The two priestly families that might have competed for prominence are subjected to the same impartial process. The lot eliminates the politics. The casting removes the lobbying.
The 'princes of HOLINESS' title elevates the priesthood: these aren't servants in the menial sense. They're RULERS of the sacred domain. Within the sanctuary, the priests exercise authority like princes exercise authority in territories. The sacred space has its own governance, and the priests are its governors. The temple is a kingdom-within-a-kingdom, and the priests are its royalty.
The twenty-four courses will structure priestly service for CENTURIES — including into the New Testament period. When Luke 1:5 identifies Zechariah (John the Baptist's father) as belonging to the course of ABIJAH, he's referencing the eighth course established HERE (verse 10). David's organizational work in 1 Chronicles 24 still determines priestly schedules in the Gospels. The structure outlives the structurer by a thousand years.
What lot — what decision removed from human control — has determined your role? And do you trust the process?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another,.... Which course should serve first, and which next, and so on;…
One sort with another - i. e., “the assignment of their order in the courses was made by lot to the families belonging…
They divided by lot - This prevented jealousies: for, as all the families were equally noble, they had equal right to…
The particular account of these establishments is of little use to us now; but, when Ezra published it, it was of great…
onesort with another i.e. sons of Eleazar with sons of Ithamar.
the governors of the sanctuary, and governorsof the…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture