1 Chronicles 24:3

3. David distributed them, both Zadok … and Ahimelech] R.V. David with Zadok … and Ahimelech … divided them.

Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar] The colleague of Zadok in the priesthood is variously named in different passages:—

1Ch_24:3.

Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar.

1Ch_24:6.

Ahimelech the son of Abiathar.

1Ch_18:16.

Abimelech the son of Abiathar.

Probably the same person is meant throughout, the confusion springing from a false reading in 1Sa_8:17, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar for Abiathar the son of Ahimelech; see Kirkpatrick, in loco.

according to their offices] R.V. according to their ordering, i.e. according to the arrangement which follows; cp. 1Ch_24:19.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ch 24:3 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.

Ver. 3. And Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar.] Ahimelech is thought by some to be the son of Abiathar, the high priest; and that Zadok and he were great deputies to Abiathar. How the high priesthood came from Eleazar’s lineage to Ithamar’s is nowhere in Scripture expressed. The Hebrews say it was because the priests of that family carried not the matter well at that time, when that wickedness was committed upon the Levite’s concubine.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ch 24:3. And David distributed them, &c. — To avoid all confusion, now that they were much increased, he distributed the priests, as he had done the Levites, into several courses, allotting to each of them the times wherein they should by turns have the government of holy ministrations.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

24:3-6 Zadok and Ahimelech were the leaders of the two families of priests during David’s time (see 6:8; 18:16; 2 Sam 8:17).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, cousins.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Zadok . . . and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar--This statement, taken in connection with Ch1 24:6, is not a little perplexing, since (Sa2 15:24, Sa2 15:35; Sa2 20:25) Abiathar is mentioned as the person conjoined in David's time with Zadok, in the collegiate exercise of the high priesthood. Some think that the words have been transposed, reading Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech. But there is no ground for regarding the text as faulty. The high priests of the line of Ithamar were the following: Ahiah or Ahimelech, his son Abiathar, his son Ahimelech. We frequently find the grandfather and grandson called by the same name (see list of high priests of the line of Eleazar, Ch1 6:30-41). Hence the author of the Chronicles was acquainted with Ahimelech, son of Abiathar, who, for some reason, discharged the duties of high priest in David's reign, and during the lifetime of his father (for Abiathar was living in the time of Solomon, Kg1 2:27) [KEIL].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 3. And Ahimelech] Ahimelech is put here for Abiathar, who was high priest in the days of David. Abiathar had also the name of Ahimelech, as well as his father. See Calmet.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(3) And David distributed them.—The same phrase as at 1Ch_13:3. (See Note there.)

Both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar.—This expression forms part of the subject of the Hebrew sentence. The construction is like that in 1Ch_24:2, “And Nadab died, and Abihu.” Thus, “And David divided them, and Zadok and Ahimelech,” i.e., “And David, with Zadok and Ahimelech, divided them.” The meaning is that Zadok and Ahimelech, the heads of the houses of Eleazar and Ithamar, assisted David in the classification of the priests.

According to their offices.—Rather, According to their official class (1Ch_23:11).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And David distributed them,.... The posterities of Eleazar and Ithamar into certain classes or courses:

both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar; these were the two principal men of the respective families, the one was high priest, and the other "sagan" or deputy; or they both officiated as high priests alternately, until the one was removed in Solomon's time, and the other established alone. And now their brethren the priests, who were under each of these, are the persons David divided into classes:

according to their offices in their service: to perform their office as priests in the service of the temple in their turns.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Zadok and Ahimelech (rather Abiathar, see 1Ch 24:6) assisted David in drawing up the priestly courses, as the “captains of the host” assisted him in making the divisions of the singers 1Ch 25:1.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ahimelech is styled also Achimelech and Abiathar, ver. 6, 21., and chap. xviii. 16. (Calmet) --- Courses, twenty-four, which were to serve by lot, that no one might complain, as they were equally princes, ver. 5. Hence St. Dionisius styles Zachary "prince of the priests." But the pontiff was over all. (Tirinus)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

According to their offices, or courses, or prefectures, i.e. allotting to each of them several times wherein they or theirs should by turns have the government of holy ministrations in the temple service.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Hebrew of this verse reads, And David divided them, and Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimalech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices ( in their service ( And the evident purport of it is that the three, David, Zadok, and Ahimelech, conjointly made the arrangements. This is virtually repeated in vers. 6, 31. (see also 1Ch_25:1 for an analogous case) For the "Ahimelech" of this verse and vers. 6, 31, should be read "Abiathar," as shown in 1Ch_18:16, by comparison of 1Sa_22:20; 2Sa_20:25; 1Ki_1:7, 1Ki_1:8; Mar_2:26.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Distributed - Allotting to each of them several times, wherein they should by turns have the government of holy ministrations.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

And David distributed them,.... The posterities of Eleazar and Ithamar into certain classes or courses:

both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar; these were the two principal men of the respective families, the one was high priest, and the other "sagan" or deputy; or they both officiated as high priests alternately, until the one was removed in Solomon's time, and the other established alone. And now their brethren the priests, who were under each of these, are the persons David divided into classes:

according to their offices in their service: to perform their office as priests in the service of the temple in their turns.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

and Ahimelech was of the sons of Ithamar This is Ahimelech the son of Ebiathar, as is proven immediately following (verse 6): “And Shemaiah, etc. wrote them...” until “and Ahimelech the son of Ebiathar.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.