6:1-81 Genealogies. - We have an account of Levi in this chapter. The priests and Levites were more concerned than any other Israelites, to preserve their descent clear, and to be able to prove it; because all the honours and privileges of their office depended upon their descent. Now, the Spirit of God calls ministers to their work, without any limit as to the families they came from; and then, as now, though believers and ministers may be very useful to the church, none but our great High Priest can make atonement for sin, nor can any be accepted but through his atonement.

Verse 8. - Ahitub. With this name begins the light again. Ahitub, Zadok, Ahimaaz, and Azariah are of frequent mention in the Books of Samuel and Kings. Ahitub, here and elsewhere plainly given as father of Zadok, seems to be given as father of Meraioth in 1 Chronicles 9:11 and Nehemiah 11:11, and grandfather of Zadok; and in both passages is termed "ruler of the house of God" - an expression probably equivalent to high priest, as Azariah, high priest in the reign of Hezekiah, is also so described (2 Chronicles 31:13). The recurrence of the two names Ahitub and Zadok in vers. 11 and 12 is very possibly the result of some error; and it is in favour of such a supposition, in some form of it, at all events, that in that place, where, including Shallum (or Meshullam), only three steps are found, several more seem to be required - the period one of some one hundred and eighty years, and filled in the list of Judah's kings by as many as nine in succession. On the other hand, it is open to question whether the recurrence of the names Ahitub and Zadok be not legitimate. And this may then be the solution of 1 Chronicles 9:11 and Nehemiah 11:11, as above, with their insertion of Meraioth - still other names being absent which would make up the requisite number of generations. Zadok. The earliest glimpse we get of him is in 1 Chronicles 12:28, where he is introduced as "a young man mighty of valour," who now casts in his lot with David at Hebron, on Saul's death. In 2 Samuel 15:24, 29, 35, we find him and Abiathar the recognized priests. In 1 Kings 1:7, 8, we find him true to David when Abiathar joined Adonijah - the punishment of the latter and the reward of the former being recorded in 1 Kings 2:27, 35, respectively. Up to that time it is evident. that Abiathar had precedence in rank over Zadok. His death is not recorded, but it must be assigned to a date previous to the dedication of the temple, from the account of which (1 Kings 8.) his name is entirely absent. The last allusions to him are in 1 Kings 4:2, 4; in the latter of which verses (specially coupled as the name is with the deposed Abiathar) the notice is probably as merely historical as it certainly is in the former. This same verse states that Azariah was "the priest," and that he was son, i.q. grandson, of Zadok, proving, with very little doubt, that the explanatory parenthesis of our ver. 10 should follow the Azariah mentioned in the previous verse.

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