Ithamar
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Introduction:
Ithamar is a significant biblical figure in the Old Testament, known for his role as a priest in the lineage of Aaron. He is the youngest son of Aaron, the brother of Moses, and served in the priestly duties alongside his family. Ithamar's life and contributions are primarily documented in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers.

Family Background:
Ithamar was born into the Levitical priesthood, being the son of Aaron, the first high priest of Israel, and Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab (Exodus 6:23). He had three brothers: Nadab, Abihu, and Eleazar. His family was chosen by God to serve as priests, a role that carried significant religious and communal responsibilities.

Priestly Role:
Ithamar's priestly duties began after the consecration of Aaron and his sons, as described in Exodus 28-29. He served under the high priesthood of his father Aaron and later his brother Eleazar. Ithamar was responsible for overseeing the work of the Levites, particularly in the construction and maintenance of the Tabernacle, as well as the management of its sacred objects.

In Exodus 38:21, Ithamar is mentioned as having oversight of the Levites who were responsible for the construction of the Tabernacle: "This is the inventory of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of the Testimony, as recorded at Moses’ command by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest."

Tragedy and Responsibility:
Ithamar's life was marked by the tragic death of his brothers Nadab and Abihu, who were consumed by fire from the Lord for offering unauthorized fire before Him (Leviticus 10:1-2). Following this event, Ithamar and Eleazar were tasked with continuing the priestly duties and maintaining the sanctity of the Tabernacle worship.

Leadership and Legacy:
Ithamar's leadership is further highlighted in Numbers 4, where he is given charge over the Gershonites and Merarites, two of the Levitical families responsible for the transportation and care of the Tabernacle's components during the Israelites' wilderness journey. Numbers 4:28 states, "This is the service of the Gershonite clans in the Tent of Meeting. Their duties shall be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest."

Ithamar's descendants continued to play a significant role in the priesthood. Notably, Eli, a later high priest, was a descendant of Ithamar, as indicated in 1 Samuel. However, the priesthood eventually returned to the line of Eleazar during the reign of Solomon, as recorded in 1 Kings 2:27.

Conclusion:
Ithamar's life and service exemplify the responsibilities and challenges of the Levitical priesthood. His role in the oversight of the Tabernacle and the Levites underscores the importance of order and obedience in worship. Despite the personal tragedy and the eventual shift in priestly lineage, Ithamar's contributions to the religious life of Israel remain a testament to his faithfulness and dedication to God's commands.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Ithamar

island of the palm-tree

Smith's Bible Dictionary
Ithamar

(land of palms), the youngest son of Aaron. (Exodus 6:23) (B.C. 1491.) After the death of Nadab and Abihu, (Leviticus 10:1) Eleazar and Ithamar were appointed to succeed to their places in the priestly office. (Exodus 28:1,40,43; Numbers 3:3,4; 1 Chronicles 24:2) In the distribution of services belonging to the tabernacle, and its transport on the march of the Israelites, the Gershonites and the Merarites were placed under the superintendence of Ithamar. (Exodus 38:21; Numbers 4:21-33) The high priesthood passed into the family of Ithamar in the person of Eli, but for what reason we are not informed.

ATS Bible Dictionary
Ithamar

The fourth son of Aaron, consecrated to the priesthood, Exodus 6:23 Numbers 3:2,3. His posterity took charge of the tabernacle in the wilderness, Exodus 38:21 Numbers 4:28. Some of this line, namely, Eli, Ahitub, Ahiah, Ahimelech, and Abiathar, held the office of high priest, but under Solomon it reverted to the family of Eleazar, 1 Kings 2:7. See ABIATHAR.

Easton's Bible Dictionary
Palm isle, the fourth and youngest son of Aaron (1 Chronicles 6:3). He was consecrated to the priesthood along with his brothers (Exodus 6:23); and after the death of Nadab and Abihu, he and Eleazar alone discharged the functions of that office (Leviticus 10:6, 12; Numbers 3:4). He and his family occupied the position of common priest till the high priesthood passed into his family in the person of Eli (1 Kings 2:27), the reasons for which are not recorded. (see ZADOK.)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
ITHAMAR

ith'-a-mar ('ithamar, "land" or "island of palms": Gesenius; or "father of Tamar," 'i, being perhaps for 'abhi: Cook in Encyclopedia Biblica-though both derivations are uncertain): The 4th son of Aaron (Exodus 6:23; Exodus 28:1 1 Chronicles 6:3), Eleazar being the 3rd son, Nadab and Abihu the 1st and 2nd sons. While Nadab and Abihu were prematurely cut off for offering strange fire before the Lord (Leviticus 10:1, 2 Numbers 3:4; Numbers 26:61), and Eleazar was appointed chief of the tribe of Levi (Exodus 6:23, 25) and ultimately succeeded Aaron (Exodus 28:1), Ithamar was made the treasurer of the offerings for the Tabernacle (Exodus 38:21), and superintendent of the Gershonites and Merarites in the service of the Tabernacle (Numbers 4:28, 33). In the time of Eli the high-priesthood had come to be in his family, but how, and whether before Eli's day or first in Eli's person, is not told and need not be conjectured. W. R. Smith in Encyclopedia Biblica (art. "Eli"), on the strength of 1 Samuel 2:27, 28, holds that the priesthood was originally in Eli's line; but the words "the house of thy father" do not necessarily mean only the house of Ithamar, but may, and most probably do, refer to Aaron and his descendants, of whom Ithamar was one. Nor does the cutting off of Eli's family from the priesthood and the setting in their place of "a faithful priest," who should do everything according to Yahweh's will and walk before Yahweh's anointed forever, find its complete fulfillment in the deposition of Abiathar or Ahimelech, his son, and the installation of Zadok in the time of Solomon (1 Kings 2:35 1 Chronicles 29:22; see ZADOK). A descendant of Ithamar, Daniel by name, is mentioned among the exiles who returned from Babylon (Ezra 8:2).

T. Whitelaw

Strong's Hebrew
385. Ithamar -- "land of palms," a son of Aaron
... 384, 385. Ithamar. 386 . "land of palms," a son of Aaron. Transliteration:
Ithamar Phonetic Spelling: (eeth-aw-mawr') Short Definition: Ithamar. ...
/hebrew/385.htm - 6k
Library

How on the Death of Paulinus, Ithamar was Made Bishop of Rochester ...
... How on the death of Paulinus, Ithamar was made Bishop of Rochester in his stead;
and of the wonderful humility of King Oswin, who was cruelly slain by Oswy. ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xiv how on the.htm

How, when Honorius Died, Deusdedit Became Archbishop of Canterbury ...
... To ordain him, Ithamar, bishop of Rochester, came thither. His ordination
was on the 26th of March, and he ruled the church nine ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xx how when honorius.htm

How Solomon, when He had Received the Kingdom Took Off His
... that it is not just that thou shouldst retain thy dignity any longer." For the
forementioned cause, therefore, it was that the house of Ithamar was deprived of ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 1 how solomon when.htm

Index of Names.
... COLE, John, 115, 479, 507, 515 COLES, George, 126, 127, 285 COLLYER, William B.,
72, 73 COLUMBUS, Christopher, 356 CONDER, Josiah, 489 CONKEY, Ithamar, 99, 249 ...
/.../brown/the story of the hymns and tunes/index of names.htm

To his Father, when He had Entrusted to Him the Care of the Church ...
... Is it because you have heard and know that even with the illustrious Aaron
were anointed Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron? ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xii to his father.htm

Strange Fire
... So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had
said.6. And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/strange fire.htm

Of the Priesthood of Aaron.
... prophecy, and his brother's virtue. He had at that time four sons, Nadab,
Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2. Now Moses commanded them ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 8 of the priesthood.htm

Herein is Declared what Befell the Sons of Eli, the Ark, and the ...
... 5. Now Eli was the first of the family of Ithamar, the other son of Aaron, that
had the government; for the family of Eleazar officiated as high priest at first ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 11 herein is declared.htm

In the Cross of Christ I Glory
... [579]Crucifixion: John Stainer, 1887. [580]Rathbun: Ithamar Conkey, 1851. John Bowring,
1825. In the cross of Christ I glory,. Towering o'er the wrecks of time; ...
/.../holy week 152 in the.htm

Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England
... How on the death of Paulinus, Ithamar was made Bishop of Rochester in his stead;
and of the wonderful humility of King Oswin, who was cruelly slain by Oswy. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/

Thesaurus
Ithamar (20 Occurrences)
... (see ZADOK.). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ITHAMAR. ith'-a-mar ('ithamar,
"land" or "island of palms": Gesenius; or "father of ...
/i/ithamar.htm - 16k

Ithamar's (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Ithamar's (1 Occurrence). 1 Chronicles 24:4 And
there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar ...
/i/ithamar's.htm - 6k

Ith'amar (20 Occurrences)
Ith'amar. Ithamar, Ith'amar. Ithamar's . Multi-Version Concordance
Ith'amar (20 Occurrences). Exodus 6:23 And Aaron took him Elisheba ...
/i/ith'amar.htm - 12k

Abihu (12 Occurrences)
... Exodus 6:23 Aaron took Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon,
as his wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ...
/a/abihu.htm - 12k

Abi'hu (12 Occurrences)
... Exodus 6:23 And Aaron took him Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of
Nahshon, to wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ...
/a/abi'hu.htm - 9k

Nadab (21 Occurrences)
... Exodus 6:23 Aaron took Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon,
as his wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ...
/n/nadab.htm - 16k

Organized (5 Occurrences)
... 1 Chronicles 24:3 David with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the
sons of Ithamar, divided them according to their ordering in their service. ...
/o/organized.htm - 8k

Elea'zar (72 Occurrences)
... Exodus 6:23 And Aaron took him Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of
Nahshon, to wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ...
/e/elea'zar.htm - 27k

Direction (128 Occurrences)
... the making of the House, even the House of witness, as it was valued by the word
of Moses, for the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar, the son ...
/d/direction.htm - 38k

Grouped (7 Occurrences)
... (BBE). 1 Chronicles 24:1 Now the divisions into which the sons of Aaron were grouped
were these: the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. (BBE). ...
/g/grouped.htm - 8k

Resources
Who was Ithamar in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Why was it bad that Aaron and his sons burned the sin offering in Leviticus 10:16 20? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Eleazar in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Ithamar (20 Occurrences)

Exodus 6:23
Aaron took Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as his wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Exodus 28:1
"Bring Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, near to you from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Exodus 38:21
This is the amount of material used for the tabernacle, even the Tabernacle of the Testimony, as they were counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Leviticus 10:6
Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, "Don't let the hair of your heads go loose, neither tear your clothes; that you don't die, and that he not be angry with all the congregation: but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which Yahweh has kindled.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Leviticus 10:12
Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons who were left, "Take the meal offering that remains of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire, and eat it without yeast beside the altar; for it is most holy;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Leviticus 10:16
Moses diligently inquired about the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burned: and he was angry with Eleazar and with Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left, saying,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 3:2
These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 3:4
Nadab and Abihu died before Yahweh, when they offered strange fire before Yahweh, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the presence of Aaron their father.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 4:28
This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the Tent of Meeting: and their duty shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 4:33
This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the Tent of Meeting, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 7:8
and he gave four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 26:60
To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 6:3
The children of Amram: Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 24:1
These were the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron: Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 24:2
But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest's office.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 24:3
David with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to their ordering in their service.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 24:4
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.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 24:5
Thus were they divided impartially by drawing lots; for there were princes of the sanctuary, and princes of God, both of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 24:6
Shemaiah the son of Nethanel the scribe, who was of the Levites, wrote them in the presence of the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the fathers' houses of the priests and of the Levites; one fathers' house being taken for Eleazar, and one taken for Ithamar.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Ezra 8:2
Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom. Of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel. Of the sons of David, Hattush.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Subtopics

Ithamar

Ithamar: Charged With Duties of the Tabernacle

Ithamar: Descendants of

Ithamar: Entrusted With Monies of the Tabernacle

Ithamar: Forbidden to Lament the Death of his Brothers, Nadab and Abihu

Ithamar: Son of Aaron

Related Terms

Ithamar (20 Occurrences)

Ithamar's (1 Occurrence)

Ithai: One of David's Valiant Men
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