Dictionary of Bible Themes  »  7000 God's people  »  7300 Institutions and culture of OT  »  7412 priesthood  »  7413 priesthood, in OT

The institution of the priesthood or the particular body of people responsible for priestly duties.

The priesthood as an institution

It was a perpetual institution

Exodus 40:15 See also Numbers 18:1; Numbers 25:13

It was distinct from the laity

Numbers 3:10

It was subject to the king's authority

1 Kings 2:27

It was a privilege

Numbers 18:7 See also Exodus 29:9; Numbers 16:10; Joshua 18:7

The priesthood as the body of people responsible for priestly duties

The Aaronic priesthood

Exodus 28:41 See also 1 Chronicles 6:49; Nehemiah 10:38

The Shiloh priesthood

Joshua 18:1 See also 1 Samuel 3:14; 1 Kings 2:27; Psalm 78:60 The Shiloh priesthood ended when the Philistines took Shiloh (see 1Sa 4:17); Jeremiah 7:12

The Melchizedek priesthood

Psalm 110:4 See also Genesis 14:18; Hebrews 5:10; Hebrews 7:11-17

The Anathoth priesthood

Jeremiah 1:1 See also Joshua 21:18; 1 Kings 2:27

The Zadokite priesthood

Ezekiel 40:46 The priestly line of Zadok lasted until 170 B.C.

The Levitical priesthood

Deuteronomy 17:9 The term “the priests, who are Levites” appears only in Deuteronomy. Some think it reflects a situation in which all Levites were priests. Not all passages support this view, however, and the phrase may simply distinguish the ministry of the Levitical priests from the priesthood of the king.

See also

1680  types
5073  Aaron, priest
7320  breastpiece
7352  ephod
7377  high priest, OT
7390  Levites
7767  priests, OT institution
7768  priests, OT function
8622  worship