Synopsis of the Chapter
The sons, that is descendants, of Levi, and from them the singers and ministers of the temple appointed by David. The descendants of Aaron, the priests, are enumerated by name, and the priestly cities and cities of refuge.
Verse 3: The Sons of Aaron ¶
3. THE SONS OF AARON: NADAB AND ABIHU — who, offering strange fire, were slain by God, Leviticus X, verse 2; therefore only two survived, Eleazar and Ithamar. Eleazar was the elder and therefore succeeded Aaron in the pontificate, and his descendants continued down to Uzzi, about whom shortly.
Verse 5: Bukki Begot Uzzi ¶
5. BUKKI BEGOT UZZI. — After this Uzzi, Eli became High Priest, who was a great-great-grandson of Ithamar, not of Eleazar. Four of Eli's descendants succeeded him, the last of whom was Abiathar, who was deprived of the pontificate by Solomon because of his conspiracy with Adonijah against him, and Zadok, who was from the descendants of Eleazar, was appointed in his place; whence the pontificate remained in his descendants until the Babylonian captivity. Therefore the four intermediaries who are named here from Uzzi to Zadok, namely Zerahiah, Meraioth, Amariah, and Ahitub, were not high priests; but the others after Zadok were.
Verse 14: Azariah Begot Seraiah ¶
14. AZARIAH BEGOT SERAIAH. — This 'Azariah' was that courageous High Priest who resisted Uzziah, or Azariah the king, when he wanted to offer incense, and ejected him from the temple, as is said in Book II, chapter XXVI. The son of Azariah was Seraiah, who was High Priest after his father until the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and was killed by Nebuchadnezzar together with seventy leaders of the Jews, as was said in 4 Kings, last chapter, 18. The son of Seraiah was Jehozadak, who was carried off to Babylon and from there led the Jewish captives back with Zerubbabel as leader in the first year of Cyrus; the son of Jehozadak was Joshua or Jesus the High Priest, who with Zerubbabel restored the temple, as is said in 1 Ezra V, 2, as God had commanded him through Zechariah, chapter III.
Verse 22: Korah His Son ¶
22. KORAH HIS SON. — This is Korah, who rebelling against Moses was swallowed alive when the earth opened, together with his followers; but his innocent sons were preserved unharmed by God through a miracle, and they are therefore listed here. Among them was Elkanah the father of Samuel the Prophet, as is clear from verses 27, 34, and 37.
Verse 28: The Sons of Samuel ¶
28. THE SONS OF SAMUEL — who was the son of Elkanah named just above in verse 27. For he is named immediately after him, to indicate that he was his son. So Vatablus.
THE FIRSTBORN VASHNI, AND ABIAH. — You will object: 1 Kings VIII, 2, says 'the name of his (Samuel's) firstborn son was Joel; and the name of the second, Abiah'; I respond that Joel had two names, and was also called Vashni. Or certainly Joel has dropped out here, and Vashni in Hebrew ושני means 'and the second, Abiah'; whence the Septuagint clearly translates 'and the sons of Samuel, his firstborn Joel, and the second Abiah.' These are they who, degenerate from Samuel, gave the people occasion to ask for a king, whence Samuel gave them Saul as king, 1 Kings VIII.
Verse 54: The Priestly Cities ¶
54. THESE DWELLING PLACES — as if to say: These are the priestly cities assigned to them by Joshua, chapter XXI, where they are listed in nearly the same order as here.