Today’s reading focuses on the first, and only, orderly transition of power is the United Kingdom (Israel & Judah). Prehistorically, you had the patriarchs. But I submit that Ishmael, Esau, and Reuben would say that was not an orderly transition. I guess the hand off from Moses to Joshua was pretty smooth, though.
The narrative device for the judges/warlords was that the country literally fell apart in between each one’s rule. Eli’s kids are no good, so he goes to Samuel. Samuel’s kids are no good, plus folks are demanding a king, so he goes to Saul. Saul causes a civil war. Finally, David brings it all together and he passes the throne on to Solomon.
Chronicles has got its full listing grove back on, identifying which Levite descendants have which jobs in the Temple. The good news is I got an opportunity to review/learn Spanish ordinal numbers up to 24th. (Vigesimocuarta if you’re curious.)
Then we have these weird difference between NIV & NVI on which neither comments. From 24:6.
The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officials: Zadok the priest, Ahimelek son of Abiathar and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar.
OR
El cronista Semaías hijo de Natanael, que era levita, registró sus nombres en presencia del rey y de los oficiales, del sacerdote Sadoc, de Ajimélec hijo de Abiatar, de los jefes de las familias patriarcales de los sacerdotes y de los levitas. La suerte se echó dos veces por la familia de Eleazar y una vez por la familia de Itamar.
I’ve include the full sentence before in case I’m missing context. The English version just says, “one family being taken . . .” whereas the Spanish, “La suerte se echó,” indicates the use of lots to select. Okay, whatevs. But then the Spanish says to from Eleazar’s family and one from Itamar’s. This is consistent with verse 4, which provides “A larger number of leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than among Ithamar’s, and they were divided accordingly: sixteen heads of families from Eleazar’s descendants and eight heads of families from Ithamar’s descendants.”
Not exactly a faith shattering detail, but it is worth noting the translators (both groups) found the choice to be literally unnoteworthy. That is, but for reading two modern translations, I would have had no idea that a choice was being made.
Final note, because the internet, I checked out several English translation (NSRV, KJV, etc.) and found all referred to one from Eleazar’s house. I check out several Spanish translations, without knowledge of the political spectrum there just grabbing random versions from Biblegateway.com’s pick list, and all had “dos” from Eleazar. So weird.