1 Chronicles 6:1-30·~1 min

The Descendants of Levi

The line moves from Levi through Kohath and Amram into Aaron’s house, then follows the priests down through Zadok’s line to Jehozadak, who goes into exile when Judah and Jerusalem fall.

T¹he sons of Levi: ²The sons of Kohath: ³The children of Amram: ⁴Eleazar was the father of Phinehas, ⁵Abishua was the father of Bukki, ⁶Uzzi was the father of Zerahiah, ⁷Meraioth was the father of Amariah, ⁸Ahitub was the father of Zadok, ⁹Ahimaaz was the father of Azariah, ¹⁰Johanan was the father of Azariah, who served as priest in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem, ¹¹Azariah was the father of Amariah, ¹²Ahitub was the father of Zadok, ¹³Shallum was the father of Hilkiah, ¹⁴Azariah was the father of Seraiah, ¹⁵Jehozadak went into captivity when the LORD sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

The account returns to Levi’s three sons and briefly names the main branches of Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. The wider Levitical family now comes into view beyond the priestly line alone.

¹⁶The sons of Levi: ¹⁷These are the names of the sons of Gershom: ¹⁸The sons of Kohath: ¹⁹The sons of Merari:

The Chronicler lists descendants within the Gershomite, Kohathite, and Merarite lines, including Samuel within the Kohathite branch. The section gathers these houses in sequence, preserving their place inside Levi’s larger inheritance.

²⁰Of Gershom: ²¹Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, and Jeatherai his son. ²²The descendants of Kohath: ²³Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, ²⁴Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. ²⁵The descendants of Elkanah: ²⁶Amasai, Ahimoth, Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, ²⁷Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, and Elkanah his son. ²⁸The sons of Samuel: ²⁹The descendants of Merari: ³⁰Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son.

Section summaryThe chapter begins by tracing Levi’s descendants, first through the priestly line from Aaron down to the exile, then through the major Levitical branches and key family lines within them. The names gather Levi’s house into an ordered memory that reaches from Moses’ generation to Samuel’s.

Role in the chapterThis opening section establishes the human frame for the rest of the chapter. Before the chapter names worship duties or Levitical towns, it shows who these families are and how their lines hold together across Israel’s history.