1 Chronicles 24:18 — Word Study
WLCלִדְלָיָ֙הוּ֙ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֔ים לְמַֽעַזְיָ֖הוּ אַרְבָּעָ֥ה וְעֶשְׂרִֽים׃ פ
BSAthe twenty-thirdshâlôwsh to DelaiahDᵉlâyâh [Jehovah has drawn] and the twenty-fourthʼarbaʻ to MaaziahMaʻazyâh [consolation of Jehovah]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לִדְלָיָ֙הוּ֙ | to Delaiah | Preposition, noun proper masculine |
| שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה | three | Noun common, both singular absolute |
| וְעֶשְׂרִ֔ים | and twenty | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| לְמַֽעַזְיָ֖הוּ | to Maaziah | Preposition, noun proper masculine |
| אַרְבָּעָ֥ה | four | Noun common, both singular absolute |
| וְעֶשְׂרִֽים׃ פ | and twenty | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the twenty-third to Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah. |
| KJV | The three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah. |
| ASV | the three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah. |
| YLT | for Delaiah the three and twentieth, for Maaziah the four and twentieth. |
| WEB | the twenty-third to Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah. |
| BBE | The twenty-third Delaiah, the twenty-fourth Maaziah. |
Where they part company is over the names דְּלָיָהוּ and מַעַזְיָהוּ — see How Translations Differ.
Two main clauses connected by 'and', each detailing a priestly division.
2 commentators on this verse
Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 1 Chronicles 24:18
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Priestly Divisionsgenerated
1 Chronicles 24:18 provides a record of the divisions of the priests as established by King David. This organization was vital for the service in the temple, ensuring that the priests fulfilled their duties in an orderly manner. The names mentioned, Delaiah and Maaziah, reflect the heritage and responsibilities of the priestly families during this period.
Cross References
The Key Word — דְּלָיָהוּ, lid.la.Ya.hugenerated
The name דְּלָיָהוּ (Dlayah) means 'Jehovah has drawn.' It is a proper noun referring to several individuals in the Old Testament, including a priest during David's reign. The name is built from roots meaning 'to draw' and 'Yah,' a name for God.
Delaiah's significance in Israel's history is highlighted by its multiple occurrences in the biblical narrative, including references in Jeremiah. This underscores the importance of the priestly lineage and their roles in the religious life of Israel.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb structure is implicit in the listing of the priestly divisions. The main components are two prepositional phrases: לִדְלָיָ֙הוּ֙ (to Delaiah) and לְמַֽעַזְיָ֖הוּ (to Maaziah), each followed by a numeral phrase indicating their respective orders.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the names of the priests, highlighting their roles in the service of the temple.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates דְּלָיָהוּ as δαλαια, which maintains the reference to the same individual but may reflect a different phonetic interpretation. This choice shows a continuity in the naming of priestly roles.
The translation of מַעַזְיָהוּ as μαασαι also indicates a consistent recognition of the priestly lineage.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 24:18 lists the twenty-third division of priests as Delaiah and the twenty-fourth as Maaziah. These names indicate specific roles and responsibilities within the priestly order established by David.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Delaiah means 'Jehovah has drawn' and refers to several individuals in the Bible, including a priest during David's reign.
Maaziah was a priest mentioned in the Bible, whose name means 'consolation of Jehovah.' He served during the time of David.
These divisions were crucial for organizing the priestly duties in the temple, ensuring that worship and sacrifices were conducted properly.
This verse is part of a detailed account of the organization of the priesthood, which reflects the importance of proper worship in Israel's history.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn from the organization of the priestly divisions in our own communities?
- How do the names Delaiah and Maaziah reflect God's involvement in the lives of His people?
- In what ways can we honor the roles of those who serve in our spiritual communities today?
- How does understanding the historical context of these names enhance our reading of the Bible?
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 24:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(18) Delaiah.—1 Chronicles 3:24, a common post-exilic name (Jah draws out, i.e., frees): but comp. Jeremiah 36:12, and Note on 1 Chronicles 3:1. Maaziah.—Here only. Perhaps “Maadiah” (Nehemiah 12:5) should be read. So Syriac, “Ma’adyâ;” Arabic, “Mi’diyyâ.” But LXX. (Vat.), “Maasai” (? Maaseiah); Vuig., “Maaziau.”
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 24 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges18. Maaziah] Nehemiah 10:8 (1 Chronicles 10:9, Heb.).
Read Cambridge on 1 Chronicles 24 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
the twenty-third to Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.
the twenty-third to Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.
the twenty-third to Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.
the twenty-third to Delaiah, the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.
Tyndale line
The three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah.
the three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah.
the three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah.
The three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah.
The three and twentie to Deliah, the foure and twentie to Maaziah.
Strictly literal
the twenty-third for Delaiah, the twenty-fourth for Maaziah.
for Delaiah the three and twentieth, for Maaziah the four and twentieth.
for Delaiah the twenty-third, for Maaziah the twenty-fourth.
For Delayahu the three and twentieth, for Ma'azyahu the four and twentieth.
the twenty-third to Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.
From the Latin
The three and twentieth to Dalaiau, the four and twentieth to Maaziau.
Simplified
The twenty-third to Delaiah. The twenty-fourth to Maaziah.
The twenty-third Delaiah, the twenty-fourth Maaziah.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree on the content of this verse, with four out of six words matched. The differences in word order and articles in the Septuagint reflect its unique syntactical structure.
לִדְלָיָ֙הוּ֙ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֔ים לְמַֽעַזְיָ֖הוּ אַרְבָּעָ֥ה וְעֶשְׂרִֽים׃ פ
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 1 Chronicles 24:18
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
דְּלָיָ֫הוּ (Dlayah) means 'Jehovah has drawn' and refers to several individuals in the Old Testament. It is built from roots meaning 'to draw' and 'Yah' (a name for God). The entries describe Dlayah as a priest during David's time, a ruler in Jeremiah's era, and a descendant of Zerubbabel. Notably, there are multiple mentions of Dlayah in various contexts, including family lineage.
דְּלָיָ֫הוּ, דְּלָיָה n.pr.m. (Yah(u) hath drawn)
a priest, contemp. David
a prince of Judah, contemp. Jerem.
head of a family contemp. with Zerubb.
descendant of Zerubb.
father of contemp. of Neh.
base
H1806 דְּלָיָ֫הוּ, דְּלָיָה
1806 Dlayah del-aw-yaw'
or (prolonged) Dlayahhuw {del-aw-yaw'-hoo}; from 1802 and
3050; Jah has delivered; Delajah, the name of five
Israelites:--Dalaiah, Delaiah.
see HEBREW for 01802
see HEBREW for 03050
דְּלָיָ֫הוּ (de.la.yah) — Delaiah.
A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.3.24;
son of: Elioenai (H0454B);
brother of: Hodaviah (H1938), Eliashib (H0475), Pelaiah (H6411B), Akkub (H6126), Johanan (H3110I) and Anani (H6054)
§ Dalaiah or Delaiah = "Jehovah has drawn"
1) a priest in the time of David, leader of the 23rd course
2) a son of Shemaiah, a ruler of Judah in the time of Jeremiah in the court of Jehoiakim
3) the head of an exilic family, of uncertain pedigree, claiming to be Israelites in the time of Zerubbabel
4) a descendant of Zerubbabel
5) the son of Mehetabeel and the father of Shemaiah, a contemporary of Nehemiah
דְּלָיָ֫הוּ (de.la.yah) — Delaiah.
A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.24.18
§ Dalaiah or Delaiah = "Jehovah has drawn"
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculineHR/Npm
de-la'-ya (delayah, "God has raised"):
(1) A descendant of David (1Ch 3:24; the King James Version "Dalaiah").
(2) One of David's priests and leader of the 23rd course (1Ch 24:18).
(3) One of the princes who pleaded with Jehoiakim not to destroy the roll containing the prophecies of Jeremiah (Jer 36:12,25).
Delaiah
Freed by Jehovah. (1.) The head of the twenty-third division of the priestly order (1 Chr. 24:18).
(2.) A son of Shemaiah, and one of the courtiers to whom Jeremiah’s first roll of prophecy was read (Jer. 36:12).
(freed by Jehovah). A priest in the time of David, leader of the twenty-third course of priests. (1 Chronicles 24:18) (B.C. 1014.) "Children of Delaiah" were among the people of uncertain pedigree who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:60; Nehemiah 7:62) (B.C. 536.) Son of Mehetabeel and father of Shemaiah. (Nehemiah 6:10) (B.C. before 410.) Son of Shemaiah, one of the "princes" about the court of Jehoiakim. (Jeremiah 36:12,25) (B.C. 604.)
the poor of the Lord
The Hebrew word שָׁלֹשׁ (*shalosh*) means 'three' or 'triad.' It can also refer to the ordinal 'third' and is used in various contexts, including multiplication as 'thrice.' The entries consistently define it as a primitive number without significant disagreement.
שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה 430 n.m. et f. a three, triad
base
H7969 שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה a three, triad
7969 shalowsh shaw-loshe'
or shalosh {shaw-loshe'}; masculine shlowshah {shel-o-shaw'};
or shloshah {shel-o-shaw'}; a primitive number; three;
occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multipl.) thrice:--+ fork,
+ often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, + thrice.
Compare 7991.
see HEBREW for 07991
שָׁלֹשׁ (sha.losh) — three.
1) three, triad
1a) 3, 300, third
Aramaic equivalent: te.lat (תְּלָת "three" H8532)
Adj — Noun common · both singular absoluteHNcbsa
(shalosh; treis).
See NUMBER.
The phrase "three days and three nights," Mt 12:40, was equivalent in Hebrew to the English "three days;" the Jews employing the expression "a day and a night" to denote our "day" of twentyfour hours. Nor did "three days," 1Sa 30:13, literally "this third day," according to their usage, necessarily include the whole of three days, but a part of three days, a continuous period including one whole day of twenty-four hours, and a portion of the day preceding it and the day following it. Compare Ge 7:12,17 1Sa 30:12-13.
עֶשְׂרִים (esriym) means 'twenty' and can also refer to the ordinal 'twentieth.' It is derived from the root word for 'ten' and has an Aramaic equivalent, עֶשְׂרִין (es.rin). The entries consistently define the term without significant disagreement.
עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
base
H6242 עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
6242 `esriym es-reem'
from 6235; twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth:--(six-)score,
twenty(-ieth).
see HEBREW for 06235
עֶשְׂרִים (es.rim) — twenty.
twenty, twentieth
Aramaic equivalent: es.rin (עֶשְׂרִין "twenty" H6243)
HC/Ncmpa — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural absoluteHC/Ncmpa
twen'-ti.
See NUMBER.
מַעַזְיָהוּ (Ma`azyah) is a Hebrew name meaning 'rescue of Jah' or 'consolation of Jehovah.' It refers to two priests: one during David's reign and another who signed a covenant with Nehemiah. The name is likely derived from roots meaning protection and God’s name, indicating a connection to divine support.
מַעַזְיָהוּ, מַעַזְיָה n.pr.m. of priests
ascribed to David’s time
Nehemiah’s time
base
H4590 מַעַזְיָהוּ, מַעַזְיָה
4590 Ma`azyah mah-az-yaw'
or Ma.azyahuw {mah-az-yaw'-hoo}; probably from 5756 (in the
sense of protection) and 3050; rescue of Jah; Maazjah, the
name of two Israelites:--Maaziah.
see HEBREW for 05756
see HEBREW for 03050
מַעַזְיָהוּ (ma.az.yah) — Maaziah.
A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.24.18
§ Maaziah = "consolation of Jehovah"
1) a priest in charge of the 24th course in the time of David
2) a priest who signed the covenant with Nehemiah
מַעַזְיָהוּ (ma.az.yah) — Maaziah.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Neh.10.8; also called Maadiah at Neh.12.5; Moadiah at Neh.12.17;
§ Maaziah = "consolation of Jehovah"
1) a priest in charge of the 24th course in the time of David
2) a priest who signed the covenant with Nehemiah
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculineHR/Npm
Maaziah
Strength or consolation of Jehovah. (1.) The head of the twenty-fourth priestly course (1 Chr. 24:18) in David’s reign.
(2.) A priest (Neh. 10:8).
(consolation of Jehovah). One of the priests who signed the covenant with Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 10:8) A priest in the reign of David, head of the twenty-fourth course. (1 Chronicles 24:18)
אַרְבַּע (arba) means 'four' in Hebrew. It is a masculine noun derived from the root associated with the number four. The entries consistently affirm this meaning without any significant disagreement among lexicons.
אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
base
H702 אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
702 'arba` ar-bah'
masculine oarbaah {ar-baw-aw'}; from 7251; four:--four.
see HEBREW for 07251
אַרְבַּע (ar.ba) — four.
four
Adj — Noun common · both singular absoluteHNcbsa
for ('arba`; tessares): "Four" (cardinal number) was a sacred and complete number with the Hebrews, as well as with several other peoples. It occurs very frequently in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
(1) It indicates completeness. We have the four rivers of Paradise (Ge 2:10); the four winds of heaven (Eze 37:9; Da 7:2; 8:8; 11:4; Zec 6:5, the Revised Version, margin "spirits"; /APC 2Esdras 13:5); "the four winds" (Mt 24:31; Mr 13:27); "the four corners of the earth" (Isa 11:12;
עֶשְׂרִים (esriym) means 'twenty' and can also refer to the ordinal 'twentieth.' It is derived from the root word for 'ten' and has an Aramaic equivalent, עֶשְׂרִין (es.rin). The entries consistently define the term without significant disagreement.
עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
base
H6242 עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
6242 `esriym es-reem'
from 6235; twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth:--(six-)score,
twenty(-ieth).
see HEBREW for 06235
עֶשְׂרִים (es.rim) — twenty.
twenty, twentieth
Aramaic equivalent: es.rin (עֶשְׂרִין "twenty" H6243)
HC/Ncmpa — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural absoluteHC/Ncmpa
twen'-ti.
See NUMBER.