דברי הימים א, פרק ה׳, פסוק כ״ז

The historical record of Levi’s three sons—Gershon, Kehat, and Merari—serves as far more than a simple family tree [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Rather, it lays out the rich historical background and the evolving duties of the Levite tribe throughout the generations [רד״ק]. This detailed account is designed to recall the specific cities assigned to the Levites, as well as their appointed roles as singers and dedicated servants before God, responsibilities that were organized and set in place by King David.

Tracing the family line of Aaron the Priest, the record extends all the way to the period of the Babylonian exile, concluding with Jehozadak, who was carried away captive by Nebuchadnezzar. A striking feature of this genealogy is its deliberate focus on the descendants of Aaron’s son Eleazar, while completely leaving out the family line of his other son, Ithamar. This intentional omission highlights a divine promise. God had assured Eleazar’s son, Phinehas, an everlasting covenant of priesthood, guaranteeing that the role of the High Priest would remain within his family forever. While descendants of Ithamar—such as Eli, Ahimelech, and Abiathar—did serve as High Priests in earlier times, the divine promise reached its permanent fulfillment starting with Zadok. From his time onward, the High Priesthood was permanently established within Eleazar's lineage [רד״ק].

While this extensive family record closely mirrors a similar list found in the Book of Ezra, the latter account was intentionally shortened, leaving out several generations for the sake of brevity.