and Mephaath with her suburbs: 81and out of the tribe of Gad; Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, and Mahanaim with her suburbs, 81and Heshbon with her suburbs, and Jazer with her suburbs.
80. Ramoth in Gilead] a city of refuge, Josh. xxi. 38. See 1 Kin. xxii. 3; 2 Kin. ix. 1.
Mahanaim] Gen. xxxii. 2.
81. Heshbon] Num. xxi. 25, 26; Is. xv. 4.
Jazer] Num. xxi. 32 (R.V.); Is. xvi. 8.
Note on the Levites.
The priestly organisation known to the Chronicler represents the latest stage of a system, the development of which can to some extent be traced in the O.T. records. (1) It appears from the earliest sources that the great "priestly" duty of sacrifice at one period did not require a priest for its due performance but might be, and was, undertaken by any responsible male. For example in Ex. xxiv. 5, an occasion of the deepest solemnity, sacrifices are spoken of as offered by "young men of the children of Israel." In Ex. xxxiii. 7—11 it is clear that the other great function of early religion, charge of the responses given by the Divine oracle, is regarded as being under the control of Moses. In fact it would seem that in the earlier period there were neither priests nor Levites as a religious order; at any rate, as an order exercising a monopoly in the religious functions which they afterwards claimed the sole right of discharging. (2) In course of time those who administered the oracle and offered sacrifices at the manifold shrines and high places of Palestine gained importance and were recognised as a distinct religious class, priests; and persons claiming descent from Levi were numerous or prominent among them. But the right of offering sacrifices was still by no means confined to these priests of the shrines. The priesthood of the various shrines was often hereditary, passing on from father to son; and, even apart from that fact, it was most natural that members of this religious order, or perhaps one should say "profession," should be thought of as connected by blood-relationship. Eventually they were all reckoned descendants of Levi. (3) After the exile and the suppression of the local shrines of Judah, the pre-eminence of the priests or Levites of Jerusalem was definitely established, and (as Ezekiel had suggested) such priests of the local shrines as were satisfied to migrate to Jerusalem became subordinate to the original ministers of the Temple there. All were accounted sons of Levi; but only the original Jerusalem priests, who traced their descent through the Levitical family of Aaron, were entitled to rank as priests: the rest were Levites but not priests. Thus there arose a distinction in the ranks of the religious officials. (4) Finally, the functions and privileges of priests as distinct from Levites were carefully
