The
following are the heads of their ancestral houses: the sons of
Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi;
these are the families of Reuben. The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin,
Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these
are the families of Simeon. The following are the names of the sons
of Levi according to their genealogies: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari,
and the length of Levi’s life was one hundred and thirty-seven
years. The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their families.
The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, and the length
of Kohath’s life was one hundred and thirty-three years. The sons
of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites
according to their genealogies.
Amram married Jochebed his father’s
sister and she bore him Aaron and Moses, and the length of Amram’s
life was one hundred and thirty-seven years. The sons of Izhar:
Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and
Sithri. Aaron1
married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and
she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. The sons of Korah:
Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the families of the
Korahites. Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of
Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the
ancestral houses of the Levites by their families.
It was this same
Aaron and Moses2
to whom the Lord
said,
‘Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, company by
company.’ It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring
the Israelites out of Egypt, the same Moses and Aaron.
1
Interesting that this genealogy seems to focus on Aaron rather than
Moses. The position of the Levites in Hebrew society makes their
genealogy through the original Levitical priest quite important.
2
Firmly establishes the genealogy
Take-home: The genealogy establishes the place of Aaron, then Moses as well, both affirming Aaron's position himself and establishing the patriarchal base for all the Levitical priests who have followed Aaron since.
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