The sons of Aaron

June 27, 2016

The reaction of the people to the actions of Simon (Sir 50:16-50:19)

“Then the sons of Aaron shouted.

They blew their trumpets

Of hammered metal.

They sounded a mighty fanfare,

As a reminder before

The Most High.

Then all the people together

Quickly fell to the ground

On their faces.

They worshiped their Lord,

The Almighty,

The God Most High.

Then the singers praised him

With their voices

In sweet full-toned melody.

The people

Of the Lord Most High

offered their prayers

Before the merciful one,

Until the order of worship of the Lord

Was ended.

Thus they completed Simon’s ritual.”

Next the sons of Aaron shouted. Then they blew their hammered metal trumpets with a great fanfare before the Most High God. The people in the assembly then quickly fell with their faces down to the ground, as they worshipped the Lord Almighty, the Most High God. The singers chimed in with their sweet melodic voices, as the people offered their prayers to the Most High merciful God, until this worship service to the Lord was ended.

June 27, 2016

The high priest Simon at the altar (Sir 50:11-50:15)

“When he put on

His glorious robe,

He clothed himself

In perfect splendor.

When he went up

To the holy altar,

He made the court

Of the sanctuary glorious.

When he received the portions

From the hands of the priests,

He stood by the hearth of the altar.

There was a garland

Of brothers around him.

He was

Like a young cedar on Lebanon.

They surrounded him

Like the trunks of palm trees.

All the sons of Aaron

In their splendor

Held the Lord’s offering

In their hands

Before the whole congregation of Israel.

Finishing the service at the altars,

They arranged

The offering to the Most High,

The Almighty.

He held out his hand for the cup.

He poured a drink offering

Of the blood of the grape.

He poured it out

At the foot of the altar.

It was a pleasing odor

To the Most High,

The King of all.”

Sirach explains that the high priest Simon put on his splendid glorious robe. Then he went to the holy altar in the sanctuary. He received the sacrificial gifts from the priests at the foot of the altar. He was like a Lebanon cedar tree among his brother priests who were like palm trees. All the sons of Aaron were there in their splendor as they held the Lord’s offering in their hands before the whole congregation. They arranged the offering to the Most High God, the Almighty one. Simon held out his hand and took the cup. He poured the blood of the grape drink at the foot of the altar, so that it was a pleasing odor to the King of all, the Most High God.

November 3, 2014

The sons of Aaron (1 Chr 6:3-6:3)

“The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.”

Once again, this is based on Exodus, chapter 6. Notice that this biblical author does not follow the genealogy of Moses, but rather his brother Aaron, since there is no mention of Moses, his wife or children in this genealogy. This is where the connection of the family of Levi and the cult gets its beginnings. The family of Aaron not Moses will lead to the Yahweh Levite priests. Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon. They had four sons, (1) Nadab, (2) Abihu, (3) Eleazar, and (4) Ithamar. Elisheba’s brother Nahshon had an important role in the Exodus since he was the bother-in-law of Aaron. Both Nadab and Abihu met a very violent fiery death in the desert journey in Leviticus, chapter 10, for using bad incense and making an unholy fire. Eleazar married the daughter of Putiel and they had a son called Phinehas. He was important because his two older brothers died childless. For some reason the high priest will pass through Ithamar as he was put in charge of the tabernacle.