Who was Ithamar in the Bible?

Youngest son of Aaron: he was anointed with Nadab, Abihu, and Eleazar to minister in the priest's office. Under the superintendence of Ithamar were placed the Gershonites and Merarites who carried portions of the tabernacle. The high-priesthood came into the family of Ithamar in the person of Eli, and it reverted to the descendants of Eleazar in Zadok on the deposition of Abiathar by Solomon. Ex. 6:23; Ex. 28:1; Ex. 38:21; Lev. 10:6, 12, 16; Num. 3:2-4; Num. 4:28, 33; Num. 7:8; Num. 26:60; 1 Chr. 6:3; 1 Chr. 24:1-6. Daniel, a descendant of Ithamar, returned from exile. Ezra 8:2.

The work of Ithamar appears to be more connected with the building itself. In Exodus 38:21, we see that he had charge of all the material which was collected for the construction of the tabernacle, and again in this chapter, vv. 28, 33, the materials which composed the building are seen under his charge — a responsible work for him. Again we read in 1 Chron. 24:2, "therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest's office."

This brings to light another point of interest, the movement of the whole camp with Eleazar and Ithamar taking the oversight of the Levites. Aaron and his sons would see to the covering of the Holy vessels, then, as the Levites shouldered the burdens, they seemed to come under the hand of Aaron's sons on the march, v. 33. Eleazar seems more connected with the Kohathites, v. 16, while Ithamar seems to be connected with both Gershom and Merari, vv. 28, 33. Kohath had the carrying of the holy vessels which speak of Christ. Gershom had charge of the curtains which I think prefigures the house. Merari had charge of the boards with all the pillars which I think prefigures the kingdom — all that gives stability to the building. How close the work of the priests and the Levites are as seen together in this chapter and if we have rightly understood the answer to Levitical service to-day, it is the work of the ministry to promote priestly conditions amongst the saints of God. In Num. 8:19 we read that the Levites were given (gifted, Young's Concordance) to the priestly family to assist Aaron and his sons.

All these things that were made in connection with the tabernacle were according to the command of Moses, and all to be cared for by the Levites, under the supervision of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. We must remember that in Christianity all believers are priests (1 Peter 2:5), and all are also servants (as the Levites were), so that we are responsible to guard carefully the truths that are symbolized in all the service of the tabernacle. These are valuable, and must not be stolen from us, or lost. Bezaleel and Aholiab are again mentioned as the master craftsmen of all the work (vv. 22-23).

(a) It begins with the "generations of Aaron and Moses," the spiritual heads of the tribe, though only the name of Moses is given, as his children fall into their place as simple Levites. It is all the plainer on this account that it is as heads of the tribe they are brought in here. Typically, Christ as Priest and King is seen in relation to ministry, the fount and director of it. Aaron is first, because it depends above all upon mediation, is the fruit of this. Aaron, too, is the head of that priestly family which is typically our own. Here indeed we find terrible failure and the judgment of God, the first two sons cut off, and the third, Eleazar (the "help of God"), speaking in this way of that resurrection-power in which God acts when all human power is completely at an end. Ithamar, ("where the palm-tree is,") following Eleazar, seems to imply the uprightness and fruitfulness, constantly in Scripture associated with the palm-tree, like which the righteous flourish. (Ps. 92:12.) This, at least, is in the true order here not the less so that in the history we find that when (as in Eli) Ithamar's descendants are exalted above Eleazar's then there is mournful failure and collapse. Together and in due order Eleazar and Ithamar minister as priests in their father's presence.

Aaron's sons are Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Nadab and Abihu were judged for their sin. And thus in the priestly family we again see that the history of the natural man comes first and then is entirely set aside. After Nadab and Abihu come Eleazar and Ithamar: Eleazar, the priest according to the election of grace, Ithamar, the responsible priest, set aside in order to give place to the former.

Eli was of the line of Ithamar, the youngest son of Aaron, and in consequence came is last in the order of priestly privilege. Their responsibilities in connection with the tabernacle were almost wholly of the Levite character (see Ex. 28:1; Ex. 38:21). On the death of Nadab and Abihu because of their offering strange fire before the Lord, the high-priesthood fell to Eleazar, the third in order of age. How the office came to be transferred to the house of Ithamar, the fourth son of Aaron, Scripture does not inform us. God has reasons in all things, some of them being hidden from us for the present, as those unexplained transposings of the earth's crust, sometimes met with, which have proved so puzzling to geologists. How, or when the strata became superimposed, they are unable to say; they only know that they were. In some upheaval of the dim past they became inverted out of their regular order, but in what manner, or in what geologic age the cataclysm occurred is a mystery to man.

Daughter of Amminadab, and wife of Aaron. Ex. 6:23. She was of the tribe of Judah, and her marriage with Aaron united the priestly and royal tribes.

If we think then of Aaron as setting forth Christ in the presence of God, we see in Eleazar and Ithamar the priesthood of believers who have been sanctified to associate with him and to share in His priestly service for God, both holy and royal. "And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother and his sons with him", Ex. 28. In answer to his sons, we are charged with the service of the house of God to-day to keep the spiritual system in movement in association with the Great High Priest over the house of God. This will involve priestly condition, allied with true Levitical service to produce and maintain what is spiritual in the saints. In the type, Eleazar saw that the necessary things were in good supply while Ithamar saw to it that the building was rightly handled whether carried or erected and so the service went on.

Ithamar was responsible for the building itself, as we may gather in the following verse.

“These are the things numbered of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, which were counted, according to the commandment of Moses, by the service of the Levites, under the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest” (Ex. 38:21, N.Tr.).

So in this chapter in Numbers we find him mentioned twice, in verses 28 and 33. Gershon and Marari came under his hand, that portion of the Levites who carried the curtains, the boards of the tabernacle and the pillars of the court. In this way both Eleazar and Ithamar exercised their priesthood as we read in 1 Chronicles 24:2, “and Eleazar and Ithamar exercised the priesthood” (N.Tr.)

This brings to light another point of interest in this chapter. It seems that in the exercise of his priesthood, Eleazar was associated in the work of the Kohathites when the tabernacle was in transit, while Ithamar was associated with both Gershon and Marari. Kohath had the honour of carrying the holy vessels which speak of the personal, moral and official glories of our Lord Jesus Christ. To Gershon fell the lot of carrying the curtains, the tabernacle, and the tent, which composed the house in which these vessels—which speak of Christ—stood in their respective places before God. Then to Marari fell the lot of carrying the boards of the tabernacle and the pillars of the court, that which gave support to the curtains of the tabernacle and the hangings of the court. This speaks of what is practical, for the boards and the bars, the pillars, the pegs and the cords, were calculated to give stability to the tabernacle and the court hangings. For us this would indicate the maintenance of practical righteousness towards the world. In carrying all these vessels and materials, Kohath came under the hand of Eleazar, and Gershon and Marari under the hand of Ithamar.

In chapter 4 we have details as to the service of the Levites in connection with the sanctuary, and also details of the work of the priests, particularly when the camp was in movement. The Levites were divided into three groups under the leadership of Kohath, Gershon and Merari respectively, though the first of these groups was controlled by Aaron's son Eleazar and the second and third by his son, Ithamar.