(49) But Aaron and his sons offered.--Literally, And Aaron and his sons were offering. The participle denotes unintermitted action. "Aaron and his sons" is a technical name for the priests, to whom, according to this passage, three functions pertained: (1) sacrifice on the altars of burnt-offering and inconse; (2) the work of the most holy place (Holy of holies); (3) atonement for Israel by special rites of sacrifice and purification.

According to all that Moses . . . commanded.--This refers to the entire ministry of the priests. The time in question is the Davidic age.

The servant of God.--Comp. Deuteronomy 34:5; Joshua 1:1; Joshua 1:13. After his death, Moses is thrice called "servant of Jehovah," in whose earthly household he had been faithful as a servant (Hebrews 3:5). He fore-figures in grand if imperfect outline that other servant of Jehovah, of whom the second half of Isaiah has so much discourse. "Servant of God" (Elohim) the chronicler writes, because in his day the NAME was held in ever-increasing awe.

Verses 49-53. - These verses allude to the more special functions of "Aaron and his sons," as they are here called, i.e., his lineal descendants (vers. 4-15; Ezra 7:2-5), whose names, stopping at Ahimaaz, the eleventh generation, are the same with those of vers. 3-8. The manifest inference is that the present enumeration, stopping with the name of one contemporary with David (2 Samuel 15:27), was borrowed from tables of the date of David, and not of the date of the Captivity (ver. 15). Verse 49. - The altar of the burnt offering (Leviticus 1:3-17). The altar of incense (Exodus 25:6; Exodus 30:1-7, 7-9, 34-38; Leviticus 16:12). Most holy (Leviticus 16:12, 14, 15, 17, 20). An atonement for Israel (Leviticus 16:3-19; Leviticus 23:26-32; Numbers 29:7-11).

6:1-81 Genealogies. - We have an account of Levi in this chapter. The priests and Levites were more concerned than any other Israelites, to preserve their descent clear, and to be able to prove it; because all the honours and privileges of their office depended upon their descent. Now, the Spirit of God calls ministers to their work, without any limit as to the families they came from; and then, as now, though believers and ministers may be very useful to the church, none but our great High Priest can make atonement for sin, nor can any be accepted but through his atonement.But Aaron and his sons,.... Those that descended from him, though of the same tribe of Levi were all priests:

and they offered upon the altar of burnt offerings; the daily sacrifice, and all the offerings of the people brought to them:

and on the altar of incense; they burnt incense night and morning: and were appointed

for all the work of the place most holy; such as were high priests of the line of Eleazar, whose work it was to go into the most holy place once a year:

to make atonement for all Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God commanded; in Leviticus 16:1 which see; and on mention of this, a list of the high priests from Aaron, in the line of Eleazar, is given, to the times of Solomon, in the four following verses, just in the same order as in 1 Chronicles 6:4.