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doctrine at once deepens his humility and elevates his confidence to the full assurance of hope” (Outlines).
•PRESIDENTS Three presidents are mentioned, of whom Daniel was the first (Daniel 6:2-7). The name in the original is sarkhin, probably a Persian word meaning perfects or ministers.
•PRIEST The Hebrews kohen, Gr. hierus, Lat. sacerdos, always denote one who offers sacrifices.
At first every man was his own priest, and presented his own sacrifices before God. Afterwards that office devolved on the head of the family, as in the cases of Noah (Genesis 8:20), Abraham (12:7; 13:4), Isaac (26:25),
Jacob (31:54), and Job (Job 1:5).
The name first occurs as applied to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18). Under the Levitical arrangements the office of the priesthood was limited to the tribe of Levi, and to only one family of that tribe, the family of Aaron. Certain laws respecting the qualifications of priests are given in Leviticus 21:16-23. There are ordinances also regarding the priests’ dress (Exodus 28:40-43) and the manner of their consecration to the office (29:1-37).
Their duties were manifold (Exodus 27:20, 21; 29:38-44; Leviticus 6:12;
10:11; 24:8; Numbers 10:1-10; Deuteronomy 17:8-13; 33:10; Malachi 2:7). They represented the people before God, and offered the various sacrifices prescribed in the law.
In the time of David the priests were divided into twenty-four courses or classes (1 Chronicles 24:7-18). This number was retained after the Captivity (Ezra 2:36-39; Nehemiah 7:39-42).
“The priests were not distributed over the country, but lived together in certain cities [forty-eight in number, of which six were cities of refuge, q.v.], which had been assigned to their use. From thence they went up by turns to minister in the temple at Jerusalem. Thus the religious instruction of the people in the country generally was left to the heads of families, until the establishment of synagogues, an event which did not take place till the return from the Captivity, and which was the main source of the freedom from idolatry that became as marked a feature of the Jewish people thenceforward as its practice had been hitherto their great national sin.”