A son of the first priest Aaron and high priest of Israel under the leadership of Joshua, Son of Nun.
About Eleazar (Son of Aaron)
The third of Aaron’s four sons (Exodus 6:23). His name means "God has helped." He was consecrated as a priest along with his brothers and Aaron in the Sinai desert (Exodus 28:1; Leviticus 8:2, 13). After his brothers Nadab and Abihu were killed by God for offering "unholy fire,"(Leviticus 10:1–7), Eleazar and Ithamar took leading roles as Aaron’s sons (Numbers 3:1–4).
Eleazar is described as “chief of the leaders of the Levites” (Numbers 3:32). He was responsible for overseeing the sanctuary and its vessels (Numbers 4:16; 16:37–39; 19:3–4). When Aaron died on Mount Hor, Moses installed Eleazar as the high priest (Numbers 20:25–28; Deuteronomy 10:6). From that point on, he became Moses’ assistant (Numbers 26:1–3, 63; 27:2, 21). Joshua was commissioned by Moses in the presence of Eleazar (Numbers 27:18–23). During the conquest of Canaan, Eleazar worked alongside Joshua as a leader. His role was to inquire of the Lord on Joshua's behalf, providing divine counsel (Numbers 27:21). Eleazar also participated in dividing the land among the tribes of Israel, both on the east and west banks of the Jordan River (Numbers 34:17; Joshua 14:1; 17:4; 19:51; 21:1).
Upon Eleazar's death, he was highly regarded and memorialized in the land of Ephraim (Joshua 24:33). His son Phinehas became high priest after his death.
Eleazar's descendants were given 16 divisions in the oversight of the priests, while Ithamar's descendants received eight (1 Chronicles 24). Notable priests like Zadok and Ezra traced their ancestry back to Eleazar (1 Chronicles 6:3–15, 50–53; 24:3; Ezra 7:1–5).
In later times, during King Solomon's reign, the priests descended from Zadok replaced Abiathar, who was from Ithamar's line (1 Kings 2:26–27, 35). According to Ezekiel's vision of an ideal temple, only the descendants of Eleazar would be permitted to serve as priests (Ezekiel 44:15).
See also Aaron.
Family Relationships
Key References
And Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor.
Now these are the portions that the Israelites inherited in the land of Canaan, as distributed by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of Israel.
All Scripture References (61)
Exodus (3)
And Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These were the heads of the Levite families by their clans.
“Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.
Leviticus (3)
Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become disheveled and do not tear your garments, or else you will die, and the LORD will be angry with the whole congregation. But your brothers, the whole house of Israel, may mourn on account of the fire that the LORD has ignited.
And Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering that remains from the food offerings to the LORD and eat it without leaven beside the altar, because it is most holy.
Later, Moses searched carefully for the goat of the sin offering, and behold, it had been burned up. He was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons, and asked,
Numbers (34)
These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, then Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
Nadab and Abihu, however, died in the presence of the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai. And since they had no sons, only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
The chief of the leaders of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest; he oversaw those responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.
Eleazar son of Aaron the priest shall oversee the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. He has oversight of the entire tabernacle and everything in it, including the holy objects and their utensils.”
“Speak to the Israelites and take from them twelve staffs, one from the leader of each tribe. Write each man’s name on his staff,
Place the staffs in the Tent of Meeting in front of the Testimony, where I meet with you.
Give it to Eleazar the priest, and he will have it brought outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence.
Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting.
Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor.
Remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered to his people and will die there.”
After Moses had removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.
On seeing this, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand,
“Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the Israelites; for he was zealous for My sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in My zeal.
After the plague had ended, the LORD said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron the priest,
So on the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest issued the instruction,
Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar were born to Aaron,
These were the ones numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho.
the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the whole congregation, and said,
Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and commission him in their sight.
He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will go out and come in.”
Moses did as the LORD had commanded him. He took Joshua, had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation,
And Moses sent the thousand from each tribe into battle, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, who took with him the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.
They brought the captives, spoils, and plunder to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of Israel at the camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.
And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp.
Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded Moses:
“You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the congregation are to take a count of what was captured, both of man and beast.
Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as an offering to the LORD.
So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD had commanded Moses,
Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as an offering for the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
So Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them all the articles made out of gold.
And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD.
So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, and said,
So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the family leaders of the tribes of Israel.
“These are the names of the men who are to assign the land as an inheritance for you: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun.
Deuteronomy (1)
The Israelites traveled from Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah, where Aaron died and was buried, and Eleazar his son succeeded him as priest.
Joshua (8)
Now these are the portions that the Israelites inherited in the land of Canaan, as distributed by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of Israel.
They approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, and said, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers, in keeping with the command of the LORD.
These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families distributed by lot to the tribes of Israel at Shiloh before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. So they finished dividing up the land.
Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel
The Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest to the land of Gilead, to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest said to the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, “Today we know that the LORD is among us, because you have not committed this breach of faith against Him. Consequently, you have delivered the Israelites from the hand of the LORD.”
Then Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, together with the other leaders, returned to the Israelites in the land of Canaan and brought back a report regarding the Reubenites and Gadites in the land of Gilead.
Eleazar son of Aaron also died, and they buried him at Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.
Judges (1)
and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered, “Fight, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”
1 Chronicles (10)
the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai,
In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar had been in charge of the gatekeepers, and the LORD was with him.
These were the divisions of the descendants of Aaron. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.
With the help of Eleazar’s descendant Zadok and Ithamar’s descendant Ahimelech, David divided them according to the offices of their service.
Since more leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than those of Ithamar, they were divided accordingly. There were sixteen heads of families from the descendants of Eleazar and eight from the descendants of Ithamar.
Thus they were divided by lot, for there were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God among both Eleazar’s and Ithamar’s descendants.
The scribe, Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officers: Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the heads of families of the priests and the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar, and then one from Ithamar.
Ezra (1)
the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest—