Immer
Immer was the name of a priestly division during the time of David, and his descendants served as priests in the post-exilic period.
Biography
Immer was the head of a priestly division instituted by King David in preparation for temple worship, assigned by lot the sixteenth position among the twenty-four courses of priests (1 Chronicles 24:14). David's organization of the priesthood into rotating divisions was a foundational act of administrative and liturgical planning, ensuring that each priestly family served in the temple at regular intervals. Immer's division continued to function through the centuries, and members of his line returned from Babylon in significant numbers after the exile (Ezra 2:37; Nehemiah 7:40). The priest Pashhur, who opposed Jeremiah, also bore the designation "son of Immer" (Jeremiah 20:1), suggesting the family's prominence extended into the late monarchy period.
Significance
Immer's priestly division represents the intersection of administrative wisdom and sacred calling in the organization of Israel's worship life. David's careful structuring of the twenty-four priestly courses ensured that worship in the temple would be regular, orderly, and sustainable, a recognition that the service of God deserves both devotion and competence. Significantly, it was into a division descended from this system of courses that Zechariah the father of John the Baptist was serving when the angel announced the forerunner's birth (Luke 1:5–9). The priestly divisions David established thus became the very framework within which God announced the dawning of the new covenant, linking Immer's ancient heritage to the inauguration of the messianic age.
Verse Appearances (5)
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]