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    When David was not permitted to build the temple, he proceeded,
    among the last acts of his life, with the assistance of Zadok
    and Ahimelech, to organize the priestly and musical services to
    be conducted in the house of God. (1.) He divided the priests
    into twenty-four courses (1 Chr. 24:1-19), sixteen being of the
    house of Eleazar and eight of that of Ithamar. Each course was
    under a head or chief, and ministered for a week, the order
    being determined by lot. (2.) The rest of the 38,000 Levites
    (23:4) were divided also into twenty-four courses, each to
    render some allotted service in public worship: 4,000 in
    twenty-four courses were set apart as singers and musicians
    under separate leaders (25); 4,000 as porters or keepers of the
    doors and gates of the sanctuary (26:1-19); and 6,000 as
    officers and judges to see to the administration of the law in
    all civil and ecclesiastical matters (20-32).

      This arrangement was re-established by Hezekiah (2 Chr. 31:2);
    and afterwards the four sacerdotal courses which are said to
    have returned from the Captivity were re-divided into the
    original number of twenty-four by Ezra (6:18).