Eleazar was the third son of Aaron and succeeded him as high priest in Israel after Aaron's death. He served faithfully under Moses' leadership and played a key role in distributing the land of Canaan under Joshua. He became the ancestor of the priestly line that served at the tabernacle and later in the temple.
1Now bring near to yourself your brother Aaron, and his sons with him, from among the Israelites, to serve me as priests: Aaron, and Aaron's sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
2"Take Aaron and his sons with him, along with the garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread,
Took over responsibility after the death of Nadab and Abihu
When his older brothers Nadab and Abihu died for offering strange fire before the Lord, Eleazar received expanded responsibility as leader over the heads of the Levites.
1Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them.
6Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not let your hair hang loose, and do not tear your garments, or you will die and wrath will come upon the whole congregation. But your brothers, the whole house of Israel, may mourn the burning that the LORD has kindled.
2This is the statute of the law that the LORD has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which no yoke has ever been laid.
When Aaron died on Mount Hor, Moses brought Eleazar up the mountain, and Aaron's priestly garments were taken from him and placed on Eleazar as a sign that he was taking over as high priest.
28Moses removed Aaron's garments and put them on his son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain,
Together with Joshua, Eleazar led the distribution of the promised land by casting lots among the tribes of Israel, in accordance with the Lord's command.
1These are the inheritances the Israelites received in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the ancestral houses of the tribes of Israel allotted to them.
51These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of Israel assigned by lot at Shiloh, before the LORD at the entrance to the tent of meeting. And so they finished dividing the land.
33Eleazar son of Aaron also died, and they buried him at Gibeah, which belonged to his son Phinehas and had been given to him in the hill country of Ephraim.