Immer

Immer is mentioned in several passages in the Old Testament as the name of a priestly division and its descendants. In1 Chronicles 24:14, Immer is listed as the sixteenth of the twenty-four priestly divisions appointed by King David to serve in the temple. Each division was responsible for serving in the temple for a week at a time, twice a year. The descendants of Immer are mentioned inEzra 2:37andNehemiah 7:40among the priests who returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian exile. In these passages, the Immerites are listed alongside other priestly families, indicating that they had maintained their priestly lineage and duties even during the exile. InEzra 10:20, some of the descendants of Immer are mentioned among the priests who had married foreign women, which was against the Law of God. As part of the religious reforms led by Ezra, these priests were required to send away their foreign wives and children to maintain the purity of the priestly lineage. The Immerites are also mentioned inJeremiah 20:1, where Pashhur, the son of Immer, is identified as a priest and a temple official. Pashhur had Jeremiah beaten and put in stocks for prophesying against Jerusalem and the temple. This incident highlights the tension between the prophetic message and the religious establishment during the time of Jeremiah. The repeated mention of the Immerites in various contexts throughout the Old Testament suggests that they were a significant priestly family that played a role in the religious life of Israel, both before and after the Babylonian exile. As priests, they would have been responsible for conducting temple services, offering sacrifices, and teaching the people the Law of God.