Hakkoz

Hakkoz is the head of the seventh priestly course assigned by lot in David's organization of the priesthood; the same name reappears in postexilic registers as the ancestor of a priestly family that returned from Babylon and worked on Jerusalem's wall under Nehemiah.

The seventh priestly course

When the priestly courses are distributed by lot, Hakkoz is named seventh: "the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah" (1Chr 24:10). The placement situates him within the twenty-four-fold rotation of the priestly service.

A priestly house in the return

Among those who came up with Zerubbabel, Hakkoz appears as the ancestor of one of three priestly groups whose pedigree the postexilic register notes specifically: "And of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name" (Ezra 2:61). His descent line continues into the wall-building project, where Meremoth, his grandson by Uriah, is named twice as a worker on the wall: "And next to them repaired Meremoth the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz. And next to them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel. And next to them repaired Zadok the son of Baana" (Neh 3:4); and again, taking a second portion: "After him repaired Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz another portion, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib" (Neh 3:21).