When we read 2nd Samuel 8:18 in the Tanakh we see that King David’s son’s became priests. One might strike the question: Wasn’t the priesthood of Israel strictly reserved for the Levites? The short answer is — yes.
Yes, King David might have eaten the priestly showbread (1 Samuel 21:6); but, does that make his entire generation line qualified to become actual priests? Another short answer — no.
In the Hebrew Tanakh, the word used in 2nd Samuel 8:18 is 𐤊𐤄𐤍𐤉𐤌 or כהנים which is the plural form of כהן (singular) meaning “Priest”.
Luckily enough, the Aramaic Targum of Jonathan fixes this issue. Here are two examples of 2nd Samuel 8:18 in the Aramaic Targum of Jonathan:
From these two sources of proof we can see that the word here is not כהנים but it is in fact 𐤓𐤁𐤓𐤁𐤉𐤍 or רברבין which is plural, meaning; chiefs, masters, teachers.
The downfall of reading the Aramaic Targums, is that, most scholars find them to be fragmented when it comes to grammar. In my journey to become more fluent in Aramaic; subtle fixes like the priests > chiefs, masters, teachers is a big one! This correction that we find in the Aramaic Targums, restores the significance and exclusivity of the Levitical priesthood.
I guess the most obvious scripture that re-establishes the Law of the Israelites while putting everything in perspective is Numbers 1:50.
King David is from the Tribe Of Yhudeh (Judah) making it impossible for his son’s to become Levitical priests (Tribe of Levi); unless, he married a Levite, and the power of the tribe was passed down maternally.
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