Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Chronicles 26:14

"And the lot eastward fell to Shelemiah. Then for Zechariah his son, a discreet counsellor, they cast lots; and his lot came out northward." — 1 Chronicles 26:14 (ASV)

And the lot eastward fell to Shelemiah. — The courses of the sons of Shelemiah (Meshelemiah in 1 Chronicles 26:1, 9; and Shallum in 1 Chronicles 9:19) received by lot the post of honor on the east side of the Sanctuary.

Then for Zechariah his son. — The Hebrew text reads, And Zechariah his son, counselling with sagacity, they cast lots. The preposition for may have fallen out before Zechariah.

Or perhaps Zechariah is the real subject of the verb “cast lots,” which is plural because Zechariah is the name of a clan or guild (Compare 1 Chronicles 24:31; 1 Chronicles 25:8). Zechariah, the firstborn of Meshelemiah (1 Chronicles 26:2), obtained the charge of the north side. The phrase “They cast lots” may mean they drew a lot from the urn.

A wise counsellor. — This little touch is obviously a mark of truth. The chronicler could have had no motive for so characterizing a warder of the Temple, unless he had found it in some older source, of which he has only given extracts.