Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office;
OJBNot only this, but it was the fact that the former kohanim were many in number, because mavet prevented them from continuing in the office of kehunah.
TCENTNow the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office;
T4TAnd formerly, the priests could not keep serving as priests, because they all died [PRS]. So there were many priests to take the place of the ones who died.