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1 Chronicles Chapter Twenty-five

 

1 Chronicles 25 Outline of Contents

The Musicians (v.1~31)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 25

This chapter relates the appointment of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, to be singers in the temple, 1 Chronicles 25:1 the distribution of them by lot into twenty four classes, twelve in each class, 1 Chronicles 25:8.

 

1 Chronicles 25:1  Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals. And the number of the skilled men performing their service was:

   YLT  1And David and the heads of the host separate for service, of the sons of Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun, who are prophesying with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals, and the number of the workmen is according to their service.

Moreover, David and the captains of the host separated to the service,.... Of singing the praises of God; this was done by the princes of the people, and the chief of the priests, who were gathered together, and before whom the lots were cast, both for priests and Levites, and now here for the singers, see 1 Chronicles 22:2 and those that were separated were

of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun; or Ethan, the three precentors, or chief of the singers:

who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals; sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, endited by the Holy Spirit of God; which contained in them prophecies concerning things to come, particularly relating to the Messiah, of which there are many in the book of Psalms; and to the tunes of these they played on the above instruments of music:

and the number of the workmen, according to their service, was; as follows.

 

1 Chronicles 25:2  2 Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah;[a] the sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied according to the order of the king.

   YLT  2Of sons of Asaph: Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asharelah, sons of Asaph, [are] by the side of Asaph, who is prophesying by the side of the king.

Of the sons of Asaph,.... Who were separated, and by lot appointed, to the service of singers in the temple:

Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asarelah; called Jesharelah, 1 Chronicles 25:14, these had the third fourth, fifth, and seventh lots, 1 Chronicles 25:9,

under the hands of Asaph; under his instruction and authority:

which prophesied according to the order of the king; which Asaph composed psalms under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, and was ordered by King David to sing them, and by whose command they were inserted in the book of Psalms, where they now stand with his name to them.

 

1 Chronicles 25:3  3 Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri,[b] Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six,[c] under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp to give thanks and to praise the Lord.

   YLT  3Of Jeduthun: sons of Jeduthun, Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, Shisshah, [are] by the side of their father Jeduthun; with a harp he is prophesying, for giving of thanks and of praise to Jehovah.

Of Jeduthun,.... Or Ethan, the sons of Jeduthun:

Gedaliah and Zeri; called Izri, 1 Chronicles 25:11,

and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six; whereas five only are mentioned; it may be thought that Shimei, 1 Chronicles 25:17 is the sixth, he not being mentioned elsewhere; it is a tradition of the Jews, that his mother was now with child of him, and it being foreseen by the Holy Spirit that he would be the chief of a course, the number six is given, as Jarchi observes; but rather, as Kimchi, he was young, and not fit to sing, yet was chosen the head of a course, until he was grown up and fit for it; to these six came up the second, fourth, eighth, twelfth, fourteenth, and tenth lots, 1 Chronicles 25:9 and these

were under the hands of their father Jeduthun; to instruct and direct them, and appoint their service to them:

who prophesied with a harp; or sung a prophetic psalm or hymn on that:

to give thanks, and to praise the Lord; for what he had done and promised, and foretold he would do for his people.

 

1 Chronicles 25:4  4 Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel,[d] Shebuel,[e] Jerimoth,[f] Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth.

   YLT  4Of Heman: sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth;

Of Heman: the sons of Heman,.... The third chief singer:

Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel; the same with Azareel, 1 Chronicles 25:18.

Shebuel; called Shubael, 1 Chronicles 25:20.

and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamtiezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth; in all fourteen, to whom came the sixth, ninth, eleventh, fifteenth, sixteenth, eighteenth, twentieth, twenty second, twenty fourth, seventeenth, nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty third lots, 1 Chronicles 25:13.

 

1 Chronicles 25:5  5 All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer in the words of God, to exalt his horn.[g] For God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

   YLT  5all these [are] sons of Heman -- seer of the king in the things of God -- to lift up a horn; and God giveth to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

All these were the sons of Heman, the king's seer,.... The prophet of the king, as the Targum, who was frequently with him, assisting him

in the words of God: in divine things:

to lift up the horn; to blow with the hornpipe or trumpet, and to magnify and set forth the greatness of the kingdom of Israel, and especially of the King Messiah, the horn of salvation, that would be raised up in the house of David:

and God gave to Heman fourteen sons; whose names are before mentioned:

and three daughters; of whom we have no more account, only may observe, that both are the gifts of God, and an heritage from him, Psalm 127:3.

 

1 Chronicles 25:6  6 All these were under the direction of their father for the music in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the authority of the king.

   YLT  6All these [are] by the side of their father in the song of the house of Jehovah, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God; by the side of the king [are] Asaph, and Jeduthun, and Heman.

All these were under the hands of their father, for song in the house of the Lord,.... Instructed and directed by him in the performance of the service in the temple:

with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God; which were the three principal instruments of music used in the temple service:

according to the king's order, to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman; who ordered and directed them what to sing, what tunes to make use of, and what instruments to play upon to those tunes.

 

1 Chronicles 25:7  7 So the number of them, with their brethren who were instructed in the songs of the Lord, all who were skillful, was two hundred and eighty-eight.

   YLT  7And their number, with their brethren -- taught in the song of Jehovah, all who are intelligent -- is two hundred, eighty and eight.

So the number of them, with their brethren,.... Who each of them had twelve with them, as after reckoned:

that were instructed in the songs of the Lord; taught how to sing them:

even all that were cunning; expert and well skilled in the science of singing:

was two hundred and eighty eight; for there being twenty four classes answerable to those of the priests, and twelve in each class, twelve times twenty four makes two hundred and eighty eight.

 

1 Chronicles 25:8  8 And they cast lots for their duty, the small as well as the great, the teacher with the student.

   YLT  8And they cause to fall lots -- charge over-against [charge], as well the small as the great, the intelligent with the learner.

And they cast lots, ward against ward,.... That is, which ward or course of the singers should answer to and attend on the first ward or course of the priests in their weekly service, and which the second, and so on:

as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar; no regard was had to the age of a person, his being the firstborn or a younger brother, or to his office and station, whether as a teacher or a learner in the science of singing; he was made the head of a course, as the lot came up; and it may easily be observed, by comparing the lots in the following verses with the sons of the chief singers, according to the order of them in 1 Chronicles 25:2 that the younger are often preferred in the courses by lot to the elder, of which even the first lot is an instance.

 

1 Chronicles 25:9  9 Now the first lot for Asaph came out for Joseph; the second for Gedaliah, him with his brethren and sons, twelve;

   YLT  9And the first lot goeth out for Asaph to Joseph; [to] Gedaliah the second; he, and his brethren and his sons, twelve;

Verses 9-31

Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph,.... His second son to the preference of the firstborn, 1 Chronicles 25:2,

the second to Gedaliah, who with his brethren and sons were twelve: and which must also be understood of Joseph, and supplied to him; for those being both in one verse, as Jarchi observes, it is but once mentioned, but must be supplied, or otherwise the number of two hundred and eighty eight could not be made up; the same is observed of all the other lots and courses to the end of the chapter as here, and therefore need no more remarks.

 

1 Chronicles 25:10  10 the third for Zaccur, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  10the third [to] Zaccur, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:11  11 the fourth for Jizri,[h] his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  11the fourth to Izri, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:12  12 the fifth for Nethaniah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  12the fifth [to] Nethaniah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:13  13 the sixth for Bukkiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  13the sixth [to] Bukkiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:14  14 the seventh for Jesharelah,[i] his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  14the seventh [to] Jesharelah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:15  15 the eighth for Jeshaiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  15the eighth [to] Jeshaiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:16  16 the ninth for Mattaniah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  16the ninth [to] Mattaniah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:17  17 the tenth for Shimei, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  17the tenth [to] Shimei, his sons and his brethren, twelve:

 

1 Chronicles 25:18  18 the eleventh for Azarel,[j] his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  18eleventh [to] Azareel, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:19  19 the twelfth for Hashabiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  19the twelfth [to] Hashabiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:20  20 the thirteenth for Shubael,[k] his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  20at the thirteenth [to] Shubael, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:21  21 the fourteenth for Mattithiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  21at the fourteenth [to] Mattithiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:22  22 the fifteenth for Jeremoth,[l] his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  22at the fifteenth [to] Jeremoth, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:23  23 the sixteenth for Hananiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  23at the sixteenth [to] Hananiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:24  24 the seventeenth for Joshbekashah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  24at the seventeenth [to] Joshbekashah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:25  25 the eighteenth for Hanani, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  25at the eighteenth [to] Hanani, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:26  26 the nineteenth for Mallothi, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  26at the nineteenth [to] Mallothi, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:27  27 the twentieth for Eliathah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  27at the twentieth [to] Eliathah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:28  28 the twenty-first for Hothir, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  28at the one and twentieth [to] Hothir, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:29  29 the twenty-second for Giddalti, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  29at the two and twentieth [to] Giddalti, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:30  30 the twenty-third for Mahazioth, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

   YLT  30at the three and twentieth [to] Mahazioth, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

 

1 Chronicles 25:31  31 the twenty-fourth for Romamti-Ezer, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

   YLT  31at the four and twentieth [to] Romamti-Ezer, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

 

New King James Version (NKJV)

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Chronicles 25:2 Spelled Jesharelah in verse 14
  2. 1 Chronicles 25:3 Spelled Jizri in verse 11
  3. 1 Chronicles 25:3 Shimei, appearing in one Hebrew and several Septuagint manuscripts, completes the total of six sons (compare verse 17).
  4. 1 Chronicles 25:4 Spelled Azarel in verse 18
  5. 1 Chronicles 25:4 Spelled Shubael in verse 20
  6. 1 Chronicles 25:4 Spelled Jeremoth in verse 22
  7. 1 Chronicles 25:5 That is, to increase his power or influence
  8. 1 Chronicles 25:11 Spelled Zeri in verse 3
  9. 1 Chronicles 25:14 Spelled Asharelah in verse 2
  10. 1 Chronicles 25:18 Spelled Uzziel in verse 4
  11. 1 Chronicles 25:20 Spelled Shebuel in verse 4
  12. 1 Chronicles 25:22 Spelled Jerimoth in verse 4