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Duties of the Musicians

25 David and the army commanders then appointed men from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to proclaim God’s messages to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. Here is a list of their names and their work:

From the sons of Asaph, there were Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. They worked under the direction of their father, Asaph, who proclaimed God’s messages by the king’s orders.

From the sons of Jeduthun, there were Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei,[a] Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six in all. They worked under the direction of their father, Jeduthun, who proclaimed God’s messages to the accompaniment of the lyre, offering thanks and praise to the Lord.

From the sons of Heman, there were Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael,[b] Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. All these were the sons of Heman, the king’s seer, for God had honored him with fourteen sons and three daughters.

All these men were under the direction of their fathers as they made music at the house of the Lord. Their responsibilities included the playing of cymbals, harps, and lyres at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman reported directly to the king. They and their families were all trained in making music before the Lord, and each of them—288 in all—was an accomplished musician. The musicians were appointed to their term of service by means of sacred lots, without regard to whether they were young or old, teacher or student.

The first lot fell to Joseph of the Asaph clan and twelve of his sons and relatives.[c]
The second lot fell to Gedaliah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
10 The third lot fell to Zaccur and twelve of his sons and relatives.
11 The fourth lot fell to Zeri[d] and twelve of his sons and relatives.
12 The fifth lot fell to Nethaniah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
13 The sixth lot fell to Bukkiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
14 The seventh lot fell to Asarelah[e] and twelve of his sons and relatives.
15 The eighth lot fell to Jeshaiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
16 The ninth lot fell to Mattaniah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
17 The tenth lot fell to Shimei and twelve of his sons and relatives.
18 The eleventh lot fell to Uzziel[f] and twelve of his sons and relatives.
19 The twelfth lot fell to Hashabiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
20 The thirteenth lot fell to Shubael and twelve of his sons and relatives.
21 The fourteenth lot fell to Mattithiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
22 The fifteenth lot fell to Jerimoth[g] and twelve of his sons and relatives.
23 The sixteenth lot fell to Hananiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
24 The seventeenth lot fell to Joshbekashah[h] and twelve of his sons and relatives.
25 The eighteenth lot fell to Hanani and twelve of his sons and relatives.
26 The nineteenth lot fell to Mallothi and twelve of his sons and relatives.
27 The twentieth lot fell to Eliathah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
28 The twenty-first lot fell to Hothir and twelve of his sons and relatives.
29 The twenty-second lot fell to Giddalti and twelve of his sons and relatives.
30 The twenty-third lot fell to Mahazioth and twelve of his sons and relatives.
31 The twenty-fourth lot fell to Romamti-ezer and twelve of his sons and relatives.

Footnotes

  1. 25:3 As in one Hebrew manuscript and some Greek manuscripts (see also 25:17); most Hebrew manuscripts lack Shimei.
  2. 25:4 Hebrew Shebuel, a variant spelling of Shubael; compare 25:20.
  3. 25:9 As in Greek version; Hebrew lacks and twelve of his sons and relatives.
  4. 25:11 Hebrew Izri, a variant spelling of Zeri; compare 25:3.
  5. 25:14 Hebrew Jesarelah, a variant spelling of Asarelah; compare 25:2.
  6. 25:18 Hebrew Azarel, a variant spelling of Uzziel; compare 25:4.
  7. 25:22 Hebrew Jeremoth, a variant spelling of Jerimoth; compare 25:4.
  8. 25:24 Hebrew Joshbekasha, a variant spelling of Joshbekashah; compare 25:4.

25 The singers are appointed with their places and lots.

So David and the captains of the army [a]separated for the ministry the sons of Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun, who should sing prophesies with harps, with viols, and with cymbals, and their number was even of the men for the office of their ministry, to wit,

Of the sons of Asaph, Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asharelah the sons of Asaph were under the hand of Asaph, which sang prophecies by the [b]commission of the King.

Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun, Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah and Mattithiah, [c]six, under the hands of their father: Jeduthun sang [d]prophecies with an harp, for to give thanks and to praise the Lord.

Of Heman, the sons of Heman, Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth.

All these were the sons of Heman, the King’s [e]Seer in the words of God to lift up the [f]horn: and God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

All these were under the [g]hand of their father singing in the house of the Lord with cymbals, viols and harps, for the service of the house of God, and Asaph, and Jeduthun, and Heman were at the King’s [h]commandment.

So was their number with their brethren that were instructed in the songs of the Lord, even of all that were cunning, two hundred fourscore and eight.

And they cast lots, [i]charge against charge, as well [j]small as great, the cunning man as the scholar.

And the first lot fell to [k]Joseph, which was of Asaph, the second, to Gedaliah, who with his brethren and his sons were twelve.

10 The third, to Zaccur, he, his sons and his brethren were twelve.

11 The fourth, to [l]Jizri, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

12 The fifth, to Nethaniah, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

13 The sixth, to Bukkiah, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

14 The seventh, to Jesharelah, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

15 The eighth to Jeshaiah, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

16 The ninth to Mattaniah, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

17 The tenth to Shimei, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

18 The eleventh to Azarel, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

19 The twelfth to Hashabiah, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

20 The thirteenth to Shubael, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

21 The fourteenth to Mattithiah, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

22 The fifteenth to Jeremoth, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

23 The sixteenth to Hananiah, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

24 The seventeenth to Joshbekashah, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

25 The eighteenth to Hanani, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

26 The nineteenth to Mallothi, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

27 The twentieth to Eliathah, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

28 The one and twentieth to Hothir, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

29 The two and twentieth to Giddalti, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

30 The three and twentieth to Mahazioth, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

31 The four and twentieth to Romamti-Ezer, he, his sons and his brethren twelve.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 25:1 The singers were divided into 24 courses, so that every course or order contained twelve, and in all there were 288, as verse 7.
  2. 1 Chronicles 25:2 Hebrew, hands.
  3. 1 Chronicles 25:3 Whereof one is not here numbered.
  4. 1 Chronicles 25:3 Meaning, Psalms and songs to praise God.
  5. 1 Chronicles 25:5 Or, Prophet.
  6. 1 Chronicles 25:5 Or, power, meaning of the king.
  7. 1 Chronicles 25:6 Or, government.
  8. 1 Chronicles 25:6 Hebrew, hand.
  9. 1 Chronicles 25:8 Who should be in every company and course.
  10. 1 Chronicles 25:8 Without respect to age or cunning.
  11. 1 Chronicles 25:9 So that he served in the first turn, and the rest everyone as his turn followed orderly.
  12. 1 Chronicles 25:11 Or, the Zerites.