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The Music Groups

25 David and the leaders of the army separated the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun for special service. Their special service was to prophesy God’s message with harps, lyres, and cymbals. Here is a list of the men who served this way:

From Asaph’s family: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. King David chose Asaph to prophesy. And Asaph led his sons.

From Jeduthun’s family: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah. There were six of them. Jeduthun led his sons. Jeduthun used harps to prophesy and give thanks and praise to the Lord.

Heman’s sons who served were Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael, and Jerimoth; Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti Ezer; Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. All these men were Heman’s sons. Heman was David’s seer. God promised to make Heman strong. So Heman had many sons. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

Heman led all his sons in singing in the Lord’s temple.[a] His sons used cymbals, lyres, and harps. That was their way of serving in God’s temple. King David chose these men. These men and their relatives from the tribe of Levi were trained to sing. There were 288 men who learned to sing praises to the Lord. They threw lots to choose the different kinds of work each person was to do. Everyone was treated the same. Young and old were treated the same. And the teacher was treated the same as the student.

The first one chosen was Asaph (Joseph).

Second, there were 12 men chosen from Gedaliah’s sons and relatives.

10 Third, there were 12 men chosen from Zaccur’s sons and relatives.

11 Fourth, there were 12 men chosen from Izri’s sons and relatives.

12 Fifth, there were 12 men chosen from Nethaniah’s sons and relatives.

13 Sixth, there were 12 men chosen from Bukkiah’s sons and relatives.

14 Seventh, there were 12 men chosen from Asarelah’s sons and relatives.

15 Eighth, there were 12 men chosen from Jeshaiah’s sons and relatives.

16 Ninth, there were 12 men chosen from Mattaniah’s sons and relatives.

17 Tenth, there were 12 men chosen from Shimei’s sons and relatives.

18 Eleventh, there were 12 men chosen from Azarel’s sons and relatives.

19 Twelfth, there were 12 men chosen from Hashabiah’s sons and relatives.

20 Thirteenth, there were 12 men chosen from Shubael’s sons and relatives.

21 Fourteenth, there were 12 men chosen from Mattithiah’s sons and relatives.

22 Fifteenth, there were 12 men chosen from Jeremoth’s sons and relatives.

23 Sixteenth, there were 12 men chosen from Hananiah’s sons and relatives.

24 Seventeenth, there were 12 men chosen from Joshbekashah’s sons and relatives.

25 Eighteenth, there were 12 men chosen from Hanani’s sons and relatives.

26 Nineteenth, there were 12 men chosen from Mallothi’s sons and relatives.

27 Twentieth, there were 12 men chosen from Eliathah’s sons and relatives.

28 Twenty-first, there were 12 men chosen from Hothir’s sons and relatives.

29 Twenty-second, there were 12 men chosen from Giddalti’s sons and relatives.

30 Twenty-third, there were 12 men chosen from Mahazioth’s sons and relatives.

31 Twenty-fourth, there were 12 men chosen from Romamti Ezer’s sons and relatives.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 25:6 temple Here, this means the Holy Tent where people went to worship the Lord.

The Musicians

25 David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph,(A) Heman(B) and Jeduthun(C) for the ministry of prophesying,(D) accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals.(E) Here is the list of the men(F) who performed this service:(G)

From the sons of Asaph:

Zakkur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who prophesied under the king’s supervision.

As for Jeduthun, from his sons:(H)

Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei,[a] Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six in all, under the supervision of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied, using the harp(I) in thanking and praising the Lord.

As for Heman, from his sons:

Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael and Jerimoth; Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-Ezer; Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir and Mahazioth. (All these were sons of Heman the king’s seer. They were given him through the promises of God to exalt him. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.)

All these men were under the supervision of their father(J) for the music of the temple of the Lord, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God.

Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman(K) were under the supervision of the king.(L) Along with their relatives—all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord—they numbered 288. Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots(M) for their duties.

The first lot, which was for Asaph,(N) fell to Joseph,
his sons and relatives[b]12[c]
the second to Gedaliah,
him and his relatives and sons12
10 the third to Zakkur,
his sons and relatives12
11 the fourth to Izri,[d]
his sons and relatives12
12 the fifth to Nethaniah,
his sons and relatives12
13 the sixth to Bukkiah,
his sons and relatives12
14 the seventh to Jesarelah,[e]
his sons and relatives12
15 the eighth to Jeshaiah,
his sons and relatives12
16 the ninth to Mattaniah,
his sons and relatives12
17 the tenth to Shimei,
his sons and relatives12
18 the eleventh to Azarel,[f]
his sons and relatives12
19 the twelfth to Hashabiah,
his sons and relatives12
20 the thirteenth to Shubael,
his sons and relatives12
21 the fourteenth to Mattithiah,
his sons and relatives12
22 the fifteenth to Jerimoth,
his sons and relatives12
23 the sixteenth to Hananiah,
his sons and relatives12
24 the seventeenth to Joshbekashah,
his sons and relatives12
25 the eighteenth to Hanani,
his sons and relatives12
26 the nineteenth to Mallothi,
his sons and relatives12
27 the twentieth to Eliathah,
his sons and relatives12
28 the twenty-first to Hothir,
his sons and relatives12
29 the twenty-second to Giddalti,
his sons and relatives12
30 the twenty-third to Mahazioth,
his sons and relatives12
31 the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer,
his sons and relatives12.(O)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 25:3 One Hebrew manuscript and some Septuagint manuscripts (see also verse 17); most Hebrew manuscripts do not have Shimei.
  2. 1 Chronicles 25:9 See Septuagint; Hebrew does not have his sons and relatives.
  3. 1 Chronicles 25:9 See the total in verse 7; Hebrew does not have twelve.
  4. 1 Chronicles 25:11 A variant of Zeri
  5. 1 Chronicles 25:14 A variant of Asarelah
  6. 1 Chronicles 25:18 A variant of Uzziel