1 Chronicles 25:1 Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen according to their service was:
Chapter 25 lists the 24 classes of singers. These musicians formed an important group and played a significant part in the Temple services.
That is, chiefs or leaders of the service—the ones mentioned in
ch. 24:6.
Separated to the service.
That is, they set apart for the Temple service some of the sons of Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun, three classes of musicians.
Compare
1 Sam. 10:5. The musicians in the performance of their sacred duties in public worship are described as being under the inspiration of the Spirit of God and thus said to
“prophesy” (see
1 Chron. 25:3).
1 Chronicles 25:2 Of the sons of Asaph; Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asarelah, the sons of Asaph under the hands of Asaph, which prophesied according to the order of the king.
Under the hands of Asaph.
That is, under the directions of Asaph.
David was interested in music and understood the important part that it can and should play in the services of worship. He personally interested himself in the work of the singers and players, directing in the arrangements made for the solemn services of worship (see
2 Chron. 23:18).
1 Chronicles 25:3 Of Jeduthun: the sons of Jeduthun; Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the Lord.
Only 5 names are here listed. The list in
vs. 9-31 suggests that the missing name is Shimei of
v. 17 (see on
v. 9). The LXX includes the name Shimei, placing it 4th in the list.
1 Chronicles 25:5 All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.
A well-known Hebrew metaphor meaning to exalt a person or to increase his power (see
1 Sam. 2:10; Ps. 89:17; 92:10). Thus the meaning here would seem to be that the Lord had exalted Heman by giving him 14 sons and 3 daughters.
1 Chronicles 25:6 All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king’s order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.
The Hebrew has no preposition before “Asaph.” The passage may be rendered, “and under the direction of the king were Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.”
1 Chronicles 25:7 So the number of them, with their brethren that were instructed in the songs of the Lord, even all that were cunning, was two hundred fourscore and eight.
Two hundred fourscore and eight.
This number is 24 x 12; thus the 24
“sons” of Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman listed in
vs. 2-4 must have been leading musicians, each of whom had associated with himself 11 other musicians. The 24 leaders may have accompanied the choirs under their direction with instrumental music.
1 Chronicles 25:8 And they cast lots, ward against ward, as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar.
The lots were cast to determine the order in which each of the 24 groups of musicians were to take their turn in conducting the musical services.
1 Chronicles 25:9 Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph: the second to Gedaliah, who with his brethren and sons were twelve:
The order in which the names are listed suggests a definite method of distribution. An ingenious hypothesis has been worked out which assumes that there were three urns, one containing the names of the sons of Asaph, a second having the names of the sons of Jeduthun, and a third, the names of the sons of Heman. In addition to these (or instead of them), there could have been an urn with the names of the three main clans, to determine the order in which these would be chosen. The first lot fell to Asaph, and from there on each alternate name was one of the sons of Asaph till these were exhausted. The second lot fell to one of the sons of Jeduthun, and from here on each alternate name, with the exception of the sixth, was a son of Jeduthun until these were exhausted. After all the sons of Asaph had been taken, the names alternated between sons of Jeduthun and sons of Heman until the sons of Jeduthun had all been taken, which was with the 14th course. From the 15th course onward all the names are sons of Heman. Though the hypothesis sets forth a method that might have yielded the given results, there is no evidence that this was the method employed.
1 Chronicles 25:17 The tenth to Shimei, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
The system explained under
v. 9 suggests that this is the name missing in
v. 3.