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The Histories · Old Testament

1 Chronicles 25

1 Chronicles 25: the singers of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun set in twenty-four lots

General context

David and the captains of the host set apart the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun "who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals". Asaph's four sons serve "under the hands of Asaph, which prophesied according to the order of the king". Jeduthun's sons, counted as six, serve under their father, "who prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the Lord". Heman's fourteen sons are named, and the narrator calls Heman "the king’s seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn", adding that God gave him fourteen sons and three daughters. All are under their fathers for song in the house of the Lord according to the king's order. With their brethren "instructed in the songs of the Lord", the skilled number 288. They cast lots "ward against ward, as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar". The first lot falls for Asaph to Joseph, the second to Gedaliah, and the list runs through twenty-four lots, each to a named man with his sons and brethren, "twelve", ending with the twenty-fourth to Romamti–ezer.

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 25:1, 1 Chronicles 25:2, 1 Chronicles 25:3, 1 Chronicles 25:4, 1 Chronicles 25:5, 1 Chronicles 25:6, 1 Chronicles 25:7, 1 Chronicles 25:8, 1 Chronicles 25:9, 1 Chronicles 25:10, 1 Chronicles 25:31

1 Chronicles 25 (KJV)

1Moreover 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:

2Of 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.

3Of 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.

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

5All 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.

6All 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.

7So 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.

8And they cast lots, ward against ward, as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar.

9Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph: the second to Gedaliah, who with his brethren and sons were twelve:

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

11The fourth to Izri, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

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

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

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

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

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

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

18The eleventh to Azareel, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Historical context

The chapter uses the verb "prophesy" for what the singers do with instruments, and it gives Heman the title "the king’s seer", close to the "David’s seer" that chapter 21 gave Gad. Asaph's sons are said to prophesy "according to the order of the king", so the text presents their music as directed by David. Jeduthun's sons are called "six" though five names are given. Some names change between the family list and the lot list: Asarelah becomes Jesharelah, Zeri becomes Izri, Shebuel becomes Shubael; the text does not comment. Twenty-four wards of twelve make 288, which matches the stated total. The lots interleave the three families rather than grouping them, and the text says small and great, teacher and scholar cast lots alike. The phrase "to lift up the horn" is not explained. Jeduthun appears here as one of the three chief singers where chapter 15 named Ethan; the chapter does not say whether they are the same man. The text records no words of any song.

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 25:1, 1 Chronicles 25:5, 1 Chronicles 21:9, 1 Chronicles 25:2, 1 Chronicles 25:3, 1 Chronicles 25:14, 1 Chronicles 25:11, 1 Chronicles 25:20, 1 Chronicles 25:7, 1 Chronicles 25:8

Literary context

The chapter repeats the design of chapter 24. First the families are described, then a lot list of twenty-four entries, each verse ending in the same words, "he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve". The repetition makes the equality audible: no ward is larger than another, and lots ignore age and skill. The three fathers are introduced in one order, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and named in another for the king's order, Asaph, Jeduthun, Heman, while Heman alone receives a title and a count of children. The word "prophesy" appears three times in the first three verses, binding song to the prophetic office before the list begins. The sons' names are simply listed; the chapter gives no sample of their music, so the reader knows the singers' organization but not their songs. Together with chapters 23, 24 and 26 the chapter shows David ordering worship before the house exists.

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 25:12, 1 Chronicles 25:30, 1 Chronicles 25:8, 1 Chronicles 25:1, 1 Chronicles 25:6, 1 Chronicles 25:5, 1 Chronicles 25:3

Key moments

  1. Set apart to prophesy with music (1 Chronicles 25:1). David and the captains separate the three singing families for service.
  2. Asaph's sons under his hands (1 Chronicles 25:2). Asaph's four sons prophesy under his direction according to the king's order.
  3. Heman the king's seer (1 Chronicles 25:5). Heman is named seer, with fourteen sons and three daughters given by God.
  4. Two hundred eighty-eight singers (1 Chronicles 25:7). The skilled singers with their brethren are counted.
  5. Small and great cast lots (1 Chronicles 25:8). Lots are cast without regard to age or standing.
  6. The first lot to Joseph (1 Chronicles 25:9). The lot list begins with Asaph's son Joseph.
  7. The twenty-fourth to Romamti–ezer (1 Chronicles 25:31). The list closes with the last of Heman's sons.

For reflection

The chapter calls the singers' work prophesying and has teacher and scholar draw lots on equal terms. What might it mean for music to be treated as a word from God rather than a performance ranked by skill?

People in this chapter

Also indexed here:

  • Heman
  • Jeduthun
  • Asharelah
  • Bukkiah
  • Eliathah
  • Gedaliah
  • Giddalti
  • Hanani
  • Hananiah
  • Hashabiah
  • Hothir
  • Jerimoth
  • Jeshaiah
  • Joseph
  • Joshbekashah
  • Mahazioth
  • Mallothi
  • Mattaniah
  • Mattithiah
  • Nethaniah
  • Romamti-ezer
  • Shebuel
  • Uzziel
  • Zaccur
  • Zeri
  • Obed-edom