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The Temple Musicians

25 King David and the leaders of the Levites chose the following Levite clans to lead the worship services: Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. They were to proclaim God's messages, accompanied by the music of harps and cymbals. This is the list of persons chosen to lead the worship, with the type of service that each group performed:

The four sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah. They were under the direction of Asaph, who proclaimed God's messages whenever the king commanded.

The six sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah. Under the direction of their father they proclaimed God's message, accompanied by the music of harps, and sang praise and thanks to the Lord.

The fourteen sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. God gave to Heman, the king's prophet, these fourteen sons and also three daughters, as he had promised, in order to give power to Heman. All of his sons played cymbals and harps under their father's direction, to accompany the Temple worship. And Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under orders from the king.

All these twenty-four men were experts; and their fellow Levites were trained musicians. There were 288 men in all.

To determine the assignment of duties they all drew lots, whether they were young or old, experts or beginners.

9-31 These 288 men were divided according to families into twenty-four groups of twelve, with a leader in charge of each group. This is the order in which they were on duty: 1) Joseph of the family of Asaph; 2) Gedaliah; 3) Zaccur; 4) Zeri; 5) Nethaniah; 6) Bukkiah; 7) Asharelah; 8) Jeshaiah; 9) Mattaniah; 10) Shimei; 11) Uzziel; 12) Hashabiah; 13) Shebuel; 14) Mattithiah; 15) Jerimoth; 16) Hananiah; 17) Joshbekashah; 18) Hanani; 19) Mallothi; 20) Eliathah; 21) Hothir; 22) Giddalti; 23) Mahazioth; 24) Romamti Ezer.

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