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: |
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. |
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. |
4 Of Heman: the sons of Heman; Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth: |
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. |
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. |
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. |
8 And they cast lots, ward against ward, as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar. |
9 Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph: the second to Gedaliah, who with his brethren and sons were twelve: |
10 The third to Zaccur, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
11 The fourth to Izri, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
12 The fifth to Nethaniah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
13 The sixth to Bukkiah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
14 The seventh to Jesharelah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
15 The eighth to Jeshaiah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
16 The ninth to Mattaniah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
17 The tenth to Shimei, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
18 The eleventh to Azareel, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
19 The twelfth to Hashabiah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
20 The thirteenth to Shubael, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
21 The fourteenth to Mattithiah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
22 The fifteenth to Jeremoth, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
23 The sixteenth to Hananiah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
24 The seventeenth to Joshbekashah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
25 The eighteenth to Hanani, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
26 The nineteenth to Mallothi, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
27 The twentieth to Eliathah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
28 The one and twentieth to Hothir, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
29 The two and twentieth to Giddalti, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
30 The three and twentieth to Mahazioth, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
31 The four and twentieth to Romamti-ezer, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve. |
25 The person's that were to be employed in singing, Ch1 25:1-7.
The order in which they were to attend determined by lot, Ch1 25:8-31.
25:1 And captains - All the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites, whom David gathered together, chap.Ch1 23:2, for thisvery end, that with their approbation and consent, all these things might beestablished; who are here fitly called the captains of the host; for theprinces were, under David, the chief captains of the militia of thekingdom; and as the Levites are called an host, and the Lord's host,because of their number and order in holy ministrations; so these priestsand Levites were the captains and governors of the rest.Separated - Distributed them into their several ranks: which, tho' chieflydone by David as a prophet, and by Divine direction, yet is imputed inpart to the captains of the host, because it was done with their concurrenceand approbation. The service - To the service of God under the conduct ofthese persons. Prophecy - Praise God by singing the psalms of David,and other sacred songs made by themselves, who were prophets, or by otherprophets or holy men of God. Workmen - Of the persons employed in thissacred work. This good work it seems Samuel revived, but did not liveto bring it to perfection. Let each in his day do what he can for God, tho'he cannot carry it so far as he would. When we are gone, God can raise upothers to build on our foundation, and bring forth the top - stone.
25:2 Of Asaph - Under his direction. Of the king - In such manner and order as David appointed.
25:3 Six - Jeduthun their father being included in that number: or Shimei, mentioned ver. Ch1 25:17.
25:5 The king's seer - He is called the king's seer, either because the king took special delight in him; or because he frequently attendedthe king in his palace, executing his sacred office there, while the restwere employed in the tabernacle. In the words - To sing Divine songs aswere inspired by God to the prophets or holy men of God. The horn - Topraise God with the sound of a trumpet or some other musical instrumentmade of horn, which being a martial kind of music, might be most gratefulto David's martial spirit: tho' he was also skilled in other instrumentsof music which he used in the house of God.
25:7 Cunning - Who were so skilful that they were able to teach others; and together with their scholars, made up the four thousand mentionedchap.Ch1 23:5.
25:8 Ward - A course of Levites answerable to one of the priests, upon whom the Levites were to wait in their holy ministrations,chap.Ch1 23:28.The scholar - Without any respect to their different ages or abilities.
25:9 To Joseph - For the family of Asaph, of which Joseph was.Here that clause, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve, is to beunderstood, as it is expressed in all the following verses, otherwisethey do not make up that number of two hundred and eighty - eight mentionedver. Ch1 25:7.