1 Chronicles 25
The full text of 1 Chronicles 25 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Hebrew. Free to read.
1 David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres, and cymbals. Here is the list of the men who performed this service:
2 From the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who prophesied under the king's supervision.
3 From Jeduthun, these sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six in all, under the supervision of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied, using the harp in thanking and praising the LORD.
4 From Heman, these sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael and Jerimoth; Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-ezer; Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir and Mahazioth.
5 All these were sons of Heman the king's seer. God had promised to exalt him, so God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.
6 All these men were under the supervision of their fathers 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 were under the supervision of the king.
7 Along with their relatives — all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD — they numbered 288.
8 Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for their duties.
9 The first lot, which was for Asaph, fell to Joseph; the second to Gedaliah, he along with his relatives and sons — twelve in all;
10 the third to Zaccur, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
11 the fourth to Izri, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
12 the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
13 the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
14 the seventh to Jesarelah, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
15 the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
16 the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
17 the tenth to Shimei, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
18 the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
19 the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
20 the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
21 the fourteenth to Mattithiah, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
22 the fifteenth to Jerimoth, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
23 the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
24 the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
25 the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
26 the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
27 the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
28 the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
29 the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
30 the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons and relatives — twelve in all;
31 the twenty-fourth to Romamti-ezer, his sons and relatives — twelve in all.
Translation notes (6)
- 1 Chronicles 25:1a The Hebrew verb naba, 'to prophesy', is here applied to musical performance, indicating Spirit-prompted song rather than prediction. The same association of prophecy with harp, tambourine, and lyre appears in 1 Samuel 10:5. The three guilds of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun thus exercised a recognized prophetic ministry through temple music.
- 1 Chronicles 25:2a The name Asarelah reappears in verse 14 as Jesharelah, evidently the same man; such variant spellings are common in the name lists of Chronicles. The phrase rendered 'under the supervision' is literally al yedei, 'at the hands of', applied here both to Asaph over his sons and to the king over Asaph, marking David as royal patron of the temple music.
- 1 Chronicles 25:3a The Masoretic Text lists only five names here while counting six; the name Shimei is supplied from some Hebrew manuscripts and the Septuagint, and a Shimei duly appears among the lots in verse 17. The clause 'using the harp' translates bakkinnor, 'with the lyre' (בכנור), describing prophecy expressed through instrumental music.
- 1 Chronicles 25:5a The title chozeh (חֹזֶה), 'seer', marks Heman as a prophetic figure like Gad (1 Chronicles 21:9). The clause rendered "God had promised to exalt him" translates bedivre ha-Elohim leharim qaren, literally 'by the words of God to lift up a horn', the horn being a Hebrew idiom for strength and honor; the promised exaltation is here understood as the gift of many children.
- 1 Chronicles 25:7a The Hebrew m'lumade shir (מְלֻמְּדֵי שִׁיר) means 'those taught in song' or 'trained in music'. The number 288 likely represents 24 divisions, each with 12 musicians, serving in rotation throughout the year.
- 1 Chronicles 25:9a In the Masoretic Text the notice of the first lot lacks the tally 'his sons and relatives — twelve in all' that accompanies the other twenty-three lots; some manuscripts of the Septuagint supply it for Joseph. Since the total of two hundred eighty-eight musicians in verse 7 equals twenty-four courses of twelve, the omission is generally judged an early scribal loss rather than an exception for the first course.
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