25:1 David and the army officers selected some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy as they played stringed instruments and cymbals. 1 The following men were assigned this responsibility: 2
25:2 From the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were supervised by Asaph, who prophesied under the king’s supervision. 3
25:3 From the sons of Jeduthun: 4 Gedaliah, Zeri, 5 Jeshaiah, 6 Hashabiah, and Mattithiah – six in all, 7 under supervision of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied as he played a harp, giving thanks and praise to the Lord.
25:4 From the sons of Heman: 8 Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. 25:5 All these were the sons of Heman, the king’s prophet. God had promised him these sons in order to make him prestigious. 9 God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.
25:6 All of these were under the supervision of their fathers; they were musicians in the Lord’s temple, playing cymbals and stringed instruments as they served in God’s temple. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the supervision of the king. 25:7 They and their relatives, all of them skilled and trained to make music to the Lord, numbered two hundred eighty-eight. 10
25:8 They cast lots to determine their responsibilities – oldest as well as youngest, teacher as well as student. 11
25:9 The first lot went to Asaph’s son Joseph and his relatives and sons – twelve in all, 12
the second to Gedaliah and his relatives and sons – twelve in all,
25:10 the third to Zaccur and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:11 the fourth to Izri 13 and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:12 the fifth to Nethaniah and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:13 the sixth to Bukkiah and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:14 the seventh to Jesharelah 14 and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:15 the eighth to Jeshaiah and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:16 the ninth to Mattaniah and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:17 the tenth to Shimei and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:18 the eleventh to Azarel 15 and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:19 the twelfth to Hashabiah and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:20 the thirteenth to Shubael and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:21 the fourteenth to Mattithiah and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:22 the fifteenth to Jerimoth and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:23 the sixteenth to Hananiah and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:24 the seventeenth to Joshbekashah and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:25 the eighteenth to Hanani and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:26 the nineteenth to Mallothi and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:27 the twentieth to Eliathah and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:28 the twenty-first to Hothir and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:29 the twenty-second to Giddalti and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:30 the twenty-third to Mahazioth and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
25:31 the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer and his sons and relatives – twelve in all.
25:2 From the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were supervised by Asaph, who prophesied under the king’s supervision. 16
Book 3
(Psalms 73-89)
A psalm by Asaph.
73:1 Certainly God is good to Israel, 19
and to those whose motives are pure! 20
A song, a psalm of Asaph.
83:1 O God, do not be silent!
Do not ignore us! 22 Do not be inactive, O God!
1 tn Heb “David and the officers of the army set apart for service the sons of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, the ones prophesying by harps, by lyres, and by cymbals.”
2 tn Heb “and their number was, the men of work for their service.”
3 tn Heb “the sons of Asaph [were] upon the hand of Asaph, the one prophesying upon the hands of the king.”
4 tn Heb “belonging to Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun.”
5 tn This name appears as “Izri” in v. 10.
6 tc One Hebrew
7 tc The list includes only five names. Apparently the name “Shimei” (see v. 17), which appears in one medieval Hebrew
8 tn Heb “belonging to Heman, the sons of Heman.”
9 tn Heb “by the words of God to exalt a horn.” An animal’s horn is sometimes used metaphorically as a symbol of strength and honor. See BDB 901-2 s.v. קֶרֶנ.
10 tn Heb “and their number with their brothers, trained in music to the
11 tn Heb “and they cast lots [for] service, just as like small, like great, teacher with student.”
12 tc Heb “The first lot went to Asaph, to Joseph.” Apparently the recurring formula, “and his sons and his relatives, twelve” has been accidentally omitted from the Hebrew text at this point (see vv. 10-31; the formula is slightly different in v. 9b). If the number “twelve” is not supplied here, the total comes to only 276, not the 288 required by v. 7.
13 tn “Izri” is a variant of the name “Zeri” (cf. 25:3).
14 tn “Jesharelah” is a variant of the name “Asarelah” (cf. 25:2).
15 tn “Azarel” is a variant of the name “Uzziel” (cf. 25:4).
16 tn Heb “the sons of Asaph [were] upon the hand of Asaph, the one prophesying upon the hands of the king.”
17 tn Heb “with all his reign and his might, and the times which passed over him and over Israel and over all the kingdoms of the lands.”
18 sn Psalm 73. In this wisdom psalm the psalmist offers a personal testimony of his struggle with the age-old problem of the prosperity of the wicked. As he observed evil men prosper, he wondered if a godly lifestyle really pays off. In the midst of his discouragement, he reflected upon spiritual truths and realities. He was reminded that the prosperity of the wicked is only temporary. God will eventually vindicate his people.
19 tn Since the psalm appears to focus on an individual’s concerns, not the situation of Israel, this introduction may be a later addition designed to apply the psalm’s message to the entire community. To provide a better parallel with the next line, some emend the Hebrew phrase לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֱלֹהִים (lÿyisra’el ’elohim, “to Israel, God”) to אֱלֹהִים [or אֵל] לָיָּשָׁר (’elohim [or ’el] lÿyyashar, “God [is good] to the upright one”).
20 tn Heb “to the pure of heart.”
21 sn Psalm 83. The psalmist asks God to deliver Israel from the attacks of foreign nations. Recalling how God defeated Israel’s enemies in the days of Deborah and Gideon, he prays that the hostile nations would be humiliated.
22 tn Heb “do not be deaf.”