1 Chronicles 6:31-48

Professional Musicians

6:31 These are the men David put in charge of music in the Lord’s sanctuary, ¹  after the ark was placed there. 6:32 They performed music ²  before the sanctuary ³  of the meeting tent until Solomon built the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem. ⁴  They carried out their tasks according to regulations.

6:33 These are the ones who served along with their sons:

From the Kohathites:

Heman the musician, son of Joel, son of Samuel, 6:34 son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Eliel, son of Toah, 6:35 son of Zuph, son of Elkanah, son of Mahath, son of Amasai, 6:36 son of Elkanah, son of Joel, son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah, 6:37 son of Tahath, son of Assir, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, 6:38 son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, son of Israel.

6:39 Serving beside him was his fellow Levite Asaph, ⁵  son of Berechiah, son of Shimea, 6:40 son of Michael, son of Baaseiah, ⁶  son of Malkijah, 6:41 son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Adaiah, 6:42 son of Ethan, son of Zimmah, son of Shimei, 6:43 son of Jahath, son of Gershom, son of Levi.

6:44 Serving beside them were their fellow Levites, the descendants of Merari, led by ⁷  Ethan, son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch, 6:45 son of Hashabiah, son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah, 6:46 son of Amzi, son of Bani, son of Shemer, 6:47 son of Mahli, son of Mushi, son of Merari, son of Levi.

6:48 The rest of their fellow Levites ⁸  were assigned to perform the remaining tasks at God’s sanctuary. ⁹ 

1 Chronicles 16:4-7

16:4 He appointed some of the Levites to serve before the ark of the Lord, to offer prayers, songs of thanks, and hymns to the Lord God of Israel. 16:5 Asaph was the leader and Zechariah second in command, followed by Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They were to play stringed instruments; Asaph was to sound the cymbals; 16:6 and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of God’s covenant.

David Thanks God

16:7 That day David first gave to Asaph and his colleagues this song of thanks to the Lord:

1 Chronicles 23:5

23:5 4,000 are to be gatekeepers; and 4,000 are to praise the Lord with the instruments I supplied for worship.” ¹⁰ 

1 Chronicles 23:2

23:2 David ¹¹  assembled all the leaders of Israel, along with the priests and the Levites.

1 Chronicles 29:25-26

29:25 The Lord greatly magnified Solomon before all Israel and bestowed on him greater majesty than any king of Israel before him. ¹² 

David’s Reign Comes to an End

29:26 David son of Jesse reigned over all Israel.

¹ tn Heb “house.”

² tn Heb “they were serving…with music.”

³ tn Or traditionally “tabernacle.”

⁴ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁵ tn Heb “and his brother Asaph, the one who stood at his right hand.”

⁶ tc A few Hebrew mss, one LXX ms, and the Syriac read “Maaseiah.”

⁷ tn Heb “and the sons of Merari, their brothers, on the left.”

⁸ tn Heb “their brothers, the Levites.”

⁹ tn Heb “were assigned to all the work of the tabernacle of the house of God.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “made to [or “for”] praise.”

¹¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹² tn Heb “and gave to him glory of kingship which there was not concerning every king before him over Israel.”