1 Chronicles 6:33

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

From the Kohathites:

Heman the musician, son of Joel, son of Samuel,

1 Chronicles 15:17

15:17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; one of his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; one of the descendants of Merari, ¹  Ethan son of Kushaiah;

1 Chronicles 15:19

15:19 The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals;

1 Chronicles 16:41-42

16:41 Joining them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord. (For his loyal love endures!) ²  16:42 Heman and Jeduthun were in charge of the music, including the trumpets, cymbals, and the other musical instruments used in praising God. The sons of Jeduthun guarded the entrance. ³ 

Psalms 88:1

Psalm 88 ⁴ 

A song, a psalm written by the Korahites; for the music director; according to the machalath-leannoth style; ⁵  a well-written song ⁶  by Heman the Ezrachite.

88:1 O Lord God who delivers me! ⁷ 

By day I cry out

and at night I pray before you. ⁸ 

¹ tn The Hebrew text adds, “their brothers.”

² tn Perhaps this refers to the refrain of their songs of praise (see Ps 136). In this case one could translate, “to give thanks to the Lord with songs using the refrain, ‘For his loyal love endures.’”

³ tn Heb “and with them, Heman and Jeduthun, trumpets and cymbals for sounding, and the instrument of song of God, and the sons of Jeduthun [were] at the gate.”

⁴ sn Psalm 88. The psalmist cries out in pain to the Lord, begging him for relief from his intense and constant suffering. The psalmist regards God as the ultimate cause of his distress, but nevertheless clings to God in hope.

⁵ tn The Hebrew phrase מָחֲלַת לְעַנּוֹת (makhalat lÿ’annot) may mean “illness to afflict.” Perhaps it refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. The term מָחֲלַת also appears in the superscription of Ps 53.

⁶ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.

⁷ tn Heb “O Lord God of my deliverance.” In light of the content of the psalm, this reference to God as the one who delivers seems overly positive. For this reason some emend the text to אַלֹהַי שִׁוַּעְתִּי (’alohay shivva’tiy, “[O Lord] my God, I cry out”). See v. 13.

⁸ tn Heb “[by] day I cry out, in the night before you.”