Discovery Box1 Chronicles 24:1-19
Context24:1 The divisions of Aaron’s descendants were as follows:
The sons of Aaron:
Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
24:2 Nadab and Abihu died before their father did; they had no sons. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.
24:3 David, Zadok (a descendant of Eleazar), and Ahimelech (a descendant of Ithamar) divided them into groups to carry out their assigned responsibilities. 1 24:4 The descendants of Eleazar had more leaders than the descendants of Ithamar, so they divided them up accordingly; the descendants of Eleazar had sixteen leaders, while the descendants of Ithamar had eight. 2 24:5 They divided them by lots, for there were officials of the holy place and officials designated by God among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar. 3 24:6 The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, wrote down their names before the king, the officials, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the leaders of the priestly and Levite families. One family was drawn by lot from Eleazar, and then the next from Ithamar. 4
24:7 The first lot went to Jehoiarib,
the second to Jedaiah,
24:8 the third to Harim,
the fourth to Seorim,
24:9 the fifth to Malkijah,
the sixth to Mijamin,
24:10 the seventh to Hakkoz,
the eighth to Abijah,
24:11 the ninth to Jeshua,
the tenth to Shecaniah,
24:12 the eleventh to Eliashib,
the twelfth to Jakim,
24:13 the thirteenth to Huppah,
the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,
24:14 the fifteenth to Bilgah,
the sixteenth to Immer,
24:15 the seventeenth to Hezir,
the eighteenth to Happizzez,
24:16 the nineteenth to Pethahiah,
the twentieth to Jehezkel,
24:17 the twenty-first to Jakin,
the twenty-second to Gamul,
24:18 the twenty-third to Delaiah,
the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.
24:19 This was the order in which they carried out their assigned responsibilities when they entered the Lord’s temple, according to the regulations given them by their ancestor 5 Aaron, just as the Lord God of Israel had instructed him. 6
1 Chronicles 25:1-31
Context25:1 David and the army officers selected some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy as they played stringed instruments and cymbals. 7 The following men were assigned this responsibility: 8
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. 9
25:3 From the sons of Jeduthun: 10 Gedaliah, Zeri, 11 Jeshaiah, 12 Hashabiah, and Mattithiah – six in all, 13 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: 14 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. 15 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. 16
25:8 They cast lots to determine their responsibilities – oldest as well as youngest, teacher as well as student. 17
25:9 The first lot went to Asaph’s son Joseph and his relatives and sons – twelve in all, 18
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 19 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 20 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 21 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.
[24:3] 1 tn Heb “for their assignment in their service.”
[24:4] 2 tn Heb “And the sons of Eleazar were found to be more, with respect to the heads of men, than the sons of Ithamar, and they divided them. To the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen heads, according to the house of the fathers; and to the sons of Ithamar there were eight, according to the house of their fathers.”
[24:5] 3 tn Heb “and they divided them by lots, these with these, for the officials of the holy place and the officials of God were from the sons of Eleazar and among the sons of Ithamar.”
[24:6] 4 tn Heb “one house of a father was drawn by lot for Eleazar, and one [this assumes an emendation of אָחֻז (’akhuz) to אֶחָד (’ekhad, “one”)] was drawn by lot for Ithamar.”
[24:19] 6 tn Heb “these were their responsibilities for their service to enter the house of the
[25:1] 7 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.”
[25:1] 8 tn Heb “and their number was, the men of work for their service.”
[25:2] 9 tn Heb “the sons of Asaph [were] upon the hand of Asaph, the one prophesying upon the hands of the king.”
[25:3] 10 tn Heb “belonging to Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun.”
[25:3] 11 tn This name appears as “Izri” in v. 10.
[25:3] 12 tc One Hebrew
[25:3] 13 tc The list includes only five names. Apparently the name “Shimei” (see v. 17), which appears in one medieval Hebrew
[25:4] 14 tn Heb “belonging to Heman, the sons of Heman.”
[25:5] 15 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.
[25:7] 16 tn Heb “and their number with their brothers, trained in music to the
[25:8] 17 tn Heb “and they cast lots [for] service, just as like small, like great, teacher with student.”
[25:9] 18 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.
[25:11] 19 tn “Izri” is a variant of the name “Zeri” (cf. 25:3).
[25:14] 20 tn “Jesharelah” is a variant of the name “Asarelah” (cf. 25:2).
[25:18] 21 tn “Azarel” is a variant of the name “Uzziel” (cf. 25:4).
