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 9:33

9:33 The musicians and Levite family leaders stayed in rooms at the sanctuary ¹⁰  and were exempt from other duties, for day and night they had to carry out their assigned tasks.

1 Chronicles 15:16-22

15:16 David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint some of their relatives as musicians; they were to play various instruments, including stringed instruments and cymbals, and to sing loudly and joyfully. ¹¹  15:17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; one of his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; one of the descendants of Merari, ¹²  Ethan son of Kushaiah; 15:18 along with some of their relatives who were second in rank, including Zechariah, ¹³  Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

15:19 The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; 15:20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to the alamoth style; ¹⁴  15:21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to play the lyres according to the sheminith style, ¹⁵  as led by ¹⁶  the director; 15:22 Kenaniah, the leader of the Levites, was in charge of transport, for he was well-informed on this matter; ¹⁷ 

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!) ¹⁸  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. ¹⁹ 

1 Chronicles 25:1-7

David Organizes the Musicians

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. ²⁰  The following men were assigned this responsibility: ²¹ 

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. ²² 

25:3 From the sons of Jeduthun: ²³  Gedaliah, Zeri, ²⁴  Jeshaiah, ²⁵  Hashabiah, and Mattithiah – six in all, ²⁶  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: ²⁷  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. ²⁸  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. ²⁹ 

1 Chronicles 25:2

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. ³⁰ 

1 Chronicles 20:1

20:1 In the spring, at the time when kings normally conduct wars, ³¹  Joab led the army into battle and devastated the land of the Ammonites. He went and besieged Rabbah, while David stayed in Jerusalem. Joab defeated Rabbah and tore it down.

Psalms 87:7

87:7 As for the singers, as well as the pipers –

all of them sing within your walls. ³² 

[6:31]  ¹ tn Heb “house.”

[6:32]  ² tn Heb “they were serving…with music.”

[6:32]  ³ tn Or traditionally “tabernacle.”

[6:32]  ⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[6:39]  ⁵ tn Heb “and his brother Asaph, the one who stood at his right hand.”

[6:40]  ⁶ tc A few Hebrew mss, one LXX ms, and the Syriac read “Maaseiah.”

[6:44]  ⁷ tn Heb “and the sons of Merari, their brothers, on the left.”

[6:48]  ⁸ tn Heb “their brothers, the Levites.”

[6:48]  ⁹ tn Heb “were assigned to all the work of the tabernacle of the house of God.”

[9:33]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “were in rooms.” The words “at the sanctuary” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[15:16]  ¹¹ tn Heb “causing to be heard to lift up with a voice of joy.”

[15:17]  ¹² tn The Hebrew text adds, “their brothers.”

[15:18]  ¹³ tc The Hebrew text adds בֶּן (ben, “son”) here; the word is omitted in three Hebrew mss and most LXX mss. If the word is original, perhaps the name of Zechariah’s father was accidentally omitted. Some English versions treat the word as an additional name in the list (“Ben”; e.g., KJV, ASV, NASB).

[15:20]  ¹⁴ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word עֲלָמוֹת (’alamot) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See HALOT 835-36 s.v. עַלְמָה.

[15:21]  ¹⁵ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word שְׁמִינִית (shÿminit) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See HALOT 1562 s.v. שְׁמִינֹי.

[15:21]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “for” or “according to.”

[15:22]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and Kenaniah, the leader of the Levites, with lifting up, supervising with lifting up, for he was well-informed.” The precise nuance of מַשָּׂא (masa’, “lifting up”) is unclear. Some understand it as a reference to supervising the singing and music (e.g., NIV: “Kenaniah…was in charge of the singing”; NEB: “Kenaniah…was precentor in charge of the music”).

[16:41]  ¹⁸ 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.’”

[16:42]  ¹⁹ 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.”

[25:1]  ²⁰ 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]  ²¹ tn Heb “and their number was, the men of work for their service.”

[25:2]  ²² tn Heb “the sons of Asaph [were] upon the hand of Asaph, the one prophesying upon the hands of the king.”

[25:3]  ²³ tn Heb “belonging to Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun.”

[25:3]  ²⁴ tn This name appears as “Izri” in v. 10.

[25:3]  ²⁵ tc One Hebrew ms and some LXX mss supply the name “Shimei” after “Jeshaiah.” Most Hebrew mss omit the name here (but cf. v. 17).

[25:3]  ²⁶ tc The list includes only five names. Apparently the name “Shimei” (see v. 17), which appears in one medieval Hebrew ms and in the LXX, has been accidentally omitted from the Hebrew text.

[25:4]  ²⁷ tn Heb “belonging to Heman, the sons of Heman.”

[25:5]  ²⁸ 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]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and their number with their brothers, trained in music to the Lord, all skilled, was 288.”

[25:2]  ³⁰ tn Heb “the sons of Asaph [were] upon the hand of Asaph, the one prophesying upon the hands of the king.”

[20:1]  ³¹ tn Heb “and it was at the time of the turning of the year, at the time of the going out of kings.”

[87:7]  ³² tc Heb “and singers, like pipers, all my springs [are] in you.” The participial form חֹלְלִים (kholÿlim) appears to be from a denominative verb meaning “play the pipe,” though some derive the form from חוּל (khul, “dance”). In this case the duplicated lamed (ל) requires an emendation to מְחֹלְלִים (mÿkholÿlim, “a Polel form). The words are addressed to Zion. As it stands, the Hebrew text makes little, if any, sense. “Springs” are often taken here as a symbol of divine blessing and life”), but this reading does not relate to the preceding line in any apparent way. The present translation assumes an emendation of כָּל־מַעְיָנַי (kol-ma’yanay, “all my springs”) to כֻּלָּם עָנוּ (kullam ’anu, “all of them sing,” with the form עָנוּ being derived from עָנָה, ’anah, “sing”).