1 Chronicles 25

1 Additionally, David [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] and the commanders [rulers, leaders] of the army set apart [to separate, divide, or make a distinction] some of the sons [descendants, male offspring] of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy [to speak or sing under the influence of the divine spirit] with the accompaniment [musical instrumentation] of lyres [a stringed instrument], harps [a musical instrument with strings], and cymbals [double tinklers used to make music]. The following is the list [number, count] of the men [individuals, people] who performed [carried out, executed] this service [work, ministry, act of worship]: word study 2 From the sons [descendants, family line] of Asaph [gatherer, the name of several Israelites]: Zaccur [mindful, remembering], Joseph [Jehovah has added], Nethaniah [given of Jehovah], and Asarelah [God holds, divine strength]. These sons of Asaph were under the direction [supervision, guidance] of Asaph, who prophesied [spoke under divine influence, sang prophesies] under the direction [order, commission] of the king [royal authority, sovereign ruler]. word study 3 From the sons [descendants, offspring] of Jeduthun [a Levite and chief of a temple choir]: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah—six in all—under the direction [guidance, supervision] of their father [parent, ancestor] Jeduthun, who prophesied [spoke under divine inspiration] with the harp [lyre, a musical instrument], giving thanks [expressing gratitude] and praise [adoration, worship] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 4 From the sons [descendants, offspring] of Heman [a Levite, a prophet]: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel [my strength is God], Shebuel [one of the tribe of Levi], Jerimoth [He is Most High], Hananiah [God has favored], Hanani [gracious], Eliathah [God has come], Giddalti [exalted, lifted up], Romamti-ezer [exalted help], Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth [visions of God]. word study 5 All these sons [children, descendants] of Heman [a prophet, seer] the king’s [royal, sovereign] seer [prophet, one who receives visions from God] were given him through the promises [words, declarations] of God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] to exalt [lift up, honor] him, for God had given Heman fourteen [a large number, ten plus four] sons and three [a few, a small number] daughters [female children, women]. word study 6 All these were under the direction [supervision, guidance] of their fathers [ancestors, spiritual leaders] for the music [song, worship] of the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God] with cymbals [tinkling instruments], harps [lyres, stringed instruments], and lyres [harp-like instruments], for the service [work, ministry] of the house [place, sanctuary] of God [Elohim, the supreme Deity]. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the direction [command, authority] of the king. word study 7 Together with their relatives [brothers, close kin], who were all trained [instructed, taught] and skillful [cunning, intelligent] in the songs [musical expressions, hymns] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], they numbered [totaled, counted] 288 [two hundred eighty-eight, a specific quantity]. word study 8 They cast lots [by throwing small stones, to determine their duties] for their duties [responsibilities, charges], young [the small, the least important] and old [the great, the most important] alike, teacher [the learned, the intelligent] as well as pupil [the scholar, the student]. word study 9 The first lot, which was for Asaph [the gatherer], fell to Joseph [Jehovah has added], his sons [descendants], and his brothers [male siblings or close relatives]—12 in all; the second to Gedaliah [great Yahweh is], his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; word study 10 the third [in a sequence, a rank of importance] to Zaccur [mindful, one who remembers], his sons [descendants, male offspring], and his brothers [male siblings, close relatives]—12 [a dozen, twelve in total] in all; word study 11 the fourth to Izri [a Levite, son of Jeduthun], his sons [descendants, offspring], and his brothers [male siblings, relatives]—12 [a dozen, twelve] in all; word study 12 the fifth to Nethaniah [given of Jehovah], his sons [descendants, offspring], and his brothers [male siblings, close relatives]—12 [a dozen, twelve in total] in all; word study 13 the sixth to Bukkiah [a Levite, son of Heman], his sons [descendants, offspring], and his brothers [male siblings, close relatives]—12 [a dozen, twelve in total] in all; word study 14 the seventh to Jesarelah, his sons [descendants, offspring], and his brothers [male siblings, relatives]—12 [a dozen, twelve] in all; word study 15 the eighth to Jeshaiah [Jehovah has saved], his sons [descendants, offspring], and his brothers [relatives, kin]—12 [a dozen, twelve] in all; word study 16 the ninth to Mattaniah [gift of Jehovah], his sons [descendants, offspring], and his brothers [male siblings, close relatives]—12 [a dozen, twelve] in all; word study 17 the tenth to Shimei [a common Israelite name], his sons [descendants, male offspring], and his brothers [male siblings, close relatives]—12 [twelve, a dozen] in all; word study 18 the eleventh to Azarel [a Levite, son of Heman], his sons [descendants, offspring], and his brothers [male siblings, close relatives]—12 [a dozen, twelve in all] in all; word study 19 the twelfth to Hashabiah [Jehovah has considered], his sons [descendants, offspring], and his brothers [male siblings, close relatives]—12 [a dozen, a complete set] in all; word study 20 the thirteenth [thirteenth in order, the thirteenth position] to Shubael [Shebuel, a Levite], his sons [descendants, offspring], and his brothers [male siblings, relatives]—12 [a dozen, twelve in total] in all; word study 21 the fourteenth to Mattithiah [gift of Jehovah], his sons [descendants, family], and his brothers [male siblings, relatives]—12 [a dozen, twelve] in all; word study 22 the fifteenth to Jeremoth [He is Most High, exalted], his sons [descendants, offspring], and his brothers [male siblings, close relatives]—12 in all; word study 23 the sixteenth to Hananiah [God has favored, the name of a faithful Israelite], his sons [descendants, family members], and his brothers [male siblings, close relatives]—12 [a dozen, a complete set] in all; word study 24 the seventeenth to Joshbekashah [a Levite, son of Heman], his sons [descendants, family members], and his brothers [relatives, kin]—12 [a dozen, two times six] in all; word study 25 the eighteenth to Hanani [gracious, a musician and leader], his sons [descendants, or male offspring], and his brothers [close relatives, or fellow Israelites]—12 in all; word study 26 the nineteenth to Mallothi [a descendant of Heman, a Levite], his sons [descendants, family members], and his brothers [relatives, kin]—12 [two times six] in all; word study 27 the twentieth to Eliathah [with God has come, a man of Levi], his sons [descendants, male offspring], and his brothers [male siblings, close relatives]—12 [a dozen, twelve in total] in all; word study 28 the twenty-first to Hothir [a Levite, son of Heman], his sons [descendants, family members], and his brothers [male siblings, close relatives]—12 [a dozen, twelve] in all; word study 29 the twenty-second to Giddalti [a Levite, son of Heman], his sons [descendants, male offspring], and his brothers [male siblings, close relatives]—12 [a dozen, twelve] in all; word study 30 the twenty-third to Mahazioth [a descendant of Levi], his sons [male descendants], and his brothers [close relatives or male siblings]—12 [a dozen, twelve] in all; word study 31 and the twenty-fourth to Romamti-ezer [a Levite], his sons [descendants, male children], and his brothers [relatives, male siblings]—12 [a dozen, twelve] in all. word study