1 Chronicles 25:10 — Word Study
WLCהַשְּׁלִשִׁ֣י זַכּ֔וּר בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶחָ֖יו שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר׃
BSAthe thirdshᵉlîyshîy [in a sequence, a rank of importance] to ZaccurZakkûwr [mindful, one who remembers] his sonsbên [descendants, male offspring] and his brothersʼâch [male siblings, close relatives, a dozen, twelve in total] 12 [in all]shᵉnayim
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֣י | the third | Particle |
| זַכּ֔וּר | Zaccur | Noun proper masculine |
| בָּנָ֥יו | sons his | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| וְאֶחָ֖יו | and relatives his | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| שְׁנֵ֥ים | two [plus] | Noun common, both dual absolute |
| עָשָֽׂר׃ | ten | Noun common, both singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the third to Zaccur, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; |
| KJV | The third to Zaccur, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
| ASV | the third to Zaccur, his sons and his brethren, twelve: |
| YLT | the third [to] Zaccur, his sons and his brethren, twelve; |
| WEB | the third to Zaccur, his sons and his brothers, twelve; |
| BBE | The third Zaccur, with his sons and his brothers, twelve; |
Where they part company is in the details of the phrasing, but they all agree on the identification of Zaccur and his family.
The sentence is structured around a main clause with additional noun phrases that provide detail about Zaccur's family and their total count.
3 commentators on this verse
Gill, Ellicott, AdamClarke & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 1 Chronicles 25:10
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Divisions of the Levitesgenerated
1 Chronicles 25:10 is part of a passage that organizes the Levites into divisions for temple service. This verse specifically identifies Zaccur, his sons, and his brothers as a group responsible for musical duties, emphasizing the importance of their role in worship. The surrounding verses also detail other divisions, showing a structured approach to temple service, which reflects the community's commitment to proper worship.
Cross References
The Key Word — זַכּ֔וּר, za.Kurgenerated
The name זַכּוּר (zakkuwr) means 'mindful' and is associated with several individuals in the Old Testament. In this context, it identifies a specific Levite involved in the musical service of the temple, highlighting his role and lineage.
Zaccur's mention alongside his sons and brothers emphasizes the familial aspect of service in the temple, showing how family units contributed to the worship practices of Israel.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main structure of the verse is governed by the noun phrase זַכּ֔וּר, Zaccur, which serves as the subject of the clause. It is followed by additional noun phrases that provide information about his family and the total number involved.
The phrase שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר indicates the total count of individuals, emphasizing the organized nature of the group.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, Zaccur is rendered as ζακξουρ, maintaining the same identification. This choice reflects a direct translation of the Hebrew name without alteration.
The consistency in naming suggests that the Septuagint translators aimed to preserve the significance of Zaccur's role within the context of the Levitical divisions.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 25:10 lists Zaccur, his sons, and his brothers as part of the third division of Levites responsible for music in the temple. This verse emphasizes the organization of worship in Israel, showing how families contributed to the sacred duties.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Zaccur means 'mindful' and is associated with several individuals in the Old Testament, indicating a legacy of remembrance and service.
The number 12 often represents completeness and the twelve tribes of Israel, emphasizing the organized structure of the Levites in service.
Zaccur and his family were part of the musical divisions, contributing to the worship practices in the temple as appointed Levites.
This verse is part of a larger passage that details the divisions of the Levites, showing how each family had specific roles in temple worship.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does it mean to be 'mindful' in the context of serving others, as Zaccur's name suggests?
- How can I apply the idea of structured service in my own community or church?
- In what ways can families today contribute to the worship and service of their communities?
- What lessons can we learn from the organization of the Levites about teamwork and collaboration?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 25:10 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleVer. 10 [See comments on 1 Chronicles 25:9]
Read John Gill on 1 Chronicles 25 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(10) The third to Zaccur.—Literally, The third, Zaccur and his sons and his brethren—twelve. The same mode of expression is used down to 1 Chronicles 25:18, except in 1 Chronicles 25:11, which reads, “The fourth for the Izrite, his sons and his brethren—twelve.” The Izrite (not “Izri”) is a Gentilic name, and seems to denote a family rather than a person.
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 25 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 10. The third to Zaccur] The first-born of Asaph.
Read AdamClarke on 1 Chronicles 25 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
the third to Zaccur, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;
the third to Zaccur, his sons and his brothers, twelve;
the third to Zaccur, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;
the third to Zaccur and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
Tyndale line
The third to Zaccur, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
the third to Zaccur, his sons and his brethren, twelve:
the third to Zaccur, his sons and his brethren, twelve:
The third to Zaccur, he , his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
The third, to Zaccur, he, his sonnes and his brethren were twelue.
Strictly literal
The third to Zaccur; his sons and his brethren, twelve.
the third [to] Zaccur, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
the third, Zaccur, his sons and his brothers—twelve;
The third was Zaccur, his sons, and his brethren, being twelve:
the third fell to Zaccur, his sons and his relatives, twelve persons in number;
From the Latin
The third to Zachur, to his sons and his brethren twelve.
Simplified
The third fell to Zaccur, his sons, and his brothers, 12 in total.
The third Zaccur, with his sons and his brothers, twelve;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording and structure of this verse, with all six Hebrew words matched in the Septuagint's translation. This indicates a strong consistency in how this passage has been transmitted.
הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֣י זַכּ֔וּר בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶחָ֖יו שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 1 Chronicles 25:10
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
שְׁלִישִׁי (shliyshiy) means 'third' and is used as an ordinal number. It can refer to a third part, time, or rank, and can also denote a third-story cell. The entries indicate its feminine form as שְׁלִישִׁית and note its relation to the number three.
שְׁלִישִׁי m. שְׁלִישִׁית f. adj.num.ord. 108 third
base
H7992 שְׁלִישִׁי, שְׁלִישִׁית third
7992 shliyshiy shel-ee-shee'
ordinal from 7969; third; feminine a third (part); by
extension, a third (day, year or time); specifically, a
third-story cell):--third (part, rank, time), three (years
old).
see HEBREW for 07969
שְׁלִישִׁי (she.li.shi) — third.
1) third, one third, third part, third time
1a) ordinal number
Art | Adj — ParticleHTd/Aomsa
thurd (shelishi; tritos): Isa 19:24, "In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria," etc., brings out very distinctly the universal and missionary character of Isaiah's prophecies and of Israel's destiny (compare Eze 16:63; and see G. A. Smith, Isaiah, II, 275, 278; Watkinson, Th. Blind Spot 21 ff).
For "third hour," "third month," "third year," see CALENDAR; DAY; TIME.
זַכּוּר (zakkuwr) means "mindful" and refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, including a Reubenite spy, a Simeonite, and Levites associated with the rebuilding of the wall in Nehemiah's time. The name appears in contexts related to the tribes of Israel, particularly in Numbers and Chronicles.
זַכּוּר n.pr.m.
a Reubenite
a Simeonite
Levites
companion of Ezra
contemp. of Nehemiah
base
H2139 זַכּוּר
2139 Zakkuwr zaw-koor'
from 2142; mindful; Zakkur, the name of seven
Israelites:--Zaccur, Zacchur.
see HEBREW for 02142
זַכּוּר (zak.kur) — Zaccur.
A man living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, only mentioned at Num.13.4;
father of: Shammua (H8051)
§ Zaccur or Zacchur = "mindful"
1) father of Shammua, the Reubenite spy
2) a Simeonite of the family of Mishma
3) a Merarite Levite, son of Jaaziah
4) son of Asaph the singer
5) the son of Imri who assisted Nehemiah in rebuilding the wall
6) a Levite, or family of Levites, who signed the covenant with Nehemiah
7) a Levite whose son or descendant Hanan was one of the treasurers over the treasuries appointed by Nehemiah
זַכּוּר (zak.kur) — Zaccur.
A man of the tribe of Simeon living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.26;
son of: Hammuel (H2536);
father of: Shimei (H8096K)
§ Zaccur or Zacchur = "mindful"
1) father of Shammua, the Reubenite spy
2) a Simeonite of the family of Mishma
3) a Merarite Levite, son of Jaaziah
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
zak'-ur (zakkur, perhaps "ventriloquist" (Gray, Nu, 137)):
(1) Father of Shammua the Reubenite spy (Nu 13:4).
(2) A Simeonite (1Ch 4:26); the King James Version "Zacchur."
(3) Levites: (a) a Merarite (1Ch 24:27); (b) a "son" of Asaph (1Ch 25:2,10; Ne 12:35); (c) Ne 10:12 (Hebrew verse 13), and probably the same as in Neb 13:13, father of Hanan.
(4) A marginal reading in Ezr 8:14 for Zabbud where Kethibh is really "Zabud".
See ZABBUD.
Zaccur
Mindful. (1.) Father of Shammua, who was one of the spies sent out by Moses (Num. 13:4).
(2.) A Merarite Levite (1 Chr. 24:27).
(3.) A son of Asaph, and chief of one of the courses of singers as arranged by David (1 Chr. 25:2, 10).
(mindful). Father of Shammua, the Reubenite spy. (Numbers 13:4) (B.C. 1451.) A Merarite Levite, son of Jaaziah. (1 Chronicles 24:27) Son of Asaph the singer. (1 Chronicles 25:2,10; Nehemiah 12:35) The son of Imri who assisted Nehemiah in rebuilding the city wall. (Nehemiah 3:2) (B.C. 446.) A Levite, or family of Levites, who signed the covenant with Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 10:18) (B.C. 410.) A Levite whose son or descendant Hanan was one of the treasurers over the treasuries appointed by Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 13:13)
of the male kind; mindful
בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
son, male child, born of a woman
children (male and female)
youth, young men
the young of animals
of plant shoots
fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
member of a guild, order or class
of animals son of (the) herd
ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
n. relat. of age
base
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
done
H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman
. children (male and female)
. youth, young men
. the young of animals
. of plant shoots
. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
. . member of a guild, order or class
. of animals son of (the) herd
. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
. n. relat. of age
H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son
1121 ben bane
from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the
widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,
including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,
etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)
(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,
(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,
bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X
came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of
first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +
kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)
people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +
spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous
one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 0251
בֵּן (ben) — son: child.
: child/son
בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;
son of: Jaaziah (H3269);
brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)
§ Beno = "his son"
the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)
בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.
: descendant, people, tribe, nation
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : child/son
בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.
: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : descendant
בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.
: rebel/son(Belial)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : people/men/nation/tribe
בֵּן (ben) — son.
: [inheriting]son/heir
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.
: warrior/son(strong)
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3ms
אָח (ach) means 'brother' and encompasses a broad range of relationships, including literal siblings, half-brothers, and metaphorical kinship. It can refer to any male relative or compatriot, and it may also imply resemblance or reciprocal relationships. The term is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, highlighting both familial and figurative connections.
אָח 630 n.m. brother
brother, born of same mother (& father)
indef. = relative
fig. of resemblance
in phr. one … another
base
H251 אָח brother
251 'ach awkh
a primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of
literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance
(like 1)):--another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other.
Compare also the proper names beginning with "Ah-" or "Ahi-".
see HEBREW for 01
אָח (ach) — brother: male-sibling.
: male-sibling
1) brother
1a) brother of same parents
1b) half-brother (same father)
1c) relative, kinship, same tribe
1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)
1e) (fig.) of resemblance
אָח (ach) — brother: male-relative.
: male-relative
1) brother
1a) brother of same parents
1b) half-brother (same father)
1c) relative, kinship, same tribe
1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)
1e) (fig.) of resemblance
אָח (ach) — brother: compatriot.
: compatriot
1) brother
1a) brother of same parents
1b) half-brother (same father)
1c) relative, kinship, same tribe
1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)
1e) (fig.) of resemblance
Conj | N-mp | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms
שְׁנַ֫יִם (shnayim) means 'two' and serves as both a cardinal and ordinal number. It can denote 'both,' 'double,' or 'twice,' and is used in various combinations with other numbers. The word is derived as a dual form of שָׁנָה (shanah), which relates to the concept of pairs.
שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם 768 n.m. et f. du. two
base
H8147 שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם two
8147 shnayim shen-ah'-yim
dual of 8145; feminine shttayim {shet-tah'-yim}; two; also
(as ordinal) twofold:--both, couple, double, second, twain, +
twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.
see HEBREW for 08145
שְׁנַ֫יִם (she.na.yim) — two.
1) two
1a) two (the cardinal number)
1a1) two, both, double, twice
1b) second (the ordinal number)
1c) in combination with other numbers
1d) both (a dual number)
Adj — Noun common · both dual absoluteHNcbda
עָשָׂר (asar) means 'ten' and is used exclusively in combination with other numbers to form the teen numbers (11-19), both as cardinal and ordinal forms. The entries indicate that it is derived from another Hebrew root, but do not elaborate on its etymology.
עָשָׂר, עֶשְׂרֵה ten, only after units to make num. 11-19, both cardinal and ordinal
base
H6240 עָשָׂר, עֶשְׂרֵה ten, only after units to make num. 11-19, both cardinal and ordinal
6240 `asar aw-sawr'
for 6235; ten (only in combination), i.e. -teen; also
(ordinal) -teenth:--(eigh-, fif-, four-, nine-, seven-,
six-, thir-)teen(-th), + eleven(-th), + sixscore thousand, +
twelve(-th).
see HEBREW for 06235
עָשָׂר (a.sar) — ten.
1) ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers)
1a) used only in combination to make the numbers 11-19
HNcbsa — Noun common · both singular absoluteHNcbsa