1 Chronicles 25:15 — Word Study
WLCהַשְּׁמִינִ֣י יְשַֽׁעְיָ֔הוּ בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶחָ֖יו שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר׃
BSAthe eighthshᵉmîynîy to JeshaiahYᵉshaʻyâh [Jehovah has saved] his sonsbên [descendants, offspring] and his brothersʼâch [relatives, kin, a dozen, twelve] 12 [in all]shᵉnayim
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הַשְּׁמִינִ֣י | the eighth | Particle |
| יְשַֽׁעְיָ֔הוּ | Jeshaiah | 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 eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; |
| KJV | The eighth to Jeshaiah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
| ASV | the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve: |
| YLT | the eighth [to] Jeshaiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; |
| WEB | the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; |
| BBE | The eighth Jeshaiah, with his sons and his brothers, twelve; |
Where they part company is in phrasing, but the essential meaning remains consistent across the translations.
The structure is straightforward, with a main clause followed by additional details about Jeshaiah's family and the total count.
1 commentators on this verse
Gill & 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 25:15
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 Assignments of the Levitesgenerated
1 Chronicles 25:15 is part of a section that details the organization of the Levites and their roles in temple service. This verse specifically names Jeshaiah as the eighth in a sequence, along with his sons and brothers, indicating their collective responsibility in worship and service. The structure of the list emphasizes the importance of order and the roles assigned to each family within the Levite community.
Cross References
The Key Word — יְשַֽׁעְיָ֔הוּ, ye.sha'.Ya.hugenerated
The name יְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּ (*Ysha'yah*) means 'Jehovah has saved' and signifies a connection to divine salvation. It is a proper noun used to identify individuals, particularly in the context of the Levites and their lineage.
This name appears multiple times in the Old Testament, indicating that it was not uncommon among the Israelites. The parsing shows it as a masculine noun, specifically a proper name, which highlights its significance in genealogical records.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations agree on the names and numbers in this verse, with variations primarily in phrasing.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause of the verse identifies Jeshaiah as the eighth in the sequence, with additional phrases providing details about his family. The finite verb is implied in the structure of the list, which organizes the information clearly.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on Jeshaiah, followed by his sons and brothers, indicating the importance of familial relationships in the context of their roles.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יְשַֽׁעְיָ֔הוּ as ιωσια, which reflects a similar understanding of the name but may indicate a different pronunciation or form in Greek. This choice shows the translators' effort to maintain the meaning while adapting it to their linguistic context.
The Greek word ὄγδοος corresponds to the ordinal 'eighth', aligning with the Hebrew usage and emphasizing the same sequence in the list.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 25:15 lists Jeshaiah as the eighth in a sequence of assignments, along with his sons and brothers, totaling twelve individuals. This verse is part of a larger section that organizes the roles of the Levites in temple service.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Jeshaiah means 'Jehovah has saved', reflecting a theme of divine salvation in the context of the Israelites.
The number twelve often represents completeness in the Bible, as seen in the twelve tribes of Israel and other groupings.
Jeshaiah and his family were assigned specific roles in temple service, indicating their importance in the worship community.
This verse contributes to the overall organization of the Levites, showing how they were structured to fulfill their roles in the temple.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn from the way the Levites were organized for service?
- How does the meaning of Jeshaiah's name relate to the themes of salvation in the Bible?
- Why is it important to recognize the familial relationships in this verse?
- In what ways can we apply the concept of order and structure from this passage to our own lives?
Commentators on this verse — 1 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 25:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleVer. 15 [See comments on 1 Chronicles 25:9]
Read John Gill 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 eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;
the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve;
the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;
the eighth to Jeshaiah and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
Tyndale line
The eighth to Jeshaiah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve:
the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons mad his brethren, twelve:
The eighth to Jeshaiah, he , his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
The eight, to Ieshaiah, he, his sonnes and his brethren twelue.
Strictly literal
The eighth to Isaiah; his sons and his brethren, twelve.
the eighth [to] Jeshaiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
the eighth, Jeshaiah, his sons and his brothers—twelve;
The eighth was Jesha'yahu, his sons, and his brethren, being twelve;
the eighth fell to Jeshaiah, his sons and his relatives, twelve persons in number;
From the Latin
The eighth to Jesaia, to his sons and his brethren twelve.
Simplified
The eighth fell to Jeshaiah, his sons and his brothers, 12 in total.
The eighth Jeshaiah, 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 of this verse, with all six words matched in the Hebrew and Greek texts. This consistency suggests a stable tradition in the transmission of this passage.
הַשְּׁמִינִ֣י יְשַֽׁעְיָ֔הוּ 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 25:15
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.
שְׁמִינִי (shmiyniy) means 'eighth' and is an ordinal number. It is derived from the root word for 'eight' (שְׁמוֹנָה, H8083). The entries consistently define it as an adjective used to denote the ordinal position in a sequence.
שְׁמִינִי, שְׁמִינִית 31 adj. num. eighth
base
H8066 שְׁמִינִי, שְׁמִינִית eighth
8066 shmiyniy shem-ee-nee'
from 8083; eight:--eight.
see HEBREW for 08083
שְׁמִינִי (she.mi.ni) — eighth.
eighth (ordinal number)
Art | Adj — ParticleHTd/Aomsa
The Hebrew word יְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּ (*Ysha'yah*) means 'salvation of Yah' and refers primarily to Isaiah, the prophet, son of Amoz. It also denotes several other individuals, including Levites and descendants of Zerubbabel, who lived during the time of the Divided Monarchy. The name emphasizes the theme of divine salvation.
יְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּ n.pr.m. (salvation of Yah)
Isaiah, son of ’Amôṣ, the prophet
one of the children of Jeduthun
a Levite ancestor of one of David's treasurers
base
יְשַׁעְיָה n.pr.m. (salvation of Yah)
grandson of Zerubbabel
chief of the sons of Elam, who went up with Ezra
chief of sons of Merari in time of Ezra
a Benjamite
base
H3470a יְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּ(salvation of Yah) . Isaiah, son of ’Amôṣ, the prophet
. one of the children of Jeduthun
. a Levite ancestor of one of David's treasurers
H3470b יְשַׁעְיָה(salvation of Yah) . grandson of Zerubbabel
. chief of the sons of Elam, who went up with Ezra
. chief of sons of Merari in time of Ezra
. a Benjamite
3470 Ysha`yah yesh-ah-yaw'
or Yshayahuw {yesh-ah-yaw'-hoo}; from 3467 and 3050; Jah has
saved; Jeshajah, the name of seven Israelites:--Isaiah,
Jesaiah, Jeshaiah.
see HEBREW for 03467
see HEBREW for 03050
יְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּ (ye.sha.yah) — Isaiah.
A prophet living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.19.2;
son of: Amoz (H0531);
father of: Shear-jashub (H7610), Maher-shalal-hash-baz (H4122)
Also named: Hēsaias (Ἡσαΐας "Isaiah" G2268)
§ Isaiah or Jesaiah or Jeshaiah = "Jehovah has saved"
1) the major prophet, son of Amoz, who prophesied concerning Judah and Jerusalem during the days of kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah; author of the prophetic book by his name; tradition has it that he was sawn asunder in the trunk of a carob tree by king Manasseh and that this is the incident referred to in Heb 11:37
2) one of the 6 sons of Jeduthun
3) son of Rehabiah, a descendant of Moses through Gershom, and an ancestor of a Levite treasurer in the time of David
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
je-sha'-ya, je-shi'-a
(a) yesha`yahu;
(b) yesha`yah, "deliverance of Yah"; (2) (3) below have form (a), the others form (b):
(1) Son of Hananiah, and grandson of Zerubbabel, according to 1Ch 3:21, the King James Version "Jesaiah."
But commentators follow Hebrew (and the Revised Version margin) in the first part of the verse, and Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac in the second part, thus reading, "And the son of Hananiah (was) Pelatiah, and Jeshaiah (was) his son, and Arnan his son," etc., thus making Jeshaiah a grandson of Hananiah.
Jeshaiah
Deliverance of Jehovah. (1.) A Kohathite Levite, the father of Joram, of the family of Eliezer (1 Chr. 26:25); called also Isshiah (24:21).
(2.) One of the sons of Jeduthum (1 Chr. 25:3, 15).
(3.) One of the three sons of Hananiah (1 Chr. 3:21).
(4.) Son of Athaliah (Ezra 8:7).
(5.) A Levite of the family of Merari (8:19).
(salvation of Jehovah). One of the six sons of Jeduthun. (1 Chronicles 25:3,15) (B.C. 1014.) A Levite in the reign of David, eldest son of Rehabiah, a descendant of Amram through Moses. (1 Chronicles 26:25) [ISSHIAH] (B.C. before 1014.) The son of Athaliah, and chief of the house of Bene-Elam who returned with Ezra. (Ezra 8:7) [JOSIAS] (B.C. 459.) A Merarite who returned with Ezra. (Ezra 8:19)
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