1 Chronicles 25:17 — Word Study
WLCהָעֲשִׂירִ֣י שִׁמְעִ֔י בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶחָ֖יו שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר׃
BSAthe tenthʻăsîyrîy to ShimeiShimʻîy [a common Israelite name] his sonsbên [descendants, male offspring] and his brothersʼâch [male siblings, close relatives, twelve, a dozen] 12 [in all]shᵉnayim
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הָעֲשִׂירִ֣י | the tenth | Particle |
| שִׁמְעִ֔י | Shimei | 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 tenth to Shimei, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; |
| KJV | The tenth to Shimei, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
| ASV | the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his brethren, twelve: |
| YLT | the tenth [to] Shimei, his sons and his brethren, twelve: |
| WEB | the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his brothers, twelve; |
| BBE | The tenth Shimei, with his sons and his brothers, twelve; |
All translations agree on the basic details of the assignment to Shimei and his family.
The structure includes a main clause with additional phrases that specify the family members and the total count, reflecting the organized nature of the Levitical divisions.
3 commentators on this verse
Gill, Ellicott, Cambridge & 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 25:17
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 25:17 is part of a larger section that details the organization of the Levitical musicians, assigning specific roles and responsibilities to different families. This verse highlights the tenth group, led by Shimei, and indicates the total number of members in this division, which is twelve. These divisions were crucial for the worship practices in the temple, as seen throughout this chapter.
Cross References
The Key Word — עֲשִׂירִי, ha.'a.si.Rigenerated
The word עֲשִׂירִי (ha.'a.si.Ri) means 'tenth' and is used as an ordinal number to denote a specific part of a whole. It derives from the root meaning 'ten' and is commonly used in contexts involving division or allocation, such as tithes or groups.
In this verse, it indicates the specific group of musicians assigned to Shimei, emphasizing the organized structure of temple service. The parsing as a particle suggests it functions to specify the ordinal position within a sequence.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as well as in the KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE, with all translations agreeing on the basic details of the assignment to Shimei and his family.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause centers around the assignment of the tenth division, with שִׁמְעִ֔י (Shimei) as the subject. The structure includes additional noun phrases indicating the family members and the total count.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the assignment itself, with the subject following the ordinal number, which is typical in Hebrew syntax to highlight the role of the division.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates עֲשִׂירִי as δέκατος (dekatos), which also means 'tenth.' This choice reflects a direct correspondence with the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the ordinal sense.
The consistent use of σεμεϊ for שִׁמְעִ֔י indicates a straightforward transliteration of the name, preserving its identity across the translations.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 25:17 tells us that the tenth group of musicians was assigned to Shimei, along with his sons and brothers, making a total of twelve members in this division. This organization helps us understand the structure of the Levitical service in the temple.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Shimei was a common Israelite name, and in this context, he is one of the leaders of the Levitical musicians, indicating a role in temple worship.
The term 'tenth' refers to the ordinal position of this group among the divisions of musicians, highlighting the organized structure of their service.
The number twelve often symbolizes completeness in the Bible, and here it signifies the full complement of Shimei's family serving in the temple.
This verse is part of a larger list that details the divisions of the Levites, each assigned specific roles, showing the structured approach to worship in ancient Israel.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn about the importance of organization in worship from this verse?
- How does understanding the roles of individuals like Shimei enhance our view of the Levitical service?
- In what ways can we apply the concept of division and roles in our own community or church?
- Why do you think the chronicler included detailed lists of names and numbers in this account?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 25:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleVer. 17 [See comments on 1 Chronicles 25:9]
Read John Gill on 1 Chronicles 25 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(17) Shimei.—Omitted by accident from 1 Chronicles 25:3.
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 25 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges17. Shimei] Not mentioned in the present text of 1 Chronicles 25:2-4; see note on Jeshaiah, 1 Chronicles 25:3.
Read Cambridge 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 tenth to Shimei, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;
the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his brothers, twelve;
the tenth to Shimei, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;
the tenth to Shimei and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
Tyndale line
The tenth to Shimei, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his brethren, twelve:
the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his brethren, twelve:
The tenth to Shimei, he , his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
The tenth, to Shimei, he, his sonnes and his brethren twelue.
Strictly literal
The tenth to Shimei; his sons and his brethren, twelve.
the tenth [to] Shimei, his sons and his brethren, twelve:
the tenth, Shimei, his sons and his brothers—twelve:
The tenth was Shim'i, his sons, and his brethren, being twelve;
the tenth fell to Shimei, his sons and his relatives, twelve persons in number;
From the Latin
The tenth to Semeias, to his sons and his brethren twelve.
Simplified
The tenth fell to Shimei, his sons and his brothers, 12 in total.
The tenth Shimei, 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 all six words of this verse, reflecting a consistent transmission of the text. The Septuagint's word order differs but matches the Hebrew meaning closely.
הָעֲשִׂירִ֣י שִׁמְעִ֔י 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 25:17
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.
עֲשִׂירִי (asiyriy) means 'tenth' and is used as an ordinal number. It can refer to a tenth part or the tenth month, derived from the root meaning 'ten' (H6235). The entries consistently define it as relating to the number ten without any noted disagreements.
עֲשִׂירִי, עֲשִׂירִיָּה, עֲשִׂירִית tenth
base
H6224 עֲשִׂירִי, עֲשִׂירִיָּה, עֲשִׂירִית tenth
6224 `asiyriy as-ee-ree'
from 6235; tenth; by abbreviation, tenth month or (feminine)
part:--tenth (part).
see HEBREW for 06235
עֲשִׂירִי (a.si.ri) — tenth.
1) ordinal number
1a) a tenth
Art | Adj — ParticleHTd/Aomsa
See TITHE.
The Hebrew word שִׁמְעִי (*Shim'i*) means 'renowned' and refers to various individuals in the Old Testament, primarily from the tribes of Benjamin and Levi. It is associated with several notable figures, including a Levite and a Benjamite, and appears in contexts ranging from the time of David to the post-exilic period. The entries highlight multiple bearers of the name, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicographers.
שִׁמְעִי 43 n.pr.m.
in Benj.
a Ramathite
Levites
brother of Zerub.
in Simeon
in Reuben
1
post-ex. names
grandfather of Mordecai
2
base
H8096 שִׁמְעִי . in Benj.
. a Ramathite
. Levites
. brother of Zerub.
. in Simeon
. in Reuben
. 1
. post-ex. names
. grandfather of Mordecai
. 2
8096 Shim`iy shim-ee'
from 8088; famous; Shimi, the name of twenty
Israelites:--Shimeah (from the margin), Shimei, Shimhi,
Shimi.
see HEBREW for 08088
שִׁמְעִי (shim.i) — Shimei.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.6.17;
son of: Gershon (H1648);
brother of: Libni (H3845G);
father of: Jahath (H3189I), Zizah (H2126), Jeush (H3266J) and Beriah (H1283J)
Also named: shim.i (שִׁמְעִי "Shimeite" H8097)
§ Shimei or Shimhi or Shimi or Shimea = "renowned"
1) a Benjamite, son of Gera of the house of Saul in the time of David
2) a Benjamite, son of Elah and commissariat officer in the time of Solomon
3) the Ramathite in charge of the vineyards of David
4) son of Gershon and grandson of Levi
5) a Levite, son of Jeduthun and chief of the 10th division of singers in the time of David
6) a Levite of the sons of Heman who took part in the purification of the temple in the time of king Hezekiah of Judah
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
shim'-e-i (shim`i, possibly "hear me (El)" or "(Jah)"; Semeei, Semei): A name of frequent occurrence throughout the Old Testament records, sometimes varying slightly in form in English Versions of the Bible. The King James Version has "Shimi" in Ex 6:17; "Shimhi" in 1Ch 8:21; "Shimeah" in 2Sa 21:21. the Revised Version (British and American) has "Shimeites" in Zec 12:13, where the King James Version has "Shimei," and Nu 3:21 for the King James Version "Shimites." English Versions of the Bible has "Shema" in 1Ch 8:13,21 margin for the "Shimei" of 8:21. In all others…
Shimei
Famous. (1.) A son of Gershon, and grandson of Levi (Num. 3:18; 1 Chr. 6:17, 29); called Shimi in Ex. 6:17.
(2.) A Benjamite of the house of Saul, who stoned and cursed David when he reached Bahurim in his flight from Jerusalem on the occasion of the rebellion of Absalom (2 Sam. 16:5-13). After the defeat of Absalom he “came cringing to the king, humbly suing for pardon, bringing with him a thousand of his Benjamite tribesmen, and representing that he was heartily sorry for his crime, and had hurried the first of all the house of Israel to offer homage to the king” (19:16-23). David forgave him; but on his death-bed he gave Solomon special instructions regarding Shimei…
(renowned). Son of Gershon the son of Levi, (Numbers 3:18; 1 Chronicles 6:17,29; 23:7,9,10; Zechariah 12:13) called SHIMI in (Exodus 6:17) (B.C. after 1706.) Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of the house of Saul, who lived at Bahurim. (B.C. 1023.) When David and his suite were seen descending the long defile, on his flight from Absolom, (2 Samuel 16:5-13) the whole feeling of the clan of Benjamin burst forth without restraint in the person of Shimei. He ran along the ridge, cursing and throwing stones at the king and is companions. The next meeting was very different. The king was now returning from his successful…
Shimi, that hears or obeys; my reputation; my fame
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