1 Chronicles 25:19 — Word Study
WLCהַשְּׁנֵ֤ים עָשָׂר֙ לַחֲשַׁבְיָ֔ה בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶחָ֖יו שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר׃
BSAthe twelfthshᵉnayim to HashabiahChăshabyâh [Jehovah has considered] his sonsbên [descendants, offspring] and his brothersʼâch [male siblings, close relatives, a dozen, a complete set] 12 [in all]shᵉnayim
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הַשְּׁנֵ֤ים | the two [plus] | Particle, noun common both dual absolute |
| עָשָׂר֙ | ten | Noun common, both singular absolute |
| לַחֲשַׁבְיָ֔ה | to Hashabiah | Preposition, 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 twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; |
| KJV | The twelfth to Hashabiah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
| ASV | the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve: |
| YLT | the twelfth [to] Hashabiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; |
| WEB | the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; |
| BBE | The twelfth Hashabiah, with his sons and his brothers, twelve; |
Where they part company is חֲשַׁבְיָה — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has a main clause followed by additional phrases that provide details about the assignment and the total number of individuals involved.
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 25:19
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 Musiciansgenerated
1 Chronicles 25:19 describes the twelfth division of the Levitical musicians, assigned to Hashabiah and his family. This passage is part of a larger list detailing the organization of the Levites, specifically those who served in musical roles during worship. Each division is noted for its number of members, emphasizing the structured approach to worship in ancient Israel.
Cross References
The Key Word — חֲשַׁבְיָה, la.cha.shav.Yahgenerated
The name חֲשַׁבְיָה (Hashabiah) means 'Jehovah has considered'. It is a proper noun referring to an individual within the Levitical order, highlighting the significance of divine consideration in his role.
Hashabiah is mentioned multiple times throughout the Old Testament, often in contexts relating to service and leadership among the Levites. This reflects the importance of his lineage and duties within the community.
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 clause is governed by a noun phrase: הַשְּׁנֵ֤ים, the twelfth — indicating the ordinal position of this division. It is followed by a prepositional phrase detailing to whom this division is assigned.
The structure emphasizes the assignment of Hashabiah and his family, with the numeral phrase שְׁנֵ֥ים (two) and עָשָֽׂר׃ (ten) combining to form the total of twelve, highlighting the completeness of this group.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates חֲשַׁבְיָה as ασαβια, which retains the name's identity but does not convey its meaning. This choice reflects the translators' focus on preserving proper names rather than translating their significance.
The Greek word ὁ is used for the definite article, indicating that this assignment was specific and noteworthy within the context of the Levitical divisions.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 25:19 tells us that the twelfth division of musicians was assigned to Hashabiah, along with his sons and brothers, totaling twelve in all. This verse is part of a larger list that organizes the Levites and their roles in worship.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Hashabiah was a Levite musician mentioned in the Bible, and his name means 'Jehovah has considered'. He played a significant role in the organization of worship during the time of David.
The number twelve often represents completeness in the Bible, symbolizing the full representation of the Levitical musicians assigned to serve in worship.
The mention of Hashabiah's sons and brothers highlights the familial aspect of the Levitical service, emphasizing the continuity of duty and the importance of family in worship.
This verse is part of a detailed enumeration of the Levitical divisions, illustrating the organized approach to worship and the roles assigned to different families within the tribe of Levi.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can I learn from the organization of the Levitical musicians about the importance of roles in worship?
- How does Hashabiah's name reflect his significance in the biblical narrative?
- In what ways can I see the concept of family and service reflected in my own community?
- What does the completeness represented by the number twelve mean for my understanding of God's order?
Commentators on this verse — 1 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 25:19 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleVer. 19 [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 twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;
the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve;
the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;
the twelfth to Hashabiah and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
Tyndale line
The twelfth to Hashabiah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve:
the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve:
The twelfth to Hashabiah, he , his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
The twelft, to Ashabiah, he, his sonnes and his brethren twelue.
Strictly literal
The twelfth to Hashabiah; his sons and his brethren, twelve.
the twelfth [to] Hashabiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his brothers—twelve;
The twelfth was for Chashahyah, his sons, and his brethren, being twelve;
the twelfth fell to Hashabiah, his sons and his relatives, twelve persons in number;
From the Latin
The twelfth to Hasabia, to his sons and his brethren twelve.
Simplified
The twelfth fell to Hashabiah, his sons and his brothers, 12 in total.
The twelfth Hashabiah, 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 reads: "הַשְּׁנֵ֤ים עָשָׂר֙ לַחֲשַׁבְיָ֔ה בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶחָ֖יו שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר׃" which translates to "the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;" The Septuagint, while not providing a direct translation in this instance, matches six of the seven words in the Hebrew text, indicating a strong agreement in content and meaning, though the exact wording and order may differ. There are no significant differences noted in the Samaritan Pentateuch or the Dead Sea Scrolls for this verse, confirming the consistency across these ancient witnesses.
הַשְּׁנֵ֤ים עָשָׂר֙ לַחֲשַׁבְיָ֔ה בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶחָ֖יו שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר׃
6 of the 7 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 25:19
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.
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)
Art | Adj — Particle · noun common both dual absoluteHTd/Ncbda
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
The Hebrew word חֲשַׁבְיָהוּ (*Chashabyah*) means 'Jehovah has regarded' and refers to a name associated with several Levites in the Old Testament. It is built from roots meaning 'to consider' and the divine name. The entries highlight various individuals named Hashabiah, including musicians and leaders during different periods, such as the time of David and the return from Babylon.
חֲשַׁבְיָ֫הוּ, חֲשַׁבְיָה n.pr.m. (Yah(u) has taken account)
a temple musician
a Levite, David’s time
a Levite, Josiah’s time
Levite in line of Merari
Levite
Levite, Ezra’s time
head of a family of priests
a builder of the wall
base
H2811 חֲשַׁבְיָהוּ, חֲשַׁבְיָה
2811 Chashabyah khash-ab-yaw'
or Chashabyahuw {khash-ab-yaw'-hoo}; from 2803 and 3050; Jah
has regarded; Chashabjah, the name of nine
Israelites:--Hashabiah.
see HEBREW for 02803
see HEBREW for 03050
חֲשַׁבְיָ֫הוּ (cha.shav.yah) — Hashabiah.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.6.45;
son of: Amaziah (H0558I);
father of: Malluch (H4409)
§ Hashabiah = "Jehovah has considered"
1) a Merarite Levite
2) the 4th of the 6 sons of Jeduthun who had charge of the 12th course
3) one of the descendants of Hebron the son of Kohath
4) the son of Kemuel, who was prince of the tribe of Levi in the time of David
5) a Levite, one of the chiefs of his tribe who officiated for Josiah at his great passover feast
6) a Merarite Levite, one of the chief priests who accompanied Ezra from Babylon; ruler of half the circuit of Keilah and one who repaired a portion of the wall of Jerusalem under Nehemiah. He sealed the covenant of reformation after the return from captivity
7) a Levite, son of Bunni in the time of Nehemiah
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculineHR/Npm
hash-a-bi'-a (chashabhyah):
(1) Two Levites of the family of Merari (1Ch 6:45; 9:14).
(2) A Levite who dwelt in Jerusalem at the time of Nehemiah (Ne 11:15).
(3) A son of Jeduthun (1Ch 25:3).
(4) A Hebronite, chief of a clan of warriors who had charge of West Jordan in the interests of Yahweh and the king of Israel (1Ch 26:30).
Hashabiah
Regarded by Jehovah. (1.) Merarite Levite (1 Chr. 6:45; 9:14). (2.) A son of Jeduthun (25:3, 19). (3.) Son of Kemuel (26:30). (4.) One of the chief Levites (2 Chr. 35:9). (5.) A Levite (Neh. 11:22). (6.) One of the chief priests in the time of Ezra (Ezra 8:24). (7.) A chief of the Levites (Neh. 12:24). (8.) Ezra 8:19. (9.) Neh. 3:17.
(whom God regards). A Merarite Levite. (1 Chronicles 6:45) Another Merarite Levite. (1 Chronicles 9:14) The fourth of the six sons of Jeduthun, (1 Chronicles 25:3) who had charge of the twelfth course. ver. 19. (B.C. 1014.) One of the descendants of Hebron the son of Kohath- (1 Chronicles 26:30) The son of Kemuel, who was prince of the tribe of Levi in the time of David (1 Chronicles 27:17) (B.C. 1014.) A Levite one of the "chiefs" of his tribe, who officiated for King Josiah at his great Passover feast. (2 Chronicles 35:9) (B.C. 623). A Merarite Levite who…
the estimation of the Lord
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