1 Chronicles 25:31 — Word Study
WLCלְאַרְבָּעָ֤ה וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ לְרוֹמַ֣מְתִּי עָ֔זֶר בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶחָ֖יו שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר׃ פ
BSAand the twenty-fourthʼarbaʻ to Romamti-ezerRôwmamtîy ʻEzer [a Levite] his sonsbên [descendants, male children] and his brothersʼâch [relatives, male siblings, a dozen, twelve] 12 [in all]shᵉnayim
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לְאַרְבָּעָ֤ה | for four | Preposition, noun common both singular absolute |
| וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ | and twenty | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| לְרוֹמַ֣מְתִּי | to Romamti- | Preposition, noun proper masculine |
| עָ֔זֶר | Ezer | 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׃ פ | ten | Noun common, both singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | and the twenty-fourth to Romamti-ezer, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all. |
| KJV | The four and twentieth to Romamti-ezer, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve. |
| ASV | for the four and twentieth to Romamtiezer, his sons and his brethren, twelve. |
| YLT | at the four and twentieth [to] Romamti-Ezer, his sons and his brethren, twelve. |
| WEB | for the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer, his sons and his brothers, twelve. |
| BBE | The twenty-fourth Romamti-ezer, with his sons and his brothers, twelve. |
Translations agree on the naming of Romamti-ezer and the total count of twelve.
The sentence is structured with a main clause followed by additional phrases that describe the family relationships and 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 25:31
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 25:31 describes the organization of the Levites, specifically detailing the roles assigned to various families. This verse highlights Romamti-ezer, a Levite, and his family, emphasizing their contribution to the temple service. The structure is part of a larger list that outlines the divisions of Levites, showing the importance of order and organization in worship.
Cross References
The Key Word — רוֹמַ֣מְתִּי, Romamti-ezergenerated
The name רוֹמַ֣מְתִּי (Romamti) translates to 'I have exalted' and is a proper noun referring to a specific Levite. The term is derived from a root meaning 'to exalt' or 'to raise up,' indicating a position of honor or importance within the Levitical structure.
The addition of עֶזֶר (Ezer) means 'help' or 'helper,' suggesting that Romamti-ezer's role may have been significant in providing assistance in temple duties. This name reflects the Levite's purpose in serving the community and God.
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 centered around the assignment of the Levite: וְעֶשְׂרִים (and twenty) introduces the numeral phrase, indicating the count of the family members. The structure of this verse is straightforward, listing the name, family, and total number in a clear sequence.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the number of individuals involved, highlighting the importance of the family unit within the Levitical service.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 25:31 tells us about the twenty-fourth division of Levites assigned to Romamti-ezer, along with his sons and brothers, totaling twelve individuals. This verse is part of a larger list that organizes the Levitical families for their roles in temple service.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Romamti-ezer was a Levite mentioned in the context of temple service, indicating a role of importance in the worship practices of Israel.
The number twelve represents the total count of Romamti-ezer's family members assigned to the temple service, reflecting the organization of the Levites.
The organization of the Levites was crucial for maintaining order in worship and ensuring that all duties related to the temple were fulfilled appropriately.
Levites were responsible for various duties related to the temple, including music, maintenance, and assisting the priests in their functions.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does the organization of the Levites reflect God's order in worship?
- What can we learn from the roles assigned to different families in the temple service?
- In what ways can we serve our communities, similar to how the Levites served Israel?
- What significance does the number twelve hold in biblical contexts?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 25:31 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleVer. 31 [See comments on 1 Chronicles 25:9]
Read John Gill on 1 Chronicles 25 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(31) An analysis of the whole list shows that the first, third, fifth, and seventh places fell to the four Asaphite guilds, or clans; the second, fourth, eighth, tenth, twelfth, and fourteenth to the six guilds of the sons of Jeduthun, or Ethanites; the sixth, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, and the remaining ten places, to the fourteen guilds of Heman. It appears evident that all the lots were thrown into a single urn, and that the Asaphite and Ethanite names were all drawn, as the chances made it likely, before the Hemanites were exhausted. As it happened, only Hemanite names were left after the fourteenth drawing.
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 25 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 31. Romamti-ezer] Both these names belong to the same person. He is mentioned also 1 Chronicles 25:4. With this immense parade of noise and show, (David's own invention,) Christianity has nothing to do.
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
and the twenty-fourth to Romamti-ezer, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all.
for the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer, his sons and his brothers, twelve.
and the twenty-fourth to Romamti-ezer, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all.
the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer and his sons and relatives – twelve in all.
Tyndale line
The four and twentieth to Romamti-ezer, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve.
for the four and twentieth to Romamtiezer, his sons and his brethren, twelve.
for the four and twentieth to Romamti-ezer, his sons and his brethren, twelve.
The four and twentieth to Romamti-ezer, he , his sons, and his brethren, were twelve.
The foure and twentieth, to Romamti-ezer, he, his sonnes and his brethren twelue.
Strictly literal
The twenty-fourth to Romamti-ezer; his sons and his brethren, twelve.
at the four and twentieth [to] Romamti-Ezer, his sons and his brethren, twelve.
the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer, his sons and his brothers—twelve.
The four and twentieth was for Romamthi-'eser, his sons and his brethren, being twelve.
the twenty-fourth fell to Romamti-Ezer, his sons and his relatives, twelve persons in number.
From the Latin
The four and twentieth to Romemthiezer, to his sons and his brethren twelve.
Simplified
The twenty-fourth fell to Romamti-Ezer, his sons and his brothers, 12 in total.
The twenty-fourth Romamti-ezer, 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 is the primary witness for this verse, and it is consistent across the text. There are no significant variations noted in other ancient witnesses.
לְאַרְבָּעָ֤ה וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ לְרוֹמַ֣מְתִּי עָ֔זֶר בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶחָ֖יו שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר׃ פ
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 25:31
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.
אַרְבַּע (arba) means 'four' in Hebrew. It is a masculine noun derived from the root associated with the number four. The entries consistently affirm this meaning without any significant disagreement among lexicons.
אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
base
H702 אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
702 'arba` ar-bah'
masculine oarbaah {ar-baw-aw'}; from 7251; four:--four.
see HEBREW for 07251
אַרְבַּע (ar.ba) — four.
four
Prep | Adj — Preposition · noun common both singular absoluteHR/Ncbsa
for ('arba`; tessares): "Four" (cardinal number) was a sacred and complete number with the Hebrews, as well as with several other peoples. It occurs very frequently in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
(1) It indicates completeness. We have the four rivers of Paradise (Ge 2:10); the four winds of heaven (Eze 37:9; Da 7:2; 8:8; 11:4; Zec 6:5, the Revised Version, margin "spirits"; /APC 2Esdras 13:5); "the four winds" (Mt 24:31; Mr 13:27); "the four corners of the earth" (Isa 11:12;
עֶשְׂרִים (esriym) means 'twenty' and can also refer to the ordinal 'twentieth.' It is derived from the root word for 'ten' and has an Aramaic equivalent, עֶשְׂרִין (es.rin). The entries consistently define the term without significant disagreement.
עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
base
H6242 עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
6242 `esriym es-reem'
from 6235; twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth:--(six-)score,
twenty(-ieth).
see HEBREW for 06235
עֶשְׂרִים (es.rim) — twenty.
twenty, twentieth
Aramaic equivalent: es.rin (עֶשְׂרִין "twenty" H6243)
HC/Ncmpa — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural absoluteHC/Ncmpa
twen'-ti.
See NUMBER.
רֹמַ֫מְתִּי עֶ֫זֶר as n.pr.m. (I have made lofty help);—son of Heman
base
H7320 רֹמַ֫מְתִּי עֶ֫זֶר, רוֹמַמְתִּי עֶזֶר
7320 Rowmamtiy `Ezer ro-mam'-tee eh'-zer
(or Romam from 7311 and 5828; I have raised up a help;
Romamti-Ezer, an Israelite:--Romamti- ezer.
see HEBREW for 07311
see HEBREW for 05828
רֹמַ֫מְתִּי עֶ֫זֶר (ro.mam.ti e.zer) — Romamti-ezer.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.25.4;
son of: Heman (H1968I);
brother of: Bukkiah (H1232), Mattaniah (H4983H), Uzziel (H5816J), Shebuel (H7619H), Jerimoth (H3406L), Hananiah (H2608P), Hanani (H2607H), Eliathah (H0448), Giddalti (H1437), Joshbekashah (H3436), Mallothi (H4413), Hothir (H1956) and Mahazioth (H4238)
§ Romamti-ezer = "I have exalted the Helper"
one of the 14 sons of Heman
N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculineHR/Npm
רֹמַ֫מְתִּי עֶ֫זֶר as n.pr.m. (I have made lofty help);—son of Heman
base
H7320 רֹמַ֫מְתִּי עֶ֫זֶר, רוֹמַמְתִּי עֶזֶר
7320 Rowmamtiy `Ezer ro-mam'-tee eh'-zer
(or Romam from 7311 and 5828; I have raised up a help;
Romamti-Ezer, an Israelite:--Romamti- ezer.
see HEBREW for 07311
see HEBREW for 05828
רֹמַ֫מְתִּי עֶ֫זֶר (ro.mam.ti e.zer) — Romamti-ezer.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.25.4;
son of: Heman (H1968I);
brother of: Bukkiah (H1232), Mattaniah (H4983H), Uzziel (H5816J), Shebuel (H7619H), Jerimoth (H3406L), Hananiah (H2608P), Hanani (H2607H), Eliathah (H0448), Giddalti (H1437), Joshbekashah (H3436), Mallothi (H4413), Hothir (H1956) and Mahazioth (H4238)
§ Romamti-ezer = "I have exalted the Helper"
one of the 14 sons of Heman
HNpm — Noun proper masculineHNpm
Ezer
Treasure. (1.) One of the sons of Seir, the native princes, “dukes,” of Mount Hor (Gen. 36:21, 27). (2.) 1 Chr. 7:21; (3.) 4:4. (4.) One of the Gadite champions who repaired to David at Ziklag (12:9). (5.) A Levite (Neh. 3:19). (6.) A priest (12:42).
(treasure). A son of Ephraim, who was slain by the aboriginal inhabitants of Gath while engaged in a foray on their cattle. (1 Chronicles 7:21) (B.C. before 1491.) A priest who assisted in the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 12:42) (B.C. 446.) Father of Hushah of the sons of Hur. (1 Chronicles 4:4) One of the Gadite chiefs who fought with David. (1 Chronicles 12:8,9) (B.C. 1054.) One who aided in repairing the wall at Jerusalem; a Levite. (Nehemiah 3:19)
a help
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