Asaph

a celebrated musician in the time of David, was the son of Barachias of the tribe of Levi. Asaph, and also his descendants, presided over the musical band in the service of the temple. Several of the psalms, as the fiftieth, the seventy-third to the eighty-third, have the name of Asaph prefixed; but it is not certain whether the words or the music were composed by him. With regard to some of them, which were written during the Babylonish captivity, they cannot in any respect be ascribed to him. Perhaps they were written or set to music by his descendants, who bore his name, or by some of that class of musicians of which the family of Asaph was the head, 1Ch 6:39; 2Ch 29:30; 2Ch 35:15; Neh 12:46. The psalms which bear the name of Asaph are doctrinal or preceptive: their style, though less sweet than that of David, is more vehement, and little inferior to the grandeur of Isaiah.

A´saph (assembler), a Levite, son of Barachias (1Ch 6:39; 1Ch 15:17), eminent as a musician, and appointed by David to preside over the sacred choral services which he organized. The ’sons of Asaph’ are afterwards mentioned as choristers of the temple (1Ch 25:1-2; 2Ch 20:14; 2Ch 29:13; Ezr 2:41; Ezr 3:10; Neh 7:44; Neh 11:22): and this office appears to have been made hereditary in his family (1Ch 25:1-2). Asaph was celebrated in after times as a prophet and poet (2Ch 29:30; Neh 12:46), and the titles of twelve of the Psalms (Psalms 73-83) bear his name. The merits of this appropriation are elsewhere examined [PSALMS, BOOK OF].

There were two other persons named Asaph: one who occupied the distinguished post of ’recorder’ to king Hezekiah (2Ki 18:18; Isa 36:3); another who was keeper of the royal forests under Artaxerxes (Neh 2:8).

1. Assembler, a celebrated musician in David’s time, and one of the leaders of the temple music. 1Ch 16:5 25:1,2. This service appears to have been hereditary in his family, Neh 7:44 11:22. He is also called a seer, 2Ch 29:30 ; and his name is prefixed to twelve Psalms, (Psa 50:1-23 73:1-83:18) but whether they were written by him, or for him or his family to sing, is unknown. See MUSIC.\par 2. A recorder of King Hezekiah, 2Ki 18:18 Isa 36:3 \par 3. Keeper of forests under Artaxerxes, Neh 2:8 .\par

A’saph. (collector of the people).

1. A Levite, son of Berechiah, one of the leaders of David’s choir. 1Ch 6:39. Psalms 50 and 73-83 are attributed to him; and he was, in after times, celebrated as a seer as well as a musical composer. 2Ch 29:30; Neh 12:46. (B.C. 1050).

2. The father or ancestor of Joah, the chronicler to the kingdom of Judah in the reign of Hezekiah, 2Ki 18:18; 2Ki 18:37; Isa 36:3; Isa 36:22, probably the same as Asaph, 1.

3. The keeper of the royal forest or "paradise" of Artaxerxes, Neh 2:8, a Jew, in high office at the court of Persia. (B.C. 536).

4. Ancestor of Mattaniah, the conductor of the Temple-choir after the return from Babylon. 1Ch 9:16; Neh 11:17. Most probably the same as Asaph, 1 and 2.

("assembler".)

1. A Levite, son of Berachiah; one of David’s choir leaders (1Ch 6:39). An inspired seer, as well as a composer of music (2Ch 29:30; Neh 12:46). "The sons of Asaph" were poets and musical composers of the school founded by him; as Heman and Jeduthun also were heads of schools of sacred inspired music. 1Ch 25:1; 2Ch 20:14; Ezr 2:41; Psalm 50; 73; 83, are all attributed to his authorship; but 83, celebrates the victory of Jehoshaphat long after Asaph’s time, therefore "Asaph" in this psalm’s title must mean "one of the school of Asaph."

2. 2Ki 18:18; 2Ki 18:37.

3. Neh 2:8.

4. Neh 11:17.

(Heb. Asaph’, אָסָŠ, assembler; Sept. Α᾿σάφ), the names of three persons. SEE EBIASAPH.

1. A Levite of the family of Gershom (see below), son of Barachiah (1Ch 6:39; 1Ch 15:17), eminent as a musician, and appointed by David to preside over the sacred choral services which he organized (1Ch 16:5), B.C. 1014. The "sons of Asaph" are afterward mentioned as choristers. of the Temple (1Ch 25:1-2; 2Ch 20:14; 2Ch 29:13; Ezr 2:41; Ezr 3:10; Neh 7:44; Neh 11:22); and this office appears to have been made hereditary in his family (1Ch 25:1-2). Asaph was celebrated in after times as a prophet (הֹזֶה, seer) and poet (2Ch 29:30; Neh 12:46), and the titles of twelve of the Psalms (50, 73, to 83) bear his name, in some of which he evidently stands (as a patronymic, Neh 11:17) for the Levites generally (see Huetii Demonstr. ev. p. 332; Bertholdt, v, 1956; Herder, Ebr. Poesie, ii, 331; comp. Niemeyer, Charakterist. 4:356 sq.; Carpzov, Introd. 103 sq.; Eichhorn, Einl. v, 17 sq.); or he may have been the founder of a school of poets and musical composers, who were called after him " the sons of Asaph" (comp. the Homeridae). SEE PSALMS. The following is his ancestry (see Reinhard, De Asapho, Vien. 1742).

2. The "father" of Joah, which latter was "recorder" in the time of Hezekiah (2Ki 18:18; 2Ki 18:37; Isa 36:3; Isa 36:22). B.C. ante 726. Perhaps i. q. No. 1. 3. A "keeper of the king’s forests" (prob. in Lebanon), to whom Nehemiah requested of Artaxerxes Longimanus an order for timber to rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem (Neh 2:8). B.C. 446.

Asaph (â’saf), collector. 1. The father of Joan, recorder to King Hezekiah. 2Ki 18:18; 2Ki 18:37; Isa 36:3; Isa 22:2. A Levite musician, one of the leaders of the singers in the reign of David. 1Ch 6:39. He is called a "seer," and is said to have composed several of the Psalms; of which 50, 73, 83 are in the titles attributed to him; several of these must, however, be of later date than the times of David. His descendants, or a school of musicians founded by him, are called sons of Asaph; and some of these returned from captivity with Zerubbabel. Ezr 2:41; Neh 7:44. We often find Asaph spoken of in later ages with distinction. 2Ch 29:30; Neh 12:46. 3. The keeper of the king’s forest to Artaxerxes. Neh 2:8. 4. A Levite. Neh 11:17.

[A’saph]

1. A leader of the choir in David’s time, and once called a ’seer.’ 2Ch 29:30. He was descended from Gershom the Levite. 1Ch 6:39; 1Ch 15:17; 1Ch 15:19; 1Ch 16:5; 1Ch 16:7; 1Ch 16:37, etc. Twelve psalms are attributed to him, namely, 50, 73 to 83. His office seems to have been hereditary. Ezr 2:41; Ezr 3:10; Neh 7:44, etc.

2. Father of Joah recorder to Hezekiah. 2Ki 18:18; 2Ki 18:37; Isa 36:3; Isa 36:22.

3. A Levite, whose descendants dwelt in Jerusalem after the exile. 1Ch 9:15.

4. A Korhite, whose posterity were porters in the tabernacle in the time of David. 1Ch 26:1.

5. An officer, probably a Jew, controller of the forests of king Artaxerxes in Judaea. Neh 2:8.

By: Morris Jastrow, Jr., George A. Barton, John P. Peters

1. A son of Berechiah or Berachiah. (See Asaph ben Berechiah.) 2. The father of Joah, chronicler at the court of Hezekiah (II Kings xviii. 18, 37; II Chron. xxix. 13; Isa. xxxvi. 3, 22). 3. The keeper of the forests of Artaxerxes, probably in Palestine, in the time of Nehemiah (Neh. ii. 8).

J. Jr. G. A. B.

4. Eponym of a musical gild. The name is prefixed as the title of authorship to twelve psalms (l.; lxxiii.-lxxxiii.) in the second and third books of the Psalter. The name appears only in the later historical writings. In the original documents of Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra ii. 41; Neh. vii. 44—about 400 B.C.) the singers are all designated as "sons of Asaph," and are distinct from the Levites. In Neh. xi. 22, however, the overseer of the Levites at Jerusalem is described as "of the sons of Asaph, the singers." According to the chronicler (about 250 B.C.), the sons of Asaph were Levites, and there were three bands or gilds of singers descended respectively from Asaph Heman (Ps. lxxxviii.) and Ethan (Ps. lxxxix.), or Jeduthun (I Chron. xv. 17, xvi. 41, xxv. 1-6; II Chron. v. 12, xxxv. 15). The chronicler further represents Asaph as a contemporary of David, and as the founder of the gild of Asaphite singers (I Chron. xvi. 4-7; Ezra iii. 10; Neh. xii. 46). See Ethan, Jeduthun, Psalms.

ASAPH (‘gatherer’).—1. The father of Joah, the ‘recorder’ or chronicler at the court of Hezekiah (2Ki 18:18; 2Ki 18:37 etc.). 2. The ‘keeper of the king’s forest,’ to whom king Artaxerxes addressed a letter directing him to supply Nehemiah with timber (Neh 2:8). 3. A Korahite (1Ch 26:1), same as Abiasaph (wh. see). 4. The eponym of one of the three guilds which conducted the musical services of the Temple in the time of the Chronicler (1Ch 15:16 f., etc.). The latter traces this arrangement to the appointment of David, in whose reign Asaph, who is called ‘the seer’ (2Ch 29:30), is supposed to have lived. At first the Asaphites alone seemed to have formed the Temple choir, and in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (wherever we have the memoirs of the latter in their original form) they are not yet reckoned among the Levites. At a later period they share the musical service with the ‘sons of Korah’ (see Korahites). Psa 50:1-23; Psa 73:1-28; Psa 74:1-23; Psa 75:1-10; Psa 76:1-12; Psa 77:1-20; Psa 78:1-72; Psa 79:1-13; Psa 80:1-19; Psa 81:1-16; Psa 82:1-8; Psa 83:1-18 have the superscription le-Asaph, which means in all probability that they once belonged to the hymn-book of the Asaphite choir (see Psalms).

ā´saf (אסף, ’āṣāph): Is the name of three men in the Old Testament, of whom one is the reputed author of Psalms 50 and 73 through 83. He was one of David’s three chief musicians, the other two being Heman, and Ethan or Jeduthun, and we first hear of him when the ark was taken to Jerusalem (1Ch 15:16-19). He conducted with cymbals the music performed in the tent where the ark was housed (1Ch 16:4, 1Ch 16:5, 1Ch 16:7, 1Ch 16:37), while his two coadjutors discharged the same office at Gibeon (1Ch 16:41, 1Ch 16:42). In 1Ch 25:1 we are told that four of his sons were appointed to conduct under him detachments of the great chorus, the families of Heman and Jeduthun also furnishing leaders, and all took part at the dedication of the temple (2Ch 5:12). A., H., and J. were called the king’s seers (1 Ch 25; 2Ch 35:15), no doubt an official title of rank or dignity. The “Sons of Asaph” are mentioned in later times. They formed a guild, and played a prominent part at each revival of the national religion. See MUSIC; PSALMS.