Chapter 25
The Singers. 1 David and the leaders of the liturgy set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, who prophesied[a] to the accompaniment of lyres and harps and cymbals.(A)
This is the list of those who performed this service: 2 Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah, sons of Asaph, under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the guidance of the king. 3 Of Jeduthun, these sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah; six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied to the accompaniment of a lyre, to give thanks and praise to the Lord. 4 Of Heman, these sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael, and Jerimoth; Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. 5 All these were the sons of Heman, the king’s seer for divine matters; to exalt him God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.(B) 6 All these, whether of Asaph, Jeduthun, or Heman, were under their fathers’ direction in the singing in the house of the Lord to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres, serving in the house of God, under the guidance of the king.(C) 7 Their number, together with that of their kinsmen who were trained in singing to the Lord, all of them skilled men, was two hundred and eighty-eight. 8 They cast lots for their functions equally, young and old, master and pupil alike.(D)
9 The first lot fell to Asaph, to the family of Joseph; he and his sons and his kinsmen were twelve. Gedaliah was the second; he and his kinsmen and his sons were twelve. 10 The third was Zaccur, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 11 The fourth fell to Izri, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 12 The fifth was Nethaniah, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 13 The sixth was Bukkiah, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 14 The seventh was Jesarelah, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 15 The eighth was Jeshaiah, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 16 The ninth was Mattaniah, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 17 The tenth was Shimei, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 18 The eleventh was Uzziel, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 19 The twelfth fell to Hashabiah, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 20 The thirteenth was Shubael, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 21 The fourteenth was Mattithiah, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 22 The fifteenth fell to Jeremoth, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 23 The sixteenth fell to Hananiah, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 24 The seventeenth fell to Joshbekashah, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 25 The eighteenth fell to Hanani, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 26 The nineteenth fell to Mallothi, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 27 The twentieth fell to Eliathah, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 28 The twenty-first fell to Hothir, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 29 The twenty-second fell to Giddalti, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 30 The twenty-third fell to Mahazioth, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve. 31 The twenty-fourth fell to Romamti-ezer, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve.
Footnotes
- 25:1 This list of twenty-four classes of Temple singers balances the list of the twenty-four classes of priests (24:4–19). The last nine names in v. 4, which seem to form a special group, were perhaps originally fragments or incipits (the opening words) of hymns. With some slight changes in the vocalization, these names would mean: “Have mercy on me, O Lord,” “Have mercy on me,” “You are my God,” “I magnify,” “I extol the help of…,” “Sitting in adversity,” “I have fulfilled,” “He made abundant,” and “Visions.”