1 Chronicles 25:8

Contextual Overview

⁸ The musicians were appointed to their term of service by means of sacred lots, without regard to whether they were young or old, teacher or student. ⁸ And they cast lots for their charges, all alike, as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar. ⁸ And they cast lots for their offices, all alike, the small as well as the great, the teacher as the scholar. ⁸ Everyone threw lots to choose the time his family was to serve at the Temple. The young and the old, the teacher and the student, had to throw lots. ⁸ They cast lots to determine their responsibilities—oldest as well as youngest, teacher as well as student. ⁸ And they cast lots, ward against [ward], as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar. ⁸ They cast lots for their offices, all alike, as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar. ⁸The musicians cast lots for their duties, everyone alike, the small (younger) as well as the great (older), the teacher as well as the student.⁸ And they cast lots for their duties, small and great, teacher and pupil alike. ⁸ And thei senten lottis bi her whiles euenli, as wel the gretter as the lesse, also a wijs man and vnwijs.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

cast lots: 1 Chronicles 24:5, Leviticus 16:8, 1 Samuel 14:41, 1 Samuel 14:42, Proverbs 16:33, Acts 1:26

ward against ward: 1 Chronicles 24:31, 1 Chronicles 26:13, 1 Chronicles 26:16, Nehemiah 12:24

the teacher: Even among the twenty-four leaders, some were more expert than others; some were teachers, and others were scholars; but every one was taken by the solemn casting of lots, without any regard to these distinctions. Thus all things were disposed for the preserving of order, and avoiding all disputes about precedence: there being no respect had, in this divine distribution, to birth, but the younger in course preceded the elder. 1 Chronicles 15:22, 2 Chronicles 23:13

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 26:12 - wards 2 Chronicles 31:15 - as well Nehemiah 10:34 - cast Malachi 2:12 - the master and the scholar

Cross-References

Genesis 15:15
As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.

Genesis 15:15
But you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.

Genesis 15:15
And you, Abram, will die in peace and will be buried at an old age.

Genesis 15:15
But as for you, you will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age.

Genesis 15:15
And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

Genesis 15:15
But you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried in a good old age.

Genesis 15:15
"As for you, you shall [die and] go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age.

Genesis 15:15
Forsothe thou schalt go to thi fadris in pees, and schalt be biried in good age.

Genesis 15:15
and thou -- thou comest in unto thy fathers in peace; thou art buried in a good old age;

Genesis 15:15
You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they cast lots, ward against ward,.... That is, which ward or course of the singers should answer to and attend on the first ward or course of the priests in their weekly service, and which the second, and so on:

as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar; no regard was had to the age of a person, his being the firstborn or a younger brother, or to his office and station, whether as a teacher or a learner in the science of singing; he was made the head of a course, as the lot came up; and it may easily be observed, by comparing the lots in the following verses with the sons of the chief singers, according to the order of them in 1 Chronicles 25:2 that the younger are often preferred in the courses by lot to the elder, of which even the first lot is an instance.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

As well the small as the great - Compare 1 Chronicles 24:31. The lot was not applied indiscriminately to all the 24 courses, but was only used to settle which course of Asaph, which of Jeduthun, and which of Heman, should on each occasion be taken. Asaph was given the precedence over his brethren, and his four courses were assigned the first, and then each alternate place. Jeduthun took rank next, and received alternate places, first with Asaph, and then with Heman, until his courses were exhausted. After this, all the later places fell necessarily to Heman, whose courses continue without interruption from the 15th.