Bible Commentaries
1 Chronicles 25

Verse 1

Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen according to their service was:

The captains of the host. — Of the holy host, the Levites, called princes of the sanctuary, 1 Chronicles 24:6 mighty men of valour. 1 Chronicles 12:26-28 Some will have all the princes meant, both civil and ecclesiastical, by whose advice David would do all.

And of Jeduthun. — Called also Ethan.

Who should prophesy. — Sing holy songs with a holy zeal, fervour, and motions of the body, like to those of the prophets.

And the number of the workmen. — Heb., Men of work; that is, active artisans.

Verse 2

Of the sons of Asaph; Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asarelah, the sons of Asaph under the hands of Asaph, which prophesied according to the order of the king.

According to the order of the king. — Heb., By the hand of the king; who as he penned most of the Psalms, so he appointed the singers, the instruments, the tunes, the times, and the uses of them, as appeareth by the titles of divers of David’s Psalms. Some render it iuxta regem, nigh to the king; near his seat in the holy assembly, where these holy musicians, by their melodious noises, stirred up David to true faith and piety. Non dispuduit tantum Prophetam, saith Lavater. So great a prophet held it no shame thus to excite his devotion. There are too many now-a-days addicted to music, but of another nature, and for a worse purpose.

Verse 3

Of Jeduthun: the sons of Jeduthun; Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the LORD.

Six. — But then you must take in Shimei, 1 Chronicles 25:17 to make up the number. Hebraei, ob stultam fabulam; alii Scriptoris negligentia omissum volunt.

Verse 5

All these [were] the sons of Heman the king’s seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

The king’s seer. — And, as some think, a psalmographer.

To lift up the horn. — Whereas Asaph and Jeduthun’s task was to sing such psalms chiefly as tended to the instruction and comfort of the people: Heman was appointed to sing such as did set forth the exaltation of David’s, but especially of Christ’s, kingdom: Ad exaltandam potentiam et dignitatem regiam. Vatab.

Verse 6

All these [were] under the hands of their father for song [in] the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king’s order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.

To Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman. — These three were over all the musicians, and the king was over them.

Verse 7

So the number of them, with their brethren that were instructed in the songs of the LORD, [even] all that were cunning, was two hundred fourscore and eight.

Were two hundred fourscore and eight. — That served in the temple; the rest of the four thousand 1 Chronicles 23:5 were employed, some think, in the synagogues.

Verse 8

And they cast lots, ward against [ward], as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar.

As well the small as the great. — Heb., Sicut parvus sicut magnus; doctor cum discipulo: there was no privilege of precedency.