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:

And captains — All the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites, whom David gathered together, chap23:2, for this very end, that with their approbation and consent, all these things might be established; who are here fitly called the captains of the host; for the princes were, under David, the chief captains of the militia of the kingdom; and as the Levites are called an host, and the Lord’s host, because of their number and order in holy ministrations; so these priests and Levites were the captains and governors of the rest.

Separated — Distributed them into their several ranks: which, tho’ chiefly done by David as a prophet, and by Divine direction, yet is imputed in part to the captains of the host, because it was done with their concurrence and approbation.

The service — To the service of God under the conduct of these persons.

Prophecy — Praise God by singing the psalms of David, and other sacred songs made by themselves, who were prophets, or by other prophets or holy men of God.

Workmen — Of the persons employed in this sacred work. This good work it seems Samuel revived, but did not live to bring it to perfection. Let each in his day do what he can for God, tho’ he cannot carry it so far as he would. When we are gone, God can raise up others to build on our foundation, and bring forth the top-stone.

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.

Of Asaph — Under his direction.

Of the king — In such manner and order as David appointed.

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 — Jeduthun their father being included in that number: or Shimei, mentioned verse — 17.

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 — He is called the king’s seer, either because the king took special delight in him; or because he frequently attended the king in his palace, executing his sacred office there, while the rest were employed in the tabernacle.

In the words — To sing Divine songs as were inspired by God to the prophets or holy men of God.

The horn — To praise God with the sound of a trumpet or some other musical instrument made of horn, which being a martial kind of music, might be most grateful to David’s martial spirit: tho’ he was also skilled in other instruments of music which he used in the house of God.

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.

Cunning — Who were so skilful that they were able to teach others; and together with their scholars, made up the four thousand mentioned chap23:5.

Verse 8

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

Ward — A course of Levites answerable to one of the priests, upon whom the Levites were to wait in their holy ministrations, chap23:28.

The scholar — Without any respect to their different ages or abilities.

Verse 9

Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph: the second to Gedaliah, who with his brethren and sons were twelve:

To Joseph — For the family of Asaph, of which Joseph was. Here that clause, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve, is to be understood, as it is expressed in all the following verses, otherwise they do not make up that number of two hundred and eighty-eight mentioned verse — 7.