1 Tawarikh 6:31-33

Professional Musicians

6:31 These are the men David put in charge of music in the Lord’s sanctuary, ¹  after the ark was placed there. 6:32 They performed music ²  before the sanctuary ³  of the meeting tent until Solomon built the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem. ⁴  They carried out their tasks according to regulations.

6:33 These are the ones who served along with their sons:

From the Kohathites:

Heman the musician, son of Joel, son of Samuel,

1 Tawarikh 9:33

9:33 The musicians and Levite family leaders stayed in rooms at the sanctuary ⁵  and were exempt from other duties, for day and night they had to carry out their assigned tasks.

1 Tawarikh 16:37-42

David Appoints Worship Leaders

16:37 David ⁶  left Asaph and his colleagues there before the ark of the Lord’s covenant to serve before the ark regularly and fulfill each day’s requirements, ⁷  16:38 including Obed-Edom and sixty-eight colleagues. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were gatekeepers. 16:39 Zadok the priest and his fellow priests served ⁸  before the Lord’s tabernacle at the worship center ⁹  in Gibeon, 16:40 regularly offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord on the altar for burnt sacrifice, morning and evening, according to what is prescribed in the law of the Lord which he charged Israel to observe. ¹⁰  16:41 Joining them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord. (For his loyal love endures!) ¹¹  16:42 Heman and Jeduthun were in charge of the music, including the trumpets, cymbals, and the other musical instruments used in praising God. The sons of Jeduthun guarded the entrance. ¹² 

1 Tawarikh 25:1-7

David Organizes the Musicians

25:1 David and the army officers selected some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy as they played stringed instruments and cymbals. ¹³  The following men were assigned this responsibility: ¹⁴ 

25:2 From the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were supervised by Asaph, who prophesied under the king’s supervision. ¹⁵ 

25:3 From the sons of Jeduthun: ¹⁶  Gedaliah, Zeri, ¹⁷  Jeshaiah, ¹⁸  Hashabiah, and Mattithiah – six in all, ¹⁹  under supervision of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied as he played a harp, giving thanks and praise to the Lord.

25:4 From the sons of Heman: ²⁰  Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. 25:5 All these were the sons of Heman, the king’s prophet. God had promised him these sons in order to make him prestigious. ²¹  God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

25:6 All of these were under the supervision of their fathers; they were musicians in the Lord’s temple, playing cymbals and stringed instruments as they served in God’s temple. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the supervision of the king. 25:7 They and their relatives, all of them skilled and trained to make music to the Lord, numbered two hundred eighty-eight. ²² 

[6:31]  ¹ tn Heb “house.”

[6:32]  ² tn Heb “they were serving…with music.”

[6:32]  ³ tn Or traditionally “tabernacle.”

[6:32]  ⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[9:33]  ⁵ tn Heb “were in rooms.” The words “at the sanctuary” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[16:37]  ⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:37]  ⁷ tn Heb “according to the matter of the day in its day.”

[16:39]  ⁸ tn The word “served” is supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[16:39]  ⁹ tn Or “high place.”

[16:40]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “which he commanded Israel.”

[16:41]  ¹¹ tn Perhaps this refers to the refrain of their songs of praise (see Ps 136). In this case one could translate, “to give thanks to the Lord with songs using the refrain, ‘For his loyal love endures.’”

[16:42]  ¹² tn Heb “and with them, Heman and Jeduthun, trumpets and cymbals for sounding, and the instrument of song of God, and the sons of Jeduthun [were] at the gate.”

[25:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “David and the officers of the army set apart for service the sons of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, the ones prophesying by harps, by lyres, and by cymbals.”

[25:1]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and their number was, the men of work for their service.”

[25:2]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the sons of Asaph [were] upon the hand of Asaph, the one prophesying upon the hands of the king.”

[25:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “belonging to Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun.”

[25:3]  ¹⁷ tn This name appears as “Izri” in v. 10.

[25:3]  ¹⁸ tc One Hebrew ms and some LXX mss supply the name “Shimei” after “Jeshaiah.” Most Hebrew mss omit the name here (but cf. v. 17).

[25:3]  ¹⁹ tc The list includes only five names. Apparently the name “Shimei” (see v. 17), which appears in one medieval Hebrew ms and in the LXX, has been accidentally omitted from the Hebrew text.

[25:4]  ²⁰ tn Heb “belonging to Heman, the sons of Heman.”

[25:5]  ²¹ tn Heb “by the words of God to exalt a horn.” An animal’s horn is sometimes used metaphorically as a symbol of strength and honor. See BDB 901-2 s.v. קֶרֶנ.

[25:7]  ²² tn Heb “and their number with their brothers, trained in music to the Lord, all skilled, was 288.”