David Organizes the Musicians

¹ And David and the commanders of the army set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with stringed instruments, with harps, and with cymbals. And their inventory of the men of the work and for their duty was:

² for the sons of Asaph: Zakkur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah, sons of Asaph, under the hand¹ of Asaph, who prophesied under the hands² of the king.

1. That is, under the direction
2. That is, under the direction

³ Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah,¹ Heshabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hands² of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the stringed instrument with thanksgiving and praise to Yahweh.

1. One Hebrew manuscript and the LXX add “Shimei” between Jeshaiah and Heshabiah (see verse 17)
2. That is, under the direction

⁴ Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth.

⁵ All these were sons to Heman, the seer of the king, according to the words of God to raise a horn.¹ And God had given to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

1. That is, to exalt Heman

⁶ All these were under the ⌞direction⌟¹ of their father in the music of the house of Yahweh, with cymbals, harps, and stringed instruments for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the ⌞direction⌟² of the king.

1. Literally “hands”
2. Literally “hands”

⁷ And their number, along with their brothers, trained singers, all the skilled people for Yahweh, were two hundred and eighty-eight.

⁸ And they cast lots for responsibilities ⌞on the principle of small and great alike⌟,¹ teacher with student.

1. Literally “for like the small, like the great”

⁹ And the first lot for Asaph went out to Joseph; the second to Gedaliahu; he and his brothers and his twelve sons.

¹⁰ The third, Zakkur, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

¹¹ the fourth to Izri, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

¹² the fifth, Nethaniah, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

¹³ the sixth, Bukkiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

¹⁴ the seventh, Jesarelah, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

¹⁵ the eighth, Jeshaiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

¹⁶ the ninth, Mattaniah, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

¹⁷ the tenth, Shimei, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

¹⁸ eleventh, Azarel, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

¹⁹ the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

²⁰ to the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

²¹ to the fourteenth, Mattithiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

²² to the fifteenth, to Jeremoth, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

²³ to the sixteenth, to Hananiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

²⁴ to the seventeenth, to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

²⁵ to the eighteenth, to Hanani, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

²⁶ to the nineteenth, to Mallothi, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

²⁷ to the twentieth, to Eliathah, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

²⁸ to the twenty-first, to Hothir, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

²⁹ to the twenty-second, to Giddalti, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

³⁰ to the twenty-third, to Mahazioth, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

³¹ to the twenty-fourth, to Romamti-ezer, his sons and his brothers, twelve.