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Selected Verse: 1 Chronicles 6:31 - King James

Verse	Translation	Text
1Ch 6:31	King James	And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after that the ark had rest.

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Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
The genealogies of David's three chief singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan or Jeduthun. Ch1 6:32 They waited on their office - On the establishment and continuance of the choral service in the temple, see Ch2 5:12, Ch2 29:27-30; Ch2 35:15. Ch1 6:33 Heman - In general Asaph takes precedence of Heman and Jeduthun, but here Heman is placed first, because his family, that of the Kohathites, had the highest priestly rank, being the family which furnished the high priests (see Ch1 6:2-15). Shemuel - i. e. "Samuel." Our translators have here given the Hebrew, while elsewhere they give uniformlv the Greek, form of the name. We learn by this genealogy that Heman was Samuel's grandson. Ch1 6:39 His brother Asaph - Not "brother" in the ordinary sense of the term, since Asaph was the son of Berachiah, and a Gershonite, not a Kohathite. "Brother" here may mean "fellow-craftsman" (compare Ch1 25:7). Ch1 6:44 Ethan - Or Jeduthun (see the margin). Corruption will scarcely account for the two forms of the name, since Ethan is used persistently up to a certain point Ch1 15:19, after which we have uniformly "Jeduthun." The case seems to be rather one in which a new name was taken after a while, which thenceforth superseded the old. Compare Abraham, Sarah, Joshua, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah, etc.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

The genealogies of David's three chief singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan or Jeduthun.

Ch1 6:32

They waited on their office - On the establishment and continuance of the choral service in the temple, see Ch2 5:12, Ch2 29:27-30; Ch2 35:15.

Ch1 6:33

Heman - In general Asaph takes precedence of Heman and Jeduthun, but here Heman is placed first, because his family, that of the Kohathites, had the highest priestly rank, being the family which furnished the high priests (see Ch1 6:2-15).

Shemuel - i. e. "Samuel." Our translators have here given the Hebrew, while elsewhere they give uniformlv the Greek, form of the name. We learn by this genealogy that Heman was Samuel's grandson.

Ch1 6:39

His brother Asaph - Not "brother" in the ordinary sense of the term, since Asaph was the son of Berachiah, and a Gershonite, not a Kohathite. "Brother" here may mean "fellow-craftsman" (compare Ch1 25:7).

Ch1 6:44

Ethan - Or Jeduthun (see the margin). Corruption will scarcely account for the two forms of the name, since Ethan is used persistently up to a certain point Ch1 15:19, after which we have uniformly "Jeduthun." The case seems to be rather one in which a new name was taken after a while, which thenceforth superseded the old. Compare Abraham, Sarah, Joshua, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah, etc.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
(6:16-34). The genealogies of the Levite musicians - Heman, Asaph, and Ethan. - These registers are introduced by an account of the service of the Levites about the sanctuary (Ch1 6:31, Ch1 6:32), and conclude with remarks on the service of the remaining Levites (Ch1 6:48, Ch1 6:49). Ch1 6:31-32 (6:16-17). "These are they whom David set for the leading of the song in the house of Jahve, after the resting of the ark," cf. Ch1 6:20, Ch1 6:22. ידי על "upon the hands," "to the hands;" that is, both for leading, and, according to arrangement. To the hands of the song, i.e., to manage the singing, to carry it on, to conduct it. הערון ממּנוח, "from the resting of the ark," i.e., from the time that the ark of the covenant, which in the prae-Davidic time had been carried about from one place to another, had received a permanent resting-place on Zion, and had become the centre of the worship instituted by David, Sa2 6:17. "And they served before the dwelling of the tabernacle with song." משׁכּן לפני, "before the dwelling," for the sacrificial worship, with which the singing of psalms was connected, was performed in the court before the dwelling. The genitive מועד אהל is to be taken as explanatory: "The dwelling (of Jahve), which was the tent of the meeting (of God with His people)." מועד אהל was the usual designation of the tabernacle built by Moses, which was at first set up in Shiloh, then in the time of Saul at Nob, and after the destruction of that city by Saul (1 Sam 22) in Gibeon (Ch1 21:29). It denotes here the tent which David had erected upon Mount Zion for the ark of the covenant, because from its containing the ark, and by the institution of a settled worship in it (cf. Ch1 16:1-4.), it thenceforth took the place of the Mosaic tabernacle, although the Mosaic sanctuary at Gibeon continued to be a place of worship till the completion of the temple (Kg1 3:4; Ch2 1:3), - "till Solomon built the house of Jahve in Jerusalem," into which the ark was removed, and to which the whole of the religious services were transferred. In their services they stood כּמשׁפּטם, according to their right, i.e., according to the order prescribed for them by David; cf. 1 Chron 16:52ff. Ch1 6:33-38 (6:18-23). "These (following three men, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan) are they who stood (in service) with their sons." The three were the heads of the three Levitic families, to whom the execution of the liturgic singing was entrusted. The names of their sons, vide Ch1 25:1-6. The object of the following genealogies is to show their descent from Levi. "Of the sons of the Kohathite family (is) Heman the singer." המשׁורר, ὁ ψαλτῳδός lxx. Heman is named first as being the head of the choir of singers who stood in the centre, while Asaph and his choir stood on his right hand, and on the left Ethan and his choir, so that when they sang in concert the conducting of the whole fell to Heman. His family is traced back in Ch1 6:33-38 through twenty members to "Kohath the son of Levi, then son of Israel" (Jacob). Ch1 6:39-43 (6:24-28). "His brother Asaph," who is Heman's brother only in the more general sense of being closely connected with him, partly by their common descent from Levi, partly by their common calling, was a descendant of Gershon from his younger son Shimei. His genealogy contains only fifteen names to Gershon, five less than that of his contemporary Heman, probably because here and there intermediate names are omitted. Ch1 6:44-47 (6:29-32). "And the sons of Merari their brethren (i.e., the brethren of the choirs of Heman and Asaph) on the left (i.e., forming the choir which stood on the left hand) were Ethan and his sons." As in the case of Asaph, so also in that of Ethan, וּבניהם (Ch1 6:18) is omitted, but is to be supplied; when the introductory clause "and the sons of Merari" is at once explained. Ethan is a Merarite of the younger line of Mushi (see above). The name of his father is here קישׁי, and in Ch1 15:17 it is קוּשׁיהוּ, which latter is clearly the original form, which has been shortened into Kishi. Instead of the name Ethan (איתן) as here and in Ch1 15:19, we find in other passage a Jeduthun mentioned as third chief-musician, along with Heman and Asaph (cf. Ch1 25:1; Ch2 35:15; Neh 11:17, cf. Ch1 6:41); from which we see that Jeduthun was another name for Ethan, probably a by-name - ידוּתוּן, "praiseman" - which he had received from his calling, although nothing is said in the Old Testament as to the origin of this name. His genealogy contains only twelve names to Merari, being thus still more abridged than that of Asaph. Ch1 6:48-49 (6:33-34). "And their brethren the Levites," i.e., the other Levites besides the singers just mentioned, "were נתוּנים given for every service of the dwelling of the house of God," i.e., given to Aaron and his sons (the priests) for the performance of service in the carrying on of the worship; cf. Num 3:9; Num 8:16-19; Num 18:6. But Aaron and his sons had three duties to perform: (1) they burnt the offerings on the altar of burnt-offering and on the altar of incense, cf. Num 18:1-7; (2) they looked after all the service of the holy place; (3) they had to atone for Israel by offering the atoning-sacrifices, and performing the cleansings according to all that Moses commanded. This last clause refers to all the three above-mentioned duties of the priests. Moses is called the servant of God, as in Deu 34:5; Jos 1:1, Jos 1:13.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

(6:16-34). The genealogies of the Levite musicians - Heman, Asaph, and Ethan. - These registers are introduced by an account of the service of the Levites about the sanctuary (Ch1 6:31, Ch1 6:32), and conclude with remarks on the service of the remaining Levites (Ch1 6:48, Ch1 6:49).

Ch1 6:31-32

(6:16-17). "These are they whom David set for the leading of the song in the house of Jahve, after the resting of the ark," cf. Ch1 6:20, Ch1 6:22. ידי על "upon the hands," "to the hands;" that is, both for leading, and, according to arrangement. To the hands of the song, i.e., to manage the singing, to carry it on, to conduct it. הערון ממּנוח, "from the resting of the ark," i.e., from the time that the ark of the covenant, which in the prae-Davidic time had been carried about from one place to another, had received a permanent resting-place on Zion, and had become the centre of the worship instituted by David, Sa2 6:17. "And they served before the dwelling of the tabernacle with song." משׁכּן לפני, "before the dwelling," for the sacrificial worship, with which the singing of psalms was connected, was performed in the court before the dwelling. The genitive מועד אהל is to be taken as explanatory: "The dwelling (of Jahve), which was the tent of the meeting (of God with His people)." מועד אהל was the usual designation of the tabernacle built by Moses, which was at first set up in Shiloh, then in the time of Saul at Nob, and after the destruction of that city by Saul (1 Sam 22) in Gibeon (Ch1 21:29). It denotes here the tent which David had erected upon Mount Zion for the ark of the covenant, because from its containing the ark, and by the institution of a settled worship in it (cf. Ch1 16:1-4.), it thenceforth took the place of the Mosaic tabernacle, although the Mosaic sanctuary at Gibeon continued to be a place of worship till the completion of the temple (Kg1 3:4; Ch2 1:3), - "till Solomon built the house of Jahve in Jerusalem," into which the ark was removed, and to which the whole of the religious services were transferred. In their services they stood כּמשׁפּטם, according to their right, i.e., according to the order prescribed for them by David; cf. 1 Chron 16:52ff.

Ch1 6:33-38

(6:18-23). "These (following three men, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan) are they who stood (in service) with their sons." The three were the heads of the three Levitic families, to whom the execution of the liturgic singing was entrusted. The names of their sons, vide Ch1 25:1-6. The object of the following genealogies is to show their descent from Levi. "Of the sons of the Kohathite family (is) Heman the singer." המשׁורר, ὁ ψαλτῳδός lxx. Heman is named first as being the head of the choir of singers who stood in the centre, while Asaph and his choir stood on his right hand, and on the left Ethan and his choir, so that when they sang in concert the conducting of the whole fell to Heman. His family is traced back in Ch1 6:33-38 through twenty members to "Kohath the son of Levi, then son of Israel" (Jacob).

Ch1 6:39-43

(6:24-28). "His brother Asaph," who is Heman's brother only in the more general sense of being closely connected with him, partly by their common descent from Levi, partly by their common calling, was a descendant of Gershon from his younger son Shimei. His genealogy contains only fifteen names to Gershon, five less than that of his contemporary Heman, probably because here and there intermediate names are omitted.

Ch1 6:44-47

(6:29-32). "And the sons of Merari their brethren (i.e., the brethren of the choirs of Heman and Asaph) on the left (i.e., forming the choir which stood on the left hand) were Ethan and his sons." As in the case of Asaph, so also in that of Ethan, וּבניהם (Ch1 6:18) is omitted, but is to be supplied; when the introductory clause "and the sons of Merari" is at once explained. Ethan is a Merarite of the younger line of Mushi (see above). The name of his father is here קישׁי, and in Ch1 15:17 it is קוּשׁיהוּ, which latter is clearly the original form, which has been shortened into Kishi. Instead of the name Ethan (איתן) as here and in Ch1 15:19, we find in other passage a Jeduthun mentioned as third chief-musician, along with Heman and Asaph (cf. Ch1 25:1; Ch2 35:15; Neh 11:17, cf. Ch1 6:41); from which we see that Jeduthun was another name for Ethan, probably a by-name - ידוּתוּן, "praiseman" - which he had received from his calling, although nothing is said in the Old Testament as to the origin of this name. His genealogy contains only twelve names to Merari, being thus still more abridged than that of Asaph.

Ch1 6:48-49

(6:33-34). "And their brethren the Levites," i.e., the other Levites besides the singers just mentioned, "were נתוּנים given for every service of the dwelling of the house of God," i.e., given to Aaron and his sons (the priests) for the performance of service in the carrying on of the worship; cf. Num 3:9; Num 8:16-19; Num 18:6. But Aaron and his sons had three duties to perform: (1) they burnt the offerings on the altar of burnt-offering and on the altar of incense, cf. Num 18:1-7; (2) they looked after all the service of the holy place; (3) they had to atone for Israel by offering the atoning-sacrifices, and performing the cleansings according to all that Moses commanded. This last clause refers to all the three above-mentioned duties of the priests. Moses is called the servant of God, as in Deu 34:5; Jos 1:1, Jos 1:13.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
After that the ark had rest - The Targum says, "These are they whom David set over the service of the singing, in the house of the sanctuary, or tabernacle of the Lord, at the time in which the ark was brought into it;" that is, when it was brought from the house of Obed-edom.

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¹⁹ So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass;

⁴⁴ And their brethren the sons of Merari stood on the left hand: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,

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.

³⁹ And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea,

² And the sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.
³ And the children of Amram; Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. The sons also of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
⁴ Eleazar begat Phinehas, Phinehas begat Abishua,
⁵ And Abishua begat Bukki, and Bukki begat Uzzi,
⁶ And Uzzi begat Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begat Meraioth,
⁷ Meraioth begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub,
⁸ And Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Ahimaaz,
⁹ And Ahimaaz begat Azariah, and Azariah begat Johanan,
¹⁰ And Johanan begat Azariah, (he it is that executed the priest's office in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem:)
¹¹ And Azariah begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub,
¹² And Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Shallum,
¹³ And Shallum begat Hilkiah, and Hilkiah begat Azariah,
¹⁴ And Azariah begat Seraiah, and Seraiah begat Jehozadak,
¹⁵ And Jehozadak went into captivity, when the LORD carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

³³ And these are they that waited with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel,

¹⁵ And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer; and the porters waited at every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

²⁷ And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel.
²⁸ And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.
²⁹ And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped.
³⁰ Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.

¹² Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)

³² And they ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem: and then they waited on their office according to their order.

¹³ Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land.

¹ Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,

⁵ So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.

¹ And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
² And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.
³ And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.
⁴ And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
⁵ And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.
⁶ And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
⁷ Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

⁶ And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

¹⁶ For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.
¹⁷ For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.
¹⁸ And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.
¹⁹ And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.

⁹ And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.

⁴⁸ Their brethren also the Levites were appointed unto all manner of service of the tabernacle of the house of God.
⁴⁹ But Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of the burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, and were appointed for all the work of the place most holy, and to make an atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

⁴¹ The son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,

¹⁷ And Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, was the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer: and Bakbukiah the second among his brethren, and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.

¹⁹ So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass;

¹⁷ So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;

¹⁸ And the sons of Kohath were, Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.

⁴⁴ And their brethren the sons of Merari stood on the left hand: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,
⁴⁵ The son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah,
⁴⁶ The son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shamer,
⁴⁷ The son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.

³⁹ And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea,
⁴⁰ The son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchiah,
⁴¹ The son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,
⁴² The son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,
⁴³ The son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi.

³³ And these are they that waited with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel,
³⁴ The son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah,
³⁵ The son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai,
³⁶ The son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah,
³⁷ The son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,
³⁸ The son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.

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

³ So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.

⁴ And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

¹ So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God.
² And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.
³ And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine.
⁴ And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to record, and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel:

²⁹ For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon.

¹⁷ And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

²² The sons of Kohath; Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,

²⁰ Of Gershom; Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son,

³¹ And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after that the ark had rest.
³² And they ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem: and then they waited on their office according to their order.

⁴⁹ But Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of the burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, and were appointed for all the work of the place most holy, and to make an atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

⁴⁸ Their brethren also the Levites were appointed unto all manner of service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

³¹ And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after that the ark had rest.