Bible Commentaries

1 Chronicles 25:1. Should prophesy— 1:e. Sing prophesies or sacred hymns, composed by the prophets, in the temple of God. See Numbers 11:25. The captains of the host, at the beginning of this verse, is rendered very properly by Houbigant, the chiefs, or heads of the orders in the ministry; those priests, whom David had lately appointed and divided into four-and-twenty classes; and not, as some have absurdly supposed, the commanders of the army, who certainly could have nothing to do with the appointment of singers for the temple. In the third verse the sons of Jeduthun are said to be six, though five only are enumerated. Shimei, mentioned in the 17th verse, is supplied in the Arabic version.

1 Chronicles 25:5. To lift up the horn— To celebrate the praises; Houbigant. For there is no example in Scripture, says he, of such an expression as lifting up the horn, for any thing in music. Some, however, think that it means to blow aloud with trumpets made of horns.

1 Chronicles 25:7. Was two hundred fourscore and eight— That is, after the classes were appointed from the sons of Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman, as well as from those which each one introduced into his class: for the sons of those three, when David appointed the classes of the singers, were no more than twenty-four.

1 Chronicles 25:8. They cast lots ward against ward— They cast lots, according to each of their classes. Houbigant.

1 Chronicles 25:18. The eleventh to Azareel— His name is written Uzziel in the fourth verse. Probably he was sometimes called by one of those names, and sometimes by the other.

REFLECTIONS.—The courses of singers are here appointed to accompany the priests and Levites in their service. Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, or Ethan, were the three great masters, and their sons under them, four-and-twenty, according to the number of courses. Their service is called prophesying (see 1 Corinthians 11:4; 1 Corinthians 14:24.); for the songs in which they praised God were chiefly prophetical of the Messiah. A variety of instruments were used to fill the sacred chorus, while their hearts and voices joined in the songs of the Lord. Music is highly pleasing; but we must not lose the sense in the sound. Songs of praise are no longer harmonious, than while we are making melody in our hearts unto God. Each of these twenty-four had eleven assistant singers, of the most musical of their brethren; in all 288: and, as four thousand are before said to be appointed for song, either they were divided into classes, and followed when these principal singers led; or they might be employed in teaching the divine hymns of David to the rest of the people in the country. The singers were appointed by lot as before, and we may observe that many of the younger sons were preferred before their elders. Note; The younger in years are often the elder in grace.