on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea; 40the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah; 41the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah; 42the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei; 43the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi. 44And on the left hand their brethren the sons of Merari: [1]Ethan the son of [2]Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch; 45the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah; 46the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer; 47the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. 48And their brethren
39—43. The descent of Asaph, David's singer, br/>through Gershom from Levi.
39, 40. Berechiah . . . Shimea . . . Michael . . . Baaseiah . . . Malchijah] these are the five additional names inserted to lengthen the pedigree and so make Asaph contemporary with David (see head-note above).
40. Baaseiah] Read, as LXX., Maaseiah.
41. Ethni] = Jeatherai, ver. 21. Here, and in the following names, the divergences from the corresponding names in vv. 20, 21 are not nearly so great in Heb. and can be easily accounted for. The correspondence fails in the case of the son and father of Jahath (cp. ver. 20 with 43). This however may be due simply to the omission of the names in question, Shimei in 20, Libni in 43; and other explanations could be given.
44—47. The descent of Ethan, David's singer,
through Merari from Levi.
44—47. Only the first three names of the table of Merari in ver. 29 are used by the compiler of Ethan's pedigree. In place of the last four names he utilised a late list of nine names, the point of connection being found in the first, Shemer (ver. 46), which was identified with the Shimei of ver. 29.
Ethan] = Jeduthun: see note on xvi. 41.
47. Mahli, the son of Mushi] According to xxiii. 23, xxiv. 30, Mushi had a son Mahli, named after Mahli, his brother (ver. 19); and the natural conclusion is that the names in these verses (44—47) are the line of descent from Merari through Mushi, as those in vv. 29, 30 are through Mahli. Against this simple explanation is the late character of several names from Kishi to Bani (44—46), and therefore the more complex statement made in the previous note may be correct.
