sons of Jaaziah; Beno. 27The sons of Merari; of Jaaziah, Beno, and Shoham, and Zaccur, and Ibri. 28Of Mahli; Eleazar, who had no sons. 29Of Kish; the sons of Kish, Jerahmeel. 30And the sons of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites after their fathers' houses. 31These likewise cast lots even as their brethren the sons of Aaron in the presence of David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and the heads of the fathers' houses of the priests and of the Levites; the fathers' houses of the chief even as those of his younger brother.
25Moreover David and the captains of the host separated for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with
of Jaaziah; Beno] Either delete Beno (see previous note) or perhaps read Bani.
28. Eleazar] Cp. xxiii. 22.
30. Jerimoth] Spelt "Jeremoth" in xxiii. 23.
These were . . . houses] = xxiii. 24 a.
31. and Ahimelech] We expect and Abiathar; cp. ver. 3, xv. 11, xviii. 16, with the notes.
Ch. XXV. 1—7. The Families of the Singers.
The Chronicler displays so much interest in the liturgical worship of the Temple that it is very probable that he was himself a member of the musical guilds. There is no reason to question the importance of the musicians in the Temple worship of the late post-exilic period. But the development of their organisation and duties was certainly a gradual process, and did not, as the Chronicler here represents, spring into being, full-grown, in the days of David. Three classes—the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun (= Ethan) had come to be clearly recognised. They are here regarded as divided into twenty-four courses (like the Levites and Priests), but that this even in the Chronicler's time represents not an actuality but an ideal is suggested by the artificial character of the names which conclude the list—see ver. 4, note on Hananiah.
1. Moreover David] Render, And David.
separated] Cp. xxiii. 13, note.
who should prophesy] i.e. sing and praise in the manner of the prophets, cp. 1 Sam. x. 5. There is no reference to the predictive power or the higher spiritual activities of the great prophets. Nevertheless the term serves, and is intended, to invest the office of the musicians with a greater honour than that of the ministrant Levites.
