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1 Crônicas 25

ARC · Chapter 25/29

1E David, juntamente com os capitães do exercito, separou para o ministerio os filhos de Asaph, e de Heman, e de Jeduthun, para prophetizarem com harpas, com alaudes, e com psalterios: e este foi o numero dos homens aptos para a obra do seu ministerio.

2Dos filhos de Asaph foram Zaccur, e José, e Nethanias, e Asarela, filhos de Asaph: a cargo de Asaph, que prophetizava debaixo da direcção do rei David.

3Quanto a Jeduthun, foram os filhos de Jeduthun: Gedalias, e Zeri, e Jesaias, e Hasabias, e Mattithias, seis, a cargo de seu pae Jeduthun, para tanger harpas, o qual prophetizava, louvando e dando graças ao Senhor.

4Quanto a Heman: os filhos de Heman: Bukkias, Matthanias, Uziel, Sebuel, e Jerimoth, Hananias, Hanani, Eliatha, Giddalti, e Romamthi-ezer, Josbekasa, Mallothi, Hothir, e Mahazioth.

5Todos estes foram filhos de Heman, o vidente do rei nas palavras de Deus, para exaltar a corneta: porque Deus dera a Heman quatorze filhos e tres filhas.

6Todos estes estavam ao lado de seu pae para o canto da casa do Senhor, com psalterios, alaudes e harpas, para o ministerio da casa de Deus; e, ao lado do rei, Asaph, Jeduthun, e Heman.

7E era o numero d'elles, juntamente com seus irmãos instruidos no canto do Senhor, todos os mestres, duzentos e oitenta e oito.

8E deitaram as sortes ácerca da guarda egualmente, assim o pequeno como o grande, o mestre juntamente com o discipulo.

9Saiu pois a primeira sorte a Asaph, a saber: a José; a segunda a Gedalias; e eram elle, e seus irmãos, e seus filhos, ao todo, doze.

10A terceira a Zaccur, seus filhos e seus irmãos; doze.

11A quarta a Isri, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

12A quinta a Nethanias, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

13A sexta a Bukkias, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

14A setima a Jesarela, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

15A oitava a Jesaias, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

16A nona a Matthanias, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

17A decima a Simei, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

18A undecima a Azareel, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

19A duodecima a Hasabias, seus filhos e seus irmãos; doze.

20A decima terceira a Subael, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

21A decima quarta a Mattithias, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

22A decima quinta a Jeremoth, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

23A decima sexta a Hananias, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

24A decima setima a Josbekasa, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

25A decima oitava a Hanani, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

26A decima nona a Mallothi, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

27A vigesima a Eliatha, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

28A vigesima primeira a Hothir, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

29A vigesima segunda a Giddalthi, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

30A vigesima terceira a Mahazioth, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

31A vigesima quarta a Romamthi-ezer, seus filhos, e seus irmãos; doze.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

David organizes the Levite musicians — from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun — likewise into 24 divisions by lot, to prophesy and praise God with musical instruments in the temple.

Explanation

It's notable that the music in the temple is described here using the verb 'to prophesy,' suggesting that the Levite musicians carried out a profound spiritual function, not merely an artistic or decorative one — musical worship was seen as a legitimate channel for communicating with God and proclaiming his truth. Just like the priests, the musicians were also organized fairly by lot into 24 divisions, including both experienced masters and disciples in training, showing a system of continuous training for new musical talent for worship. The mention that Heman had 14 sons and 3 daughters devoted to temple music shows how this could become a true generational family calling.

Fun facts

  • The idea of musicians who 'prophesied' with harps, psalteries, and cymbals reflects a broader tradition in the Old Testament, also seen when the prophet Elisha asks for a musician to play before receiving a prophetic word, in 2 Kings 3:15.
  • The total of 288 trained musicians, organized between masters and disciples, represents one of the earliest recorded systems of professional, formal musical education in ancient history.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 1 Crônicas 25:1Singing with harps, lutes, and psalteries is here called ‘to prophesy’ — not because these musicians foretold the future, but because worship music was understood as a form of inspired proclamation, every bit as serious as a prophet’s word.
  2. 1 Crônicas 25:2Asaph’s four sons serve under the direction of their own father, who ‘prophesied’ under the guidance of King David — the Bible treats temple music as a form of prophecy, not just art or entertainment.
  3. 1 Crônicas 25:3Jeduthun’s six sons played the harp under their father’s direction, and he too prophesied by praising and giving thanks to the LORD — the same idea of music as a prophetic act repeats here.
  4. 1 Crônicas 25:4An impressive list of fourteen sons of Heman all at once — so many names that some scholars note that, read in sequence in the original Hebrew, the last ones seem to form almost a hidden prayer sentence within the list itself.
  5. 1 Crônicas 25:5Heman is called ‘the king’s seer,’ and God gave him fourteen sons and three daughters — an enormous family devoted entirely to temple music, every one of them born for this specific role.
  6. 1 Crônicas 25:6The sons of Heman, Asaph, and Jeduthun stayed at the king’s side, all of them serving with instruments in worship — a position of honor reserved for only these three families among all the Levites.
  7. 1 Crônicas 25:7The total number of these trained musicians, counting brothers and disciples, reaches two hundred and eighty-eight masters — an enormous orchestra and choir organized for permanent worship.
  8. 1 Crônicas 25:8Two hundred and eighty-eight trained musicians are divided by lot, with no distinction between master and student, between the most experienced and the newest. The lot guaranteed that the order of service was fair, without favoring anyone for fame or seniority.
  9. 1 Crônicas 25:9The lot for the twenty-four divisions of musicians begins, mirroring the same system used with the priests: the first falls to the family of Joseph, son of Asaph, with twelve people in all.
  10. 1 Crônicas 25:10The third division goes to Zaccur and his family, also with twelve members — each group is exactly the same size, guaranteeing balance among the divisions.
  11. 1 Crônicas 25:11The fourth division goes to Izri and his twelve relatives — the lot keeps treating every musical family with the same weight, no matter how famous the father was.
  12. 1 Crônicas 25:12The fifth division falls to Nethaniah and his family of twelve — one more slot fixed within the temple’s musical service calendar.
  13. 1 Crônicas 25:13The sixth division goes to Bukkiah, one of Heman’s fourteen sons, with his twelve relatives.
  14. 1 Crônicas 25:14The seventh division goes to Jesharelah and his family of twelve — the lot keeps moving through all the musical families listed earlier in the chapter.
  15. 1 Crônicas 25:15The eighth division falls to Jeshaiah and his twelve relatives, one more slot defined within the structure of twenty-four divisions.
  16. 1 Crônicas 25:16The ninth division goes to Mattaniah and his family of twelve — we have already passed a third of the divisions drawn by lot.
  17. 1 Crônicas 25:17The tenth division goes to Shimei and his twelve relatives, continuing the fixed pattern of twelve people per group.
  18. 1 Crônicas 25:18The eleventh division falls to Azareel and his family of twelve — one more family gaining its fixed place in the rotation.
  19. 1 Crônicas 25:19The twelfth division goes to Hashabiah and his twelve relatives, already at the halfway point of the total twenty-four divisions.
  20. 1 Crônicas 25:20The thirteenth division goes to Shubael and his family of twelve — the lot keeps the same rigorous organization from start to finish.
  21. 1 Crônicas 25:21The fourteenth division falls to Mattithiah and his twelve relatives, one more slot on the temple’s musical calendar.
  22. 1 Crônicas 25:22The fifteenth division goes to Jeremoth and his family of twelve — only nine divisions remain to complete the full list.
  23. 1 Crônicas 25:23The sixteenth division goes to Hananiah and his twelve relatives, continuing the same numeric pattern from the whole chapter.
  24. 1 Crônicas 25:24The seventeenth division falls to Joshbekashah and his family of twelve — one more son of Heman receiving his fixed slot.
  25. 1 Crônicas 25:25The eighteenth division goes to Hanani and his twelve relatives, already quite close to the end of the long list of lots.
  26. 1 Crônicas 25:26The nineteenth division goes to Mallothi and his family of twelve — only five slots remain to complete the total of twenty-four.
  27. 1 Crônicas 25:27The twentieth division falls to Eliathah and his twelve relatives, one more family of Heman’s taking its place in the rotation.
  28. 1 Crônicas 25:28The twenty-first division goes to Hothir and his family of twelve — the list is just a few steps from the end.
  29. 1 Crônicas 25:29The twenty-second division goes to Giddalti and his twelve relatives, one more of Heman’s fourteen sons mentioned back at the start of the chapter.
  30. 1 Crônicas 25:30The twenty-third division falls to Mahazioth and his family of twelve — only one slot is left to close out the whole system.
  31. 1 Crônicas 25:31The twenty-fourth and last division goes to Romamti-ezer and his twelve relatives, closing out the twenty-four divisions of musicians — two hundred and eighty-eight people in all, exactly the number announced at the start of the chapter.

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