1 Chronicles 16:5
in 1 Chronicles 16Asaph was the chief, Zechariah was second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They were to play the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with psalteries and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud;
KJV
Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed–edom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals;
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 16
Commentary
4 notes on this verseAsaph the chief,.... Of those that were now appointed: otherwise, of the three principal singers, Heman was the chief, and Asaph next, 1Ch 6:33. and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, with psalteries, and with harps; to play upon them before the ark at the same time the psalms and songs were vocally sung; the above persons are such as are named before, 1Ch 15:18, but Asaph made a sound with cymbals; he struck and played upon them, see 1Ch 15:19.
This site's exposition
appointed certain of the Levites to minister
on 1 Chronicles 16:4-6
David appoints the Levites' offices in three verbs, to record, to thank and to praise, sole witness material Samuel does not carry at all. Asaph stands first, the name the Psalter later attaches to twelve psalm titles, and Chronicles fixes his house as chief of the choir at this verse. Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests take the trumpets, and Jeiel plays psalteries and harps while Asaph sounds the cymbals, the instrumentation this chapter founds for the ark's permanent service.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
A select number of the musicians were chosen for the service from the list (1Ch 15:19-21) of those who had taken a prominent part in the recent procession. The same arrangement was to be observed in their duties, now that the ark again was stationary;
Asaph - See the preceding chapter, 1Ch 15:17 (note), etc.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אָסָ֥ף | ʾasaf | Asaph | H623 → | 34 times |
| הָרֹ֖אשׁ | harosh | [was] the chief | H7218 → | 599 times |
| וּמִשְׁנֵ֣הוּ | umishnehu | and [was] second his | H4932 → | 35 times |
| זְכַרְיָ֑ה | zekharyah | Zechariah | H2148 → | 43 times |
| יְעִיאֵ֡ל | yeiel | Jeiel | H3273 → | 14 times |
| וּשְׁמִֽירָמ֡וֹת | ushemiramot | and Shemiramoth | H8070 → | 4 times |
| וִֽיחִיאֵ֡ל | vichiel | and Jehiel | H3171 → | 14 times |
| וּמַתִּתְיָ֡ה | umatityah | and Mattithiah | H4993 → | 8 times |
| וֶאֱלִיאָ֡ב | veeliav | and Eliab | H446 → | 21 times |
| וּבְנָיָהוּ֩ | uvenayahu | and Benaiah | H1141 → | 42 times |
| וְעֹבֵ֨ד | veoved | and Obed- | H5654 → | 40 times |
| אֱדֹ֜ם | ʾedom | Edom | H5654 → | 40 times |
| וִֽיעִיאֵ֗ל | viiel | and Jeiel | H3273 → | 14 times |
| בִּכְלֵ֤י | bikhlei | with instruments of | H3627 → | 325 times |
| נְבָלִים֙ | nevalim | lyres | H5035 → | 38 times |
| וּבְכִנֹּר֔וֹת | uvekhinorot | and with harps | H3658 → | 42 times |
| וְאָסָ֖ף | veasaf | and Asaph | H623 → | 34 times |
| בַּֽמְצִלְתַּ֥יִם | bamtziltayim | with <the> cymbals | H4700 → | 13 times |
| מַשְׁמִֽיעַ׃ | mashmia' | [was] sounding aloud | H8085 → | 1159 times |
אָסָ֥ףAsaph
ʾasafH623 →34 times
הָרֹ֖אשׁ[was] the chief
haroshH7218 →599 times
וּמִשְׁנֵ֣הוּand [was] second his
umishnehuH4932 →35 times
זְכַרְיָ֑הZechariah
zekharyahH2148 →43 times
יְעִיאֵ֡לJeiel
yeielH3273 →14 times
וּשְׁמִֽירָמ֡וֹתand Shemiramoth
ushemiramotH8070 →4 times
וִֽיחִיאֵ֡לand Jehiel
vichielH3171 →14 times
וּמַתִּתְיָ֡הand Mattithiah
umatityahH4993 →8 times
וֶאֱלִיאָ֡בand Eliab
veeliavH446 →21 times
וּבְנָיָהוּ֩and Benaiah
uvenayahuH1141 →42 times
וְעֹבֵ֨דand Obed-
veovedH5654 →40 times
אֱדֹ֜םEdom
ʾedomH5654 →40 times
וִֽיעִיאֵ֗לand Jeiel
viielH3273 →14 times
בִּכְלֵ֤יwith instruments of
bikhleiH3627 →325 times
נְבָלִים֙lyres
nevalimH5035 →38 times
וּבְכִנֹּר֔וֹתand with harps
uvekhinorotH3658 →42 times
וְאָסָ֖ףand Asaph
veasafH623 →34 times
בַּֽמְצִלְתַּ֥יִםwith <the> cymbals
bamtziltayimH4700 →13 times
מַשְׁמִֽיעַ׃[was] sounding aloud
mashmia'H8085 →1159 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Chronicles 29:25Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet. For the command…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 8:14
In keeping with the ordinances of his father David, Solomon appointed the divisions of the priests over their service, and the Levites for their duties to offer praise and to minister before the priests…
- 1 Chronicles 23:5
4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the LORD with the instruments I have made for giving praise.”
- 2 Chronicles 35:15
The singers, the descendants of Asaph, were at their stations according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer. And the gatekeepers at each gate did not need to leave…
- 1 Chronicles 16:4–5
David appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to celebrate, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel.
- 1 Chronicles 25:1–7
Additionally, David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy with the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The following is the list…
- 2 Chronicles 8:14
Through
1 Chronicles 6:39Heman’s kinsman was Asaph, who served at his right hand:
it leads to
- Nehemiah 7:44
The singers: the descendants of Asaph, 148.
- Ezra 2:41
The singers: the descendants of Asaph, 128.
- 2 Chronicles 29:13
Shimri and Jeuel from the Elizaphanites; Zechariah and Mattaniah from the Asaphites;
- Nehemiah 7:44
About 1 Chronicles

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Keil, The Books of the Chronicles.
