1 Chronicles 25:2
in 1 Chronicles 25From the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. These sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asharelah, the sons of Asaph, under the hand of Asaph, who prophesied after the order of the king.
KJV
Of the sons of Asaph; Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asarelah, the sons of Asaph under the hands of Asaph, which prophesied according to the order of the king.
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 25
Commentary
8 notes on this verseWhich prophesied - Sung hymns and prayed. But the Targum understands this of prophesying in the proper sense of the term; and therefore says, “Who prophesied by the Holy Spirit.” Jarchi is of the same opinion and quotes the case of Elisha, 2Ki 3:15; While the minstrel played, the hand of the Lord [i.e., the spirit of prophecy] was upon him.
This site's exposition
the captains of the host separated
on 1 Chronicles 25:1-3
David separates three families, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun, to a service the chapter names with the verb it uses of the prophets: they should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals. The same verb returns of Jeduthun's sons in verse three, who prophesied with a harp to give thanks and to praise the LORD, so the chapter states its own doctrine in its own words rather than leaving a reader to infer it. Clarke notes the Targum reads the verb as prophesying by the Holy Spirit and cites Elisha calling for a minstrel before the hand of the LORD came upon him.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
It is probable that Heman, Asaph, and Jeduthun, were bred up under Samuel, and had their education in the schools of the prophets which he was the founder and president of; then they were pupils, now they came to be masters.
), not that all those who were employed in this service were honoured with the visions of God, or could foretel things to come. Heman indeed is said to be the king's seer in the words of God (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
), who were all qualified for the service and called to it. But the question was, In what order must they serve? This was determined by lot, to prevent strife for precedency, a sin which most easily besets many that otherwise are good people.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Of the sons of Asaph,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
according to the order of the king--Hebrew, "by the hands of the king," that is, "according to the king's order," under the personal superintendence of Asaph and his colleagues. which prophesied--that is, in this connection, played with instruments.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Under the hands of Asaph ... - That is to say, “under the direction of Asaph” - who himself “prophesied,” or performed the sacred services, “under the direction of the king.”
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Who prophesied by order of the king. This refers to the psalms that Asaph composed: he would compose them with Divine inspiration.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
and Mattithiah - six But you will find only five. [The answer is that] his wife was pregnant with Shimei, and he saw through the holy spirit that he too was destined to be the chief of a watch; therefore he says “six.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לִבְנֵ֣י | livnei | of [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָסָ֗ף | ʾasaf | Asaph | H623 → | 34 times |
| זַכּ֧וּר | zakur | Zaccur | H2139 → | 10 times |
| וְיוֹסֵ֛ף | veyosef | and Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| וּנְתַנְיָ֥ה | unetanyah | and Nethaniah | H5418 → | |
| וַאֲשַׂרְאֵ֖לָה | vaasarelah | and Asarelah | H841 → | |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָסָ֑ף | ʾasaf | Asaph | H623 → | 34 times |
| עַ֚ל | ʾal | [were] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יַד־ | yad- | [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אָסָ֔ף | ʾasaf | Asaph | H623 → | 34 times |
| הַנִּבָּ֖א | haniba' | who prophesied | H5012 → | 115 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יְדֵ֥י | yedei | [the] hands of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
לִבְנֵ֣יof [the] sons of
livneiH1121 →4930 times
אָסָ֗ףAsaph
ʾasafH623 →34 times
זַכּ֧וּרZaccur
zakurH2139 →10 times
וְיוֹסֵ֛ףand Joseph
veyosefH3130 →213 times
וּנְתַנְיָ֥הand Nethaniah
unetanyahH5418 →
וַאֲשַׂרְאֵ֖לָהand Asarelah
vaasarelahH841 →
בְּנֵ֣י[the] sons of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
אָסָ֑ףAsaph
ʾasafH623 →34 times
עַ֚ל[were] on
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
יַד־[the] hand of
yad-H3027 →1618 times
אָסָ֔ףAsaph
ʾasafH623 →34 times
הַנִּבָּ֖אwho prophesied
haniba'H5012 →115 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יְדֵ֥י[the] hands of
yedeiH3027 →1618 times
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 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
1 Chronicles 25:1Additionally, 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…
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 6:39
Heman’s kinsman was Asaph, who served at his right hand:
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Chronicles 6:33
These are the men who served, together with their sons. From the Kohathites:
- 2 Kings 3:15
But now, bring me a harpist.” And while the harpist played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha
- 1 Samuel 10:5
After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistines have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded…
- 1 Chronicles 6:39
Through
Psalms 74:1Why have You rejected us forever, O God? Why does Your anger smolder against the sheep of Your pasture?
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 29:20
The LORD will never be willing to forgive him. Instead, His anger and jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse written in this book will fall upon him. The LORD will blot…
- Psalms 100:3
Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
- Psalms 79:13
Then we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, will thank You forever; from generation to generation we will declare Your praise.
- John 10:26–30
But because you are not My sheep, you refuse to believe.
- Deuteronomy 29:20
About 1 Chronicles
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.