1 Chronicles 25

1 Chronicles 25

The big picture

1 Chronicles 25 opens in verse 1 with “Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 16 with “The ninth to Mattaniah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:”, and closes in verse 31 with “The four and twentieth to Romamti-ezer, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve.” Repeated or prominent terms include sons, brethren, twelve, Asaph, Heman. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.

Scripture beside the summary

1 Chronicles · King James Version · 31

1 Chronicles 25:1-8

1–8: Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of…

1 Chronicles 25:1–8 opens with “Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and…” and reaches “And they cast lots, ward against ward, as well the small as the great, the teacher as the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Chronicles 25 develops its own movement around sons, brethren, twelve, Asaph, Heman, with particular weight carried by sons, Heman, Asaph.

Context that brings the passage to life

“Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of…” Naming Asaph and David keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Of Jeduthun: the sons of Jeduthun; Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hands…” The number six makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman…” The number three makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

1 Chronicles 25:1-8

King James Version

1Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen according to their service was:

2Of 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.

3Of Jeduthun: the sons of Jeduthun; Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the LORD .

4Of Heman: the sons of Heman; Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth:

5All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

6All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the LORD , with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king’s order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.

7So the number of them, with their brethren that were instructed in the songs of the LORD , even all that were cunning, was two hundred fourscore and eight.

8And they cast lots, ward against ward, as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar.

1 Chronicles 25:9-16

9–16: The first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph: the second to Gedaliah…

1 Chronicles 25:9–16 opens with “Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph: the second to Gedaliah, who with his brethren…” and reaches “The ninth to Mattaniah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Chronicles 25 develops its own movement around sons, brethren, twelve, Asaph, Heman, with particular weight carried by brethren, sons, twelve.

Context that brings the passage to life

“Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph: the second to Gedaliah, who with his brethren and sons were twelve:” The number twelve makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

1 Chronicles 25:9-16

King James Version

9Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph: the second to Gedaliah, who with his brethren and sons were twelve:

10The third to Zaccur, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

11The fourth to Izri, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

12The fifth to Nethaniah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

13The sixth to Bukkiah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

14The seventh to Jesharelah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

15The eighth to Jeshaiah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

16The ninth to Mattaniah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

1 Chronicles 25:17-24

17–24: The tenth to Shimei, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

1 Chronicles 25:17–24 opens with “The tenth to Shimei, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:” and reaches “The seventeenth to Joshbekashah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Chronicles 25 develops its own movement around sons, brethren, twelve, Asaph, Heman, with particular weight carried by brethren, sons, twelve.

Context that brings the passage to life

“The tenth to Shimei, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:” The number twelve makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

1 Chronicles 25:17-24

King James Version

17The tenth to Shimei, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

18The eleventh to Azareel, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

19The twelfth to Hashabiah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

20The thirteenth to Shubael, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

21The fourteenth to Mattithiah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

22The fifteenth to Jeremoth, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

23The sixteenth to Hananiah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

24The seventeenth to Joshbekashah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

1 Chronicles 25:25-31

25–31: The eighteenth to Hanani, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

1 Chronicles 25:25–31 opens with “The eighteenth to Hanani, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:” and reaches “The four and twentieth to Romamti-ezer, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Chronicles 25 develops its own movement around sons, brethren, twelve, Asaph, Heman, with particular weight carried by brethren, sons, twelve.

Context that brings the passage to life

“The eighteenth to Hanani, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:” The number twelve makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

1 Chronicles 25:25-31

King James Version

25The eighteenth to Hanani, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

26The nineteenth to Mallothi, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

27The twentieth to Eliathah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

28The one and twentieth to Hothir, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

29The two and twentieth to Giddalti, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

30The three and twentieth to Mahazioth, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

31The four and twentieth to Romamti-ezer, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve.

Details worth noticing

31verses in this reading
4major movements

The opening image

1 Chronicles 25:1 begins with “Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps…”

Where the chapter turns

1 Chronicles 25:9 forms a natural hinge: “Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph: the second to Gedaliah, who with his brethren and sons were twelve:”

The final note

1 Chronicles 25:31 leaves the reader with “The four and twentieth to Romamti-ezer, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve.”

A word trail through the chapter

The words sons, brethren, twelve, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.

What fulfills the earlier promise concerning Ishmael?

The named twelve princes and the account of his descendants.

What family pattern increases the twins' conflict?

Isaac favors Esau and Rebekah favors Jacob.

Text first

Where readers differ

The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.

The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.

Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.