Chapter XXV
Ver. 1-7. Number and Office of the Singers. 1. David aud tl»e captains of the host—t. p., the princes (eh.
2'?. 2; 24.6). It is probable that the king was attended on the occasion of arranging the singers by the same parties that are mentioned as having assisted him in regulating the order of the priests and Levites. H. according to the order of the kiug—Heb., "by the hands of the king," priests, was douV)tless more than .sufficient for the ordinary service of the tabernacle. But this pious king thought that It would contribute to the glory of the Lord to emplojas many officers in his Divine service as possii. <"., "according to the king's order," under th personal superintendence of Asaph and his colleagues, which prophe<Jefl i.e., in this c(?nnection, played with Instruments. This metaphorical application of the term "propliecy" most probably originated in the practice of the prophets, who endeavoured to rouse their proplietio spirit by the animating influence of music (sec on 2 Kings ble. These fust rules, however, which David instituted, were temporary, as very ditterent arrangements were made after the ark had been deposited in the tabernacle of Ziou.
CHAPTER XXIV.
3. 15). It is said that Asaph did this "according to David's order," because by royal appoiiument he olliciated in the tabernacle on Zion (ch. 10. 37-11), while other leaders of tho sacred music were stationed at Gibeon. .'». Ilemaii the king's seer—The title of seer or prophet of Da vid is also given to Gad (ch.21. 9), and to Jeduthun (2 ('lironi< les '29.
Ver. 1-19. Division of the Sons of Aaron into Four AND Twenty Orders. 1. Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron—(.See on ch.23. 6.; 2. IVadab and Ahilmi died before their father i, e., not in his preseii'^e, but during his lifetime (see Mara. Ht'f). therefore Kleazar and Ithainar executed the priest's otiiec—In consequence of the death of his two eldest sons without issue, the descendants of Aaron were comprised in the faniilies of Eleazar and Ithamar. Both of these sons di.scliarged the priestly functions as assistants to their father. Kleazar succeeded him, and in his line the high priesthood continued until it was transferred to the family of Ithamar, in the person of Eli. .3. Zadok . . . and Ahinieleeh of the sons of Ithamar—Th is slalenii'iit, taken in connection with r. 6, is not a little perplexing, since (2 Samuel
in the words {marg. ma(trr.i) of God. to lift up the horn— i. c, to blow loudly in the worship of (lod ; or jierliaps it means nothing more than that he presided over the winil instruments, as Jeduthun over the harp. II email had lieen appointed at first to serve at Gibeon (ch. Iti. 41). But his destination seems to have been changed at asubse(]uent perioil. Goil gave to Ileman fourteen sons and three daughters — The daughters are mentioned, .solely because from their musical taste and talents they lornied part of the choir (I'salni 08. •2')). 6, 7. all these were under the hands of their father—Asaph had four .son.s, .leduthun six, and Heinan fourteen, equal to twenty-four; making, the musicians with their lirethren the singers, an amount of 288. Kor, lil<e the priests and Levites, they were divided into twenty-four courses of twelve men each, equal to 2,SS, who served a week in rotation; and
15.24,3.); 20.2)) Aliiathar is iiKMitioned as the person conjoined in David's time with Zadok, in the collegiate oxeicisc of the high priesthood. Some think that the words have l)een transposed, reading Abiathar, the son of Aliimelech. But there is no ground for regarding the text as faulty. The high priests of the line of Ithamar were the following: Aliiah or Aliimelech, his son Abiathar, his .son Aliimelech. 'We freciuently find the grandtnther and grandson called by the same name (see list of liigh priests of the line of Eleazar, ch. .'>. 3()-4D. Hence the author of these, half of whom officiated every week with a proportionate numlier of assistants, were skilful and experienced musicians, callable of leading and instructing tho general musical corjis, which comprised no le.ss than 4000 (ch. 2.3. 5).
1li(? ('lironicles was acquainted widi Aliiiiielech, son of Abiathar, who, for some reason, discharged the duties of Iilgh priest in David's reign, and during tho lifetime of
8-;!l. Their Division iiy IyOT into Four and Twknt't Orders. H. they cast lots, wa«l against ward—" Ward"
Ills father (for Aliiathar was living in the time of Solomon,
1 Kings 2.27); [Keil.] 4. th«rc wero more chief men found—The Ileh. may he translated, "Then; were more
Is an old Eiigllsh word for division or company. The lot was east to (h'tcrnilne the jireceiUMice of the clas.ses or divisions over which the musical leaiU-rs presided; and, iMcii as to lieads of the sons of Elcazar." It is true, in jioint of fact, that )),y the census the Mumlier of iiidivichials lieloiiging to the faniily of Eleazar was found greater than in that of Ithamar. And this, of necessity, led to thero being more fathers' liouses, and conseiiuently more chiefs or iresidents in the former. .'». they were dlvl<led by lot—This method of allocation was adopted manifestly to remove all cause of Jealousy us to precedence and the 2U2 ill order to secure an Impartial avrangeiiieiit of their order, the master and Ills a.ssistants, the teaclierand his scholars, in each class or compan.y took part In tMn solemn casting of lots. In the ftiist catalogue p-lven In this chapt(^r the courses arc classed according to their eiiiployiuent as imisielaiis— In the second, they are arranged lu the order of their sevvice.
Ttu Gates Aanigwd hy Lot. 1 CHRONICLES XXVI, XXVIl. Txvdve Ciiplaimi fur each Month.