View 1st Chronicles 25 in the note window.
The person's that were to be employed in singing, ver. 1 - 7.
The order in which they were to attend determined by lot, ver. 8 - 31.
1: And captains - All the princes of Israel, with the priests and
the Levites, whom David gathered together, (1Ch 23:2), for this
very end, that with their approbation and consent, all these things might be
established; who are here fitly called the captains of the host; for the
princes were, under David, the chief captains of the militia of the
kingdom; and as the Levites are called an host, and the Lord's host,
because of their number and order in holy ministrations; so these priests
and Levites were the captains and governors of the rest.
Separated - Distributed them into their several ranks: which, tho' chiefly
done by David as a prophet, and by Divine direction, yet is imputed in
part to the captains of the host, because it was done with their concurrence
and approbation. The service - To the service of God under the conduct of
these persons. Prophecy - Praise God by singing the psalms of David,
and other sacred songs made by themselves, who were prophets, or by other
prophets or holy men of God. Workmen - Of the persons employed in this
sacred work. This good work it seems Samuel revived, but did not live
to bring it to perfection. Let each in his day do what he can for God, tho'
he cannot carry it so far as he would. When we are gone, God can raise up
others to build on our foundation, and bring forth the top - stone.
2: Of Asaph - Under his direction. Of the king - In such manner and
order as David appointed.
3: Six - Jeduthun their father being included in that number:
or Shimei, mentioned ver.(17).
5: The king's seer - He is called the king's seer, either because
the king took special delight in him; or because he frequently attended
the king in his palace, executing his sacred office there, while the rest
were employed in the tabernacle. In the words - To sing Divine songs as
were inspired by God to the prophets or holy men of God. The horn - To
praise God with the sound of a trumpet or some other musical instrument
made of horn, which being a martial kind of music, might be most grateful
to David's martial spirit: tho' he was also skilled in other instruments
of music which he used in the house of God.
7: Cunning - Who were so skilful that they were able to teach others;
and together with their scholars, made up the four thousand mentioned(1Ch 23:5).
8: Ward - A course of Levites answerable to one of the priests,
upon whom the Levites were to wait in their holy ministrations,(1Ch 23:28).
The scholar - Without any respect to their different ages or abilities.
9: To Joseph - For the family of Asaph, of which Joseph was.
Here that clause, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve, is to be
understood, as it is expressed in all the following verses, otherwise
they do not make up that number of two hundred and eighty - eight mentioned
ver.(7).
