1 Chronicles 15:19
New International Version
The musicians Heman, Asaph and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals;

New Living Translation
The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were chosen to sound the bronze cymbals.

English Standard Version
The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound bronze cymbals;

Berean Standard Bible
The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals.

King James Bible
So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass;

New King James Version
the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound the cymbals of bronze;

New American Standard Bible
So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound aloud cymbals of bronze;

NASB 1995
So the singers, Heman, Asaph and Ethan were appointed to sound aloud cymbals of bronze;

NASB 1977
So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to sound aloud cymbals of bronze;

Legacy Standard Bible
So the singers, Heman, Asaph and Ethan were appointed to sound aloud cymbals of bronze;

Amplified Bible
So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to sound aloud the bronze cymbals;

Christian Standard Bible
The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals;

American Standard Version
So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed with cymbals of brass to sound aloud;

English Revised Version
So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed, with cymbals of brass to sound aloud;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to play bronze cymbals.

International Standard Version
The singers included Heman, Asaph, and Ethan (who played bronze cymbals).

Majority Standard Bible
The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals.

NET Bible
The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals;

New Heart English Bible
So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were given cymbals of bronze to sound aloud;

Webster's Bible Translation
So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass;

World English Bible
So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were given cymbals of bronze to sound aloud;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, [are] to sound with cymbals of bronze;

Young's Literal Translation
and the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, with cymbals of brass to sound,

Smith's Literal Translation
And those singing, Heman, Asaph and Ethan, with cymbals of brass to cause to hear;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, sounded with cymbals of brass.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Now the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were sounding out with cymbals of brass.

New American Bible
The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, sounded brass cymbals.

New Revised Standard Version
The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound bronze cymbals;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Now these were all those who stood by the gates and sang: Heman, Asaph, and Ethan.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
These all who were standing at the gates and singing: Haman, and Asaph and Ethan.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan [, were appointed], with cymbals of brass to sound aloud;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the singers, Aeman, Asaph, and Aethan, with brazen cymbals to make a sound to be heard.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Priests and Levites Carry the Ark
18and with them their brothers next in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel. 19The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals. 20Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to Alamoth.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 6:5
David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with all kinds of wood instruments, harps, stringed instruments, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

1 Chronicles 13:8
David and all the Israelites were celebrating before God with all their might, with songs and on harps and lyres, with tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

Psalm 150:3-5
Praise Him with the sound of the horn; praise Him with the harp and lyre. / Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flute. / Praise Him with clashing cymbals; praise Him with resounding cymbals.

2 Chronicles 5:12-13
all the Levitical singers—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps, and lyres, accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. / The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” And the temple, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud

Psalm 81:1-2
For the choirmaster. According to Gittith. Of Asaph. Sing for joy to God our strength; make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob. / Lift up a song, strike the tambourine, play the sweet-sounding harp and lyre.

Psalm 98:4-6
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth—let your cry ring out, and sing praises! / Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, in melodious song with the harp. / With trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

Psalm 47:5-7
God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD with the sound of the horn. / Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises! / For God is King of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise.

Psalm 68:25
The singers lead the way, the musicians follow after, among the maidens playing tambourines.

Psalm 33:2-3
Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to Him with ten strings. / Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy.

Psalm 92:1-3
A Psalm. A song for the Sabbath day. It is good to praise the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High, / to proclaim Your loving devotion in the morning and Your faithfulness at night / with the ten-stringed harp and the melody of the lyre.

Psalm 149:3
Let them praise His name with dancing, and make music to Him with tambourine and harp.

Ephesians 5:19
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,

Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Revelation 5:8-9
When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. / And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

Revelation 14:2-3
And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of many waters and the loud rumbling of thunder. And the sound I heard was like harpists strumming their harps. / And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.


Treasury of Scripture

So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass;

1 Chronicles 15:16
And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.

1 Chronicles 13:8
And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

1 Chronicles 16:5,42
Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obededom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals; …

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Aloud Appointed Asaph Brass Bronze Cymbals Ethan Heman Instruments Loudly Melody Musicians Position Singers Sound Sounding
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Aloud Appointed Asaph Brass Bronze Cymbals Ethan Heman Instruments Loudly Melody Musicians Position Singers Sound Sounding
1 Chronicles 15
1. David having prepared a place for the ark,
15. the priests and Levites bring it from Obed-Edom
25. He performs the solemnity thereof with great joy
29. Michal despises him














So the musicians
The term "musicians" in this context refers to those specifically appointed for the sacred task of leading worship through music. In ancient Israel, music was not merely an art form but a vital component of worship and communication with God. The Hebrew root for musicians, "מְשׁוֹרְרִים" (meshorerim), indicates those who sing or play instruments, emphasizing their role in the spiritual life of the community. This highlights the importance of music in worship, serving as a bridge between the divine and the human, and underscores the belief that God is honored through the beauty and order of music.

Heman, Asaph, and Ethan
These three individuals were prominent Levites, each with a significant role in the musical worship of Israel. Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were not only skilled musicians but also prophets and seers, as indicated in other scriptural references (1 Chronicles 25:5; 2 Chronicles 29:30). Their inclusion here underscores the importance of leadership in worship, as they were responsible for guiding the people in praise and ensuring that the music was both excellent and spiritually edifying. Historically, these figures are seen as foundational in the development of Israel's worship practices, and their legacy is reflected in the Psalms attributed to them.

were to sound
The phrase "were to sound" indicates a specific duty assigned to these musicians. The Hebrew verb "לְהַשְׁמִיעַ" (lehashmi'a) means to make heard or to proclaim, suggesting that their role was not passive but active and declarative. This action of sounding the instruments was a call to worship, a proclamation of God's presence, and an invitation for the congregation to join in praise. It reflects the belief that worship is both a personal and communal experience, where the leaders set the tone and direction for the people's response to God.

the bronze cymbals
Bronze cymbals were percussion instruments used in the temple worship, known for their loud and resonant sound. The use of bronze, a durable and sonorous metal, signifies strength and clarity in worship. In the Hebrew context, cymbals (צִלְצְלֵי נְחֹשֶׁת, tseltselim nechoshet) were used to mark significant moments in the liturgy, creating an atmosphere of celebration and reverence. The choice of cymbals highlights the dynamic and expressive nature of worship, where sound and rhythm play a crucial role in engaging the worshippers' hearts and minds. This reflects the broader biblical theme of worship as a multisensory experience, designed to honor God with all aspects of human creativity and expression.

(19-21) The minstrels named in 1Chronicles 15:17-18, classified according to their instruments.

(19) The cymbal-players.

Were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass.--Rather, with cymbals of bronze for clashing. Furnished with these instruments, the three chiefs were to lead and accentuate the music.

1Chronicles 15:19-25 give the order of the procession thus:--

I. The three master-singers, and two bands of seven each (1Chronicles 15:19-21).

II. Chenaniah, marshal of the bearers.

III. Two warders of the Ark. . . .

Verses 19-21. - The psalteries on Alamoth (ver. 20), and harps on the Sheminith to excel (ver. 21), are descriptions the exact significance of which is not yet satisfactorily ascertained. Yet their connection in a series of four divisions of musical duty does throw some light upon them. These four verses manifestly purport to describe a special part to be performed by those of whom they respectively speak. Gesenius explains psalteries on Alamoth to mean such instruments as savoured of virgin tone or pitch, i.e. high as compared with the lower pitch of men's voices. This lower pitch he considers intimated by the word "Sheminith," literally, the eighth, or octave. The added expression, "to excel," need scarcely be, with him, understood to mean "to take the lead musically," but may be read generally to mark their supassing quality.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The musicians
וְהַמְשֹׁ֣רְרִ֔ים (wə·ham·šō·rə·rîm)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7891: To sing

Heman,
הֵימָ֥ן (hê·mān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1968: Heman -- an Israelite name

Asaph,
אָסָ֖ף (’ā·sāp̄)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 623: Asaph -- 'gatherer', the name of several Israelites

and Ethan
וְאֵיתָ֑ן (wə·’ê·ṯān)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 387: Ethan -- 'permanence', an Israelite name

were to sound
לְהַשְׁמִֽיעַ׃ (lə·haš·mî·a‘)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

the bronze
נְחֹ֖שֶׁת (nə·ḥō·šeṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5178: Copper, something made of that metal, coin, a fetter, base

cymbals;
בִּמְצִלְתַּ֥יִם (bim·ṣil·ta·yim)
Preposition-b | Noun - cd
Strong's 4700: Double tinklers, cymbals


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OT History: 1 Chronicles 15:19 So the singers Heman Asaph and Ethan (1 Chron. 1Ch iCh i Ch 1 chr 1chr)
1 Chronicles 15:18
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