1 Chronicles 25:9
New International Version
The first lot, which was for Asaph, fell to Joseph, his sons and relatives 12 the second to Gedaliah, him and his relatives and sons 12

New Living Translation
The first lot fell to Joseph of the Asaph clan and twelve of his sons and relatives. The second lot fell to Gedaliah and twelve of his sons and relatives.

English Standard Version
The first lot fell for Asaph to Joseph; the second to Gedaliah, to him and his brothers and his sons, twelve;

Berean Standard Bible
The first lot, which was for Asaph, fell to Joseph, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; the second to Gedaliah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;

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

New King James Version
Now the first lot for Asaph came out for Joseph; the second for Gedaliah, him with his brethren and sons, twelve;

New American Standard Bible
Now the first lot came out for Asaph to Joseph, the second for Gedaliah, he with his relatives and sons were twelve;

NASB 1995
Now the first lot came out for Asaph to Joseph, the second for Gedaliah, he with his relatives and sons were twelve;

NASB 1977
Now the first lot came out for Asaph to Joseph, the second for Gedaliah, he with his relatives and sons were twelve;

Legacy Standard Bible
Now the first lot came out for Asaph to Joseph, the second for Gedaliah, he with his relatives and sons were twelve;

Amplified Bible
The first lot for Asaph fell to Joseph; the second to Gedaliah, to him, his relatives and his sons, twelve;

Christian Standard Bible
The first lot for Asaph fell to Joseph, his sons, and his relatives — 12 to Gedaliah the second: him, his relatives, and his sons — 12

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The first lot for Asaph fell to Joseph, his sons, and his brothers—12 to Gedaliah the second: him, his brothers, and his sons—12

American Standard Version
Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph: the second to Gedaliah; he and his brethren and sons were twelve:

English Revised Version
Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph: the second to Gedaliah; he and his brethren and sons were twelve:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The first lot drawn chose Joseph, the son of Asaph. The second chose Gedaliah, his sons, and his relatives-12 men.

International Standard Version
Asaph's first lottery was cast in favor of Joseph; the second went to Gedaliah, that is, to him, to his relatives, and his sons, for a total of twelve;

Majority Standard Bible
The first lot, which was for Asaph, fell to Joseph, his sons, and his brothers?12 in all; the second to Gedaliah, his sons, and his brothers?12 in all;

NET Bible
The first lot went to Asaph's son Joseph and his relatives and sons--twelve in all, the second to Gedaliah and his relatives and sons--twelve in all,

New Heart English Bible
Now the first lot came out for Asaph of Joseph, his sons and his brothers, twelve; the second to Gedaliah, his brothers and his sons, twelve:

Webster's Bible Translation
Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph: the second to Gedaliah, who with his brethren and sons were twelve:

World English Bible
Now the first lot came out for Asaph to Joseph; the second to Gedaliah, he and his brothers and sons were twelve;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the first lot goes out for Asaph to Joseph; the second, Gedaliah—him, and his brothers and his sons—twelve;

Young's Literal Translation
And the first lot goeth out for Asaph to Joseph; to Gedaliah the second; he, and his brethren and his sons, twelve;

Smith's Literal Translation
And the first lot will come forth to Asaph to Joseph: Gedeliah the second, he and his brethren and his sons, twelve:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the first lot came forth to Joseph, who was of Asaph. The second to Godolias, to him and his sons, and his brethren twelve.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the first lot went forth to Joseph, who was of Asaph; the second went forth to Gedaliah, to him and his sons and his brothers, twelve.

New American Bible
The first lot fell to Asaph, to the family of Joseph; he and his sons and his kinsmen were twelve. Gedaliah was the second; he and his kinsmen and his sons were twelve.

New Revised Standard Version
The first lot fell for Asaph to Joseph; the second to Gedaliah, to him and his brothers and his sons, twelve;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Now the first lot fell for Asaph to Joseph; the second to Gedaliah, who with his brethren and his sons were twelve:

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the first lot came up for Asaph to Yauseph; Gedalya was the second, and his brothers and his sons were twelve.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph; The second to Gedaliah; he and his brethren and sons were twelve;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the first lot of his sons and of his brethren came forth to Asaph the son of Joseph, namely, Godolias: the second Heneia, his sons and his brethren being twelve.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Twenty-Four Divisions of Musicians
8They cast lots for their duties, young and old alike, teacher as well as pupil. 9The first lot, which was for Asaph, fell to Joseph, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; the second to Gedaliah, his sons, and his brothers— 12 in all; 10the third to Zaccur, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;…

Cross References
1 Samuel 16:16-23
Let our lord command your servants here to seek out someone who can skillfully play the harp. Whenever the spirit of distress from God is upon you, he is to play it, and you will be well.” / And Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him to me.” / One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and the LORD is with him.” ...

2 Chronicles 29:25-30
Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet. For the command had come from the LORD through His prophets. / The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. / And Hezekiah ordered that the burnt offering be sacrificed on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD and the trumpets began as well, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel. ...

1 Samuel 10:5-11
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 by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying. / Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be transformed into a different person. / When these signs have come, do as the occasion demands, for God is with you. ...

2 Chronicles 5:12-14
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 / so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud. For the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.

2 Kings 3:15
But now, bring me a harpist.” And while the harpist played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha

Nehemiah 12:27-30
At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from all their homes and brought to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres. / The singers were also assembled from the region around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites, / from Beth-gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for they had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. ...

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.

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 81:2
Lift up a song, strike the tambourine, play the sweet-sounding harp and lyre.

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 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 144:9
I will sing to You a new song, O God; on a harp of ten strings I will make music to You—

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.


Treasury of Scripture

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

cast lots

1 Chronicles 24:5
Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for the governors of the sanctuary, and governors of the house of God, were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.

Leviticus 16:8
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.

1 Samuel 14:41,42
Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped…

ward against ward

1 Chronicles 24:31
These likewise cast lots over against their brethren the sons of Aaron in the presence of David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites, even the principal fathers over against their younger brethren.

1 Chronicles 26:13,16
And they cast lots, as well the small as the great, according to the house of their fathers, for every gate…

Nehemiah 12:24
And the chief of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, ward over against ward.

1 Chronicles 15:22
And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful.

2 Chronicles 23:13
And she looked, and, behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entering in, and the princes and the trumpets by the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of musick, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason, Treason.

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Asaph Fell First Forth Gedaliah Gedali'ah Group Joseph Lot Relatives Second Twelve
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1 Chronicles 25
1. The number and offices of the singers
8. Their division by lot into twenty-four orders














The first lot fell
The casting of lots was a common biblical practice used to discern God's will in decision-making. In Hebrew, the word for "lot" is "goral," which signifies a portion or destiny. This method underscores the belief in divine sovereignty, where God is seen as actively guiding the outcomes of seemingly random events. The use of lots here emphasizes the importance of divine selection in the service of worship, ensuring that those chosen were appointed by God Himself.

to Asaph
Asaph was a prominent figure in the Levitical musical tradition, known for his role as a chief musician during the reigns of David and Solomon. His name, meaning "gatherer" or "collector," reflects his role in gathering the Levites for worship. Asaph is also credited with several Psalms, indicating his deep spiritual insight and contribution to Israel's worship life. His selection by lot highlights the continuity of his family's service in the temple, a testament to their faithfulness and dedication.

to Joseph
This Joseph is likely a descendant of Asaph, continuing the family tradition of musical service. The name "Joseph" means "He will add," reflecting a sense of divine blessing and increase. In the context of temple service, it suggests the idea of God adding to the worship experience through the talents and dedication of Joseph and his family.

his sons, and his brothers—12 in all
The number twelve is significant in biblical numerology, often representing completeness or divine order, as seen in the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles. The inclusion of both sons and brothers indicates a family unit dedicated to worship, emphasizing the communal and generational aspect of serving God. This structure ensured that worship was a shared responsibility, fostering unity and continuity in the temple's musical ministry.

the second to Gedaliah
Gedaliah, whose name means "God is great," was another leader in the Levitical musical order. His selection signifies the diversity and richness of the worship leaders chosen by God. The name itself is a declaration of God's sovereignty and greatness, a fitting reminder for those leading others in worship.

his sons, and his brothers—12 in all
Again, the repetition of the number twelve reinforces the idea of divine order and completeness. It also suggests a well-organized and structured approach to worship, where each group had a specific role and responsibility. This organization ensured that worship was conducted with excellence and reverence, reflecting the glory and majesty of God.

(9) Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph.--See 1Chronicles 25:2, according to which Joseph was the second "son" of Asaph. Although not stated in the text, it must have been true of Joseph as of all the following heads, that "he, and his sons and his brethren were twelve." The specified total of 288 (1Chronicles 25:7) requires it.

The second to Gedaliah, who with his brethren and sons were twelve.--Rather, Gedaliah was the second, he and his brethren and his sons--twelve. The "brethren" and "sons" of the chiefs, in this and the following verses, are the eleven masters, or proficients, in each class.

Brethren.--Fellow-clansmen, or associates.

Sons.--Disciples, or subordinates.

Perhaps, however, we should think of elder and younger families, grouped together in one class.

Verses 9-31. - List of the choirs in the order in which their lots came. The formula, his sons, and his brethren, which follows twenty-two out of the twenty-four leaders' names which now come before us, is absent from ver. 9, where we should have looked for it, viz. after the name Joseph. It has been supposed that this is a mere omission of carelessness. But this can scarcely be asserted conclusively. It is observable, for instance, that the order of the formula in the same verse, on occasion of its very first occurrence, is not identical with the other twenty-two instances of it, the word "brethren" preceding "sons," and the pronoun "he" being expressed. The preposition (ל) is sometimes expressed and sometimes not expressed before both the proper names and the ordinal numerals of the list. Examination of the contents of these verses shows, either that it was due to the Divine direction of the lot (Proverbs 16:33) that an issue resulted which looks so unlike mere chance, and the system of which is so methodical and traceable; or that the lot-taking was not one of families and sons, all thrown together from the first. This supposition would, of course, leave room for some such ingenious hypothesis as that of Berthean, too artificial by far to be defensible except as a theory that would indeed work out the result. He suggests that the modus operandi was by two urns, one for the first seven odd numbers, into which were put the names of Asaph's four sons and of the second, third, and fourth of Heman; the other for the first seven even numbers, into which were put the six sons of Jeduthun and the first of Heman. Turning from such a concocted theory to these verses, we find that the first cast brings to the surface the second son of Asaph, and the second cast brings up the eldest son of Jeduthun. At the end of the seventh all of Asaph's sons are exhausted, and what would have been his next place (the ninth) is occupied by the second son of Heman, whose eldest had just taken the sixth place so thrown out by the lot. At the end of the fourteenth throw Jeduthun's six sons are all used up, and all the remaining places belong to Heman's sons, but still in the order in which they are thrown out by the lot.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The first
הָרִאשׁ֛וֹן (hā·ri·šō·wn)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7223: First, in place, time, rank

lot,
הַגּוֹרָ֧ל (hag·gō·w·rāl)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1486: Lot -- a lot (for casting)

[which was] for Asaph,
לְאָסָ֖ף (lə·’ā·sāp̄)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 623: Asaph -- 'gatherer', the name of several Israelites

fell
וַיֵּצֵ֞א (way·yê·ṣê)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

to Joseph, [his sons, and his brothers—12 in all];
לְיוֹסֵ֑ף (lə·yō·w·sêp̄)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3130: Joseph -- 'he increases', a son of Jacob, also the name of several Israelites

the second
הַשֵּׁנִ֔י (haš·šê·nî)
Article | Number - ordinal masculine singular
Strong's 8145: Second (an ordinal number)

to Gedaliah,
גְּדַלְיָ֙הוּ֙ (gə·ḏal·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1436: Gedaliah -- 'Yah is great', three Israelites

his sons,
וּבָנָ֖יו (ū·ḇā·nāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

and his brothers—
וְאֶחָ֥יו (wə·’e·ḥāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 251: A brother, )

12 [in all];
שְׁנֵ֥ים (šə·nêm)
Number - md
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)


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OT History: 1 Chronicles 25:9 Now the first lot came forth (1 Chron. 1Ch iCh i Ch 1 chr 1chr)
1 Chronicles 25:8
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