Asaph

16David told the Levite leaders to choose their relatives to be singers. They would sing loudly and with joy. They would play harps, lyres, and cymbals as they sang.

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.

NoteA harp and a lyre are wooden instruments with strings you pluck. Cymbals are round metal plates you crash together.

17So the Levites chose Heman son of Joel. From his relatives they chose Asaph son of Berechiah. From the family of Merari they chose Ethan son of Kushaiah.

So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;

18With them were the helpers who came next in rank. They were Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Elipheleh, and Mikneiah. Obed-edom and Jeiel were the gatekeepers.

And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters.

NoteGatekeepers were guards. They watched the doors and kept people from coming in.

19The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to play the bronze cymbals.

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

NoteBronze is a hard, shiny metal. Bronze cymbals made a loud, ringing crash.

20Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps. They played them in the style called Alamoth.

And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth;

NoteAlamoth was a way of playing music. It may have meant playing in high notes. Nobody today knows for sure.

21Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music. They played lyres in the style called Sheminith.

And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.

NoteSheminith was another way of playing. It may have meant playing in low notes.

22Chenaniah, a Levite leader, was in charge of the singing. He taught the others how to sing, because he was very good at it.

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

23Berechiah and Elkanah were guards for the ark.

And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

24The priests Shebaniah, Jehoshaphat, Nethaneel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer blew the trumpets in front of the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were also guards for the ark.

And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

NoteThese trumpets were long, straight horns made of silver. Priests blew them at big moments so everyone would notice.

4David chose some Levites to serve in front of the ark. Levites were the family who helped with worship. Their job was to call out to the LORD, thank him, and praise him.

And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to record, and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel:

NoteThe Levites were one big family group in Israel. God gave them the job of helping with worship.

5Asaph was the leader. Zechariah came next. Then came Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and another Jeiel. They played harps and lyres, which are stringed instruments. Asaph played the cymbals.

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;

NoteThe King James word "psalteries" means instruments with strings, a little like small harps. Cymbals are two round metal plates. You clash them together to make a loud ring.

6Benaiah and Jahaziel were priests. They blew the trumpets again and again in front of the ark of God's covenant.

Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.

NoteA priest was a man whose job was to help people worship God. A covenant is a strong promise between two sides.

7That day David first gave this song of thanks to Asaph and his relatives to sing.

Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.

NoteA psalm is a song or poem sung to God. The King James word "brethren" means brothers or relatives.

37So David left Asaph and his relatives there in front of the ark. They were to serve there every day, doing the work each day needed.

So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required:

38Obed-edom and sixty-eight of his relatives stayed too. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were gatekeepers, who guarded the doors.

And Obededom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obededom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be porters:

NoteA score means twenty. So the King James "threescore and eight" means sixty-eight. Gatekeepers guarded the doors and watched who came in.

1King David and the army leaders chose men for a special job. They picked men from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. These men would sing God's words while playing harps, lyres, and cymbals. Here is the list of the men who did this work.

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, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen according to their service was:

NoteTo prophesy here means to sing songs that carried God's message. A lyre was a small harp with strings you pluck. Cymbals are two metal plates you clash together.

2From Asaph's sons: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. Their father Asaph was in charge of them. The king told Asaph how the work should be done.

Of 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.

3From Jeduthun's sons: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah. There were six of them. Their father Jeduthun was in charge of them. He played the harp and sang God's words, thanking and praising the LORD.

Of 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.

NoteWhen LORD is printed in big letters, it stands for God's own name. The people of Israel used that name when they talked about God.

4From Heman's sons: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth.

Of Heman: the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamtiezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth:

5All these were sons of Heman. Heman was the king's seer, a man who told the king what God said. God had promised to make Heman strong and honored. God gave him fourteen sons and three daughters.

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 fourteen sons and three daughters.

NoteThe King James says God gave Heman sons "to lift up the horn." A horn was a picture of strength, like the strong horn on an animal. So it means God made Heman strong and important.

6Their fathers led all of them in the singing at the LORD's house. They played cymbals, lyres, and harps for the worship there. The king told Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman what to do.

All 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.

NoteThe LORD's house was the special place where people came to worship God. In David's day it was a large tent. Later David's son built a temple there.

7They and their relatives were all taught to sing the LORD's songs. Every one of them was skilled at it. There were 288 of them in all.

So 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.

NoteThe number 288 is twenty-four groups with twelve singers in each group.

8They drew lots to see which group would serve at which time. Young and old were treated the same. So were teachers and students.

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

NoteDrawing lots was a little like drawing straws. People believed God gave the answer this way. Then nobody could say another family got a better turn.

9The first lot went to Joseph, from Asaph's family. The second went to Gedaliah. With his sons and relatives, there were twelve.

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

NoteEach of the twenty-four groups had its own turn to sing at God's house. The lots decided the order of the turns.

11Then the priests came out of the holy room. Every priest who was there had made himself ready for God. They did not take turns that day, as they usually did.

And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:

NoteGetting ready for God meant washing and putting on clean clothes. It was a way of showing respect. There were many priests, so they usually worked in groups. Each group took its turn. On this day they all came at once.

12The Levites who sang were all there. They came from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. Their sons and relatives came too. They wore white linen clothes. They played cymbals, harps, and lyres. They stood on the east side of the altar. With them stood one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets.

Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)

NoteLinen is soft cloth made from a plant. Cymbals are round metal plates you clash together. A lyre is a small harp you hold in your arms. An altar is a stone table where gifts were offered to God. Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun were families known for their music.

13The trumpet players and the singers made one single sound together. They praised the LORD and thanked him with one voice. They lifted their voices with trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments. They sang, "He is good. His faithful love lasts forever." Then a cloud filled the house, the house of the LORD.

It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;

NoteA thick cloud was how God showed people he had come. The same thing happened long before at the tent in the desert.

14The priests could not stand up and do their work. It was because of the cloud. The shining glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

NoteGlory means a bright, shining light. It showed that God himself was there.

25The king had the Levites stand in God's house with cymbals, harps, and lyres. These are all music instruments. David had given this order long before, along with Gad the king's seer and Nathan the prophet. A seer and a prophet both told people what God said. This order came from the LORD through them.

And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandment of the LORD by his prophets.

NoteCymbals are round metal plates you crash together. A lyre is a small harp you hold in your arms. Gad and Nathan lived back in King David's time, long before Hezekiah.

26The Levites stood there with the instruments David had made. The priests stood there with the trumpets.

And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.

NoteThese trumpets were long, straight silver horns. Priests were the ones who blew them.

27Hezekiah gave the word to offer the burnt offering on the altar. When it began, the song to the LORD began too. The trumpets played, and so did the instruments of David, king of Israel.

And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel.

28All the people worshiped. The singers sang. The trumpet players played. This went on until the burnt offering was finished.

And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.

29When the offerings were done, the king bowed down low. Everyone with him bowed down and worshiped too.

And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped.

30King Hezekiah and his leaders told the Levites to sing praise to the LORD. They used the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang with joy. They bowed their heads and worshiped.

Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.

NoteAsaph wrote songs for worship. Some of his songs are in the book of Psalms.

10So everything was ready. The priests stood in their places. The Levites stood in their groups, just as the king had said.

So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the king’s commandment.

11They killed the Passover lambs. The priests took the blood and sprinkled it. The Levites took the skins off the animals.

And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them.

NoteThe blood was sprinkled to show the animal was given to God. The skins were pulled off before the meat was cooked.

12They set aside the animals for burnt offerings. These were handed out to the family groups of the people to offer to the LORD. The book of Moses said to do it this way. They did the same with the bulls.

And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen.

NoteA burnt offering was an animal burned all the way up on the fire. Nobody ate it. The whole thing was a gift for God.

13They roasted the Passover meat over fire, the way the rule said. They boiled the other holy offerings in pots, kettles, and pans. Then they handed the food out quickly to all the people.

And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but the other holy offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the people.

NoteThe rules said Passover meat must be roasted over fire, not boiled. Other gift animals could be boiled in water instead.

14After that, the Levites made food ready for themselves and for the priests. The priests come from the family of Aaron. They were busy burning offerings and fat until night. So the Levites did the work for them.

And afterward they made ready for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron.

NoteAaron was Moses' brother. God chose his family to be the priests. The fat of the animals was burned on the fire as God's part.

15The singers from Asaph's family stood in their places. King David had set this up with Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. Jeduthun was the king's seer, a man who heard messages from God. The gatekeepers stayed at every gate. They did not have to leave, because other Levites brought their food.

And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the porters waited at every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

NoteAsaph's family had sung at the temple for many years. Gatekeepers were men who watched the doors and let people in.

44That same day, men were chosen to care for the storerooms. These rooms held gifts, first crops, and tithes. A tithe was one part out of ten that people gave to God. The gifts came in from the fields around the towns. God's law said these gifts belonged to the priests and Levites. The people of Judah were glad for the priests and Levites who served.

And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.

NoteFirst crops means the very first food picked from a field. People gave that part to God before keeping any.

45The singers and gatekeepers did the work God gave them. They also did the work of keeping things clean and holy. King David and his son Solomon had planned it this way.

And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God, and the ward of the purification, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son.

NoteSolomon was David's son and became king after him. He built the first temple in Jerusalem.

46Long before, when David and Asaph lived, there were leaders for the singers. There were also songs to praise and thank God.

For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.

NoteAsaph was a music leader when David was king. He wrote songs that people sang to God.

47In the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, all Israel gave food to the singers and gatekeepers. They gave a share every day. They also set apart gifts for the Levites. The Levites then set apart gifts for the family of Aaron.

And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, every day his portion: and they sanctified holy things unto the Levites; and the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron.

NoteAaron was Moses' brother and the very first priest. All the priests came from his family.