Who shared in the casting of lots for the musicians’ courses?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Elder and younger shared equally, with learned and unlearned together. The chapter names the appointed families, gives 288 teachers of the Lord’s song and records the 24 lots.

Chapter breakdown

The chapter gives the number and divisions of the musicians.

David and the chief officers of the army set apart the sons of Asaph, Heman and Idithun for ministry: to prophesy with harps, psalteries and cymbals, according to their number in their appointed office. Asaph’s sons were Zacchur, Joseph, Nathania and Asarela, under Asaph’s hand, prophesying near the king. Idithun’s sons are named as Godolias, Sori, Jeseias, Hasabias and Mathathias. The verse says six, although it names five here. They were under their father Idithun, who prophesied with a harp to give thanks and praise the Lord.

Heman’s sons were Bocciau, Mathaniau, Oziel, Subuel, Jerimoth, Hananias, Hanani, Eliatha, Geddelthi, Romemthiezer, Jesbacassa, Mellothi, Othir and Mahazioth. They were sons of Heman, the king’s seer in the words of God, “to lift up the horn.” God gave Heman 14 sons and three daughters.

Under their father’s hand, they were distributed to sing in the Lord’s temple with cymbals, psalteries and harps, for service in the Lord’s house near the king: Asaph, Idithun and Heman. With their brethren, those who taught the Lord’s song—all the teachers—numbered 288. They cast lots by their courses, elder equally with younger, learned and unlearned together.

The first lot went to Joseph, who was of Asaph. The second went to Godolias, with his sons and brethren, 12. The remaining lots followed this order, each naming the recipient with his sons and brethren, 12: third Zachur; fourth Isari; fifth Nathania; sixth Bocciau; seventh Isreela; eighth Jesaia; ninth Mathanaias; tenth Semeias; eleventh Azareel; twelfth Hasabia; thirteenth Subael; fourteenth Mathathias; fifteenth Jerimoth; sixteenth Hananias; seventeenth Jesbacassa; eighteenth Hanani; nineteenth Mellothi; twentieth Eliatha; twenty-first Othir; twenty-second Geddelthi; twenty-third Mahazioth; twenty-fourth Romemthiezer.

The story inside

David and the chief army officers set apart the families of Asaph, Heman and Idithun for a ministry the chapter calls prophesying with instruments. Each family is described under its father’s direction, and Idithun’s harp is specifically tied to thanking and praising the Lord. Heman is named as the king’s seer, with 14 sons and three daughters given by God. The account moves from these families to their temple singing, the total of 288 teachers and the allocation of courses. Elder and younger, learned and unlearned participate together in the lots. The ordered results begin with Joseph of Asaph and end with Romemthiezer; the clauses from the second lot onward specify the named man with his sons and brethren, 12.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Music belongs to the appointed ministry described here. The opening names harps, psalteries and cymbals, and Idithun’s harp serves thanksgiving and praise. These stated purposes explain the assignment without supplying motives about entertainment, artistic pride or national influence.
2
The roster must keep its details even where they are uneven. Idithun’s verse says six but names five; Heman has 14 named sons and three daughters. The later list also uses different spellings for some names. Supplying a sixth name or silently changing the spellings would alter this admitted source.
3
The lots include elder and younger equally and learned and unlearned together. That is the chapter’s stated arrangement. The list preserves all 24 results, but only the second and later lots explicitly repeat the group of 12. It does not describe an apprentice curriculum, a calendar rotation or a guarantee of uninterrupted singing.

Test your recall

David and the army officers set apart the three families → their appointed ministry uses harps, psalteries and cymbals. Idithun prophesies with a harp → thanks and praise are given to the Lord. The musicians serve under their fathers’ hands → temple singing and the 288 teachers are recorded. Elder and younger, learned and unlearned share the lots → the 24 results establish the named courses from Joseph to Romemthiezer.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 43834–43837
1 Paralipomenon Chapter 25 The number and divisions of the musicians.
Lines 43838–43849
25:1. Moreover David and the chief officers of the army separated for the ministry the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Idithun: to prophesy with harps, and with psalteries, and with cymbals according to their number serving in their appointed office. 25:2. Of the sons of Asaph: Zacchur, and Joseph, and Nathania, and Asarela, sons of Asaph: under the hand of Asaph prophesying near the king. 25:3. And of Idithun: the sons of Idithun, Godolias, Sori, Jeseias, and Hasabias, and Mathathias, six, under the hand of their father Idithun, who prophesied with a harp to give thanks and to praise the Lord.
Lines 43851–43857
25:4. Of Heman also: the sons of Heman, Bocciau, Mathaniau, Oziel, Subuel, and Jerimoth, Hananias, Hanani, Eliatha, Geddelthi, and Romemthiezer, and Jesbacassa, Mellothi, Othir, Mahazioth: 25:5. All these were the sons of Heman the seer of the king in the words of God, to lift up the horn: and God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.
Lines 43859–43868
25:6. All these under their father’s hand were distributed to sing in the temple of the Lord, with cymbals, and psalteries and harps, for the service of the house of the Lord near the king: to wit, Asaph, and Idithun, and Heman. 25:7. And the number of them with their brethren, that taught the song of the Lord, all the teachers, were two hundred and eighty-eight. 25:8. And they cast lots by their courses, the elder equally with the younger, the learned and the unlearned together.
Lines 43870–43923
25:9. 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. 25:10. The third to Zachur, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:11. The fourth to Isari, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:12. The fifth to Nathania, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:13. The sixth to Bocciau, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:14. The seventh to Isreela, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:15. The eighth to Jesaia, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:16. The ninth to Mathanaias, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:17. The tenth to Semeias, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:18. The eleventh to Azareel, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:19. The twelfth to Hasabia, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:20. The thirteenth to Subael, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:21. The fourteenth to Mathathias, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:22. The fifteenth to Jerimoth, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:23. The sixteenth to Hananias, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:24. The seventeenth to Jesbacassa, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:25. The eighteenth to Hanani, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:26. The nineteenth to Mellothi, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:27. The twentieth to Eliatha, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:28. The one and twentieth to Othir, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:29. The two and twentieth to Geddelthi, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:30. The three and twentieth to Mahazioth, to his sons and his brethren twelve. 25:31. The four and twentieth to Romemthiezer, to his sons and his brethren twelve.