The number and offices of the singers and players on musicalinstruments; and their division by lot into twenty-four courses, 1-31.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXV
Verse 1. "David and the captains of the host" - The chiefs of those who formed the several orders: not military captains.
"Should prophesy" - Should accompany their musicalinstruments with prayer and singing.
Verse 2. "Which prophesied" - Sung hymns and prayed. But the Targum understands this of prophesying in the proper sense of the term; and therefore says, "Who prophesied by the Holy Spirit." Jarchi is of the same opinion and quotes the case of Elisha, 2 Kings iii. 15; While the minstrel played, the hand of the Lord [i.e., the spirit of prophecy] was upon him.
Verse 3. "The sons of Jeduthun-six" - That is, six with their father, otherwise, there are but five. Hence it is said, they were under the hands of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp, &c.
Verse 5. "To lift up the horn" - "The horn of prophecy," says Jarchi; "to sound with the trumpet in the words of prophecy before the Lord." -T.
"Three daughters." - These also were employed among the singers.
Verse 7. "Two hundred fourscore and eight." - That it twelve classes of twenty-four Levites each; for two hundred and eighty-eight divided by twelve quotes twenty-four.
Verse 9. "For Asaph to Joseph" - His first-born.
"The second to Gedaliah" - The first-born of Jeduthun.
Verse 10. "The third to Zaccur" - The first-born of Asaph.
Verse 11. "The fourth to Izri" - The second son of Jeduthun.
Verse 12. "The fifth to Nethaniah" - The third son of Asaph. Thus we find the lot did not run in any particular kind of order.
Verse 14. "Jesharelah" - Supposed to be the same with Uzziel, son of Heman.
Verse 31. "Romamti-ezer" - Both these names belong to the same person. He is mentioned also ver. 4.
With this immense parade of noise and show, (David's own invention,) Christianity has nothing to do.
