CHAPTER 25 Oct. 8 
The Sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun
Moreover, David and the captains of the army set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments and cymbals. The number of those who did the work according to their service was: 2Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asharelah, the sons of Asaph, under the hand of Asaph, who prophesied after the order of the king. 3Of Jeduthun; the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun with the harp, who prophesied in giving thanks and praising Yahweh. 4Of Heman; the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir and Mahazioth. 5All these were the sons of Heman the king’s prophet of the words of God, to lift up the horn. God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. 6All these were under the hands of their father for the singing ministry in the house of Yahweh, with cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, for the service of God’s house: Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman being under the order of the king. 7The number of them, with their brothers who were instructed in singing to Yahweh, even all who were skilful, was two hundred and eighty-eight. 8They cast lots for their offices, all alike, as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar. 9Now the first lot of Asaph came forth to Joseph: the second to Gedaliah, he and his brothers and sons were twelve: 10the third to Zaccur, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 11the fourth to Izri, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 12the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 13the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 14the seventh to Jesharelah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 15the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 16the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 17the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 18the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 19the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 20 the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 21the fourteenth, to Mattithiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 22the fifteenth to Jeremoth, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 23the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 24the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brothers, twelve: 25the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons and his brothers, twelve: 26the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 27the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 28the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 29the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 30the twenty- third to Mahazioth, his sons and his brothers, twelve; 31the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer, his sons and his brothers, twelve.

Commentary

25:2 The “sons” mentioned in these lists could include those who were taught by, e.g., Asaph; the students were understood as “sons” of the teacher (:8).
25:6 The service of God’s house- The temple project became an obsession with Solomon; after his death, his people complained at the “grievous servitude” which Solomon had subjected them to (2 Chron. 10:4). But the Hebrew word “servitude” is that repeatedly used to describe the “service” of the temple by the people (here and 26:8,30; 27:26; 28:13-15,20,21; 29:7; 2 Chron. 8:14). Solomon became obsessed with making others ‘serve God’ when it was effectively serving him; he came to be abusive to God’s people, when the initial idea of the temple was that it was to be built in order to help God’s people serve Him. And such obsession, turning well motivated projects into means of personal ego tripping, with all the resultant abuse, has sadly not been unknown amongst the believers of our generation.