1 Chronicles 25:8

_AND THEY CAST LOTS, WARD AGAINST WARD, AS WELL THE SMALL AS THE GREAT, THE TEACHER AS THE SCHOLAR._ They cast lots, ward against ward. "Ward" is an old English word for division or company. The lot was cast to determine the precedence of the classes or divisions over which the musical leaders presided; and, in order to secure an impartial arrangement of their order, the master and his assistants, the teacher and his scholars, in each class or company, took part in this solemn casting of lots. In the first catalogue given in this chapter the courses are classed according to their employment as musicians; in the second, they are arranged in the order of their service....

AS WELL THE SMALL AS THE GREAT - Compare 1 Chronicles 24:31. The lot was not applied indiscriminately to all the 24 courses, but was only used to settle which course of Asaph, which of Jeduthun, and which of Heman, should on each occasion be taken. Asaph was given the precedence over his brethren, and his four courses were assigned the first, and then each alternate place. Jeduthun took rank next, and received alternate places, first with Asaph, and then with Heman, until his courses were exhausted. After this, all the later places fell necessarily to Heman, whose courses continue without interruption from the 15th....

EXPOSITION 1 CHRONICLES 25:1 The families of the three chiefs in song. 1 CHRONICLES 25:1 The twenty-four courses of those who were to be engaged in the temple service as singers and musicians fill up this chapter. They are to be taken from the three great families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. For THE CAPTAINS OF THE HOST, as designating those who superintended the order of temple worship, see 1 Chronicles 22:17; 1Ch 23:2; 1 Chronicles 24:6; as also...

AND THEY CAST LOTS, WARD AGAINST WARD,.... That is, which ward or course of the singers should answer to and attend on the first ward or course of the priests in their weekly service, and which the second, and so on: AS WELL THE SMALL AS THE GREAT, THE TEACHER AS THE SCHOLAR; no regard was had to the age of a person, his being the firstborn or a younger brother, or to his office and station, whether as a teacher or a learner in the science of singing; he was made the head of a course, as the lot came up; and it may easily be observed, by comparing the lots in the following verses with the sons of the chief singers, according to the order of them in 1 Chronicles 25:2 that the younger are often preferred in the courses by lot to the elder, of which even the first lot is an instance....

4. THE SINGERS AND MUSICIANS OF THE TEMPLE CHAPTER 25 _ 1. Sons of Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman (1 Chronicles 25:1)_ 2. Their division by Lot into twenty-four (1 Chronicles 25:8) As we have seen before, Asaph, Jeduthun (Ethan) and Heman were the master leaders in song and music; their service was eminently spiritual, for we read “they should prophesy.” Heman especially is called the king's seer in the words of God. This is a significant expression. How much there is in what is termed “worship”, which has nothing whatever of the words of God in it. In most of the songs used in our times there is little of the words of God and many contain unscriptural and sentimental phrases. Israel's worship in song and music was to be spiritual, prophesying and in the words

THE TEMPLE SINGERS AND MUSICIANS. The musicians, according to the Chronicler, also consisted of twenty-four courses. 1 Chronicles 25:1. Asaph... HEMAN. JEDUTHUN: see note on 1 Chronicles 15:17. WHO SHOULD PROPHESY WITH HARPS...: according to the Chronicler the Temple musician ranked with the prophet; but he had authority for doing so, since it is evident from 1 Samuel 10:5 f. that the playing of musical instruments was associated with the prophetic office. In 2 Chronicles 20:14 it is said that the spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, one of the sons of Asaph....

CAST LOTS. See notes on the Urim and Thummim (Exodus 28:30; Numbers 26:55). WARD. charge.. word belonging to usage of Pentateuch. Compare 1 Chronicles 23:32....

The Allotment of the Courses 8. _ward against_ward] R.V. (guessing the sense rightly) FOR THEIR CHARGES (i.e. duties), ALL ALIKE. The Hebrew text however is faulty. _the teacher as the scholar_ LXX. τελείων καὶ μανθανόντων (i.e. _the initiated and the learners_). For "the teacher" we should perhaps render "the skilful" as in 1 Chronicles 25:7, R.V.; the Heb. word is the same. It is to be noted that we have here twenty-four courses of singers corresponding with the twenty-four courses of the priests....

THEY CAST LOTS WARD AGAINST WARD— _They cast lots, according to each of their classes._ Houbigant....

LESSON TWELVE 25-26 THE APPOINTMENT OF MUSICIANS DOORKEEPERS AND STEWARDS OF THE TEMPLE TREASURY 17. THE TEMPLE SINGERS (Chapter 25) INTRODUCTION David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, showed real interest in the musical program of the Temple. The instrumentalists and the singers were equipped and appointed. The physical matters such as guards and treasurers were also attended to by David. TEXT 1 Chronicles 25:1. Moreover David and the captains of the host set apart for the service certain 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 them that did the work according to their service was: 2. of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asharelah, the sons of Asaph, under the hand of Asaph, who prophesied after the order of the king.