And these are they that attended, and their sons Of the sons of the Kohathites Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel,
This verse opens the list of singers David set over the music at God's house. Heman stands first, traced back through Joel to Samuel — and behind those names lie rest, gift, and mercy.
The Levites' earlier work was physical. Chronicles marks the moment that work changed:
The book of Numbers tells us their service was to carry the tabernacle and its vessels through the wilderness. The Kohathites carried the most precious burden, including the ark. But here, "after the ark rested there," David appointed men from the three families of the Levites for "the service of song in the house of the LORD."
Another writer applies that change to Christians today:
Now that the ark had rest, and their carrying service was over, how good it was for them to take up the service of praise to the Lord… We are still passing through the wilderness… But we also know that the true Ark, our Lord Jesus Christ, is no longer here. He is in the scene of rest. It is our privilege to join in the service of song that brings delight to His heart and to the heart of His God and Father.
Heman is called "the singer," and three branches of Levi each supplied a leader:
In each of these three families one Levite stood out above the rest, because of the gifts he had received from God. For the Kohathites it was Heman; for the Gershonites, Asaph; for the Merarites, Ethan. The other Levites "were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God" (v. 48).
The verse runs Heman's line back to Samuel through Joel — one of the sons who failed:
Samuel's eldest son was Joel (1 Sam. 8:1), and Scripture names him in connection with the failure of Samuel's sons. But in 1 Chronicles 6:33 we find that Joel's eldest son, Heman, held a most honoured place as one of the singers. In 1 Chronicles 25:1 we find him linked with Asaph and Jeduthun, "who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals." Further on in that chapter we find fourteen sons of Heman, all of them "under the direction of their father in the music in the house of the LORD."
Follow the same list further down (verses 37–38) and it reaches the leader of a rebellion in the wilderness:
1 Chronicles 6:33 and 38 settle two facts. Heman, the central one of the three leading singers of Israel (compare verses 33, 39, 44), was the grandson of the prophet Samuel. And both of them descended from that very man Korah, who led the great rebellion in the wilderness.
Korah's sons did not all perish with him:
It is enough here to recall the awful crisis in Israel's history when Korah's sons were saved as through fire. Compare Numbers 16 with Numbers 26:11. Mercy that day triumphed over judgment… and who is more suited to sing than the delivered sons of the rebellious Levite?
Why check the singers' family line so carefully?
The place song holds in the service we give to God shows in one detail: the leaders of that choir had to have a double witness, or proof, of their right to the name of Levi… No other branch of Levitical service got such care. Why such particular care about the singers? Because only those who have the right may sing. And who now has the right to sing? Redemption gives the right. Should there be songs for slaves? Willing slave or groaning slave, deliverance must come first. With deliverance comes the appointment to sing. The care with which God, through David, assigns the service of song to these three leaders has a meaning for the church now, where all are, or should be, singers, making melody in the heart.
Commentators see David's choir as only a first glimpse:
What melody there will be in the millennial temple! What a "joyful noise" from all lands when Messiah reigns! The ark will rest in its place, prepared by the true David, Who will appoint the singers then and set them over the service. The scene given in 1 Chronicles is but a passing glimpse of what the earth shall see and hear.
- Rest first. Song began only after the ark came to rest. The years of carrying ended, and praise took their place.
- Gift next. Out of each of Levi's three families, one man stood out by the gifts God had given him — Heman, Asaph, Ethan.
- Mercy behind. Heman's line runs back through Samuel to Korah. God spared Korah's children, and the delivered make the fittest singers.
- Right to sing. The record traces the singers' family line more closely than any other Levitical duty. Deliverance gives the right to sing — and in the church now all are, or should be, singers.
- Song ahead. What David arranged was a brief glimpse of the praise the earth will hear when Messiah reigns.
the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah,
These names are links in a chain that runs back from Heman the singer through Samuel to Levi. Two questions follow: why does Chronicles record a singer's ancestry at such length, and where did this line begin?
The names belong to the man set in the middle of Israel's choir. Two other verses in this chapter fix who his grandfather was.
1 Chronicles 6:33, 38 settles the fact that Heman was the grandson of the prophet Samuel. Heman was the central one of the three leading singers of Israel (compare verses 33, 39, 44). And both of them were descendants of that very man Korah, who led the great rebellion in the wilderness.
So the chain runs two ways. One end holds the leader of Israel's song. The other holds the man who led the rebellion in the wilderness. This verse picks the list up just after Samuel, so these four names are Samuel's own ancestors.
Chronicles takes more trouble over the singers' ancestry than over any other Levite job. The reason lies in who has the right to sing.
Song matters as part of the service we owe to God. You can see this in the particular care taken that the leaders of that choir should have a kind of double proof of their right to the name of Levi. Now the genealogy of each of these three leaders is traced backward to Levi... There is no such care shown for any other branch of Levitical service. Why such particular care about the singers? Because no one may sing except those who have the right. And who now has the right to sing? Redemption gives the right. Should there be songs for slaves? Whether the slave is willing or groaning, deliverance must come first. With that deliverance comes the appointment to sing. The care with which God through David assigns the service of song to these three leaders has a meaning for the church now, where all are, or should be, singers, making melody in the heart.
Korah's rebellion brought judgment. Yet his sons did not die with him (Numbers 26:11), and that exception carries this whole family line.
It is enough here to recall the awful crisis in Israel's history when Korah's sons were saved as through fire. Compare Numbers 16 with Numbers 26:11. Mercy that day gloried against judgment... and who is more suited to sing than the delivered sons of the rebellious Levite?
The family's work makes the mercy sharper. Kohath's branch of the Levites carried the holy things, and out of them came the man placed at the centre of praise.
The Kohathites had the privilege of carrying on their shoulders the ark, the table of the bread of the Presence, the golden altar, and the golden lampstand. From among them Heman is chosen for the central place of praise to God... As a descendant of Korah, he had good cause to praise God for His rich mercy.
Samuel's sons failed. Joel, Heman's father in this chapter's chain, is the son remembered in that account.
Even in this sad story of failure and repeated failure, there is a bright side. Samuel's eldest son was Joel (1 Samuel 8:1), and the record names him especially when it tells of the failure of Samuel's sons. But in 1 Chronicles 6:33 we find that Joel's eldest son, Heman, held a most honoured place as one of the singers.
What Heman received, he passed on to his own children.
Perhaps the words "under the hands of their father" tell us something. This delightful family of seventeen children all sang, and they were together in subjection to their father — very different from the families of Eli and Samuel.
Heman held a title as well as a place in the choir.
Heman, "the king's seer in the words of God, to exalt His power," has the largest number of sons. His duties match the glory of the kingdom. Prophecy announced that kingdom, and the word of God established it.
- Named — These names carry Heman's line back through Samuel to Korah.
- Spared — Korah's sons did not die with him. Mercy gloried against judgment that day.
- Qualified — Chronicles checks the singers' line hardest of all. Redemption gives the right to sing, then and now.
- Restored — Samuel's sons failed, yet his grandson holds an honoured place and leads seventeen singing children.
- Pointing on — Heman is the king's seer. His service matches the glory of the kingdom that prophecy announced.
the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai,
This verse sits inside a list of fathers and sons that runs backwards, not forwards — from Heman the singer up through Samuel's family line toward Levi. Zuph, Elkanah, Mahath and Amasai are links in a chain God took unusual care to record. Why would a choir leader need such a record at all?
This is not a general family register. It belongs to the three men David set over the service of song, and it runs in reverse to prove their descent.
Song matters in the service we bring to God. You can see that in the special care taken to give the leaders of that choir a kind of double proof of their right to the name of Levi. That right qualified them to lead the singing and gave them the privileges of the tribe of Levi. Of the sons of Kohath, Heman; of Gershom, Asaph; and of Merari, Ethan. These had already been named in the general list of descendants (16–19). Now the family line of each is traced backward to Levi (1 Chron. 6:33-47). No other branch of Levite service is given care like this. Why such particular care about the singers? Because no one must be allowed to sing except those who have the right. And who has the right to sing now? Redemption gives the right.
The same writer draws the line forward from these three leaders.
The care with which God, through David, gives the service of song to these three leaders has a meaning for the church now, where all are, or should be, singers, making melody in the heart.
The names in this verse belong to the household Samuel came from. Another list of the same men appears at the opening of 1 Samuel, and the meanings of the names tell their own story.
From 1 Chronicles 6:22-28 we learn that Elkanah was a Levite of the sons of Kohath. 1 Samuel 1:1 records the names of four of his forebears. In order of descent they are Zuph (meaning "observer"), Tohu ("low, sunk down"), Elihu ("my God is He") and Jeroham ("he is dearly loved), leading to Elkanah ("God has purchased"). These meanings give some idea of how God was working to accomplish His own will, and the eventual outcome is seen in His servant Samuel.
The same man can appear under more than one spelling in these lists:
Zuph — an Ephrathite (and Kohathite). An ancestor of Samuel the prophet. 1 Sam. 1:1; 1 Chr. 6:35. Called ZOPHAI in 1 Chr. 6:26.
Follow the names past this verse and they reach Korah. He led an open revolt against Moses and Aaron, and he died for it.
1 Chronicles 6:33 and 38 settle two facts. Heman, the central one of the three leading singers of Israel, was the grandson of the prophet Samuel. And both men were descendants of that very man Korah, who led the great rebellion in the wilderness. The children of Dathan and Abiram went down with their parents alive into the pit. "Nevertheless, the sons of Korah did not die" (Num. 26:11). His sons seem to have left their father alone in his wickedness. So from the sons of the very man who challenged the authority of Moses and Aaron in the wilderness came the prophet who said to Israel, "The LORD is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron" (1 Sam. 12:6, 8).
That family history is the very reason the appointment makes sense.
The Kohathites had the privilege of carrying the ark on their shoulders, along with the table of the bread of the Presence, the golden altar and the golden lampstand. And Heman, from among them, is chosen for the central place of praise to God. He is spoken of as "Heman the singer," and his genealogy is traced through Korah to Levi. As a descendant of Korah, he had good cause to praise God for His rich mercy. Dathan and Abiram died with their children, and Korah shared their fate. Yet the record says, "Nevertheless, the sons of Korah did not die" (Num. 26:11). God spared them in His sovereign mercy, so no one was better suited to sing of the goodness and mercy of God.
Every Levite had a place, but not the same place. Within the three branches of the tribe, one name in each stands at the head of the music.
In each of these three families one Levite stood out above the rest by reason of the gifts he had received from God: for the Kohathites, Heman; for the Gershonites, Asaph; for the Merarites, Ethan. The other Levites "were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God" (v. 48).
Long name-lists can look like filler. Commentators read them as the key to Chronicles: God's plan to bring His own Son into the world through a human line.
In Chronicles the ruin is just as plain to read as in the earlier books. But the point here is God's settled plan to bring in His Only-begotten through a human line — and He is still His only begotten Son. In other words, God's purpose stands out more in Chronicles. The genealogy is proof of this, and gives the key to the book.
- Right — Only the singers have their line traced back to Levi. No one sang who could not show the right to sing, and redemption is what gives that right.
- Names — Zuph and Elkanah place this verse inside Samuel's family. Zuph is also spelled Zophai, and the meanings of the names trace God's work toward His servant Samuel.
- Mercy — Keep following the line and it reaches Korah the rebel. His sons did not die, so the choir's founding family is a family God spared.
- Fitness — Because they owed their lives to mercy, no one was better suited to lead Israel in praising God's goodness. In the church now, all are, or should be, singers.
- Purpose — Chronicles keeps these lists for one reason: God's Son was coming through this human line.
the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah,
These four names sit inside a list that runs back from Heman the singer to Levi, one link at a time. Why would God spend a chapter of Scripture proving the family tree of a man whose job was to sing?
Heman heads a list that belongs to a new stage of service for the Levites, the tribe who served God at the tabernacle — the tent where He met Israel.
In verse 16, the Spirit of God takes up the genealogy of the Levites again. This time He follows the order of birth that had established their families. The book of Numbers teaches us that their service was to carry the tabernacle and its utensils through the wilderness. The most precious burden, including the ark, was entrusted to the Kohathites. But here we find that after the ark "rested there," David appointed men from the three families of the Levites to be "in charge of the music in the house of the LORD."
Heman had already appeared in the general list of Levi's descendants earlier in the chapter. Now his descent is walked through again, name by name, and the same care is taken with the other two song leaders.
Song matters as part of the service given to God. You can see this in the special care taken that the leaders of that choir should have a double witness to their right to the name of Levi. That right showed they were qualified to lead the singing and to share the privileges of the tribe of Levi. Of the sons of Kohath, Heman; of Gershom, Asaph; of Merari, Ethan. All three were already in the general list of descendants; now the genealogy of each is traced back to Levi. No other branch of Levitical service gets such care. Why such particular care about the singers? Because only those who have the right may sing. And who now have the right to sing? Redemption gives the right.
A few names further on, the chain reaches Korah, who perished in the wilderness. Israel's chief singer came from his family.
The Kohathites had the privilege of carrying on their shoulders the ark, the table of the bread of the Presence, the golden altar and the golden lampstand. From among them Heman is chosen for the central place of praise to God. He is spoken of as "Heman the singer," and his genealogy is traced through Korah to Levi. As a descendant of Korah, he had good reason to praise God for His rich mercy. When Dathan and Abiram perished with their children, and Korah shared their fate, it is recorded, "Nevertheless, the sons of Korah did not die" (Num. 26:11). They were spared in the sovereign mercy of God, so there were none more suited to sing of the goodness and mercy of God.
Several men named Elkanah stand in Heman's line. One of them, a few links above this verse, was the father of Samuel the prophet.
In Chronicles we look beyond this scene, to the kingdom and the glory. The genealogy is now traced down to Korah. Yes, the highly privileged Heman, the leader of the songs of the Lord, was grandson to Samuel. And we may read further of Heman and his brothers in 1 Chronicles 25, how David set them apart for this happy service of praise.
Chronicles was written for people coming home from exile in Babylon. A list like this decided whether a man could take up his place.
The condition of Israel bore the mark of the ruin that had come on them. But it also bore the mark of the goodness of God. He had brought back a remnant. And He had preserved everything needed to place those who formed it in the record of His people. Where the needed proof of title was missing, the people lost their proper privileges, and the priests lost their place as priests. These genealogies served as a means of recognising the people. Happy the man who had preserved his own, and who valued the heritage of the Lord so highly! It was a proof of faith; for it might have been said, What use are these genealogies in Babylon?
Most names in this verse do nothing but link one generation to the next.
It is deeply sobering to the soul to be allowed to go over such a record of names. Man forgot these names long ago. Yet God has remembered every one of them, with every detail of their pathway through this world. Some day our names too will be lost to mankind, but neither we nor our ways will be forgotten by God.
- Mercy first. This line runs back to Korah, who perished in the wilderness while his sons were spared. Israel's chief singer came from a family kept alive by God's mercy.
- Mercy gives the right. Only the singers have their descent traced twice. No one may sing without the right, and redemption gives that right.
- Mercy assigns the work. Once the ark was at rest, David gave the service of song to the family that had carried the holiest burdens.
- Mercy reaches far. Samuel stands in this same chain; Heman, the leader of the Lord's songs, was his grandson.
- Mercy is recorded. The list proved the returning remnant's title. Keeping it in Babylon was a proof of faith. Men forget these names; God does not.
the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,
This verse ends a family line that runs backwards, and it stops at Korah. He was the Levite who led a rebellion against Moses in the wilderness, and the earth swallowed him. Yet the man whose ancestry this is, Heman, was the chief singer in God's house. How does a leader of praise come from that family?
Verses 33–38 walk backwards from Heman the singer through his forefathers. One writer marks both ends of the chain: the prophet Samuel near the top, Korah at the bottom.
The genealogy is now traced down to Korah. Yes, the greatly privileged Heman, the leader of the songs of the Lord, was grandson to Samuel.
Ebiasaph is named here as a son of Korah. A reference work links him with the Abiasaph of Exodus 6:24, and notes that another list sets him further down the line from Korah.
Abiasaph: a Levite, one of the sons of Korah, and the head of one of the families of the Korhites. Exodus 6:24. In 1 Chronicles 6:37 and 1 Chronicles 9:19 there is EBIASAPH, a son of Korah, who is probably the same. The Ebiasaph of 1 Chronicles 6:23 is apparently a great-grandson of Korah.
This family line only continued because of one sentence in Numbers. One writer uses it to explain why Heman, of all people, took the central place of praise.
The Kohathites had the privilege of carrying the ark, the table of the bread of the Presence, the golden altar and the golden lampstand on their shoulders. From among them Heman is chosen for the central place of praise to God. He is called "Heman a singer," and his genealogy runs through Korah to Levi. As a descendant of Korah, he had good cause to praise God for His rich mercy. Dathan and Abiram perished with their children, and Korah shared their fate. Yet Scripture records, "Nevertheless, the sons of Korah did not die" (Numbers 26:11). God spared them in His sovereign mercy. So no one was better suited to sing of the goodness and mercy of God.
One writer sets that rescue beside what God will do again in days to come.
Remember the terrible crisis in Israel's history, when God saved Korah's sons as though through fire. Compare Numbers 16 with Numbers 26:11. That day mercy triumphed over judgment. It will do so again in the future, when the power of evil looks so overwhelming that judgment might seem the only possible outcome.
Korah's rebellion attacked the authority of Moses and Aaron. Generations later, a prophet from his spared line told Israel the opposite.
1 Chronicles 6:33 and 38 make it plain that Heman, the central one of the three leading singers of Israel, was the grandson of the prophet Samuel. Both were descendants of that very man Korah, who led the great rebellion in the wilderness. Korah's sons appear to have left their father alone in his wickedness. And from the sons of the very man who disputed the authority of Moses and Aaron in the wilderness came the prophet who spoke to Israel and said, "It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron" (1 Samuel 12:6, 8).
This verse belongs to a carefully documented family line. One writer asks why only the singers needed that.
Song matters as part of the service we owe to God. You can see this in the special care taken to give the leaders of that choir a double witness to their right to the name of Levi, and so to their right to lead the singing. No other branch of Levitical service gets such care. Why such particular care about the singers? Because only those who have the right may sing. And who now have the right to sing? Redemption gives the right. Should there be songs for slaves? Whether the slave is willing or groaning, deliverance must come first. With that deliverance comes the appointment to sing.
Being spared was not the end of what this family received. One writer traces the further gift and turns it on the reader.
Yes, in the riches of sovereign grace God saved them from going down alive into the pit. And this was not all. As part of the family of Kohath they received the cities of refuge, and Hebron is named first among them. (1 Chronicles 6:54-67.) Oh, how our God delights in mercy! Grace spares them from the pit, and gives them the place of Abraham; for Abraham lived in Hebron. Saved from the lowest depths of the pit, these very sons of Korah kept the gates of the house of the LORD and had charge of its chambers and treasuries. (1 Chronicles 9:19-32.) What a stewardship!
- Rebellion. The list of fathers in this verse runs back to Korah, the Levite who rose against Moses and Aaron and died under judgment.
- Sparing. His children did not die with him. Commentators point to Numbers 26:11 and call it mercy triumphing over judgment.
- Reversal. Out of that spared line came Samuel, who told Israel that the LORD had appointed the very men Korah opposed.
- Song. The same line gave Israel Heman the chief singer. Writers say no one was better suited to sing of God's mercy than a man kept from the pit.
- Right. Only those with a right may sing, so Israel checked the singers' family line. Deliverance comes first, then the appointment to praise.
the son of Jizhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.
This verse closes the family line of Heman, one of the three leading singers of Israel. It runs his descent back through Izhar and Kohath to Levi, and then to Israel himself. The names look dry. But one of them, Izhar, was the father of the most notorious rebel in Israel's wilderness history.
Heman's line climbs upward for a reason. One writer notices that this care goes to the song leaders and to no one else in Levitical service.
Song is an important part of the service we give to God. You can see this in the special care taken to give the leaders of that choir a kind of double witness to their right to the name of Levi — and so to their fitness to lead the singing and to share the privileges of the Levitical tribe. The list already named these three: Heman of the sons of Kohath, Asaph of Gershom, Ethan of Merari. Now the family line of each is traced backward to Levi. No other branch of Levitical service gets such care. Why such particular care about the singers? Because no one may sing except those who have the right. And who now has the right to sing? Redemption gives the right. Should there be songs for slaves? Whether the slave is willing or groaning, deliverance must come first. With that deliverance comes the appointment to sing.
Izhar matters here because of the name listed just before his: Korah, his son. A Bible dictionary names Korah the same way this verse does.
Son of Izhar, a son of Kohath. With Dathan and Abiram he led the rebellion against Moses and Aaron. They said that Moses and Aaron took too much on themselves, since all the people were holy... For Korah and the Levites with him it was a religious rebellion: "they strove against Jehovah" in His appointed priesthood.
So the chief singer's line passes straight through the rebel's household. One writer points out that this verse, with verse 33, makes the link certain.
1 Chronicles 6:33 and 6:38 establish two facts. Heman, the central one of the three leading singers of Israel, was the grandson of the prophet Samuel. And both men were descendants of that very man Korah, who led the great rebellion in the wilderness. The children of Dathan and Abiram went down alive into the pit with their parents. "Nevertheless, the sons of Korah did not die" (Numbers 26:11).
Heman's place at the centre of the praise fits the family he came from.
The Kohathites had the privilege of carrying the ark on their shoulders, with the table of the bread of the Presence, the golden altar, and the golden lampstand. Out of this family comes Heman, chosen for the central place of praise to God. He is called "Heman the singer," and his family line runs through Korah to Levi. As a descendant of Korah, he had good cause to praise God for His rich mercy... God spared Korah's sons in His sovereign mercy, so no one was more suited to sing of the goodness and mercy of God.
The rebellion is not the only failure in this line. Heman's father, Joel, belongs to a second story of failure.
But even in this sad story of failure and repeated failure, there is a bright side. Samuel's eldest son was Joel (1 Samuel 8:1), and Scripture names him with the failure of Samuel's sons. But in 1 Chronicles 6:33, we find that Joel's eldest son, Heman, held a most honoured place as one of the Singers. In 1 Chronicles 25:1 we find him linked with Asaph and Jeduthun, who "prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals."
The line ends at Levi and Israel. Levi's name carries a meaning that fits his whole history.
I will start with his birth, recorded in Genesis 29:34: "Again she [Leah] conceived and bore a son, and said, 'Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.' Therefore his name was called Levi" (that is, "joined")... The name has wonderful meaning when you look at his later history. In nature's wild and lawless excess we find him "joined" with his brother in a deed of blood and murder (Genesis 34). And in the day when he was called to drink deeply and fully of the cup of God's electing grace, he is "joined" with Aaron in "the work of the tabernacle."
These lists were not antiquarian interest. They had a practical use for the people who first read them after the exile.
The first nine chapters contain divine genealogical records going back to Adam. These records let the remnants who returned from the Captivity prove their various Jewish claims.
- Root. Trace the line back to Izhar. His son Korah rebelled against God's appointed priesthood.
- Sparing. Yet Scripture says of that same household, "Nevertheless, the sons of Korah did not die." Mercy came where judgment fell.
- Right. The singers alone have their descent proved twice. No one sings without the right, and redemption gives it.
- Voice. Spared men make the fittest choir. A descendant of Korah stands at the centre of the praise, with good cause to praise God for His rich mercy.
- Record. Levi's name means "joined." The list that joins Heman to him let a people back from exile prove where they belonged.
And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand Asaph, the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea,
This verse sits inside a long list of Levite names. It records where Asaph stood in Israel's choir, at Heman's right hand, and traces his family line back to Levi.
Why should a book of names take such care over singers? No other branch of Levite work gets this treatment.
Song mattered as part of the service given to God. You can see this in the care taken over the leaders of that choir. Each one had to have a double witness to his right to the name of Levi, and so to his qualification to lead the song. There is no such care shown for any other branch of Levite service. Why such particular care about the singers? Because no one must be allowed to sing except those who have the right. And who now has the right to sing? Redemption gives the right. Should there be songs for slaves? Whether the slave is willing or groaning, deliverance must come first, and with it comes the appointment to sing. God, through David, gave this service of song to these three leaders with great care. That has a meaning for the church now, where all are, or should be, singers, making melody in the heart.
Asaph was one of three leaders. Each came from a different branch of Levi's family.
In each of these three families one Levite stood out above the rest because of the gifts he had received from God. For the Kohathites it was Heman; for the Gershonites, Asaph; for the Merarites, Ethan. The other Levites "were given for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God" (v. 48).
Asaph's father here is Berechiah. Older versions spell his name Berachiah, and he appears again in a later list of singers.
Father of Asaph, a "singer," 1 Chr. 6:39 (BERACHIAH); 15:17.
In the wilderness the Levites were carriers. Their work of song began at a fixed point.
The book of Numbers teaches us that their service consisted of carrying the tabernacle and its utensils through the wilderness. The most precious burden, including the ark, was entrusted to the Kohathites. But here, after the ark came to rest, David appointed men from the three families of the Levites for the service of song in the house of the Lord. They served with song before the tent of meeting until Solomon built that house in Jerusalem (vv. 31-32).
Asaph's name also stands at the head of psalms, and the name itself has a meaning.
The singer now is Asaph, "the gatherer," from a word used for gathering fruit and also for gathering men. Twelve psalms carry Asaph's name. This may mean the singer of David's day, or, as most think, his family under his name. The place of the other eleven shows their general character. They stand at the start of the third book of Psalms, the sanctuary book. They are saturated with the thought of God's holiness.
David set these men over more than music.
Under the king's direction, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun prophesy with sacred instruments. Heman was David's seer in the words of God. They prophesy to celebrate and praise the Lord, or to exalt His power. This is one proof among many. The Psalms are an inspired collection, and their character is prophetic.
Redemption gives the right to sing, so the singing did not end with Israel's choir.
But is there no song now? Yes, truly, the choicest of songs, which more than anticipates the one to come. When that future song is heard, everything around it will be in harmony with it. Now we sing surrounded by evil, by things out of tune, the discords of sin and sorrow and death. But our song is the melody of the heart that knows redemption, a present redemption through His blood. Song in the heart is what God now looks for. A song may be sweet as mere fruit of the lips. Without heart song it cannot be acceptable to Him.
- Right — The record checks the singers' ancestry with unusual care: no one sings without the right, and redemption gives that right.
- Gift — In each of Levi's three families, one man stood out by the gifts God gave him. Asaph led for the Gershonites, Heman for the Kohathites, Ethan for the Merarites.
- Rest — The service of song began only after the ark came to rest; carrying gave way to singing.
- Prophecy — Asaph and the other leaders prophesied with their instruments. That marks the Psalms as an inspired, prophetic collection.
- Heart — The song God looks for now is the melody of a heart that knows redemption. A sweet voice alone cannot please Him.
the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah,
Michael, Baaseiah and Malchijah are three links in a chain of fathers. The chain runs backward from Asaph, a leader of the singers in God's house, all the way to Levi. A list of unknown names can look like dead weight. So why did God take such care to prove the singers' family line?
The list here runs in reverse, from the singer back to his tribal father. That care had a purpose.
Song matters as part of the service given to God. You can see this in the care taken that the leaders of that choir should have a kind of double witness to their right to the name of Levi. That right qualified them to lead the singing and to share the privileges of the Levitical tribe. Of the sons of Kohath, Heman; of Gershom, Asaph; of Merari, Ethan. These had been included in the general list of descendants, and now the genealogy of each is traced backward to Levi. There is no such care shown for any other branch of Levitical service. Why such particular care about the singers? Because none must be allowed to sing except those who have the right. And who now has the right to sing? Redemption gives the right. The care with which God, through David, assigns the service of song to these three leaders has a meaning for the church now, where all are, or should be, singers, making melody in the heart.
This chain of fathers ends at Asaph. He and his sons stood beside Heman, and their part in the choir was more than music.
At the right hand of Heman and his sons were Asaph and his sons, of the family of Gershom (1 Chr. 6:39). The sons of Asaph were "under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king" (1 Chr. 25:2). Asaph's ministry was prophetic. Applied today, it brings "upbuilding and encouragement and consolation" to the saints, for "the one who prophesies builds up the church" (1 Cor. 14:3-4). This did not come from Asaph himself, but was under the direction of the king.
The work of these families had not always been music.
In verse 16 the Spirit of God takes up the genealogy of the Levites again. This time it follows birth order, the order in which their families had been established. The book of Numbers teaches us that their service was to carry the tabernacle and its vessels through the wilderness. The most precious burden, including the ark, fell to the Kohathites. But here we find something else. "After the ark rested," David appointed men from the three families of the Levites for "the service of song in the house of the LORD." They "ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting until Solomon built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem" (vv. 31-32).
These names mean little to us. They mean something to God.
Here we have little to remark except that the Lord takes pleasure in recording even the names of His servants... He has been a dwelling place for His own in all generations. But there is more. He honours those who honour Him. He records their names in His word now, and He will glorify their persons in the great day that is coming fast.
The same holds for small, unnoticed service today:
These modest functions are very valuable in the eyes of the Lord. See how gladly God records all the names of their fathers. In the same way today, whether it is a matter of serving tables, of passing the bread and the cup, or of caring for the "upper room", none of it is forgotten by the Lord.
The temple choir is long gone. Song is not.
But our song is the melody of the heart that knows redemption, a present redemption through His blood. Song in the heart is what God now looks for, and without it, however sweet the song may be as mere fruit of the lips, it cannot be acceptable to Him.
- Descent. This list traces the singers' fathers back to Levi. No other Levite service got such care.
- Right. Only those with the right may sing. Today redemption gives that right.
- Place. These names belong to Asaph's line, from Gershom. His sons sang at Heman's right hand, prophesying under the king's direction.
- Record. The Lord takes pleasure in recording His servants' names. He will glorify them in the coming day.
- Song. Carrying the tabernacle gave way to singing once the ark had rest. God now looks for melody in the heart.
the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,
This verse sits inside a family tree that runs backwards. It is one link in the line of Asaph, one of three men David put in charge of the singing at God's house. So why does Scripture trace a choir leader's ancestry with such care? And why record names like Ethni, Zerah and Adaiah at all?
The chapter takes up the line of Levi again, then narrows to one purpose.
The inspired writer begins again with the sons of Levi (1 Chron. 6:16). The priestly line, the sons of Aaron, stands out in Levi just as the royal line, the sons of David, stands out in Judah. Here are the tribe's three branches: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. Here too are the sons of each, and the appointment of one man from each family to lead the service of song.
David did not appoint singers during the wilderness years. Levi's work changed when the ark stopped moving.
The book of Numbers teaches us that their work was to carry the tabernacle and its equipment through the wilderness. The Kohathites were trusted with the most precious burden, including the ark. But here we find that "after the ark rested," David appointed men from the three Levite families for "the service of song in the house of the LORD."
Verse 41 belongs to a list that runs backwards, generation by generation, until it reaches Levi. Why such care over singers?
Song matters as part of the service given to God. You can see this in the special care taken that the leaders of that choir should have a double proof of their right to the name of Levi. That right showed they were qualified to lead the singing, and entitled to the privileges of the tribe of Levi. Of the sons of Kohath, Heman; of Gershom, Asaph; and of Merari, Ethan. The general list of descendants already included these men (verses 16–19). Now Scripture traces each man's line backward to Levi (1 Chron. 6:33-47). No other branch of Levite service gets such care. Why this particular care about the singers? Because no one must be allowed to sing except those who have the right. And who now have the right to sing? Redemption gives the right. The care with which God, through David, assigns the service of song to these three leaders has a meaning for the church now, where all are, or should be, singers, making melody in the heart.
What happens when people sing without that right?
Today we hear of a "service of song" where a mixed crowd joins in. People who are not reconciled to God, whose hearts are hostile to Him, pretend to sing His praise! It is mockery. Israel did not sing until they were redeemed.
The list in verse 41 runs up towards Asaph, whose name also stands over a set of psalms.
A leader of the choir in David's time, and once called a 'seer' (2 Chr. 29:30). He was descended from Gershom the Levite (1 Chr. 6:39; 1 Chr. 15:17). Twelve psalms are attributed to him: 50, and 73 to 83.
Zerah, in the middle of verse 41, appears earlier in this chapter too, and Scripture gives his father's name in two forms.
Son of Iddo, or Adaiah, a Gershonite. 1 Chr. 6:21, 41.
Verse 41 gives three names and tells us nothing about the men who carried them.
It is deeply solemn for the soul to go over such a record of names. People forgot them long ago. Yet God has remembered every one of them, with every detail of their pathway through this world. Some day our names likewise will be lost to mankind, but neither we nor our ways will be forgotten by God.
David's choir points forward to a far greater one.
What melody there will be in the temple of the coming thousand-year reign! What a "joyful noise" from all lands when Messiah reigns! Then the ark will rest in the place prepared by the true David, Who will appoint the singers and set them over the service. The scene given in 1 Chronicles is only a passing glimpse of what the earth will see and hear.
- Rest first. The singers were appointed only after the ark had rest; before that, Levi's work was carrying, not singing.
- Right to sing. Each song leader's line was traced back to Levi as double proof of his place. No one sings who has no right.
- Redemption alone. Israel did not sing until they were redeemed. Praise from hearts still hostile to God is mockery.
- Remembered. People forgot Ethni, Zerah and Adaiah. God remembers them, with every detail of their path — and He will remember us.
- Rehearsal. This list of singers is a brief glimpse of the praise the earth will hear when Messiah reigns and appoints the singers Himself.
the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,
This verse is one link in a chain. It carries Asaph's family line back through Ethan, Zimmah and Shimei toward Gershom and Levi. Why does Scripture take such trouble to prove the ancestry of a singer?
The names in this verse are part of a pattern. Scripture traces each of the three chief singers back to Levi, one at a time.
The importance of song as part of the service given to God shows in the special care taken over the leaders of that choir. They had to have a kind of double proof of their right to the name of Levi. That proof showed they were fit to lead the singing, and entitled to the privileges of the tribe of Levi. Of the sons of Kohath, Heman; of Gershom, Asaph; of Merari, Ethan. The general list of descendants already included these men. Now the family line of each one is traced back to Levi (1 Chronicles 6:33-47). No other branch of Levitical service is given such care. Why this particular care about the singers? Because no one must be allowed to sing except those who have the right.
Asaph's branch, the one this verse belongs to, had its own work long before any singing began. That work moved from carrying the tent in the wilderness to serving under the king.
Gershom was the eldest son of Levi, born before the people of Israel entered Egypt. At the count of the Israelites in the wilderness there were 7,500 Gershonites as a branch of the Levites. They were in charge of the framework of the tabernacle and the tent, with its hangings and curtains. To carry these they had two wagons and four oxen... In the kingdom, under Asaph and his sons, they "prophesied according to the order of the king."
Every name in this verse belonged to the Levites. Yet in each of the three families only one man led the singers. His family line was not the reason.
In each of these three families one Levite stood out above the rest. The reason was the gifts he had received from God: for the Kohathites, Heman; for the Gershonites, Asaph; for the Merarites, Ethan. The other Levites "were given for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God" (v. 48).
The same question presses on worship today. Who has the right to sing?
We now hear of a "service of song" that a mixed crowd joins. People who are not reconciled to God, whose hearts are hostile to Him, pretend to sing His praise! It is mockery. Israel did not sing until they were redeemed.
For those who know redemption, there is a song now. God listens for something particular in it.
But our song is the melody of the heart that knows redemption, a present redemption through His blood. Song in the heart is what God now looks for. Without it, the song may still be sweet, but it is nothing more than words on the lips, and it cannot be acceptable to Him.
Holding on to a family record through the years in Babylon cost something.
Happy is the man who had kept his own record, and who valued the inheritance of Jehovah enough to hold on to it! It was a proof of faith. Someone might have said, "What use are these genealogies in Babylon?"
For most readers, Zimmah and Shimei are only names on a list. That is where the lesson lies for anyone reading long lists of strangers.
It deeply sobers the soul to be allowed to go over such a record of names. People forgot these names long ago. God has remembered every one of them, and every detail of their path through this world. Some day our names likewise will be lost to mankind, but neither we nor our ways will be forgotten by God.
- Right — Scripture traces the singers back to Levi with care given to no other Levitical service. No one may sing who has no right to.
- Redemption — Israel had no song until God redeemed them. Praise pretended by a heart at enmity with God is mockery.
- Gift — Descent made these men Levites. God-given gift set Heman, Asaph and Ethan at the head.
- Record — Keeping such a family line through exile was a proof of faith. It valued an inheritance others called useless.
- Remembrance — Names the world has lost, God has kept, along with every detail of the path they walked.
the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi.
Three names close the family line of Asaph, one of the three men David put in charge of the music at God's house, and they run back to Levi himself. The chapter could have named the singer and stopped, so why trace his line at all?
Asaph's name appears here because the Levites were given new work. Their first duty was carrying; their later duty was music. The change came when the ark stopped moving.
In verse 16, the Spirit of God takes up the genealogy of the Levites again. This time He follows the order of birth in which their families were founded. The book of Numbers teaches us that their service was to carry the tabernacle and its vessels through the wilderness. The Kohathites carried the most precious load, including the ark. But here we find that after the ark came to rest, David appointed men from the three families of the Levites for "the service of song in the house of the LORD."
One man came from each of the three branches of the tribe. Asaph, whose line ends at Gershom and Levi in this verse, came from the second.
In each of these three families one Levite stood out above the rest because of the gifts he had received from God: for the Kohathites, Heman; for the Gershonites, Asaph; for the Merarites, Ethan. The other Levites "were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God" (v. 48).
These three men, and no others in the chapter, have their ancestry followed all the way back. One writer asks why God took such care over singers.
Song matters greatly in the service we give to God. We see this in the special care taken over the leaders of that choir. They were to have a kind of double witness to their right to the name of Levi, and so to their fitness to lead the singing and to share the privileges of the tribe of Levi. Of the sons of Kohath, Heman; of Gershom, Asaph; and of Merari, Ethan. They had already appeared in the general list of descendants (16–19). Now the line of each is traced back to Levi (1 Chron. 6:33-47). No such care is shown for any other branch of Levitical service. Why such particular care about the singers? Because no one may sing except those who have the right. And who now has the right to sing? Redemption gives the right.
Israel's own history shows where that right came from. Before the exodus, the people had no song.
When we reach the book of Exodus, there is no singing until God delivers Israel out of Egypt by His mighty power. He brings them out from under the slavery of Pharaoh, and He pours out His judgments on Pharaoh. The slaves in Egypt had no song. They groaned under the rule of a tyrant, and they did not yet know the greatness of Him who had come down in grace to bring them to Himself. Israel had to be redeemed by the blood of the lamb, and delivered from the power of the oppressor, before they could sing with Moses, "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea" (Ex. 15:1).
The record fixes where Asaph stood and how he served. One writer draws a parallel for today.
On the right hand of Heman and his sons were Asaph and his sons, of the family of Gershom (1 Chr. 6:39). The sons of Asaph were "under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king" (1 Chr. 25:2). Asaph's ministry was prophetic. Applied today, it brings "upbuilding and encouragement and consolation" to the saints, for "the one who prophesies builds up the church" (1 Cor. 14:3-4). This did not come from Asaph himself. It came under the direction of the king.
Lists of names like this one had a practical use for the first readers.
The first nine chapters contain divine genealogical records going back to Adam. These enabled the remnant who returned from the Babylonian captivity to verify their various Jewish claims.
- Rest comes first — the song service begins only after the ark comes to rest. While the ark moved, the Levites carried it; they did not sing.
- Redemption gives the right — no one may sing without the right to sing. Israel's slaves in Egypt had no song until the blood of the lamb set them free.
- Record proves the right — only Asaph, Heman and Ethan have their lines traced back to Levi. No other branch of Levitical service got that double witness.
- Gift finds its place — one man from each of the three families stood out by what God had given him. Asaph stood at the right hand and prophesied under the king's direction, not his own.
- Registers still serve — these nine chapters of names let the returning exiles verify their claims. The list in front of us is a working document, not filler.
And their brethren the sons of Merari were on the left hand Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,
This verse comes where a long list of names turns into a list of singers. It names Ethan, the leader from the sons of Merari, who stood on the left when David set up the song service.
One writer marks the point where the record shifts:
In verse 16 the Spirit of God takes up the genealogy of the Levites again. This time He follows the birth order that set up their families. The book of Numbers teaches us that their service was to carry the tabernacle and its utensils through the wilderness. The most precious burden, including the ark, went to the Kohathites. But here we read that "after the ark was at rest" David appointed men from the three families of the Levites for "the service of song in the house of the Lord."
Another writer notes when the singing actually started:
While the ark was moving from place to place, the Lord had no sure resting place among His people. In that time there was no service of praise. It is not until David brings up the ark to its resting place that the song begins.
Each of the three leaders came from a different branch of Levi. One thing marked him out:
In each of these three families one Levite stood out above the rest because of the gifts he had received from God. For the Kohathites it was Heman; for the Gershonites, Asaph; for the Merarites, Ethan. The other Levites "were given for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God."
Ethan's place is on the left. One writer points to how these Levite duties were divided later on:
Note that the least among the Levites had the same portion as the chief fathers in the division by lot according to the Lord's free choice.
Ethan came from the family of Merari. One writer weighs what that name means:
Last of Levi's three sons we find Merari, "bitter," with his two sons, Mahli, "sick," and Mushi, "yielding." These are the strangest words of all to find joined to Levi's sons. These families have charge of the boards of the tabernacle and its bars, its pillars and sockets, along with those of the court and the pegs and cords. Here it is clear that Merari is taken up not so much with Christ Himself as with the people of the Lord. His work is mainly work among God's people, and everyone who has taken it up has found the bitterness that Merari's name expresses. Someone who could not feel it would be little fitted for ministry.
One writer links this verse to the heading of Psalm 89:
A Maschil of Ethan, a Merarite (1 Chron. 6:44; 15:17). Most of this Psalm praises the Lord's lovingkindness and faithfulness, and it brings the covenant with David to the front. Of course we must look beyond David and see Him, the Son of David. God will make this covenant sure in Him.
Another writer names what that psalm is about:
In Psalm 89 the wisdom of Ethan instructs us. What does this wise man speak of? Of grace! This Psalm is about the unchangeable promises of God and the sure mercies of David. Relating to God on the footing of the law can only lead the people to the darkness of judgment and death. Relating to Him through the covenant of grace made with David leads to this: "Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness" — in the heavens, where nothing shall ever touch it.
- Rest comes first. Praise had no place while the ark was still moving. The song begins only once the ark is at rest, and the men who carried burdens are set to sing.
- Then the gift. God's gifts put Heman, Asaph and Ethan at the head of the three families. The rest of the Levites served the house in general.
- Then the place. Ethan stands on the left. Later the lot gave the least Levite the same portion as the chief fathers.
- Bitterness included. Merari means "bitter." His family carried the frame of the tent, and anyone who serves God's people learns that bitterness.
- An enduring song. The line ends in a psalm about the covenant with David. It points past David to the Son of David, and to faithfulness fixed in the heavens.
the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkijah,
Verse 45 names two links in a chain traced back from Ethan, one of three men David set over the singing at God's house. Why would God keep so careful a record of men nobody now remembers — and why is a list like this in Scripture at all?
Chapter 6 is the chapter of Levi, the tribe set apart for service at the sanctuary. One writer sets it beside the earlier chapters that traced David's line:
The priestly genealogy is the counterpart of the royal genealogy (1 Chron. 2, 3). But it stops here at the captivity, and does not go on past it as the line of David does (1 Chron. 3:19-24).
Verse 45 sits in a section running back from Ethan to Levi. The chapter has already listed these men once, and the repeat is deliberate:
You can see how important song is in the service given to God. It shows in the special care taken that the leaders of that choir should have a kind of double witness to their right to the name of Levi. That right proved them qualified to lead the singing, and entitled to the privileges of the tribe of Levi. From the sons of Kohath came Heman; from Gershom, Asaph; from Merari, Ethan. The general list of descendants had already included these three (verses 16-19). Now Scripture traces the line of each one back to Levi (1 Chron. 6:33-47). No other branch of Levite service gets such care. Why such particular care about the singers? Because no one may sing except those who have the right. And who has the right to sing now? Redemption gives the right... The care with which God, through David, gives the service of song to these three leaders means something for the church now, where all are, or should be, singers, making melody in the heart.
The chain running through Amaziah and Hilkiah goes back to Merari, Levi's third son. That branch once had the heaviest work:
The Merarites became a large branch of the Levites. They had charge of the heavier parts of the tabernacle, and to carry them they had four wagons and eight oxen... They shared in the duties that fell to the Levites during the kingdom. A third of the singers and a third of the doorkeepers were Merarites.
God gifted one man in that branch for the choir, and one in each of the other two:
In each of these three families one Levite stood out above the rest because of the gifts he had received from God: for the Kohathites, Heman; for the Gershonites, Asaph; for the Merarites, Ethan. The other Levites "were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God" (v. 48).
The Amaziah and Hilkiah of this verse share their names with better-known figures elsewhere in Scripture, but they are not those men. A reference work sorts them out simply:
Amaziah. Son of Hilkiah, a descendant of Merari. 1 Chr. 6:45.
A people just back from exile in Babylon needed these lists to prove who they were. Keeping one when it looked useless showed what a man valued:
These genealogies were imperfect. The state of Israel carried the mark of the ruin that had come on them. But it also carried the mark of the goodness of God, who had brought back a remnant, and who had kept everything needed to place those who made up that remnant in the record of His people... These genealogies served as a way to recognise the people. Happy the man who had kept his own, and who valued the heritage of Jehovah so highly! It was a proof of faith. For someone might have said, What use are these genealogies in Babylon?
Reading a page of names nobody now recognises has a quiet weight to it, and it points forward as much as backward:
There is something deeply solemn to the soul in being allowed to go over a record like this. People forgot these names long ago. Yet God has remembered every one of them, with every detail of their path through this world. One day our own names will be lost to mankind too. But God will forget neither us nor our ways.
The choir Ethan led was only a small foretaste of praise in Messiah's coming reign:
What melody there will be in the millennial temple! What a "joyful noise" from every land when Messiah reigns, when the ark rests in its place prepared by the true David, who will appoint the singers then and set them over the service. The scene given in 1 Chronicles is only a passing glimpse of what the earth will see and hear.
- Named — Amaziah and Hilkiah are Merarite Levites. They are links in the line traced back from Ethan the singer.
- Chosen — their branch carried the heavy parts of the tabernacle. Out of it God gifted one man, Ethan, to lead praise, as He did Heman and Asaph in the other two branches.
- Qualified — only the singers have their descent traced twice. No one may sing without the right, and redemption gives that right.
- Kept — the remnant home from Babylon could prove its place because someone valued these lists enough to keep them. That was faith.
- Remembered — God remembers every name men have lost, with every detail of the path behind it. He will remember ours.
the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer,
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.
This verse ends a list of names that runs backwards. It climbs from a singer in God's house through Mahli, Mushi and Merari, and stops at Levi himself. Why would God take such care over the family tree of men whose job was to sing?
Three men were set over the music of God's house, and each of their lines is followed all the way up to its root. One writer notices that this care is given to no other Levite duty.
The care taken over the leaders of that choir shows how important song was as part of the service given to God. Each of them had to have a kind of double witness to their right to the name of Levi. That proved they were qualified to lead the song and to share the privileges of the tribe of Levi. Of the sons of Kohath, Heman; of Gershom, Asaph; and of Merari, Ethan. The general list of descendants already named these three (verses 16–19). Now the line of each one is traced back to Levi (1 Chronicles 6:33-47). No other branch of Levite service gets such care. Why this particular care about the singers? Because no one may sing except those who have the right. And who now have the right to sing? Redemption gives the right.
Levi had three branches, and God drew one outstanding man from each of them.
In each of these three families one Levite stood out above the rest because of the gifts he had received from God: for the Kohathites, Heman; for the Gershonites, Asaph; for the Merarites, Ethan. The other Levites "were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God" (v. 48).
Singing was not the first Levite job. It began only at a turning point in the story.
The book of Numbers teaches us that their service was to carry the tabernacle and its vessels through the wilderness. The Kohathites had charge of the most precious load, including the ark. But here we find that "after the ark rested there," David appointed men from the three families of the Levites for "the service of song in the house of the LORD."
Merari's branch carried the heavy parts of the tabernacle, and by David's day they also had a share in the music and the doors.
Merari was the third son of Levi, and these are his descendants… The Merarites became a large branch of the Levites. They had charge of the heavier parts of the tabernacle, and they had four wagons and eight oxen to carry them. In the land they had twelve cities from among the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun, including the city of Ramoth-gilead. They shared in the duties that fell to the Levites during the kingdom. A third of the singers and a third of the gatekeepers were Merarites.
The names in this verse read oddly for a family of singers. One writer reads them as a picture of what such work feels like.
Last of Levi's three sons we find Merari, "bitter," with his two sons, Mahli, "sick," and Mushi, "yielding." These are the strangest words of all to find among Levi's sons… Merari's work is mainly what we may call church work. And who has taken up that work without finding the bitterness that his name expresses? A man who could not feel it would be poorly fitted for ministry. We must believe this is the reason for a link that seems strange and yet describes a familiar experience. Think how Paul's letters bring this to us out of a full heart. His devotion kept going, though men gave him disappointment rather than reward. In his own words: "If I love you more, am I to be loved less?"
Lists like this one were not decoration. When the people came back from exile in Babylon, a man's place in the priesthood depended on the record he could produce.
We know that at the time of the return from Babylon the genealogies of Judah and Benjamin were in many cases not enough. Members of the family of Levi who could not produce them were shut out of the priesthood (Ezra 2:62).
The writer who said redemption gives the right to sing then turns to our own day.
But our song is the melody of the heart that knows redemption, a present redemption through His blood. Song in the heart is what God now looks for. Without it, He cannot accept the song, however sweet it may be as mere fruit of the lips.
- Traced — Only the singers' lines are traced back to Levi. That double witness proved their right to the name of Levi and its privileges.
- Right — No one may sing but those who have the right, and redemption is what gives that right.
- Gift — Out of each of Levi's three branches God raised one gifted leader; Ethan came from Merari, this verse's line.
- Rest — Song entered the Levites' work only after the ark came to rest. Before that they carried the tabernacle, and Merari's load was the heaviest.
- Bitter — Merari, Mahli and Mushi mean bitter, sick and yielding. One writer reads them as the real taste of service, and says a man who cannot feel it is poorly fitted for ministry.