1 Chronicles 16:5

Easy-to-Read Version

Asaph was the leader of the first group. His group played the cymbals. Zechariah was the leader of the second group. The other Levites were Uzziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed Edom, and Jeiel. These men played the lyres and harps.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Asaph was the chief and Zechariah was second to him. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel played the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals

Hebrew Names Version
Asaf the chief, and second to him Zekharyah, Ye`i'el, and Shemiramot, and Yechi'el, and Mattityah, and Eli'av, and Benayah, and `Oved-'Edom, and Ye`i'el, with psalteries and with harps; and Asaf with cymbals, sounding aloud;

King James Version
Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obededom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals;

English Standard Version
Asaph was the chief, and second to him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, who were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals,

New Century Version
Asaph, who played the cymbals, was the leader. Zechariah was second to him. The other Levites were Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They played the lyres and harps.

New English Translation
Asaph was the leader and Zechariah second in command, followed by Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They were to play stringed instruments; Asaph was to sound the cymbals;

Amplified Bible
Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel (Jaaziel), Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel with musical instruments, harps and lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals;

New American Standard Bible
Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with musical instruments, harps, and lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals,

World English Bible
Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with psalteries and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud;

Geneva Bible (1587)
Asaph the chiefe, and next to him Zechariah, Ieiel, and Shemiramoth, and Iehiel, & Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed Edom, euen Ieiel with instruments, violes and harpes, and Asaph to make a sound with cymbales,

Legacy Standard Bible
Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with musical instruments, harps, lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals,

Berean Standard Bible
Asaph was the chief, Zechariah was second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They were to play the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals

Contemporary English Version
Asaph was their leader, and Zechariah was his assistant. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and another man named Jeiel were appointed to play small harps and stringed instruments. Asaph himself played the cymbals,

Complete Jewish Bible
Asaf, the leader; assisting him, Z'kharyah; then Ye‘i'el, Sh'miramot, Yechi'el, Mattityahu, Eli'av, B'nayahu, ‘Oved-Edom and Ye‘i'el playing lutes and lyres, while Asaf played cymbals.

Darby Translation
Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah and Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, with instruments of lutes and with harps; and Asaph sounding with cymbals;

George Lamsa Translation
Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, also Jeiel, Jehiel, Mattitha, Eliab, Benaiah, Asaph, Amminadab, Asaph, Nahaziel, and Asaph.

Good News Translation
Asaph was appointed leader, with Zechariah as his assistant. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed Edom, and Jeiel were to play harps. Asaph was to sound the cymbals,

Lexham English Bible
Asaph was chief, and his second was Zechariah; Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel were on harps and lyres. And Asaph played on the cymbals.

Literal Translation
Asaph the head, and Zechariah his second; Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with instruments of harps, and with lyres; and Asaph was sounding with the cymbals.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
namely Assaph the first, Zacharias the seconde, Ieiel, Semiramoth, Iehiel, Mathithia, Eliab, Benaia, Obed Edom and Iehiel, with psalteries and harpes. But Assaph with loude Cymbales.

American Standard Version
Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with psalteries and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud;

Bible in Basic English
Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Uzziel and Shemiramoth and Jehiel and Mattithiah and Eliab and Benaiah and Obed-edom and Jeiel, with corded instruments of music; and Asaph, with brass instruments sounding loudly;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Asaph was the chiefe, and nexte to him Zacharia, Ieiel, Semiramoth, Iehiel, Mathathia, Eliab, Benaia, Obed Edom, & Ieiel with instruments, psalteries, & harpes: But Asaph made a sounde with cymbales.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with psalteries and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud;

King James Version (1611)
Asaph the chiefe, and next to him Zachariah, Ieiel, and Shemiramoth, and Iehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed Edom: and Ieiel with Psalteries and with harpes: but Asaph made a sound with cymbals.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Asaph was the chief, and next to him Zacharias, Jeiel, Semiramoth, and Jeiel, Mattathias, Eliab, and Banaeas, and Abdedom: and Jeiel sounding with musical instruments, lutes and harps, and Asaph with cymbals:

English Revised Version
Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed–edom, and Jeiel, with psalteries and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
`he ordeynede Asaph the prince, and Zacharie his secounde; forsothe `he ordeynede Jahiel, and Semiramoth, and Jahel, and Mathathie, and Eliab, and Banaye, and Obededom, and Jehiel, on the orguns, on the sautrie, and on the harpis; but he ordeynede Asaph to sowne with cymbalis;

Update Bible Version
Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with psalteries and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud;

Webster's Bible Translation
Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals;

New King James Version
Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed-Edom: Jeiel with stringed instruments and harps, but Asaph made music with cymbals;

New Living Translation
Asaph, the leader of this group, sounded the cymbals. Second to him was Zechariah, followed by Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They played the harps and lyres.

New Life Bible
Asaph was the leader, then Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They were to play harps. And Asaph played loud-sounding timbrels.

New Revised Standard
Asaph was the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Asaph the chief, and, second to him, Zechariah, - Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with instruments of harps, and with lyres, and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Asaph the chief, and next after him Zacharias: moreover Jahiel, and Semiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mathathias, and Eliab, and Banaias, and Obededom: and Jehiel over the instruments of psaltery, and harps: and Asaph sounded with cymbals:

Revised Standard Version
Asaph was the chief, and second to him were Zechari'ah, Je-i'el, Shemi'ramoth, Jehi'el, Mattithi'ah, Eli'ab, Benai'ah, O'bed-e'dom, and Je-i'el, who were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals,

Young's Literal Translation
Asaph the head, and his second Zechariah; Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, with instruments of psalteries, and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals is sounding;

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, with musical instruments, harps, lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals,

Contextual Overview

¹ The Levites brought God's Holy Box and put it inside the tent David had set up for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to God. ² After David had finished giving the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he used the Lord 's name to bless the people. ³ Then he gave a loaf of bread, some dates, and raisins to every Israelite man and woman. ⁴ Then David chose some of the Levites to serve before the Lord 's Holy Box. They had the job of celebrating and giving thanks and praise to the Lord , the God of Israel. ⁵ Asaph was the leader of the first group. His group played the cymbals. Zechariah was the leader of the second group. The other Levites were Uzziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed Edom, and Jeiel. These men played the lyres and harps. ⁶ Benaiah and Jahaziel were the priests who always blew the trumpets before the Box of God's Agreement.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Asaph: 1 Chronicles 6:39, 1 Chronicles 15:16-24, 1 Chronicles 25:1-6

psalteries and with harps: Heb. instruments of psalteries and harps, 1 Chronicles 15:20, 1 Chronicles 15:21, 2 Chronicles 29:25

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 10:5 - a psaltery 2 Samuel 6:10 - Obededom 2 Samuel 23:1 - sweet psalmist 1 Chronicles 13:8 - with harps 1 Chronicles 13:13 - Obededom 1 Chronicles 15:18 - Zechariah 1 Chronicles 15:19 - General 1 Chronicles 25:2 - Asaph 1 Chronicles 26:4 - Obededom 2 Chronicles 20:19 - Levites 2 Chronicles 34:12 - all Ezra 3:10 - trumpets Nehemiah 12:27 - thanksgivings Psalms 150:5 - the loud cymbals Daniel 3:10 - the cornet

Cross-References

Genesis 16:12
Ishmael will be wild and free like a wild donkey. He will be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. He will move from place to place and camp near his brothers."

Genesis 16:15
Hagar gave birth to Abram's son, and Abram named the son Ishmael.

Genesis 31:53
May the God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their ancestors judge us guilty if we break this agreement." Jacob's father, Isaac, called God "Fear." So Jacob used that name to make the promise.

Exodus 5:21
So they said to Moses and Aaron, "May the Lord judge and punish you for what you did! You made Pharaoh and his rulers hate us. You have given them an excuse to kill us."

2 Chronicles 24:22
Joash the king didn't remember Jehoiada's kindness to him. Jehoiada was Zechariah's father. But Joash killed Zechariah, Jehoiada's son. Before Zechariah died, he said, "May the Lord see what you are doing and punish you!"

Psalms 7:8
Lord , judge the people. Lord , judge me. Prove that I am right and that I am innocent.

Psalms 35:23
Wake up! Get up! My God and my Lord, fight for me, and bring me justice.

Psalms 43:1
Defend me, God. Argue my case against those people who don't know you. Protect me from those evil liars.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Asaph the chief,.... Of those that were now appointed: otherwise, of the three principal singers, Heman was the chief, and Asaph next, 1 Chronicles 6:33

and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, with psalteries, and with harps; to play upon them before the ark at the same time the psalms and songs were vocally sung; the above persons are such as are named before, 1 Chronicles 15:18,

but Asaph made a sound with cymbals; he struck and played upon them, see 1 Chronicles 15:19.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This passage is interposed by the writer of Chronicles between two sentences of the parallel passage in Samuel. It contains a detailed account of the service which David instituted at this time, a service out of which grew the more elaborate service of the temple. The language of much of the passage is remarkably archaic, and there can be no reasonable doubt that it is in the main an extract from a record of the time of David.

1 Chronicles 16:5

The occurrence of the name “Jeiel” twice in this list is considered suspicious. Hence, the first “Jeiel” is thought to be a corrupt reading for “Aziel” 1 Chronicles 15:20, or “Jaaziel” 1 Chronicles 15:18.

1 Chronicles 16:8

The Psalm here put before us by the Chronicler, as sung liturgically by Asaph and his brethren on the day of the ark’s entrance into Jerusalem, accords closely with the passages in the present Book of Psalms noted in the marg reff.

It is, apparently, a thanksgiving service composed for the occasion out of Psalms previously existing.

1 Chronicles 16:39

This is the first mention that we have of Gibeon as the place at which the tabernacle of the congregation now rested. Previously it had been at Nob 1 Samuel 21:1-6, from where it was removed probably at the time of the slaughter of the priests by Doeg 1 Samuel 22:18-19. It is uncertain whether Gibeon was regarded as a “high place” before the transfer to it of the tabernacle: hut thenceforth, until the completion of Solomon’s Temple, it was the “great high place” 1 Kings 3:4 - a second center of the national worship which for above 50 years was divided between Gibeon and Jerusalem.

1 Chronicles 16:40

Upon the altar of the burnt offering - The original altar of burnt-offering Exodus 27:1-8 continued at Gibeon with the tabernacle 2 Chronicles 1:3, 2 Chronicles 1:5. David must have erected a new altar for sacrifice at Jerusalem 1 Chronicles 16:1. The sacrifices commanded by the Law were, it appears, offered at the former place; at the latter were offered voluntary additional sacrifices.

1 Chronicles 16:41

The rest ... - Rather, “the rest of the chosen ones, who were mentioned by name.” The “chosen ones” were “mentioned by name” in 1 Chronicles 15:17-24. A portion of them, namely, those named in 1 Chronicles 16:5-6, conducted the service in Jerusalem; the remainder were employed in the worship at Gibeon.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Chronicles 16:5. Asaph — See the preceding chapter, 1 Chronicles 15:17, &c.