Study Desk

The Temple Musicians^(x)

These are the men^(y) David put in charge of the music^(z) in the house of the Lord after the ark came to rest there.

They ministered with music before the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, until Solomon built the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. They performed their duties according to the regulations laid down for them.

Here are the men who served, together with their sons: From the Kohathites: Heman,^(aa) the musician, the son of Joel,^(ab) the son of Samuel,

the son of Elkanah,^(ac) the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah,

the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai,

the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah,

the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,^(ad)

the son of Izhar,^(ae) the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel;

and Heman's associate Asaph,^(af) who served at his right hand: Asaph son of Berekiah, the son of Shimea,^(ag)

the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah,^[g] the son of Malkijah,

the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,

the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,

the son of Jahath, the son of Gershon, the son of Levi;

and from their associates, the Merarites,^(ah) at his left hand: Ethan son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluk,

the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah,

the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer,

the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.

Their fellow Levites^(ai) were assigned to all the other duties of the tabernacle, the house of God.

But Aaron and his descendants were the ones who presented offerings on the altar^(aj) of burnt offering and on the altar of incense^(ak) in connection with all that was done in the Most Holy Place, making atonement for Israel, in accordance with all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

These were the descendants of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son,

Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son,

Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son,

Zadok^(al) his son and Ahimaaz his son.

These were the locations of their settlements^(am) allotted as their territory (they were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clan, because the first lot was for them):

They were given Hebron in Judah with its surrounding pasturelands.

But the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh.^(an)

So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron (a city of refuge), and Libnah,^[h](ao) Jattir,^(ap) Eshtemoa,

Hilen, Debir,^(aq)

Ashan,^(ar) Juttah^[i] and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands.

And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon,^[j] Geba, Alemeth and Anathoth,^(as) together with their pasturelands. The total number of towns distributed among the Kohathite clans came to thirteen.

The rest of Kohath's descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of half the tribe of Manasseh.

The descendants of Gershon, clan by clan, were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher and Naphtali, and from the part of the tribe of Manasseh that is in Bashan.

The descendants of Merari, clan by clan, were allotted twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.

So the Israelites gave the Levites these towns^(at) and their pasturelands.

From the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin they allotted the previously named towns.

Some of the Kohathite clans were given as their territory towns from the tribe of Ephraim.

In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge), and Gezer,^[k](au)

Jokmeam,^(av) Beth Horon,^(aw)

Aijalon^(ax) and Gath Rimmon,^(ay) together with their pasturelands.

And from half the tribe of Manasseh the Israelites gave Aner and Bileam, together with their pasturelands, to the rest of the Kohathite clans.

The Gershonites^(az) received the following: From the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh they received Golan in Bashan^(ba) and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands;

from the tribe of Issachar they received Kedesh, Daberath,^(bb)

Ramoth and Anem, together with their pasturelands;

from the tribe of Asher they received Mashal, Abdon,^(bc)

Hukok^(bd) and Rehob,^(be) together with their pasturelands;

and from the tribe of Naphtali they received Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon^(bf) and Kiriathaim,^(bg) together with their pasturelands.

The Merarites (the rest of the Levites) received the following: From the tribe of Zebulun they received Jokneam, Kartah,^[l] Rimmono and Tabor, together with their pasturelands;

from the tribe of Reuben across the Jordan east of Jericho they received Bezer^(bh) in the wilderness, Jahzah,

Kedemoth^(bi) and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands;

and from the tribe of Gad they received Ramoth in Gilead,^(bj) Mahanaim,^(bk)

Heshbon and Jazer,^(bl) together with their pasturelands.^(bm)

The sons of Issachar:^(a) Tola, Puah,^(b) Jashub and Shimron—four in all.

The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam and Samuel—heads of their families. During the reign of David, the descendants of Tola listed as fighting men in their genealogy numbered 22,600.

The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel and Ishiah. All five of them were chiefs.

According to their family genealogy, they had 36,000 men ready for battle, for they had many wives and children.

The relatives who were fighting men belonging to all the clans of Issachar, as listed in their genealogy, were 87,000 in all.

Three sons of Benjamin:^(c) Bela, Beker and Jediael.

The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth and Iri, heads of families—five in all. Their genealogical record listed 22,034 fighting men.

The sons of Beker: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth and Alemeth. All these were the sons of Beker.

Their genealogical record listed the heads of families and 20,200 fighting men.

The son of Jediael: Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish and Ahishahar.

All these sons of Jediael were heads of families. There were 17,200 fighting men ready to go out to war.

The Shuppites and Huppites were the descendants of Ir, and the Hushites^[a] the descendants of Aher.

The sons of Naphtali:^(d) Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem^[b]—the descendants of Bilhah.

The descendants of Manasseh:^(e) Asriel was his descendant through his Aramean concubine. She gave birth to Makir the father of Gilead.^(f)

Makir took a wife from among the Huppites and Shuppites. His sister's name was Maakah. Another descendant was named Zelophehad,^(g) who had only daughters.

Makir's wife Maakah gave birth to a son and named him Peresh. His brother was named Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.

The son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead^(h) son of Makir, the son of Manasseh.

His sister Hammoleketh gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer⁽ⁱ⁾ and Mahlah.

The sons of Shemida^(j) were: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi and Aniam.

The descendants of Ephraim:^(k) Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son,

Zabad his son and Shuthelah his son. Ezer and Elead were killed by the native-born men of Gath, when they went down to seize their livestock.

Their father Ephraim mourned for them many days, and his relatives came to comfort him.

Then he made love to his wife again, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. He named him Beriah,^[c] because there had been misfortune in his family.

His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon^(l) as well as Uzzen Sheerah.

Rephah was his son, Resheph his son,^[d] Telah his son, Tahan his son,

Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,

Nun his son and Joshua his son.

Their lands and settlements included Bethel and its surrounding villages, Naaran to the east, Gezer^(m) and its villages to the west, and Shechem and its villages all the way to Ayyah and its villages.

Along the borders of Manasseh were Beth Shan,⁽ⁿ⁾ Taanach, Megiddo and Dor,^(o) together with their villages. The descendants of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns.

The sons of Asher:^(p) Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah.

The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel, who was the father of Birzaith.

Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer and Hotham and of their sister Shua.

The sons of Japhlet: Pasak, Bimhal and Ashvath. These were Japhlet's sons.

The sons of Shomer: Ahi, Rohgah,^[e] Hubbah and Aram.

The sons of his brother Helem: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh and Amal.

The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah,

Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran^[f] and Beera.

The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispah and Ara.

The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel and Rizia.

All these were descendants of Asher—heads of families, choice men, brave warriors and outstanding leaders. The number of men ready for battle, as listed in their genealogy, was 26,000.

Benjamin^(b) was the father of Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second son, Aharah the third,

Nohah the fourth and Rapha the fifth.

The sons of Bela were: Addar,^(c) Gera, Abihud,^[a]

Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah,^(d)

Gera, Shephuphan and Huram.

These were the descendants of Ehud,^(e) who were heads of families of those living in Geba and were deported to Manahath:

Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera, who deported them and who was the father of Uzza and Ahihud.

Sons were born to Shaharaim in Moab after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara.

By his wife Hodesh he had Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malkam,

Jeuz, Sakia and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of families.

By Hushim he had Abitub and Elpaal.

The sons of Elpaal: Eber, Misham, Shemed (who built Ono^(f) and Lod with its surrounding villages),

and Beriah and Shema, who were heads of families of those living in Aijalon^(g) and who drove out the inhabitants of Gath.^(h)

Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth,

Zebadiah, Arad, Eder,

Michael, Ishpah and Joha were the sons of Beriah.

Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber,

Ishmerai, Izliah and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal.

Jakim, Zikri, Zabdi,

Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel,

Adaiah, Beraiah and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei.

Ishpan, Eber, Eliel,

Abdon, Zikri, Hanan,

Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah,

Iphdeiah and Penuel were the sons of Shashak.

Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah,

Jaareshiah, Elijah and Zikri were the sons of Jeroham.

All these were heads of families, chiefs as listed in their genealogy, and they lived in Jerusalem.