1 Chronicles 25:12 kjv
The fifth to Nethaniah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
1 Chronicles 25:12 nkjv
the fifth for Nethaniah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
1 Chronicles 25:12 niv
the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and relatives ? 12
1 Chronicles 25:12 esv
the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and his brothers, twelve;
1 Chronicles 25:12 nlt
The fifth lot fell to Nethaniah and twelve of his sons and relatives.
1 Chronicles 25 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Chr 23:5 | "...four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments..." | David appointed Levites to praise and guard. |
| 1 Chr 25:1 | "...David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph... for the service of prophesying..." | Overview of the musical divisions. |
| 1 Chr 25:8 | "They cast lots for their duties, small and great, master and pupil alike." | Confirmation of lot-casting for all. |
| 1 Chr 28:11 | "...David gave Solomon the plan of the porch of the temple... and all its surrounding chambers..." | David provided detailed temple plans by divine inspiration. |
| 1 Chr 28:19 | "All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the LORD, all the work to be done..." | Divine origin of David's plans. |
| 2 Chr 8:14 | "According to the ordinance of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service..." | Solomon maintained David's arrangements. |
| Neh 12:24 | "...Hashabiah, Sherebiah and Jeshua, son of Kadmiel, and their brethren..." | Jeshua, a notable Levite leader in post-exilic times. |
| Num 3:6-10 | "...appoint the Levites before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him." | Levites divinely appointed for temple service. |
| Num 8:6 | "Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them." | Specific purification and dedication of Levites. |
| Ps 33:2-3 | "Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre... sing to him a new song; play skillfully on strings..." | Encourages musical praise. |
| Ps 150:3-5 | "Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance!" | Broad call to musical worship. |
| Col 3:16 | "...singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts..." | Encourages corporate musical worship. |
| Eph 5:19 | "...addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody..." | Calls for musical expression of faith. |
| 1 Cor 14:33 | "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace..." | God's nature is one of order. |
| 1 Cor 14:40 | "But all things should be done decently and in order." | Principle of order in worship. |
| Heb 5:4 | "And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was." | Divine appointment for priestly/service roles. |
| Gen 49:28 | "All these are the twelve tribes of Israel..." | The number twelve symbolizing completeness. |
| Ex 24:4 | "...Moses built an altar at the foot of the mountain and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel." | Twelve symbolizing the tribes. |
| Mt 10:2-4 | "The names of the twelve apostles are these..." | Twelve apostles representing the new covenant. |
| Rev 21:12 | "...a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels..." | Twelve symbolizing completeness and divine design in the New Jerusalem. |
| 2 Chr 20:21-22 | "...appointed those who were to sing to the LORD... as they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush..." | Praise as an instrument of spiritual victory. |
1 Chronicles 25 verses
1 Chronicles 25 12 Meaning
1 Chronicles 25:12 records the specific assignment for the ninth division of temple musicians as organized by King David. This lot was allocated to Jeshua, a leader of one of the twenty-four Levitical clans dedicated to musical service. The verse further specifies that this division included Jeshua, his sons, and his brothers, forming a complete unit of twelve individuals. It highlights David’s meticulous and divinely inspired organization of sacred worship, ensuring order and dedicated personnel for the future Temple.
1 Chronicles 25 12 Context
1 Chronicles 25 falls within a broader section (1 Chronicles 23-26) detailing King David's extensive reorganization and division of the Levites for the future temple service. Having secured peace and unified the kingdom, David, nearing the end of his reign, meticulously prepared for the building of the temple by his son Solomon. This included not only the gathering of materials but also establishing a divinely revealed blueprint for worship.
Chapter 25 specifically focuses on the musicians, who were selected from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun (Ethan). They were chosen "to prophesy with harps, lyres, and cymbals," highlighting the spiritual and inspired nature of their musical ministry. David established twenty-four divisions, mirroring the divisions of the priests (1 Chron 24), and assigned their roles by lot, ensuring fairness and demonstrating God's sovereign hand in the assignments. Verse 12 identifies the ninth lot for one of these specialized units, ensuring a comprehensive, dedicated, and continuous system of praise for generations to come, based on structured family units. This order contrasted with potential haphazard or unsanctified worship, emphasizing the reverence and intentionality required for service to God.
1 Chronicles 25 12 Word analysis
- the ninth: Signifies precise and intentional divine ordering. In the context of 24 divisions, each lot number indicates a specific rotation or duty schedule, underscoring meticulous planning for systematic worship. This detail reflects God's nature as a God of order (1 Cor 14:33).
- to Jeshua: This name (Hebrew: יֵשׁוּעַ, Yeshua) means "Yahweh is salvation" or "Yahweh saves." It is a common name, borne by several figures, including a high priest in Ezra-Nehemiah's time. Here, it identifies a specific Levitical family head appointed to lead a musical division. His designation implies leadership, responsibility, and prominence within his lineage.
- his sons and his brothers: This phrase highlights the familial and communal structure of the Levitical service. The musical divisions were not individual appointments but family-based units. "Sons" indicates direct descendants continuing the lineage of service, while "brothers" refers to other male relatives within the extended family or clan, perhaps cousins or uncles. This emphasized unity, shared heritage, and continuity in their sacred duties. Worship leadership was deeply embedded in family identity.
- twelve: This number often signifies administrative or governmental completeness, wholeness, or divine organization in biblical contexts (e.g., 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles). Here, it indicates that Jeshua's division comprised exactly twelve men: Jeshua himself, his sons, and his brothers. This count affirms a full, sufficient, and complete unit appointed for their specific service slot within the rotational system of temple musicians, symbolizing an ordered and divinely established structure.
1 Chronicles 25 12 Bonus section
- The chronicler's extensive detailing of the Levitical divisions (Chr 23-26) legitimizes the post-exilic temple practices, aligning them directly with David's original, divinely sanctioned blueprint. This gave historical and theological authority to the reorganized worship.
- The fact that musicians, alongside priests and gatekeepers, were meticulously organized underscores the vital, perhaps even prophetic, role of music and praise in ancient Israelite worship, distinguishing it from general forms of offering or service. Their "prophesying with harps, lyres, and cymbals" implies inspired, Spirit-led artistic expression in worship.
- The system of lots used to assign the divisions ensured impartiality and indicated divine oversight in their specific appointments, demonstrating that positions of service were not simply earned but supernaturally ordained.
1 Chronicles 25 12 Commentary
1 Chronicles 25:12, though a specific administrative detail, profoundly illuminates the biblical principles of divine order, consecrated service, and the importance of worship. David, under divine inspiration, established a meticulously structured system for temple worship, going beyond mere logistical convenience to embody reverence and dedication. This verse, detailing the ninth of twenty-four divisions for musicians under Jeshua's family, reveals God’s preference for deliberate, organized, and sustained praise. The emphasis on hereditary family units (Jeshua, his sons, his brothers) ensured continuity, knowledge transfer, and collective responsibility in this sacred calling. The consistent "twelve" for each division further underscores the completeness and intentional design of these specialized groups. It serves as a powerful reminder that all aspects of God's house and service—even those seemingly mundane or organizational—are meant to reflect His perfection and bring glory to Him through a dedicated and disciplined pursuit of worship.