1 Chronicles 25:24 — Word Study
WLCלְשִׁבְעָ֤ה עָשָׂר֙ לְיָשְׁבְּקָ֔שָׁה בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶחָ֖יו שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר׃
BSAthe seventeenthshebaʻ to JoshbekashahYoshbᵉqâshâh [a Levite, son of Heman] his sonsbên [descendants, family members] and his brothersʼâch [relatives, kin, a dozen, two times six] 12 [in all]shᵉnayim
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לְשִׁבְעָ֤ה | for seven- | Preposition, noun common both singular absolute |
| עָשָׂר֙ | teen | Noun common, both singular absolute |
| לְיָשְׁבְּקָ֔שָׁה | to Joshbekashah | Preposition, noun proper masculine |
| בָּנָ֥יו | sons his | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| וְאֶחָ֖יו | and relatives his | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| שְׁנֵ֥ים | two [plus] | Noun common, both dual absolute |
| עָשָֽׂר׃ | ten | Noun common, both singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; |
| KJV | The seventeenth to Joshbekashah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
| ASV | for the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brethren, twelve: |
| YLT | at the seventeenth [to] Joshbekashah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; |
| WEB | for the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brothers, twelve; |
| BBE | The seventeenth Joshbekashah, with his sons and his brothers, twelve; |
The translations agree on the names and numbers in this verse, reflecting a consistent understanding of the text.
The sentence structure emphasizes the assignment of the group and the familial connections, showing how they are integral to the temple service.
1 commentators on this verse
Gill & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 1 Chronicles 25:24
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Musicians of the Templegenerated
1 Chronicles 25:24 describes the organization of the Levite musicians who served in the temple. This verse specifically highlights the seventeenth division, led by Joshbekashah, and notes the total number of musicians in his family group. This is part of a larger account detailing the roles and responsibilities of the Levites in temple worship.
Cross References
The Key Word — יָשְׁבְּקָ֫שָׁה, ya.she.be.Ka.shahgenerated
The name יָשְׁבְּקָ֫שָׁה (Yoshbqashah) refers to a Levite, specifically a son of Heman, who was involved in the musical service during the Divided Monarchy. His name implies a connection to harmony, which is fitting for a leader of musicians.
This word is a proper noun, indicating a specific individual rather than a common term. It emphasizes the importance of familial lineage in the context of temple service.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In this study, we reference the Berean Standard Bible (BSB) as the primary translation.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse is constructed around a main clause that identifies the seventeenth division of musicians, with several phrases providing details about their leader and family. The finite verb is implied in the structure, focusing on the assignment of Joshbekashah and his family.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the number and the familial relationships, highlighting the significance of both in the context of temple service.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יָשְׁבְּקָ֫שָׁה as ιεσβακασα, indicating a direct correspondence with the Hebrew name. This choice reflects the translators' aim to maintain the identity of the Levite while adapting it to Greek phonetics.
The Septuagint's use of this name shows an effort to preserve the original meaning and significance of the Hebrew text while making it accessible to a Greek-speaking audience.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 25:24 lists the seventeenth group of musicians in the temple, led by a Levite named Joshbekashah. It notes that he had twelve family members serving with him, emphasizing the importance of family in this role.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Joshbekashah was a Levite and a son of Heman, responsible for leading a group of musicians in the temple.
The number twelve often represents completeness or divine order, reflecting the organized structure of the Levite musicians.
Family ties highlight the continuity of service and the significance of lineage in the Levitical priesthood and temple duties.
This verse is part of a detailed account of the organization of temple service, emphasizing the roles of various Levite families in worship.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn about the importance of family in serving God from this verse?
- How does the organization of the Levite musicians reflect God's order in worship?
- In what ways can we apply the concept of service from this passage in our own lives?
- What does the number twelve symbolize in the context of God's people?
Commentators on this verse — 1 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 25:24 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleVer. 24 [See comments on 1 Chronicles 25:9]
Read John Gill on 1 Chronicles 25 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;
for the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brothers, twelve;
the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;
the seventeenth to Joshbekashah and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
Tyndale line
The seventeenth to Joshbekashah, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
for the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brethren, twelve:
for the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brethren, twelve:
The seventeenth to Joshbekashah, he , his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
The seuenteenth, to Ioshbekashah, he, his sonnes and his brethren twelue.
Strictly literal
The seventeenth to Joshbekashah; his sons and his brethren, twelve.
at the seventeenth [to] Joshbekashah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brothers—twelve;
The seventeenth was for Joshbekashah, his sons, and his brethren, being twelve;
the seventeenth fell to Joshbekashah, his sons and his relatives, twelve persons in number;
From the Latin
The seventeenth to Jesbacassa, to his sons and his brethren twelve.
Simplified
The seventeenth fell to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brothers, 12 in total.
The seventeenth Joshbekashah, with his sons and his brothers, twelve;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in this verse, with five out of seven words matching directly. The Septuagint's word order differs, but the essential information about Joshbekashah and his family remains intact.
לְשִׁבְעָ֤ה עָשָׂר֙ לְיָשְׁבְּקָ֔שָׁה בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶחָ֖יו שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר׃
5 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 1 Chronicles 25:24
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
שֶׁ֫בַע (sheba`) means 'seven' and is a cardinal number. It can also imply 'seven times' or refer to a week. The term appears in various contexts, including combinations like 17 or 700. Its Aramaic equivalent is שִׁבְעָה (shiv.ah), also meaning 'seven'.
שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה 394 n.m. et f. seven
base
H7651 שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה seven
7651 sheba` sheh'-bah
or (masculine) shibrah {shib-aw'}; from 7650; a primitive
cardinal number; seven (as the sacred full one); also
(adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by
extension, an indefinite number:--(+ by) seven(-fold),-s,
(-teen, -teenth), -th, times). Compare 7658.
see HEBREW for 07650
see HEBREW for 07658
שֶׁ֫בַע (she.va) — seven.
1) seven (cardinal number)
1a) as ordinal number
1b) in combination-17, 700 etc
Aramaic equivalent: shiv.ah (שִׁבְעָה "seven" H7655)
Prep | Adj — Preposition · noun common both singular absoluteHR/Ncbsa
sev'-'-n (shebha`; hepta).
See NUMBER.
Seven
This number occurs frequently in Scripture, and in such connections as lead to the supposition that it has some typical meaning. On the seventh day God rested, and hallowed it (Gen. 2:2, 3). The division of time into weeks of seven days each accounts for many instances of the occurrence of this number. This number has been called the symbol of perfection, and also the symbol of rest. “Jacob’s seven years’ service to Laban; Pharaoh’s seven fat oxen and seven lean ones; the seven branches of the golden candlestick; the seven trumpets and the seven priests who sounded them; the seven days’ siege of Jericho; the seven churches, seven spirits, seven stars, seven seals, seven vials, and many others, sufficiently prove the importance of this sacred number” (see Lev. 25:4;
The frequent recurrence of certain numbers in the sacred literature of the Hebrews is obvious to the most superficial reader, but seven so far surpasses the rest, both in the frequency with which it recurs and in the importance of the objects with which it is associated, that it may fairly be termed the representative symbolic number. The influence of the number seven was not restricted to the Hebrews; it prevailed among the Persians, ancient Indians, Greeks and Romans. The peculiarity of the Hebrew view consists in the special dignity of the seventh, and not simply in that of seen. The Sabbath being the seventh day suggested the adoption of seven as the coefficient, so to say, for their appointment of all sacred periods; and we thus find the 7th month ushered in by the Feast of Trumpets, and signalized by the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Great Day of Atonement; 7…
As from the beginning this was the number of days in the week, so it often has in Scripture a sort of emphasis attached to it, and is very generally used as a round or perfect number. Clean beasts were taken into the ark by sevens, Ge 7:1-24. The years of plenty and famine in Egypt were marked by sevens, Ge 41:1-57. With the Jews, not only was there a seventh day Sabbath, but every seventh year was a Sabbath, and after every seven times seven years came a jubilee. Their great feasts of unleavened bread and of tabernacles were observed for seven days; the number of animals in many of their sacrifices was limited to seven. The golden candlestick had seven branches. Seven priests with seven trumpets went around the walls of Jericho seven days, and seven times on the seventh day. In…
עָשָׂר (asar) means 'ten' and is used exclusively in combination with other numbers to form the teen numbers (11-19), both as cardinal and ordinal forms. The entries indicate that it is derived from another Hebrew root, but do not elaborate on its etymology.
עָשָׂר, עֶשְׂרֵה ten, only after units to make num. 11-19, both cardinal and ordinal
base
H6240 עָשָׂר, עֶשְׂרֵה ten, only after units to make num. 11-19, both cardinal and ordinal
6240 `asar aw-sawr'
for 6235; ten (only in combination), i.e. -teen; also
(ordinal) -teenth:--(eigh-, fif-, four-, nine-, seven-,
six-, thir-)teen(-th), + eleven(-th), + sixscore thousand, +
twelve(-th).
see HEBREW for 06235
עָשָׂר (a.sar) — ten.
1) ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers)
1a) used only in combination to make the numbers 11-19
HNcbsa — Noun common · both singular absoluteHNcbsa
יָשְׁבְּקָ֫שָׁה (Yoshbqashah) refers to an Israelite, specifically a son of Heman, who was a leader of a group of musicians during the Divided Monarchy. The name is interpreted as meaning 'seated in hardness.' He is first mentioned in 1 Chronicles 25:4 and is noted for his familial connections to other Levites.
יָשְׁבְּקָ֫שָׁה n.pr.m. a son of Heman
base
H3436 יָשְׁבְּקָ֫שָׁה
3436 Yoshbqashah yosh-bek-aw-shaw'
from 3427 and 7186; a hard seat; Joshbekashah, an
Israelite:--Joshbekashah.
see HEBREW for 03427
see HEBREW for 07186
יׇשְׁבְּקָ֫שָׁה (yosh.be.qa.shah) — Joshbekashah.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.25.4;
son of: Heman (H1968I);
brother of: Bukkiah (H1232), Mattaniah (H4983H), Uzziel (H5816J), Shebuel (H7619H), Jerimoth (H3406L), Hananiah (H2608P), Hanani (H2607H), Eliathah (H0448), Giddalti (H1437), Romamti-ezer (H7320), Mallothi (H4413), Hothir (H1956), Mahazioth (H4238)
§ Joshbekashah = "seated in hardness"
son of Heman and the leader of the 17th course of musicians
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculineHR/Npm
josh-be-ka'-sha, josh-be-kash'-a (yoshbeqashah, "son" of Heman; 1Ch 25:4,24): The last 8 or 9 names in per 4 are taken by commentators to be not names but the words of a prayer. See OTJ C2, 143, note; Curtis, Chron, 278, 280; SBOT.
(a seat in a hard place), son of Heman, head of the seventeenth course of musicians. (1 Chronicles 25:4,25) (B.C. 1014.)
→ Son of Heman 1Ch 25:4,24
בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
son, male child, born of a woman
children (male and female)
youth, young men
the young of animals
of plant shoots
fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
member of a guild, order or class
of animals son of (the) herd
ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
n. relat. of age
base
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
done
H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman
. children (male and female)
. youth, young men
. the young of animals
. of plant shoots
. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
. . member of a guild, order or class
. of animals son of (the) herd
. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
. n. relat. of age
H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son
1121 ben bane
from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the
widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,
including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,
etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)
(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,
(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,
bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X
came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of
first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +
kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)
people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +
spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous
one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 0251
בֵּן (ben) — son: child.
: child/son
בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;
son of: Jaaziah (H3269);
brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)
§ Beno = "his son"
the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)
בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.
: descendant, people, tribe, nation
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : child/son
בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.
: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : descendant
בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.
: rebel/son(Belial)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : people/men/nation/tribe
בֵּן (ben) — son.
: [inheriting]son/heir
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.
: warrior/son(strong)
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3ms
אָח (ach) means 'brother' and encompasses a broad range of relationships, including literal siblings, half-brothers, and metaphorical kinship. It can refer to any male relative or compatriot, and it may also imply resemblance or reciprocal relationships. The term is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, highlighting both familial and figurative connections.
אָח 630 n.m. brother
brother, born of same mother (& father)
indef. = relative
fig. of resemblance
in phr. one … another
base
H251 אָח brother
251 'ach awkh
a primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of
literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance
(like 1)):--another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other.
Compare also the proper names beginning with "Ah-" or "Ahi-".
see HEBREW for 01
אָח (ach) — brother: male-sibling.
: male-sibling
1) brother
1a) brother of same parents
1b) half-brother (same father)
1c) relative, kinship, same tribe
1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)
1e) (fig.) of resemblance
אָח (ach) — brother: male-relative.
: male-relative
1) brother
1a) brother of same parents
1b) half-brother (same father)
1c) relative, kinship, same tribe
1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)
1e) (fig.) of resemblance
אָח (ach) — brother: compatriot.
: compatriot
1) brother
1a) brother of same parents
1b) half-brother (same father)
1c) relative, kinship, same tribe
1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)
1e) (fig.) of resemblance
Conj | N-mp | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms
שְׁנַ֫יִם (shnayim) means 'two' and serves as both a cardinal and ordinal number. It can denote 'both,' 'double,' or 'twice,' and is used in various combinations with other numbers. The word is derived as a dual form of שָׁנָה (shanah), which relates to the concept of pairs.
שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם 768 n.m. et f. du. two
base
H8147 שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם two
8147 shnayim shen-ah'-yim
dual of 8145; feminine shttayim {shet-tah'-yim}; two; also
(as ordinal) twofold:--both, couple, double, second, twain, +
twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.
see HEBREW for 08145
שְׁנַ֫יִם (she.na.yim) — two.
1) two
1a) two (the cardinal number)
1a1) two, both, double, twice
1b) second (the ordinal number)
1c) in combination with other numbers
1d) both (a dual number)
Adj — Noun common · both dual absoluteHNcbda
עָשָׂר (asar) means 'ten' and is used exclusively in combination with other numbers to form the teen numbers (11-19), both as cardinal and ordinal forms. The entries indicate that it is derived from another Hebrew root, but do not elaborate on its etymology.
עָשָׂר, עֶשְׂרֵה ten, only after units to make num. 11-19, both cardinal and ordinal
base
H6240 עָשָׂר, עֶשְׂרֵה ten, only after units to make num. 11-19, both cardinal and ordinal
6240 `asar aw-sawr'
for 6235; ten (only in combination), i.e. -teen; also
(ordinal) -teenth:--(eigh-, fif-, four-, nine-, seven-,
six-, thir-)teen(-th), + eleven(-th), + sixscore thousand, +
twelve(-th).
see HEBREW for 06235
עָשָׂר (a.sar) — ten.
1) ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers)
1a) used only in combination to make the numbers 11-19
HNcbsa — Noun common · both singular absoluteHNcbsa