1 Chronicles 25:29 — Word Study
WLCלִשְׁנַ֤יִם וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ לְגִדַּ֔לְתִּי בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶחָ֖יו שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר׃
BSAthe twenty-secondshᵉnayim to GiddaltiGiddaltîy [a Levite, son of Heman] his sonsbên [descendants, male offspring] and his brothersʼâch [male siblings, close relatives, a dozen, twelve] 12 [in all]shᵉnayim
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לִשְׁנַ֤יִם | for two | Preposition, noun common both dual absolute |
| וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ | and twenty | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| לְגִדַּ֔לְתִּי | to Giddalti | 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 twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; |
| KJV | The two and twentieth to Giddalti, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
| ASV | for the two and twentieth to Giddalti, his sons and his brethren, twelve: |
| YLT | at the two and twentieth [to] Giddalti, his sons and his brethren, twelve; |
| WEB | for the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons and his brothers, twelve; |
| BBE | The twenty-second Giddalti, with his sons and his brothers, twelve; |
Where they part company is the description of Giddalti's family — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured with a main clause followed by additional details about family and total count, emphasizing the organization of 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 25:29
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 Organization of Temple Musiciansgenerated
1 Chronicles 25:29 is part of a larger section that details the assignments of Levite musicians in the temple. Each musician is listed with their family, emphasizing the importance of lineage in their roles. This organization reflects the structure and order established for worship in ancient Israel, ensuring that the service was conducted properly and with reverence.
Cross References
The Key Word — גִדַּלְתִּי, Giddaltigenerated
The name גִדַּלְתִּי (Giddalti) means 'I make great' and refers to a Levite involved in temple service. It is derived from the root גָּדַל (gadal), which conveys the idea of greatness or being made great.
Giddalti is noted as a son of Heman, indicating his role within a family of musicians. The mention of his name in this context highlights the significance of family lineage in the Levitical priesthood and the musical traditions of Israel.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause of the verse is structured around the assignment to Giddalti, with several phrases providing additional information: the numeral phrase indicating his position, a prepositional phrase identifying him, and noun phrases detailing his family.
The sentence emphasizes the organization of the musicians by placing the numeral phrase first, which highlights the order of service and the importance of each musician's role.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates גִדַּלְתִּי as γοδολλαθι, which maintains the personal name while adapting it to Greek phonetics. This choice shows an effort to retain the identity of the Levite while making it accessible to a Greek-speaking audience.
The translation reflects a broader understanding of the role of Giddalti within the context of temple service, emphasizing the continuity of worship practices across cultures.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 25:29 tells us about Giddalti, a Levite, who was assigned as the twenty-second musician in the temple service, along with his sons and brothers, totaling twelve in number. This verse highlights the organization of the musicians by family, showing the importance of lineage in their roles.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Giddalti was a Levite musician, the son of Heman, noted for his role in the temple service as part of the organization of musicians.
The number twelve often represents completeness in the Bible, and in this context, it indicates the total number of Giddalti's family members involved in the service.
Family lineage is crucial because it establishes the roles and responsibilities within the Levitical priesthood, ensuring that temple service is conducted by those designated for it.
This verse illustrates the structured approach to temple worship, where specific roles were assigned to families, reflecting the importance of order and tradition in Israel's religious practices.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does this verse teach us about the importance of family in religious service?
- How can we apply the principles of organization and order seen in this verse to our own communities?
- In what ways can we honor our heritage and lineage in our spiritual practices?
- What role do you think music played in the worship of ancient Israel, and how can we incorporate that into our worship today?
Commentators on this verse — 1 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 25:29 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleVer. 29 [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 twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;
for the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons and his brothers, twelve;
the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;
the twenty-second to Giddalti and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
Tyndale line
The two and twentieth to Giddalti, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
for the two and twentieth to Giddalti, his sons and his brethren, twelve:
for the two and twentieth to Giddalti, his sons and his brethren, twelve:
The two and twentieth to Giddalti, he , his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
The two and twentieth, to Giddalti, he, his sonnes and his brethren twelue.
Strictly literal
The twenty-second to Giddalti; his sons and his brethren, twelve.
at the two and twentieth [to] Giddalti, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons and his brothers—twelve;
The two and twentieth was for Giddalthi, his sons, and his brethren, being twelve;
the twenty-second fell to Giddalti, his sons and his relatives, twelve persons in number;
From the Latin
The two and twentieth to Geddelthi, to his sons and his brethren twelve.
Simplified
The twenty-second fell to Giddalti, his sons and his brothers, 12 in total.
The twenty-second Giddalti, 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 their wording, with five of the seven words matched. This indicates a strong consistency in the transmission of this verse across different textual traditions.
לִשְׁנַ֤יִם וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ לְגִדַּ֔לְתִּי 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 25:29
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.
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)
Prep | Adj — Preposition · noun common both dual absoluteHR/Ncbda
too.
See NUMBER.
עֶשְׂרִים (esriym) means 'twenty' and can also refer to the ordinal 'twentieth.' It is derived from the root word for 'ten' and has an Aramaic equivalent, עֶשְׂרִין (es.rin). The entries consistently define the term without significant disagreement.
עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
base
H6242 עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
6242 `esriym es-reem'
from 6235; twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth:--(six-)score,
twenty(-ieth).
see HEBREW for 06235
עֶשְׂרִים (es.rim) — twenty.
twenty, twentieth
Aramaic equivalent: es.rin (עֶשְׂרִין "twenty" H6243)
HC/Ncmpa — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural absoluteHC/Ncmpa
twen'-ti.
See NUMBER.
גִּדַּלְתִּי (Giddaltiy) is a proper name meaning 'I have made great.' It refers to an Israelite from the tribe of Levi, specifically a son of Heman, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 25:4. The name is derived from the root word for greatness, גָּדַל.
גִּדַּלְתִּי n.pr.m. (I magnify (God)) son of Heman
base
H1437 גִּדַּלְתִּי
1437 Giddaltiy ghid-dal'-tee
from 1431; I have made great; Giddalti, an
Israelite:--Giddalti.
see HEBREW for 01431
גִּדַּלְתִּי (gid.dal.ti) — Giddalti.
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), Romamti-ezer (H7320), Joshbekashah (H3436), Mallothi (H4413), Hothir (H1956), Mahazioth (H4238)
§ Giddalti = "I make great"
one of the sons of Heman, the king's seer
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculineHR/Npm
gi-dal'-ti (giddalti, "I magnify (God)"): A son of Heman (1Ch 25:4,29), one of David's musicians.
(I have trained up), one of the sons of Heman, the king’s seer. (1 Chronicles 25:4)
→ A son of Heman 1Ch 25:4,29
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
