1 Chronicles 25:30 — Word Study
WLCלִשְׁלֹשָׁ֤ה וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ לְמַ֣חֲזִיא֔וֹת בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶחָ֖יו שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר׃
BSAthe twenty-thirdshâlôwsh to MahaziothMachăzîyʼôwth [a descendant of Levi] his sonsbên [male descendants] and his brothersʼâch [close relatives or male siblings, a dozen, twelve] 12 [in all]shᵉnayim
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לִשְׁלֹשָׁ֤ה | for three | Preposition, noun common both singular absolute |
| וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ | and twenty | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| לְמַ֣חֲזִיא֔וֹת | to Mahazioth | 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-third to Mahazioth, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; |
| KJV | The three and twentieth to Mahazioth, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve: |
| ASV | for the three and twentieth to Mahazioth, his sons and his brethren, twelve: |
| YLT | at the three and twentieth [to] Mahazioth, his sons and his brethren, twelve; |
| WEB | for the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons and his brothers, twelve; |
| BBE | The twenty-third Mahazioth, with his sons and his brothers, twelve; |
Where they part company is מַחֲזִיאֹות — see How Translations Differ.
The structure is straightforward, with a main clause followed by details about the family and their total number.
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 25:30
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 — Divisions of the Levitesgenerated
1 Chronicles 25:30 is part of a detailed account of the organization of the Levitical singers, which is significant for understanding the structure of worship in ancient Israel. This verse specifically identifies Mahazioth and his family as part of the twenty-third division, emphasizing the importance of their role in the temple service, as seen in the surrounding verses that list other divisions and their respective numbers.
Cross References
The Key Word — שָׁלֹשׁ, lish.lo.Shahgenerated
The Hebrew word שָׁלֹשׁ (*shalosh*) means 'three' and is a basic number used throughout the Bible. It can refer to the quantity of three or the ordinal 'third.' The parsing indicates it is a noun in the singular form, showing its use as both a cardinal and an ordinal number.
This word appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often in contexts that describe quantities or sequences. Its usage here contributes to the numbering of the divisions of the singers, emphasizing the structured organization of the Levitical duties.
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 is structured around the prepositional phrase לְמַחֲזִיא֔וֹת, to Mahazioth, which anchors the verse in identifying the recipient of the division. The numeral phrases שְׁנֵ֥ים and עָשָֽׂר provide the total count of singers: twelve.
The organization of the verse follows a clear structure that lists the number, the recipient, and the family members, reflecting the systematic approach to the Levitical divisions.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שָׁלֹשׁ as τρίτος, which means 'third.' This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the ordinal aspect of the number.
The translation of מַחֲזִיאֹות as μεαζωθ shows a transliteration that keeps the identity of Mahazioth intact, indicating its significance in the context of the Levitical singers.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 25:30 lists the twenty-third group of singers assigned to Mahazioth, along with his sons and brothers, totaling twelve individuals. This verse is part of a larger section that organizes the Levitical singers for temple service, showing the structure of worship in Israel.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Mahazioth represents one of the divisions of the Levitical singers, highlighting the organized structure of worship in ancient Israel.
The number twelve often symbolizes completeness in the Bible, and here it indicates the total number of singers in this division.
The divisions of singers were essential for temple worship, providing music and praise as part of the religious ceremonies.
The term 'brothers' refers to male relatives or siblings, indicating the close familial ties within the Levitical divisions.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does the organization of the Levitical singers reflect the importance of order in worship?
- What can we learn about family and community from the mention of Mahazioth and his relatives?
- In what ways does the number twelve carry significance in biblical texts?
- How can understanding the roles of the Levites enhance our appreciation for worship practices today?
Commentators on this verse — 1 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 25:30 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleVer. 30 [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-third to Mahazioth, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;
for the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons and his brothers, twelve;
the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;
the twenty-third to Mahazioth and his sons and relatives – twelve in all,
Tyndale line
The three and twentieth to Mahazioth, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
for the three and twentieth to Mahazioth, his sons and his brethren, twelve:
for the three and twentieth to Mahazioth, his sons and his brethren, twelve:
The three and twentieth to Mahazioth, he , his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
The three and twentieth, to Mahazioth, he, his sonnes and his brethren twelue.
Strictly literal
The twenty-third to Mahazioth; his sons and his brethren, twelve.
at the three and twentieth [to] Mahazioth, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons and his brothers—twelve;
The three and twentieth was for Machasioth, his sons, and his brethren, being twelve;
the twenty-third fell to Mahazioth, his sons and his relatives, twelve persons in number;
From the Latin
The three and twentieth to Mahazioth, to his sons and his brethren twelve.
Simplified
The twenty-third fell to Mahazioth, his sons and his brothers, 12 in total.
The twenty-third Mahazioth, 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 agree on the wording of this verse, with all seven words matched in the Hebrew and Greek texts. This consistency underscores the reliability of the transcription across these ancient witnesses.
לִשְׁלֹשָׁ֤ה וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ לְמַ֣חֲזִיא֔וֹת בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶחָ֖יו שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר׃
7 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 25:30
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.
The Hebrew word שָׁלֹשׁ (*shalosh*) means 'three' or 'triad.' It can also refer to the ordinal 'third' and is used in various contexts, including multiplication as 'thrice.' The entries consistently define it as a primitive number without significant disagreement.
שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה 430 n.m. et f. a three, triad
base
H7969 שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה a three, triad
7969 shalowsh shaw-loshe'
or shalosh {shaw-loshe'}; masculine shlowshah {shel-o-shaw'};
or shloshah {shel-o-shaw'}; a primitive number; three;
occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multipl.) thrice:--+ fork,
+ often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, + thrice.
Compare 7991.
see HEBREW for 07991
שָׁלֹשׁ (sha.losh) — three.
1) three, triad
1a) 3, 300, third
Aramaic equivalent: te.lat (תְּלָת "three" H8532)
Prep | Adj — Preposition · noun common both singular absoluteHR/Ncbsa
(shalosh; treis).
See NUMBER.
The phrase "three days and three nights," Mt 12:40, was equivalent in Hebrew to the English "three days;" the Jews employing the expression "a day and a night" to denote our "day" of twentyfour hours. Nor did "three days," 1Sa 30:13, literally "this third day," according to their usage, necessarily include the whole of three days, but a part of three days, a continuous period including one whole day of twenty-four hours, and a portion of the day preceding it and the day following it. Compare Ge 7:12,17 1Sa 30:12-13.
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.
מַחֲזִיאֹת (Machaziy'owth) is a feminine plural form meaning 'visions.' It refers to Mahazioth, an Israelite from the tribe of Levi, specifically a chief of singers during the time of the Divided Monarchy, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 25:4. The word is derived from another Hebrew root, but the entries do not provide further details on its derivation.
מַחֲזִיאֹת n.pr.m. (visions) a Hemanite chief of a course of singers.
base
H4238 מַחֲזִיאֹת, מַחֲזִיאוֹת
4238 Machaziy'owth makh-az-ee-oth'
feminine plural from 2372; visions; Machazioth, an
Israelite:--Mahazioth.
see HEBREW for 02372
מַחֲזִיאֹת (ma.cha.zi.ot) — Mahazioth.
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), Joshbekashah (H3436), Mallothi (H4413), Hothir (H1956)
§ Mahazioth = "visions"
one of the 14 sons of Heman the Kohathite and the chief of a group of singers
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculineHR/Npm
ma-ha'-iz-oth, ma-ha'-zi-oth (machazi'oth "visions"): One of the 14 sons of Heman the Kohathite in the temple choir. "He was leader of the 23rd course of musicians whose function was to blow the horns" (1Ch 25:4,30).
Mahazioth
Visions, a Kohathite Levite, chief of the twenty-third course of musicians (1 Chr. 25:4, 30).
(visions). One of the fourteen sons of Heman the Kohathite. (1 Chronicles 25:4,30)
seeing a sign; seeing a letter
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
