Page:The Books of Chronicles (1916).djvu/210

146 psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of them that did the work according to their service was: of the sons of Asaph; Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asharelah, the sons of Asaph; under the hand of Asaph, who prophesied after the order of the king. Of Jeduthun: the sons of Jeduthun; Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six; under the hands of their father Jeduthun with the harp, who prophesied in giving thanks and praising the. Of Heman: the sons of Heman; Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-ezer,

psalteries] See xiii. 8, note.

2. Asaph] See xv. 17, note.

Asharelah] In ver. 14, "Jesharelah."

after the order] All was done according to the order established by king David.

3. Jeduthun] See xvi. 41, note.

Zeri] read as in ver. 11, Izri.

Jeshaiah] After Jeshaiah LXX. B inserts the name "Shimei", no doubt rightly for (1) six sons are reckoned in this verse, (2) the "Shimei" of ver. 17 is otherwise unmentioned in vv. 2—4, though his twenty-three companions are named.

4. Heman] See xv. 17, note.

Uzziel] In ver. 18, "Azarel." The variation between the two words when written with Hebrew consonants is small. Cp. note on 2 Chr. xxvi. 1 ("Uzziah" and "Azariah").

Shebuel] In ver. 20, "Shubael."

Jerimoth] In ver. 22, "Jeremoth."

Hananiah, Hanani] Hananiah, which signifies "Jehovah (Jah) is gracious," and Hanani (probably a contraction of Hananiah) are names found not infrequently in the O.T.; but the following seven words are practically impossible as proper names, and the nine words together, with some easy alterations, actually form a poetical petition, which may be rendered thus:

"Be gracious unto me, O God; be gracious unto me! Thou art my God. Thou hast magnified and exalted help for him that sat in distress. Thou hast given visions abundantly."

What explanation can be offered of this startling fact? It may be that the names are wholly artificial, invented by the Chronicler to fill out the desired twenty-four courses (see the head-note above), but the