1 Chronicles 25 Bible study: The teacher as well as the student

"Moreover, David and the captains of the army set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who were to prophesy with harps, with stringed instruments, and with cymbals" (25:1) (tap set apart and prophesy). The verse names the captains of the army beside David. Then it names three fathers and their sons. Of Asaph: "Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah" (25:2). Of Jeduthun, six (25:3). Of Heman, fourteen (25:4-5). The word prophesy comes three times in three verses: the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun "were to prophesy with harps" (25:1), Asaph "prophesied at the order of the king" (25:2), and Jeduthun "prophesied in giving thanks and praising the LORD with the harp" (25:3). These are the singers the book has already named. "These are they whom David set over the service of song in the LORD’s house after the ark came to rest there" (6:31), and Heman and Jeduthun were chosen "to give thanks to the LORD, because his loving kindness endures forever" (16:41). When the ark came up, chapter 15 named "Heman the son of Joel", "Asaph the son of Berechiah" and "Ethan the son of Kushaiah" (15:17). Here the third name is Jeduthun, as in 16:41, where he is named beside Heman. The book doesn't say whether Jeduthun and Ethan are one man, and these notes don't either.

1 Chronicles 25:8→leads toMatthew 23:8

"They cast lots for their offices, all alike, the small as well as the great, the teacher as well as the student" (25:8). Jesus "spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples" (Matthew 23:1): "But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers" (Matthew 23:8). Jesus doesn't cite 1 Chronicles 25, so setting his words beside it is a reading, resting on a shared subject, the one who teaches and the one who learns, not on a shared word. Some read the two together: in 25:8 the lot made no difference between teacher and student, and in Jesus' words none of his hearers is to be called Rabbi, for they have one teacher, the Christ, and are all brothers. Others read each in its own setting: 25:8 tells how the singers' offices were given out in David's day, and Jesus is speaking of the scribes and Pharisees, who love "to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men" (Matthew 23:7).

נָבָאnaba'say na-BA

Strong's: "to prophesy, i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse)". Brown-Driver-Briggs: "prophesy". The sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun were set apart as those "who were to prophesy with harps, with stringed instruments, and with cymbals" (25:1). Asaph "prophesied at the order of the king" (25:2), and Jeduthun "prophesied in giving thanks and praising the LORD with the harp" (25:3). 1 Chronicles uses the verb only in these three verses. 1 Samuel uses it of the band of prophets who came down "with a lute, a tambourine, a pipe, and a harp before them" (1 Samuel 10:5).