Synopsis of the Chapter
The 24 classes of Levites appointed for singing, chanting psalms, and playing the lyre are enumerated.
Verse 1: The Officers of the Army ¶
1. THE OFFICERS OF THE ARMY — that is, the leaders both political and ecclesiastical; for the whole people, both laity and Levites, is called an "army" because of their multitude; for they were many and packed together, and arranged by ranks like battle lines, as soldiers are in an army. The officers of the Levites, in chapter 24:6, are called "leaders of the sanctuary."
WHO WERE TO PROPHESY (that is, who were to sing and praise God) WITH HARPS, EACH SERVING IN THE OFFICE ASSIGNED TO HIM ACCORDING TO THEIR NUMBER — that is, each in his turn sang with as many as had been assigned to sing; for a more numerous family constituting one order of singers had more singers than one which contained fewer members in its household. In Hebrew it reads: men of the work in their ministry, that is, diligent men, skillfully performing their duty; that is, all these were most expert musicians, says Vatablus.
UNDER THE DIRECTION OF ASAPH, WHO PROPHESIED (sang the praises of God) AT THE KING'S DIRECTION — namely in the citadel of Zion before the ark, near the seat of David, where he himself was accustomed to sit and attend the divine praises. For it is likely that other singers were assigned to sing in the Tabernacle of Moses, which was at Gibeon; hence some, to include both groups, explain "at the king's direction" as meaning: according to the king's prescription and distribution, so that these would sing in Zion and those in Gibeon.
Verse 3: The Sons of Jeduthun ¶
3. THE SONS OF JEDUTHUN: GEDALIAH, ZERI, JESHAIAH, AND HASHABIAH, AND MATTITHIAH, SIX. — Only five are listed here, as is evident to anyone counting them. Therefore the sixth is missing, and it is likely to be "Shimei," who is named in verse 17 in the tenth lot; for Shimei is not named among the sons of Asaph nor among the sons of Heman. He was therefore a son of Jeduthun; for the sons of these three are described here, as is clear from verse 1.
Verse 5: Heman the King's Seer ¶
5. ALL THESE WERE SONS OF HEMAN THE KING'S SEER IN THE WORDS OF GOD. — Heman is called "Seer," that is, prophet, meaning the singer of divine praises at David's court. "In the words of God" — that is, when the words, that is, the deeds and praises of God, were being sung; meaning that David had his musicians at court and at table, who sang secular music for the king's honest recreation; but here Heman saw to it that only sacred songs were sung in the Tabernacle, when David devoted himself to the divine offices. "The words of God" therefore were psalms, hymns, and canticles of divine praise.
TO EXALT THE HORN — that is, by singing to exalt the greatness, magnificence, and immense majesty, wisdom, mercy, power, clemency, and beneficence of God. So Abulensis. Secondly, and more precisely, Heman saw to it that those psalms were sung in which David prays and foretells the exaltation of the "horn," that is, the kingdom, power, and glory both of his own empire and of the antitype, Christ. For to hear this was most pleasing and most desired by David. Hence he frequently treats of this exaltation of the horn in the psalms. Hence Vatablus translates: Who was the king's seer in divine words, that the horn might be lifted up; and he explains it thus: Heman prophesied of David that he would attain great fame and glory. For "horn" signifies dignity and glory, likewise strength and might, as if to say: for the exaltation of the royal dignity and power. For Asaph and Jeduthun sang other psalms, which were directed toward instructing and consoling the people, and stirring them to piety and to praising God along with them.
Verse 7: Who Taught the Song ¶
7. WHO TAUGHT THE SONG — that is, "masters," as follows, who taught the rest to sing and play skillfully, both with the voice and with musical instruments.
Verse 8: The Skilled as Well as the Unskilled ¶
8. THE SKILLED AS WELL AS THE UNSKILLED — that is, the one experienced in singing equally with the inexperienced, the teacher equally with the student; meaning that David distributed the singers into 24 classes, and to each class he gave twelve master musicians who were skilled, to teach the rest to sing, and to direct and perfect them in song. Therefore these masters were 288 in total, as was said in verse 7. For multiply 24 by 12, and the result is the number 288.