וַיַּבְדֵּל דָּוִיד וְשָׂרֵי הַצָּבָא לַעֲבֹדָה לִבְנֵי אָסָף וְהֵימָן וִידוּתוּן הַנִּבְּאִים בְּכִנֹּרוֹת בִּנְבָלִים וּבִמְצִלְתָּיִם וַיְהִי מִסְפָּרָם אַנְשֵׁי מְלָאכָה לַעֲבֹדָתָם

David and the captains of the company of service, the company that served in the Sanctuary, set apart the sons of Asaf, Heiman, and Yedutun, who played harps, lyres, and cymbals. The three fathers, who are also mentioned in the book of Psalms, were not only singers and musicians, but talented composers of some of the psalms that were recited in the Temple throughout the generations. Their number of craftsmen, according to their service, who were qualified to perform the service, was as follows:

לִבְנֵי אָסָף זַכּוּר וְיוֹסֵף וּנְתַנְיָה וַאֲשַׂרְאֵלָה בְּנֵי אָסָף עַל יַד אָסָף הַנִּבָּא עַל־יְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ

The watches for the sons of Asaf: Zakur, Yosef, Netanya, and Asarela, the sons of Asaf who sang under the hand, under the auspices, or under the instruction of their father Asaf, who composed his songs alongside, or according to the direction of, the king.

לִידוּתוּן בְּנֵי יְדוּתוּן גְּדַלְיָהוּ וּצְרִי וִישַׁעְיָהוּ חֲשַׁבְיָהוּ וּמַתִּתְיָהוּ שִׁשָּׁה עַל יְדֵי אֲבִיהֶם יְדוּתוּן בַּכִּנּוֹר הַנִּבָּא עַל הוֹדוֹת וְהַלֵּל לַה'

For Yedutun, the sons of Yedutun: Gedalyahu, and Tzeri, and Yeshayahu, Hashavyahu, and Matityahu, six including Shimi, mentioned below (verse 17), who may have become an official singer at a later stage; they performed under the hand of their father Yedutun, who played with the harp, and who composed in thanks, psalms of thanksgiving, and praise to the Lord.

לְהֵימָן בְּנֵי הֵימָן בֻּקִּיָּהוּ מַתַּנְיָהוּ עֻזִּיאֵל שְׁבוּאֵל וִירִימוֹת חֲנַנְיָה חֲנָנִי אֱלִיאָתָה גִדַּלְתִּי וְרֹמַמְתִּי עֶזֶר יָשְׁבְּקָשָׁה מַלּוֹתִי הוֹתִיר מַחֲזִיאֹת

For Heiman, the many sons of Heiman: Bukiyahu, Matanyahu, Uziel, Shevuel, Yerimot, Hananya, Hanani, Eliata, Gidalti and Romamti Ezer, a single name (verse 31), Yoshbekasha, Maloti, Hotir, Mahaziot;

כָּל־אֵלֶּה בָנִים לְהֵימָן חֹזֵה הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּדִבְרֵי הָאֱלֹהִים לְהָרִים קָרֶן וַיִּתֵּן הָאֱלֹהִים לְהֵימָן בָּנִים אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר וּבָנוֹת שָׁלוֹשׁ

all of these were sons of Heiman, the king’s seer in matters of God, and whose songs were sung for the Temple’s and the king’s greater glory. God gave to Heiman a large family of fourteen sons and three daughters.

כָּל־אֵלֶּה עַל־יְדֵי אֲבִיהֶם בַּשִּׁיר בֵּית ה' בִּמְצִלְתַּיִם נְבָלִים וְכִנֹּרוֹת לַעֲבֹדַת בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים עַל יְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אָסָף וִידוּתוּן וְהֵימָן

All these heads of watches were under the hand of their father in playing the song of the House of the Lord, with cymbals, lyres, and harps, for the service of the House of God, under the hand of the king; and their fathers were, as stated earlier, Asaf, Yedutun, and Heiman.

וַיְהִי מִסְפָּרָם עִם־אֲחֵיהֶם מְלֻמְּדֵי־שִׁיר לַה' כָּל־הַמֵּבִין מָאתַיִם שְׁמוֹנִים וּשְׁמֹנָה

Their number, the heads of watches, with their brethren who were trained in singing to the Lord, everyone expert in song, was two hundred and eighty-eight.

וַיַּפִּילוּ גּוֹרָלוֹת מִשְׁמֶרֶת לְעֻמַּת כַּקָּטֹן כַּגָּדוֹל מֵבִין עִם־תַּלְמִיד

They cast lots, watches parallel to each other, small and great alike, an expert with a student, one who had yet to come of age. All were equal in the lot.

וַיֵּצֵא הַגּוֹרָל הָרִאשׁוֹן לְאָסָף לְיוֹסֵף גְּדַלְיָהוּ הַשֵּׁנִי הוּא־וְאֶחָיו וּבָנָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

Once again a detailed list of the order of the lots is provided: The first lot emerged for Asaf, for his son Yosef; Gedalyahu was the second; he and his brethren and sons were twelve. It seems that all of these subsequent groups were intentionally comprised of twelve close relatives who knew how to play music.

הַשְּׁלִשִׁי זַכּוּר בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר

The third was Zakur; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

הָרְבִיעִי לַיִּצְרִי בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

the fourth lot was for Yitzri, Yedutun’s second son, called Tzeri above; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

הַחֲמִישִׁי נְתַנְיָהוּ בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

the fifth was Netanyahu his sons and his brethren were twelve;

הַשִּׁשִּׁי בֻּקִּיָּהוּ בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

the sixth was Bukiyahu his sons and his brethren were twelve;

הַשְּׁבִעִי יְשַׂרְאֵלָה בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

the seventh was Yesarela; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

הַשְּׁמִינִי יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

the eighth was Yeshayahu; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

הַתְּשִׁיעִי מַתַּנְיָהוּ בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

the ninth was Matanyahu; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

הָעֲשִׂירִי שִׁמְעִי בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

the tenth was Shimi; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

עַשְׁתֵּי־עָשָׂר עֲזַרְאֵל בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

the eleventh was Azarel; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

הַשְּׁנֵים עָשָׂר לַחֲשַׁבְיָה בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

the twelfth lot was for Hashavya; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

לִשְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר שׁוּבָאֵל בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

for the thirteenth lot, it was Shuvael; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

לְאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר מַתִּתְיָהוּ בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

for the fourteenth lot, it was Matityahu; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

לַחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר לִירֵמוֹת בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

for the fifteenth, it was for Yeremot; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

לְשִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר לַחֲנַנְיָהוּ בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

for the sixteenth, it was for Hananyahu; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

לְשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר לְיָשְׁבְּקָשָׁה בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

for the seventeenth, it was for Yoshbekasha; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

לִשְׁמוֹנָה עָשָׂר לַחֲנָנִי בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

for the eighteenth, it was for Hanani; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

לְתִשְׁעָה עָשָׂר לְמַלּוֹתִי בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

for the nineteenth, it was for Maloti; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

לְעֶשְׂרִים לֶאֱלִיָּתָה בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

for the twentieth, it was for Eliyata, Heiman’s eighth son, called Eliata above; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

לְאֶחָד וְעֶשְׂרִים לְהוֹתִיר בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

for the twenty-first, it was for Hotir; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

לִשְׁנַיִם וְעֶשְׂרִים לְגִדַּלְתִּי בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

for the twenty-second, it was for Gidalti; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

לִשְׁלֹשָׁה וְעֶשְׂרִים לְמַחֲזִיאוֹת בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר;

for the twenty-third, it was for Mahaziot; his sons and his brethren were twelve;

לְאַרְבָּעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים לְרוֹמַמְתִּי עָזֶר בָּנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר

for the twenty-fourth, it was for Romamti Ezer; his sons and his brethren were twelve.