1 Chronicles 25:8

“And they cast lots, ward against ward, etc.] That is, which ward or course of the singers should answer to and attend on the first ward or course of the priests in their weekly service, and which the second, and so on: as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar; no regard was had to the age of a person, his being the firstborn or a younger brother, or to his office and station, whether as a teacher or a learner in the science of singing; he was made the head of a course, as the lot came up; and it may easily be observed, by comparing the lots in the following verses with the sons of the chief singers, according to the order of them in (<132502>1 Chronicles 25:2-4) that the…”

“THEIR DIVISION BY LOT INTO FOUR AND TWENTY ORDERS. (1Ch. 25:8-31) they cast lots, ward against ward--"Ward" is an old English word for "division" or "company." The lot was cast to determine the precedence of the classes or divisions over which the musical leaders presided; and, in order to secure an impartial arrangement of their order, the master and his assistants, the teacher and his scholars, in each class or company took part in this solemn casting of lots. In the first catalogue given in this chapter the courses are classed according to their employment as musicians. In the second, they are arranged in the order of their service. Next: 1 Chronicles Chapter 26”

“As well the small as the great - Compare 1 Chronicles 24:31. The lot was not applied indiscriminately to all the 24 courses, but was only used to settle which course of Asaph, which of Jeduthun, and which of Heman, should on each occasion be taken. Asaph was given the precedence over his brethren, and his four courses were assigned the first, and then each alternate place. Jeduthun took rank next, and received alternate places, first with Asaph, and then with Heman, until his courses were exhausted. After this, all the later places fell necessarily to Heman, whose courses continue without interruption from the 15th. return to 'Top of Page' Footnotes: Copyright Statement These files are…”

“Ward - A course of Levites answerable to one of the priests, upon whom the Levites were to wait in their holy ministrations, Ch1 23:28. The scholar - Without any respect to their different ages or abilities. 1 Chronicles 25:9”

“25:8 As with the priests, the order of the musicians by families was decided by sacred lots so that no preference would be shown (see 24:5, 31).”

“cast lots: Ch1 24:5; Lev 16:8; Sa1 14:41, Sa1 14:42; Pro 16:33; Act 1:26 ward against ward: Ch1 24:31, Ch1 26:13, Ch1 26:16; Neh 12:24 the teacher: Even among the twenty-four leaders, some were more expert than others; some were teachers, and others were scholars; but every one was taken by the solemn casting of lots, without any regard to these distinctions. Thus all things were disposed for the preserving of order, and avoiding all disputes about precedence. there being no respect had, in this divine distribution, to birth, but the younger in course preceded the elder. Ch1 15:22; Ch2 23:13 1 Chronicles 25:9”

“They cast lots, משׁמרת גּורלות, κλήρους ἐφημερίων (lxx), by which the משׁמרת, the waiting upon the service, was fixed, that is, the order of their succession in the official service. לעמּת is variously translated. As no name follows, R. Shel. and Kimchi would repeat the preceding משׁמרת: one class as the other; and this is supported by Ch1 26:16 and Neh 12:24, and by the fact that in Ch1 17:5, after ממּשׁכּן, the words משׁכּן אל have been dropped out. But according to the accentuation משׁמרת belongs to גּורלות, and so the proposed completion is at once disposed of. Besides this, however, the thought "class like class" does not appear quite suitable, as the classes were only formed by the…”