=28.= _the firstborn_ Joel, _and the second Abijah_] See the marginal note above. In the Hebrew text the name _Joel_ has been accidentally omitted, and _Vashni_ is merely a corruption of the Hebrew for _and the second_: an interesting example of error in textual transmission. =29, 30.= SONS OF MERARI. ²⁹The sons of Merari; Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son; ³⁰Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son. =29, 30.= See notes on verses 44‒47. =29.= _Libni_ and _Shimei_ are given above (verse 17) as sons of Gershom. =31‒47= (= 16‒32 in the Hebrew division). THE SINGERS APPOINTED BY DAVID, AND THEIR ANCESTRY. =31‒47.= The three singers, _Heman_, _Asaph_, and _Ethan_ (= _Jeduthun_ elsewhere except xv. 17 ff.) were the reputed founders of the three choral guilds of the post-exilic period. That these guilds were very gradually formed and in the form known to the Chronicler were a late post-exilic development is certain, but the precise stages of their growth are obscure, see Hastings’ _Dictionary of the Bible_ IV. 36 end‒37. Possibly the singers for a considerable time were not necessarily Levites, but eventually they all claimed Levitical origin, and the pedigrees here given are the supposed justification of the claim. As the elaborated system of the Temple service (xxiii. ff.) was thought to have been instituted by David, the genealogies of the three singers are so arranged as to make them contemporaries of David. Comparing these verses with verses 4‒15, it is evident that the genealogy from Korah has been used for constructing the pedigree of Heman (33‒38), that of Gershom (20‒22) for Asaph (39‒43), and to a less extent that of Merari (29, 30) for Ethan (44‒47). But in the line of Gershom and in that of Merari further names were required, five in the former and eight in the latter case, in order to make the genealogies sufficiently long to reach down to the time of David and thus make Asaph and Ethan his contemporaries. When these further names are examined they are found to be of a definitely post-exilic character; and it is evident that the Chronicler or whoever constructed the pedigrees utilised recent genealogies of the singers, which for some reason seemed to him suitable. The identity of a single name in the two lists was apparently deemed sufficient cause for making the connection (see note on verses 44‒47). ³¹And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after that the ark had rest. =31.= _the ark had rest_] i.e. was brought into the city of David for a permanent resting-place, compare Psalms cxxxii. 8, 14. ³²And they ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem: and they waited¹ on their office according to their order. ¹ Hebrew _stood_.