Asaph

Narrator: Chris Genthree
Duration: 1min
 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 11
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1. A leader of the choir in David’s time, and once called a “seer” (2 Chron. 29:3030Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped. (2 Chronicles 29:30)). He was descended from Gershom the Levite (1 Chron. 6:3939And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea, (1 Chronicles 6:39); 1 Chron. 15:17,1917So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; (1 Chronicles 15:17)
19So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass; (1 Chronicles 15:19); 1 Chron. 16:5,7,375Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals; (1 Chronicles 16:5)
7Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord into the hand of Asaph and his brethren. (1 Chronicles 16:7)
37So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required: (1 Chronicles 16:37)). Twelve psalms are attributed to him, namely, Psalm 50, Psalm 73-83. His office seems to have been hereditary (Ezra 2:4141The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred twenty and eight. (Ezra 2:41); Ezra 3:1010And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. (Ezra 3:10); Neh. 7:4444The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred forty and eight. (Nehemiah 7:44)).
2. Father of Joah recorder to Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:18,3718And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder. (2 Kings 18:18)
37Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh. (2 Kings 18:37); Isa. 36:3,223Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder. (Isaiah 36:3)
22Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh. (Isaiah 36:22)).
3. A Levite, whose descendants dwelt in Jerusalem after the exile (1 Chron. 9:1515And Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Micah, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph; (1 Chronicles 9:15)).
4. A Korhite, whose posterity were porters in the tabernacle in the time of David (1 Chron. 26:11Concerning the divisions of the porters: Of the Korhites was Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph. (1 Chronicles 26:1)).
5. An officer, probably a Jew, controller of the forests of king Artaxerxes in Judaea (Neh. 2:88And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me. (Nehemiah 2:8)).