Levite Administration in the Bible-part 4

 Levite Administration in the Bible-part 4

                      THE MUSICIANS' ADMINISTRATIVE CHAIN OF COMMAND

            Not only were the Levite musicians of the First Temple set in order by lofty authority, they were also placed in a categories according to rank which was called musicians of the first and second degree.  I Chronicles 15:16-24 gives this organization as follows in Table A.

                                                                      TABLE A

                                                 First and Second Degree Musicians

I.	Musicians of the First Degree 1.  Heman --- his brethren 2.  Asaph --- his brethren 3.  Ethan (Jeduthun) --- his brethren
II.	Musicians of the Second Degree 1.  Zechariah         8.  Benaiah 2.  Ben               9.  Maaseiah 3.  Jaaziel          10.  Mattitihiah 4.  Shemiramoth      11.  Eliphelah 5.  Jehiel           12.  Mikneiah 6.  Unni             13.  Obededom 7.  Ellab            14.  Jaiel

Not only were the various musicians given a rank in the chain of command, but they were also given a function and appointment as shown in Table B below.

                                                                        TABLE B

                                              Job Descriptions of the Levite Musicians

I.	Singers or conductors - to sound (shama - to call together carefully) with cymbals  (metseleth - double tinklers) of brass (nechosneth - brass or bronze).  Note:  These singers were used as "conductors" of music.  Idelsohn says that the cymbals were not employed in the music proper, but rather to mark (beginnings) pauses and intermissions.2
II.	Psaltery players - (nebel - a harp-like instrument with a resonant body)  players on alamoth (soprano part-hence an octave higher). a.  Zechariah         e.  Unni b.  Aziel             f.  Eliab c.  Shemiramoth       g.  Maaseiah d.  Jehiel            h.  Benaiah
III.	Harp players - (kinnor - a small lyre) players on Sheminith (eighth or octave)  to excel (to glitter, i.e. for brilliance). a.  Mattithiah        d.  Obededom b.  Elipeiah          e.  Jeiel c.  Mikneiah          f.  Azaaiah
IV.	Song Instructors - Chenaniah was chief of Levites.  I Chronicles 15:22 could read:  And Chenaniah accomplished and became a head person or steward of the Levites (and) was burdened or (had) mental desire for song, the burden of song in as much as he accomplished to perceive (or) distinguish mentally.
V.	Porters and Doorkeepers - (doorkeepers or porters) vs. 23 Berechiah, the father of Asaph and Elkanah;  vs. 24 Obededom, a musician of the second degree; and Hehiah.  Also porters however, some of 1, 2, and 3 above were players.
VI.	Signaling priests - vs. 24 priests who sounded the chatsotserah - the silver trumpet.  Those priests were not musicians and the chatsotserah was a sounding instrument, not a melodic musical instrument.