1 Chronicles 25:20
New International Version
the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons and relatives 12

New Living Translation
The thirteenth lot fell to Shubael and twelve of his sons and relatives.

English Standard Version
to the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his brothers, twelve;

Berean Standard Bible
the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;

Berean Literal Bible
the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons, and his brothers—twelve;

King James Bible
The thirteenth to Shubael, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:

New King James Version
the thirteenth for Shubael, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

New American Standard Bible
for the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his relatives, twelve;

NASB 1995
for the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his relatives, twelve;

NASB 1977
for the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his relatives, twelve;

Legacy Standard Bible
for the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his relatives, twelve;

Amplified Bible
the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons and his relatives, twelve;

Berean Annotated Bible
the thirteenth to Shubael (captive of God), his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;

Christian Standard Bible
the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons, and his relatives — 12

Holman Christian Standard Bible
the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons, and his brothers—12

American Standard Version
for the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his brethren, twelve:

English Revised Version
for the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his brethren, twelve:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The thirteenth chose Shubael, his sons, and his relatives-12 men.

International Standard Version
the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons and his relatives, for a total of twelve;

NET Bible
the thirteenth to Shubael and his sons and relatives--twelve in all,

New Heart English Bible
for the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his brothers, twelve:

Webster's Bible Translation
The thirteenth to Shubael, he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve:
Majority Text Translations
Majority Standard Bible
the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;

World English Bible
for the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his brothers, twelve;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
for the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his brothers—twelve;

Berean Literal Bible
the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons, and his brothers—twelve;

Young's Literal Translation
at the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

Smith's Literal Translation
The thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his brethren, twelve:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The thirteenth to Subael, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The thirteenth went to Shubael, to his sons and brothers, twelve.

New American Bible
The thirteenth was Shubael, his sons, and his kinsmen: twelve.

New Revised Standard Version
to the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his brothers, twelve;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The thirteenth to Shubael, he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The thirteenth, Shubal, and his sons and his brothers twelve.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his brethren, twelve;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
the thirteenth Subael, his sons and his brethren, twelve:

Additional Translations ...



Context
Twenty-Four Divisions of Musicians
19the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; 20the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons, and his brothers— 12 in all; 21the fourteenth to Mattithiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all;…

Cross References
the thirteenth to Shubael,

1 Chronicles 24:13
the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

1 Chronicles 26:24
Shebuel, a descendant of Gershom son of Moses, was the officer in charge of the treasuries.

1 Chronicles 23:16
The descendants of Gershom: Shebuel was the first.
his sons, and his brothers—

Ezra 8:18
And since the gracious hand of our God was upon us, they brought us Sherebiah—a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel—along with his sons and brothers, 18 men;

Ezra 8:19
also Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah, from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and their sons, 20 men.

1 Chronicles 26:8
All these were descendants of Obed-edom; they and their sons and brothers were capable men with strength to do the work—62 in all from Obed-edom.
12 in all;

Acts 19:7
There were about twelve men in all.

Ezra 8:24
Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together with Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers,

Luke 6:13
When daylight came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated as apostles:
1 Samuel 16:16-23
Let our lord command your servants here to seek out someone who can skillfully play the harp. Whenever the spirit of distress from God is upon you, he is to play it, and you will be well.” / And Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him to me.” / One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and the LORD is with him.” …

2 Chronicles 29:25-30
Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet. For the command had come from the LORD through His prophets. / The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. / And Hezekiah ordered that the burnt offering be sacrificed on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD and the trumpets began as well, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel. …

Psalm 150:3-5
Praise Him with the sound of the horn; praise Him with the harp and lyre. / Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flute. / Praise Him with clashing cymbals; praise Him with resounding cymbals.

Ephesians 5:19
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,

Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

1 Samuel 10:5
After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistines have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.

2 Chronicles 5:12-13
all the Levitical singers—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps, and lyres, accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. / The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” And the temple, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud


Treasury of Scripture

The thirteenth to Shubael, he, his sons, and his brothers, were twelve:

Hashabiah

1 Chronicles 25:3
Of Jeduthun: the sons of Jeduthun; Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the LORD.

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Relatives Shubael Shu'ba-El Thirteenth Twelve
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1 Chronicles 25
1. The number and offices of the singers
8. Their division by lot into twenty-four orders












the thirteenth to Shubael,

Shubael was one of Heman’s sons, a Kohathite Levite appointed among the musicians serving before the Lord. His division received the thirteenth lot in David’s ordered rotation for temple worship.

1Ch 24:13 the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,
1Ch 26:24 Shebuel, a descendant of Gershom…
1Ch 23:16 The descendants of Gershom: Shebuel was the first.

his sons, and his brothers—

Shubael’s household served together, with relatives sharing responsibility for music and ministry. The arrangement preserved trained Levite families for continual service.

Ezr 8:18 And since the gracious hand of our God was upon us…
Ezr 8:19 also Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah,…
1Ch 26:8 All these were descendants of Obed-edom;…

12 in all;

His division numbered twelve men, forming a complete group assigned to its appointed service.

Act 19:7 There were about twelve men in all.
Ezr 8:24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests,…
Luk 6:13 When daylight came, He called His disciples to Him…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Shubael
A descendant of Levi, specifically from the family of Kohath. Shubael is mentioned as one of the leaders of the musical service in the temple, indicating his role in worship and praise.

2. Sons and Relatives
The verse mentions Shubael's sons and relatives, totaling twelve individuals. This highlights the family-based organization of temple service, emphasizing the communal and hereditary nature of worship roles.

3. Musical Service
This event is part of the larger organization of the temple musicians, as outlined in 1 Chronicles 25. David, along with the commanders of the army, set apart these individuals for the ministry of prophesying with lyres, harps, and cymbals.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Family in Ministry
The inclusion of Shubael's sons and relatives underscores the role of family in spiritual service. Families can serve together in ministry, supporting and encouraging one another in their faith journey.

The Role of Music in Worship
Music is a powerful tool for worship and prophecy, as seen in the temple service. It can be used to glorify God and edify the congregation, reminding us of the importance of incorporating music into our worship practices.

Organized Worship
The structured organization of temple musicians reflects the value of order and planning in worship. This can inspire us to approach our worship services with intentionality and reverence.

Heritage and Legacy in Faith
The passage highlights the passing down of roles and responsibilities through generations. We are encouraged to consider how we can pass on our faith and service to future generations.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of 1 Chronicles 25:20?

2. How does 1 Chronicles 25:20 emphasize the importance of organized worship in church?

3. What role did Eliathah play in the musical ministry according to 1 Chronicles 25:20?

4. How can we apply the structure of worship in 1 Chronicles 25 today?

5. How does 1 Chronicles 25:20 connect with other scriptures on worship and praise?

6. What can we learn about spiritual gifts from the musicians in 1 Chronicles 25?

7. What is the significance of 1 Chronicles 25:20 in the context of temple worship?

8. How does 1 Chronicles 25:20 reflect the organization of Levitical musicians?

9. Why is the specific mention of "Mahazioth" important in 1 Chronicles 25:20?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from 1 Chronicles 25?


(20) The thirteenth to Shubael.--The Hebrew is, to thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his brethren, twelve; and so in the next verse. The meaning seems to be: as to, or as regards, the thirteenth. Shubael (Shebuel) has occurred before (1Chronicles 23:16; 1Chronicles 24:20).

1 Chronicles 25:20 may read like a simple roster line, yet it reveals God’s intentional design: He chooses the timing (the thirteenth), the person (Shubael), the offspring (his sons), the community (his brothers), and the fullness of the team (twelve). Our own roles in the body of Christ are appointed with that same deliberate care, calling us to faithful, unified, multigenerational worship.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
the thirteenth
לִשְׁלֹשָׁ֤ה (liš·lō·šāh)
Preposition-l | Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

to Shubael,
שֽׁוּבָאֵ֔ל (šū·ḇā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7619: Shebuel -- 'captive (or returned) of God', two Israelites

his sons,
בָּנָ֥יו (bā·nāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

and his brothers—
וְאֶחָ֖יו (wə·’e·ḥāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 251: A brother, )

12 [in all];
שְׁנֵ֥ים (šə·nêm)
Number - md
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)


Additonal Resources
1 Chronicles 25:20 Blue Letter Bible
1 Chronicles 25:20 Bible Gateway
1 Chronicles 25:20 Bible.com

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1 Chronicles 25:20 Study Bible
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1 Chronicles 25:20 Catholic Bible

OT History: 1 Chronicles 25:20 For the thirteenth Shubael his sons (1 Chron. 1Ch iCh i Ch 1 chr 1chr)

1 Chronicles 25:19
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