Musicians and Prophetic Music

"Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals." Jeduthun "prophesied with a harp, to give thanks and to praise the LORD."

"All these were the sons of Heman the king's seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the LORD."

"So the number of them, with their brethren that were instructed in the songs of the LORD, even all that were cunning, was two hundred fourscore and eight. And they cast lots, ward against ward, as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar." Twenty-four lots, each "he, his sons, and his brethren, were twelve."

Music as prophecy

Inspired music appears elsewhere: Elisha calls a minstrel before prophesying (2 Kings 3:15); a band of prophets comes down with instruments (1 Samuel 10:5). Chronicles gives the temple musicians a prophetic role.

Names that form a prayer

The last nine of Heman's sons' names in 25:4 (Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth) can be read in Hebrew as a short prayer: "Be gracious to me, LORD, be gracious to me; you are my God; I have magnified and exalted [your] help…" This is a widely discussed observation, not certain.

Heman's daughters

Heman's three daughters are listed among those "under the hands of their father for song." Women singers appear in Ezra 2:65 and 2 Chronicles 35:25.