1 Chronicles 16:5

5 Asaph was the chief and Zechariah was second to him. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel played the harps and lyres, while Asaph [sounded] the cymbals

1 Chronicles 16:5 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 16:5

Asaph the chief
Of those that were now appointed: otherwise, of the three principal singers, Heman was the chief, and Asaph next, ( 1 Chronicles 6:33 1 Chronicles 6:39 )

and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and
Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, with
psalteries, and with harps;
to play upon them before the ark at the same time the psalms and songs were vocally sung; the above persons are such as are named before, ( 1 Chronicles 15:18 1 Chronicles 15:20 1 Chronicles 15:21 ) ,

but Asaph made a sound with cymbals;
he struck and played upon them, see ( 1 Chronicles 15:19 ) .

1 Chronicles 16:5 In-Context

3 Then he distributed to each and every Israelite, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.

4 David appointed some of the Levites to be ministers before the ark of the Lord, to celebrate the Lord God of Israel, and to give thanks and praise to Him.

5 Asaph was the chief and Zechariah was second to him. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel played the harps and lyres, while Asaph [sounded] the cymbals

6 and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel [blew] the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.

7 On that day David decreed for the first time that thanks be given to the Lord by Asaph and his relatives: