1 Chronicles 25:8

8 And they sent lots by their whiles evenly, as well the greater as the less, also a wise man and an unwise. (And they all cast lots for their duties, both the greater and the lesser alike, and a wise man as well as an unwise one.)

1 Chronicles 25:8 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 25:8

And they cast lots, ward against ward
That is, which ward or course of the singers should answer to and attend on the first ward or course of the priests in their weekly service, and which the second, and so on: as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar;
no regard was had to the age of a person, his being the firstborn or a younger brother, or to his office and station, whether as a teacher or a learner in the science of singing; he was made the head of a course, as the lot came up; and it may easily be observed, by comparing the lots in the following verses with the sons of the chief singers, according to the order of them in ( 1 Chronicles 25:2-4 ) that the younger are often preferred in the courses by lot to the elder, of which even the first lot is an instance.

1 Chronicles 25:8 In-Context

6 All these under the hand of their father were dealed, either assigned, to sing in the temple of the Lord, in cymbals, and psalteries, and harps, into the service of the house of the Lord, nigh the king, that is say, Asaph, and Jeduthun, and Heman. (All these were under the hand, or the power, of their father, and were assigned to play, in the Temple of the Lord, cymbals, and lutes, and harps, for service in the House of the Lord, while Asaph, and Jeduthun, and Heman, were under the direction of the king.)

7 And the number of them, with their brethren that taught the song[s] of the Lord, all the teachers, was two hundred fourscore and eight. (And their number, with their kinsmen who taught the songs of the Lord, yea, all of the teachers, was two hundred and eighty-eight.)

8 And they sent lots by their whiles evenly, as well the greater as the less, also a wise man and an unwise. (And they all cast lots for their duties, both the greater and the lesser alike, and a wise man as well as an unwise one.)

9 And the first lot went out to Joseph, that was of Asaph, (and to his sons and to his brothers, twelve); the second to Gedaliah, to him, and to his sons and to his brethren, twelve;

10 the third to Zaccur, to his sons and to his brethren, twelve;