And they cast lots for their duties: The pronouns they and their refer to the 288 men mentioned in the previous verse. New Century Version translates “Everyone,” but it would be better to say “All of them.” For cast lots, see the comments on 1 Chr 24.5 and 31. For their duties may mean that the casting of lots determined which group was to perform which task. This understanding may be the basis for the Good News Translation rendering, which may give the impression that different kinds of duties were assigned. However, most interpreters understand this phrase to mean that the singers cast lots to determine the order of service, just as the priests and Levites did in chapters 23 and 24. The meaning is probably “to choose the time his family was to serve at the Temple” (New Century Version), that is, the text refers to rotating times of service. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “for shifts,” and New Jerusalem Bible reads “for their term of duty.” For the whole clause La Bible du Semeur has “Their order of service was determined by lot” (similarly Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). New Living Translation provides a useful model, saying “The musicians were appointed to their particular term of service by means of sacred lots.”

Actually, it seems likely that two separate series of casting lots were carried out. The first casting of lots determined which individuals would be selected to form the choirs. A second casting of lots was probably done in order to determine the order in which these twenty-four choirs would perform throughout the year. Or perhaps more simply, the order was determined in agreement with the order in which individuals were selected by lot.

Small and great, teacher and pupil alike: These contrasting categories are used to indicate that all are included in the casting of lots. The exact meaning of the expression small and great in this context is not clear. It may refer to the age of individuals, so many versions say “young and/or old” (Good News Translation, New International Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje; similarly New Century Version, Bible en français courant). Or it may refer to the size of the families involved (small families and large families). The Hebrew term translated pupil occurs only here in the Old Testament. The sense is not that this person was a “beginner” (so Good News Translation), but rather that this was a person who had been trained by a teacher. A better rendering is “apprentice” (Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Revised Standard Version includes the word alike at the end of the verse. The Hebrew for the last half of this verse is literally “just as like small, like great, teacher with pupil.” There was no distinction based on age or experience. New American Bible expresses the whole verse as “They cast lots for their functions equally, young and old, master and pupil alike.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .