Original Word: מַלּוֹתִי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Mallowthiy
Pronunciation: mal-lo-TEE
Phonetic Spelling: (mal-lo'-thee)
KJV: Mallothi
NASB: Mallothi
Word Origin: [apparently from H4448 (מָלַל - To speak)]

1. I have talked (i.e. loquacious)
2. Mallothi, an Israelite

Mallothi

Apparently from malal; I have talked (i.e. Loquacious) -- Mallothi, an Israelite -- Mallothi.

see HEBREW malal

Word Origin
from malal
Definition
a son of Heman
NASB Translation
Mallothi (2).

מַלּ֫וֺתי as proper name, masculine a son of Heman (I have uttered = מִלַּלְתִּי Ew^{§ 274 b. N.} see מלל); — 1 Chronicles 25:4 (on this apparently list of names see Ew^l.c. RS^{OTJC 422; 2nd ed. 143}) 1 Chronicles 25:26.

Identity and Lineage

Mallothi is one of the fourteen sons of Heman, the Kohathite Levite whom King David appointed as chief musician and “seer of the king” (1 Chronicles 25:5). His ancestry places him in the Levitical line charged with the musical and prophetic ministry of the tabernacle and, later, the temple. This genealogical note underscores the careful preservation of priestly and Levitical family records in Israel’s history.

Role in Davidic Worship

Heman’s sons served “under the direction of their father” (1 Chronicles 25:6), participating in a prophetic music ministry that combined the singing of psalms with instrumental accompaniment “for the service of the house of the LORD” (1 Chronicles 25:6). Mallothi therefore belonged to a corps of worship leaders whose ministry shaped the congregational praise of Israel, setting a pattern followed throughout the monarchy and post-exilic period.

Allotment among the Twenty-Four Orders

David organized the musicians into twenty-four divisions, parallel to the priestly courses. Lots were cast to ensure that “all alike—the small as well as the great, the teacher as well as the pupil” (1 Chronicles 25:8) shared equally in temple service. “The nineteenth lot fell to Mallothi, his sons, and his brothers—twelve in all” (1 Chronicles 25:26). This rotation guaranteed continual worship before the LORD and safeguarded the spiritual and musical continuity of Israel’s liturgy.

Ministry Significance

1. Continuity of Worship: Mallothi’s placement in the nineteenth order illustrates the divinely ordered regularity of praise in Israel. Morning and evening sacrifices were accompanied by music, and each order served for a full week twice a year.
2. Prophetic Expression: The chronicler links music with prophecy (1 Chronicles 25:1–3). By participating in this ministry, Mallothi contributed to proclaiming God’s truth through inspired song, prefiguring the New Testament exhortation to teach and admonish “with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Colossians 3:16).
3. Generational Faithfulness: Mallothi’s inclusion alongside his brothers reflects a family dedicated to covenantal service. Such multigenerational devotion models the principle of transmitting faith and ministry skills from parents to children (Deuteronomy 6:6–7).

Theological and Practical Reflections

• Divine Order: The careful structuring of worship divisions reveals God’s concern for orderliness in corporate praise (1 Corinthians 14:40).
• Individual Worth: Though Mallothi is mentioned only twice, his name stands forever in Scripture, reminding believers that God remembers every faithful servant, however obscure (Hebrews 6:10).
• Corporate Participation: The equal casting of lots highlights both unity and diversity in service—an Old Testament anticipation of the body motif developed in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12.

Scriptural Occurrences

• 1 Chronicles 25:4 – Listed among Heman’s sons: “…Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth.”
• 1 Chronicles 25:26 – Assigned the nineteenth lot for temple music duty.

Though brief, Mallothi’s appearances reveal a life woven into the fabric of Israel’s worship heritage, underscoring the enduring truth that every act of God-appointed service has lasting significance in His redemptive story.

לְמַלּ֔וֹתִי למלותי מַלּ֔וֹתִי מלותי lə·mal·lō·w·ṯî lemalLoti ləmallōwṯî mal·lō·w·ṯî malLoti mallōwṯîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts