1 CHRONICLES 15 COMMENTARYEDITED BY GLENN PEASE

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

1 After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

BARNES, "And pitched for it a tent - The old “tent” or “tabernacle” was still in existence at Gibeon 1Ch_16:39; 2Ch_1:3; but the ark had long been separated from it, and David probably thought that something newer and more magnificent was requisite. He therefore allowed the former tabernacle to keep its place, and had another made and erected.

CLARKE, "Made him houses - One for himself, and one for the ark; in the latter was a tent, under which the ark was placed.

GILL, "And David made him houses in the city of David,.... With the help of the masons and carpenters Hiram sent him, 1Ch_14:1, the royal palace is meant, with all the apartments in it, which were many and large, as so great a family he had required, and with all the out houses to it necessary for his servants, and their offices: and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent; see 2Sa_6:17.

HENRY 1-24, "Preparation is here made for the bringing of the ark home to the city of 1

David from the house of Obed-edom. It is here owned that in the former attempt, though it was a very good work and in it they sought God, yet they sought him, not after the due order,1Ch_15:13. “We did not go about our work considerately; and therefore we sped so ill.” Note, It is not enough that we do that which is good, but we must do it well - not enough that we seek God in a due ordinance, but we must seek after him, in a due order. Note, also, When we have suffered for our irregularities we must learn thereby to be more regular; then we answer the end of chastisement. Let us see how the matter was mended. 1. David now prepared a place for the reception of the ark, before he brought it to him; and thus he sought in the due order. He had not time to build a house, but he pitched a tent for it (1Ch_15:1), probably according to the pattern shown to Moses in the mount, or as near it as might be, of curtains and boards. Observe, When he made houses for himself in the city of David he prepared a place for the ark. Note, Wherever we build for ourselves, we must be sure to make room for God's ark, for a church in the house. 2. David now ordered that the Levites or priests should carry the ark upon their shoulders. Now he bethought himself of that which he could not but know before, that, none ought to carry the ark but the Levites,1Ch_15:2. The Kohathites carried it in their ordinary marches, and therefore had no wagons allotted them, because their work was to bear upon their shoulders, Num_7:9. But upon extraordinary occasions, as when they passed Jordan and compassed Jericho, the priests carried it. This rule was express, and yet David himself forgot it, and put the ark upon a cart. Note, Even those that are very knowing in the word of God, yet have it not always so ready to them as were to be wished when they have occasion to use it. Wise and good men may be guilty of an oversight, which, as soon as they are aware of, they will correct. David did not go about to justify what had been done amiss, nor to lay the blame on others, but owned himself guilty, with others, of not seeking God in a due order, and now took care not only to summon the Levites to the solemnity, as he did all Israel (1Ch_15:3), and had done before (1Ch_13:2), but to see that they assembled (1Ch_15:4), especially the sons of Aaron, 1Ch_15:11. To them he gives the solemn charge (1Ch_15:12): You are the chief of the fathers of the Levites, therefore do you bring up the ark of the Lord.It is expected that those who are advanced above others in dignity should go before others in duty. “You are the chief, and therefore more is expected from you than from others, both by way of service yourselves and influence on the rest. You did it not at first, neither did your duty yourselves nor took care to instruct us, and we smarted for it: The Lord made a breach upon us; we have all smarted for your neglect; this has been by your means (see Mal_1:9): therefore sanctify yourselves, and mind your business.” When those that have suffered for doing ill thus learn to do better the correction is well bestowed. 3. The Levites and priests sanctified themselves (1Ch_15:14) and were ready to carry the ark on their shoulders, according to the law, 1Ch_15:15. Note, Many that are very remiss in their duty, if they were but faithfully told of it, would reform and do better. The breach upon Uzza made the priests more careful to sanctify themselves, that is, to cleanse themselves from all ceremonial pollution and to compose themselves for the solemn service of God, so as to strike a reverence upon the people. Some are made examples, that others may be made exemplary and very cautious. 4. Officers were appointed to be ready to bid the ark welcome, with every possible expression of joy, 1Ch_15:16. David ordered the chief of the Levites to nominate those that they knew to be proficients for this service. Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were now first appointed, 1Ch_15:17. They undertook to sound with symbols (1Ch_15:19), others with psalteries (1Ch_15:20), others with harps, on the Sheminith, or eighth, eight notes higher or lower than the rest, according to the rules of the concert, 1Ch_15:21. Some that were priests blew with the trumpet (1Ch_15:24), as was usual at the removal of the ark (Num_10:8) and at solemn feasts, Psa_81:3. And one was appointed for song (1Ch_15:22), for he was skilful in it, could sing well himself and instruct others. Note, 2

As every man has received the gift, so he ought to minister the same, 1Pe_4:10. And those that excel in any endowment should not only use it for the common good themselves, but teach others also, and not grudge to make others as wise as themselves. This way of praising God by musical instruments had not hitherto been in use. But David, being a prophet, instituted it by divine direction, and added it to the other carnal ordinances of that dispensation, as the apostle calls them, Heb_9:10. The New Testament keeps up singing of psalms, but has not appointed church-music. Some were appointed to be porters (1Ch_15:18), others door-keepers for the ark (1Ch_15:23, 1Ch_15:24), and one of these was Obed-edom, who reckoned it no doubt a place of honour, and accepted it as recompence for the entertainment he had given to the ark. He had been for three months housekeeper to the ark, and indeed its landlord. But, when he might not be so any longer, such an affection had he for it that he was glad to be its door-keeper.

JAMISON, "1Ch_15:1-24. David brings the Ark from Obededom.David made him houses in the city of David — Through the liberality of his Tyrian ally (1Ch_14:1), David was enabled to erect not only a palace for himself, but to furnish suitable accommodation for his numerous family. Where polygamy prevails, each wife has a separate house or suite of apartments for herself and children.prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent — that is, made an entirely new one upon the model of the former. The old tabernacle, which Moses had constructed in the wilderness and which had hitherto served the purpose of a sacred covering, was to be left at Gibeon, either because of the unwillingness of the inhabitants to part with such a venerable relic, or because there was no use for it in Jerusalem, where a more solid and sumptuous edifice was contemplated. If it appear surprising that David “made him houses” before he prepared this new tabernacle, it should be remembered that he had received no divine intimation respecting such a work.

K&D, "In 2Sa_6:12 the whole matter is introduced by a statement that the motive which had determined the king to bring the ark to Jerusalem, was his having heard of the blessing which the ark had brought upon the house of Obed-edom. In our narrative (1Ch_15:1), the remark that David, while building his house in Jerusalem, prepared a place for the ark of God, and erected a tent for it, forms the transition from the account of his palace-building (1Ch_14:1.) to the bringing in of the ark. The words, “he made unto himself houses,” do not denote, as Bertheau thinks, the building of other houses besides the palaces built with the help of King Hiram (1Ch_14:1). For עשה is not synonymous with בנה, but expresses the preparation of the building for a dwelling, and the words refer to the completion of the palace as a dwelling-place for the king and his wives and children. In thus making the palace which had been built fit for a habitation, David prepared a place for the ark, which, together with its tent, was to be placed in his palace. As to the reasons which influenced David in determining to erect a new tabernacle for the ark, instead of causing the old and sacred tabernacle to be brought from Gibeon to Jerusalem for the purpose, see the remarks introductory to 2 Sam 6.

3

BENSON, "1 Chronicles 15:1. David made him houses in the city of David — A palace consisting of many houses or apartments for his several wives and children. And prepared a place for the ark of God — He did not fetch the tabernacle of Moses from Gibeon, because he intended forthwith to build the temple. See note on 2 Samuel 6:17.ELLICOTT, "The thread of the narrative dropped at 1 Chronicles 13:14 is now resumed, and the subject of this and the following chapter is the solemn transfer of the Ark from the house of Obed-edom by the lawful ministry of priests and Levites. The elaborate account here presented corresponds to a brief section of eight verses in Samuel (2 Samuel 6:12-20 a), which it incorporates, subject to certain variations, noticed in their place (1 Chronicles 15:25 to 1 Chronicles 16:3, and 1 Chronicles 16:43).

1 Chronicles 15 relates—I. David’s preparations for the ceremony of the transfer: (1) by erection of a tent for the Ark (1 Chronicles 15:1); (2) by assembling representatives of all Israel, and especially the priests and Levites, and consulting with the latter (1 Chronicles 15:2-16); (3) by choice of individuals to conduct the proceedings (1 Chronicles 15:17-24). II. The incidents of the procession (1 Chronicles 15:25-29).

Verse 1

(1) And David made him houses.—Or, and he made (i.e., finished) a palace (plural, intensive) for himself, referring back to 1 Chronicles 14:1. Others think of fresh buildings required for his additional wives, which is less likely. David had the example of Egyptian and Babylonian monarchs for his palace-building.

City of David.—Castle of Zion (1 Chronicles 11:5; 1 Chronicles 11:7).

And prepared a place for the ark.—Comp. 2 Samuel 6:17.

4

A place.—Probably within the palace precincts.

Pitched (or spread) for it a tent (or tabernacle).—The old one was at Gibeon, and Zadok ministered as high priest therein (1 Chronicles 16:39). Abiathar, of the house of Ithamar, who had hitherto followed the fortunes of David, probably ministered before the Ark in the new tent.

TRAPP, " (29) And it came to pass.—The verse reads in the Hebrew like a modernised form of 2 Samuel 6:16.As the ark of the covenant of the Lord came.—Rather, The ark had come so far as to the city, and Michal had looked forth by the lattice, and she saw . . .Dancing and playing.—In the Hebrew two common words have been substituted for the two obsolete ones occurring in Samuel.Playing.—The Hebrew word denotes dancing combined with singing and playing (Jeremiah 30:19; 1 Samuel 18:6-7).She despised him.—Because he seemed forgetful of his royal and manly honour, in dancing like a woman.

PARKER, " Misunderstood Men

1 Chronicles 15

DAVID"S thoughts still recur to the ark of the Lord. He cannot allow it to remain in the house of Obed-edom; he must have it nearer to himself. How ennobling it is to have in the heart some grand impulse of this kind! Life is controlled by one master-motive. Whatever David built, so long as the ark was absent, he could find no rest for himself. Although the ark itself was not there, yet David occupied himself in preparing a place for it, and pitching for it a tent or tabernacle. The old tent was at Gibeon, where Zadok ministered as high priest. David builds a new tent, but it is for the old ark. The new and the old are thus happily associated in all religious progress. The church was built but yesterday, yet the word to be spoken in it comes

5

up from everlasting. Only the tent is new; the ark is historical and is symbolical of the Eternal One, who settled its every dimension, and determined its whole building and quality.

Now David will proceed according to the right plan. He reminded the people that none ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites, and he reminded them ( 1 Chronicles 15:13) that they did not thus carry it at the first, and therefore the Lord God made a breach upon them, because they had not sought him after the due order. Thus we may learn by our mistakes. We may proceed in one of two courses: either, first, accepting the mistake, and losing all heart, and going down under the spirit of discouragement into utter religious neglect, and from neglect sinking into more positive disobedience and profanity; or we may, secondly, recognise our early mistakes in life, and seek opportunities for their correction, amending our ways and accepting the order of God. The second course is the only right one for wise men to pursue. Who is there who has not made great mistakes in the beginning of his religious life? Some of us have seen men as trees walking; some of us have been superstitious, in that we have attached too great importance to the letter and have forgotten the spirit; or we have exalted the ceremony above the inward and spiritual grace; or we have trusted to men when we ought to have used them as a medium through which to approach the Most High; or we have read the Bible itself in the wrong tone, or under the influence of a misleading prejudice, or under the fear of priestly criticism: all this may have happened, but because it has happened we are not to be discouraged, or turned aside from the hope of mankind; the thing to be done is to confess the fault, to feel penitently concerning it, and to go in a docile spirit to the consideration of what God himself has marked as "the due order." The due order is not necessarily a human arrangement: all human arrangements that are wise are attempts to discover and Revelation -establish the due order: an arrangement is not right because it is old, neither is it wrong on that account; the supposition, however, is that that which goes furthest back in history may be the most simple interpretation of the divine mind, because as we have come upon the line of a complicated civilisation, we may have embarrassed ourselves with multitudinous and worthless inventions. There is a "due order" even in Christian worship. Christianity is not lawlessness. We are to approach the Father through the Song of Solomon , and thus hold fellowship with him. There is to be no attempt on our part to set aside the due order which was established in the Apostolic Church: it is of consequence to whom we pray; prayers are to be addressed to the Father, and are to be offered in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ, and are to be filled with the grace and unction of the Holy Spirit. There is an appointed place for public

6

prayer; there is "an hour of prayer," such as the apostles themselves observed. All these arrangements do not relate to private religious exercises; therein every man must study the whole question for himself, and make such arrangements as he can adopt with the fullest consent of reason and conscience: but it is obvious that wherever public worship is contemplated, due order cannot be dispensed with without loss and confusion and disappointment. There is a spirit which boasts of its contempt of details, but history has not left the record of the exercise and results of that spirit. The men who have done most for the world"s religious progress have been those who have walked by the same rule, and minded the same thing, and been steadfast in all approved methods and customs of worship. Liberty and law may happily combine in religious observances. No man can pray for us in any sense which renders it needless for us to pray for ourselves. When the whole body of the Church begins to come together, all must not speak at once or with divers tongues; otherwise confusion will be the result: when two men come together the principle of order begins to assert itself, if their relations are to be moderate, considerate, and beneficent; much more when hundreds of men come together for the purpose of expressing a common feeling of adoration and thankfulness to God.

In verse sixteen we read that "David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy." We also read of cymbals of brass, psalteries on alamoth, harps on the sheminith to excel; and we read of one who was chief of the Levites for Song of Solomon , who instructed about the Song of Solomon , because he was skilful; nor are the doorkeepers of the ark omitted from the record. We are entitled to reason from these arrangements that all instruments, faculties, or degrees of service, are to be utilised in the unfolding and propagation of the kingdom of Christ. It does not follow that the man who could play the harp could also use the cymbals effectively; nor does it follow that the teacher of song would have been a capable keeper of the door; nor is it necessary to pour contempt upon the doorkeeper because he was not instructed in the use of instruments of music, psalteries, and harps, and cymbals. Every man in his own order. No one man is complete in himself. No preacher represents the whole ministry of Christ. No single form of Church government is to be looked upon as typifying the ideal kingdom of God. All ministries must be brought together, all forms, methods, and customs; all varieties of intellectual energy must be constituted into a whole before we can get God"s view of the operations which are daily proceeding in the manifestation of his ultimate purpose. We see but a man here and there, and instantly we set up our criticism as if all the case were open to it: we forget that we

7

see but a point or two in the infinite circle, and that criticism ill-becomes those who see next to nothing of the divine idea in the universe. The man who played cymbals, taken out and viewed in his separate individuality, seemed to be doing but little if anything in connection with the progress of God"s purpose in Israel. The men who stood before the door of the ark were but mutes, who could give little or no account of themselves that would be satisfactory, except that they were watching hardly knowing what and awaiting orders which appeared never to be delivered. The author, the preacher, the musician, the poet, the man gifted in prayer, the critic,—all these must be regarded in their individuality, and in their relations and unity, if we would see how great is the force which is working in society on behalf of truth and righteousness and love.

Whilst David was filled with joy, and clothed with a robe of fine linen,—yea, whilst he was so excited that he danced and played before the Lord, being wholly carried out of himself, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked at him out of a window, and despised him in her heart. Thus people who are related to one another, legally and otherwise, may be living in totally separate worlds. A house may be divided against itself: the husband may be in heaven whilst the wife is on earth, and contrariwise, and so there may be lack of mutual understanding and sympathy. How sad it is to be outside of a great enthusiasm! We have here two opposite pictures, the one of passion, and the other of cold disdain. Such pictures are never absent from the canvas of human history. This same thing is proceeding day by day in our midst. There are men who are carried away with the spirit of religious enthusiasm until they can scarcely speak the common language of the world—until indeed they are impatient with all the discipline of this mean and transient life: they seem to live in heaven, to walk on the mountain-tops of a loftier world, and to hold converse with intelligences diviner than other men have known;—and they are mocked in all this by the cold-hearted, the narrow-minded, the worldly spirited: they are not understood, but misunderstood; their enthusiasm is regarded as violence, and their worship is sneered at as superstition. We must content ourselves with recognising these facts, for the two opposing forces can never be reconciled: earth can never understand heaven; winter can never comprehend summer; the dumb can never appreciate the eloquent; the self-considering can never hope to understand the self-sacrificial. There Isaiah , however, great danger lest those who are cold and worldly should evilly affect those who are ardent and heavenly-minded. It would seem as if it were easier to do harm than to do good, to cool enthusiasm than to fan its sacred flame. Let us be sober and vigilant, and watch unto the end; our enthusiasm should be a growing fire, becoming more and more intense day by day. The waters which

8

are thrown upon it should but increase the intensity of its glow. May God help us in this matter. It is not easy, limited as we are by a body of flesh and surrounded on every hand by material appeals, to keep up the faith-life in all its eagerness and ardour. It is indeed the supreme difficulty with which we have to contend, but the grace of God is sufficient for us; we can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us; blessed be God it is possible so to live that prayer may every day enlarge its compass, and love may every day renew its ardour. We are called upon to realise this possibility and to work for its attainment; such recognition and such labour may be said to constitute the whole Christian life, for out of it there will come those endurances, activities, and sacrifices, which comprise the whole circle of religious culture.

POOLE, "David, having prepared a place for the ark, ordereth the priests and Levites to bring it from Obed-edom, 1 Chronicles 15:1-24. He performeth the solemnity thereof with great joy, 1 Chronicles 15:25-28. Michal despiseth him, 1 Chronicles 15:29.Houses; a palace consisting of many houses or apartments for his several wives and children. Pitched for it a tent.Quest. Why did he not first fetch the tabernacle of Moses from Gibeon, where it now was that so he might put the ark into its proper place?Answ. Partly because he had no motion or direction from God concerning the tabernacle, as he had concerning the ark; and partly because he thought the tabernacle was not so necessary for that end as formerly, seeing he intended forthwith to set upon the building of the temple, as appears from 1Ch 12.

PULPIT, "1 Chronicles 15:1

The contents of this verse and the following verses up to the twenty-fifth have no parallel in the Book of Samuel, and excite suggestion respecting the different objects with which the compiler of Chronicles wrote, as compared with those of the author of the former work. They also direct fresh attention to the sources upon which they drew. The history of the preparations made for the reception of the ark, and for its safe and religious escort into the city, is now proceeded with. These preparations occupied the three months, or part of the three months, spoken of in 1 Chronicles

9

13:14. The houses may have been both his own (1 Chronicles 14:1) and the buildings referred to in 1 Chronicles 11:8 and 2 Samuel 5:9. The old tent, or tabernacle, is repeatedly alluded to, as in 1 Chronicles 16:39; 2 Chronicles 1:3. It will be remembered that the tabernacle established by Joshua at Shiloh remained there till the time of Eli, and the ark within it (1 Samuel 3:3). Afterwards we find it removed to Nob, for there David ate the shewbread (1 Samuel 21:6). From thence, very possibly after the savage slaughter of the priests by the order of Saul, it was removed, and we find it at Gibeon, according to the above references. Here at Gibeon was an altar and "high place," which, in the earlier time of Solomon, formed the chief religious centre. The wanderings of the ark already given from Shiloh, through Philistia to Beth-she-mesh, Kirjath-jearim, Perez-uzzah, now land it in this tent in Jerusalem. It is no more sheltered in the tabernacle. But the tabernacle, as well as the ark, was ultimately brought to the new-built temple of Solomon (1 Kings 8:4; 1 Chronicles 9:19; 2 Chronicles 1:4).

2 Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before him forever.”

BARNES, "None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites - Compare marginal references. We can easily understand that David, after the “breach upon Uzza” 1Ch_13:11, had carefully considered all the legal requirements with respect to moving the ark, and was anxious that they should be strictly observed (compare 1Ch_15:13).

CLARKE, "None ought to carry the ark - but the Levites - It was their business; and he should have thought of this sooner, and then the unfortunate breach on Uzza would have been prevented; see 1Ch_15:13.

10

GILL, "Then David said,.... Either within himself, or to his ministers and courtiers about him: none ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites; he saw his former mistake in employing those that were not Levites in bringing up the ark from Kirjathjearim, and bringing it in a cart, and not on the shoulders of the Levites, and so miscarried in his attempt, 2Sa_6:1 and, perhaps, had since more diligently consulted the law of God about this matter: for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever; as long as the Levitical dispensation lasted, as appears from Num_1:50.

JAMISON, "Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites — After the lapse of three months (1Ch_13:14) the purpose of transporting the ark to Jerusalem was resumed. Time and reflection had led to a discovery of the cause of the painful catastrophe that marred the first attempt. In preparing for the solemn procession that was now to usher the sacred symbol into its resting-place, David took special care that the carriage should be regulated in strict conformity to the law (Num_4:5, Num_4:15; Num_7:9; Num_10:17).

K&D 2-3, "The reason for the preparations made on this occasion for the solemn progress is assigned in the statement that David had resolved to cause the ark to be carried by the Levites alone, because God had chosen them thereto; cf. Num_1:50; Num_4:15; Num_7:9; Num_10:17. אז, “at that time,” i.e., at the end of the three months, 1Ch_13:14. לשאת there is not to bear,” i.e., no other shall bear the ark than the Levites. “By this arrangement, it is expressly acknowledged that it was contrary to the law to place it upon a cart; 1Ch_13:1-14“ ,לא :17” (Berth.). For this purpose, the king assembled “the whole of Israel” in Jerusalem, i.e., the elders, the rulers over thousands, the heads of families; cf. 2Sa_6:15, where it is stated that ישאל כל־בית took part in the solemn march.

BENSON, "1 Chronicles 15:2. David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites — The former miscarriage, when they brought up the ark from Kirjath-jearim, had taught him to treat it with greater reverence, according to the prescription of the law, which ordered the Levites to carry it on their shoulders, Numbers 4:15.

ELLICOTT, " (2) Then.—This word is here a real note of time. It seems to denote 11

the end of the three months’ interval mentioned in 1 Chronicles 13:14.None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites.—See Numbers 4:5-15, where the Kohathite Levites are appointed to carry the Ark and other sacred objects; and the more definite Deuteronomy 10:8 : “At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.” David’s enunciation of the law is a tacit acknowledgment that on the former occasion (1 Chronicles 13:7-10) it had not been observed. That the Ark was now duly carried by bearers is expressly stated in the older account (2 Samuel 6:13), though their being Levites is not noticed.

TRAPP, "1 Chronicles 15:2 Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.Ver. 2. None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites.] This should have been better considered before. The law was clear. [Numbers 4:5-15] Wit is best, they say, when bought.For ever.] Let our lay preachers look to it. Ill accidents attend them, as did Uzzah and Uzziah.

COFFMAN, ""None ought to carry the ark of God except the Levites" (1 Chronicles 15:2). "This indicates that the severe lesson evident in the death of Uzzah had been earnestly laid to heart by David, and that he was extremely anxious to be more careful in observing the Law of God."[1]Right here we have the certain, undeniable proof of the long prior existence of the Mosaic Law, which, in essence was the Constitution of the nation of Israel. The critical community has no recourse whatever against this chapter except to declare it fraudulent. But King David's careful observance in these verses of the directions laid down in the Mosaic books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers speaks in tones of thunder of the antiquity, authority and genuineness of the Mosaic Books, commonly called the Pentateuch."Because ye bare it not at first, Jehovah made a breach upon us, for we sought him not according to the ordinance" (1 Chronicles 15:13). David did not here plead ignorance of the Mosaic Law, but his violation of its ordinances. The authentic

12

record of this chapter removes forever any doubt of the authenticity of the Books of Moses. The regulations mentioned here had existed throughout the entire history of Israel, from the times of the Exodus; and they were carefully observed during the wilderness wanderings and by those who carried the ark during the Conquest under Joshua, and therefore had been universally known throughout Israel for at least four hundred years prior to the times of David.It is also true that the regulation regarding "the place where God recorded his name," designated as the one and only authentic place of worship, was known throughout that whole period. The three annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem for the great festivals of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles indicate that all Israel understood this.

POOLE, " But the Levites, and that upon their shoulders; of which see Numbers 4:15 7:9; and not in a cart, as it was before, to our great grief and loss.For ever, i.e. so long as the ark is to be removed, and as that worship continues.

PULPIT, "This verse together with 1 Chronicles 15:12-15 show that the severe lesson of the destruction of Uzzah had been laid to heart, and had made David supremely anxious to take better counsel of the Law. Uzzah, though possibly the son of a Levite, more probably of a Hivite (Joshua 9:7, Joshua 9:17), was not a priest, nor is there any sufficient evidence that he was a Levite; and most distinct was the order of the Law, that "when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death." So the sons of Kohath are to come to bear the sanctuary with all its sacred vessels, "but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die." Many things were allowed to be carried on waggons under the charge of the Gershonites and Merarites, but the strict contents of the sanctuary were to be borne in a specified manner by the Kohathites.

3 David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to the place he had

13

prepared for it.

BARNES, "All Israel - Chosen men probably, like the 30,000 of 2Sa_6:1. See 1Ch_15:25.

GILL, "And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem,.... The chief and heads of the people: to bring up the ark of the Lord; from the house of Obededom, where it had been three months, and for the sake of which his house was blessed, and which David heard of; and this encouraged him to take this step to fetch it from thence: unto his place, which he had prepared for it; 1Ch_15:1.

JAMISON, "David gathered all Israel together — Some are of opinion that this was done on one of the three great festivals, but at whatever time the ceremonial took place, it was of great importance to summon a general convocation of the people, many of whom, from the long-continued disorders of the kingdom, might have had little or no opportunity of knowing anything of the ark, which had been allowed to remain so long in obscurity and neglect.

ELLICOTT, " (3) And David gathered all Israel.—Comp. 2 Samuel 6:15 : “So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark.” Samuel does not mention Jerusalem as the meeting-place. Of course, only a full representation of the people is signified. (Comp. 1 Chronicles 13:2; 1 Chronicles 13:5.)Unto his place.—The Ark’s. The neutral its is unknown to the Authorised version.

TRAPP, "1 Chronicles 15:3 And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD unto his place, which he had prepared for it.Ver. 3. To bring up the ark.] For by this time he saw that the fault was not in the ark, but in their miscarriages.PULPIT, "All Israel; i.e. as before, representatives of all Israel. So 1 Chronicles

14

15:25 decides: "The elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord."

4 He called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:

BARNES, "The children of Aaron - i. e., the priests.

GILL, "And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites. Whose business it was to bear the ark when there was any occasion for it: and from hence to the end of 1Ch_15:10 an account is given of the Levites, and their number employed in this affair: of the sons of Kohath; a son of Levi, that is, of his posterity; for his immediate sons, and so those of the rest after mentioned, had been dead ages ago; the principal of those, at this present time, was Uriel, and his kindred, or those of the same family with him, were one hundred and twenty: of those of Merari, another son of Levi, the chief was Asaiah, with two hundred and twenty of his relations: of those of Gershon, another son of Levi, was Joel, and his brethren were one hundred and thirty: of the posterity of Elizaphan, a grandson of Kohath, Exo_5:18, the most noted was Shemaiah, who had two hundred of his family with him: and of those of Hebron, the son of Kohath, Exo_6:18, Eliel was the most famous, and he had eighty of his kindred with him: and of those of Uzziel, another son of Kohath in a different line from Elizaphan, who also was a son of Uzziel, was Amminadab the chief, who had one hundred and twelve of his kindred with him: the number of Levites, in all, gathered together, were eight hundred and sixty two, besides their chiefs.

JAMISON, "David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites — The children of Aaron were the two priests (1Ch_15:11), Zadok and Abiathar, heads of the two priestly houses of Eleazar and Ithamar, and colleagues in the high priesthood (2Sa_20:25). The Levites were the chiefs of their father’s house (1Ch_15:12); four belonging to the Kohathite branch, on whose shoulders the ark was to be borne; namely, Uriel, Shemaiah - descended from Elizaphan or Elzaphan - (Exo_6:22), Hebron (Exo_6:18; 1Ch_6:2), and Amminadab from Uzziel (Exo_6:22).

15

K&D 4-10, "From among assembled Israel David then specially gathered together the heads of the priests and Levites, to determine upon the details of this solemn procession. “The sons of Aaron” are the high priests Zadok and Abiathar, 1Ch_15:11; and the “Levites” are the six princes named in 1Ch_15:5-10, with their brethren, viz., (1Ch_15:5-7) the three heads of the families into which the tribe of Levi was divided, and which corresponded to the three sons of Levi, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, respectively (Exo_6:16): Uriel head of the Kohathites, Asaiah of the Merarites, and Joel head of the Gershonites, with their brethren. Kohath is first enumerated, because Aaron the chief of the priests was descended from Kohath, and because to the Kohathites there fell, on account of their nearer relationship to the priests, the duty of serving in that which is most holy, the bearing of the holiest vessels of the tabernacle. See Num_4:4, Num_4:15; Num_7:9; as to Uriel, see on Num_6:24; for Asaiah, see 6:30; and as to Joel, see 1Ch_6:33. Then in 1Ch_15:8, 1Ch_15:9 we have the heads of three other Kohathite families: Shemaiah, chief of the sons of Elizaphan, i.e., Elizaphan son of the Kohathite Uzziel (Exo_6:22); Eliel, chief of the sons of Hebron the Kohathite (Exo_6:18); and Amminadab, chief of the sons of Uzziel. The sons of Uzziel, consequently, were divided into two fathers'-houses: the one founded by Uzziel's son Elizaphan, and named after him (1Ch_15:8); the other founded by his other sons, and called by his name. Of the fathers'-houses here enumerated, four belong to Kohath, and one each to Merari and Gershon; and the Kohathites were called to take part in the solemn act in greater numbers than the Merarites and Gershonites, since the transport of the ark was the Kohathites' special duty.

ELLICOTT, " (4) And David assembled.—He confers separately with the priestly order respecting their part in the procession.The children of Aaron.—The sons of Aaron, i.e., the high priests, Zadok and Abiathar (1 Chronicles 15:11).The Levites—i.e., the six chieftains—Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, heads of the clans of Kohath, Merari, and Gershom respectively; and Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, additional Kohathite chiefs: all the six being at the head of their clansmen (“brethren,” 1 Chronicles 15:5-10). There were four Kohathite houses to one of Merari and Gershom, because the sub-tribe of Kohath was the elder house, and had special charge of the Ark and other most holy vessels of the sanctuary (Numbers 4:4).

TRAPP, "1 Chronicles 15:4 And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites:Ver. 4. And David assembled.] That "all things" might now "be done decently and

16

in order," by their advice and assistance.

PULPIT, "1 Chronicles 15:4-11This classification of the children of Aaron, as the special priests, and of the Levites, is constantly observed (1 Chronicles 12:26, 1 Chronicles 12:27; 1 Chronicles 27:17). The mention of the six representative Levitical families follows. That of Kohath (1 Chronicles 15:5) takes the lead, because, though second in order of birth (Genesis 46:11; Exodus 6:16-19; 1 Chronicles 6:1-30), its priestly importance gave it always first rank. To the same head belonged also three of the remaining five families, viz. Hebron (1 Chronicles 15:9) and Uzziel (1 Chronicles 15:10), who were brothers, as being beth sons of Kohath (Exodus 6:18); and Elizaphan, who, though son of Uzziel (Exodus 6:22), had come to represent a distinct family (Numbers 3:30). The other two required to complete the six are Asaiah (1 Chronicles 15:6) of the house of Merari, and Joel (verse 7) of the house of Gershom. The representatives, then, of these six families, with the company of the brethren belonging to each of them, and the two priests Zadok and Abiathar (verse 11), are now summoned into the presence of David, to receive a short but special charge.

5 From the descendants of Kohath,Uriel the leader and 120 relatives;

BARNES, "The sons of Kohath - The order of the sons of Levi according to primogeniture is, Gershom, Kohath, Merari Gen_46:11; Exo_6:16. But the Kohathites, of whom came the priestly family of the Aaronites, had precedence in all respects. To them especially was committed the attendance upon the ark and the bearing of it. Of the six Levitical families mentioned 1Ch_15:5-10 one only was descended from Gershom, one from Merari, and four (Uriel, Elizaphan, Hebron, and Uzziel) from Kohath.

17

BENSON, "1 Chronicles 15:5. Of the sons of Kohath; Uriel the chief — The sons of Kohath are mentioned Exodus 6:17-18, and Uriel is not one of them: therefore he must have been his grandson, and a person so famous that his descendants are mentioned in the first place.ELLICOTT, "Verses 5-7(5-7) Uriel (El is light), Asaiah (Iah made), Joel (Iah is El) occur as Levitical names in 1 Chronicles 6:24; 1 Chronicles 6:30; 1 Chronicles 6:33, and elsewhere.

POOLE, " Of the sons of Kohath, to wit, of Amram or Izhar, Kohath’s sons, Numbers 3:27. Otherwise Elizaphan, 1 Chronicles 15:8, and Hebron, 1 Chronicles 15:9, and Uzziel, 1 Chronicles 15:10, were Kohath’s children; of which see Exodus 6:17,18,22.

6 from the descendants of Merari,Asaiah the leader and 220 relatives;

7 from the descendants of Gershon,[a]Joel the leader and 130 relatives;

8 from the descendants of Elizaphan,Shemaiah the leader and 200 relatives;

18

ELLICOTT, " (8) Of the sons of Elizaphan; Shemaiah.—Elzaphan was son of Uzziel, the fourth son of Kohath (Exodus 6:18; Exodus 6:22). Of this Kohathite family, Shemaiah was chief in David’s time (1 Chronicles 24:6).

9 from the descendants of Hebron,Eliel the leader and 80 relatives;

ELLICOTT, "(9) Of the sons of Hebron.—Hebron was third son of Kohath (Exodus 6:18). (Comp. 1 Chronicles 6:2, above.)

10 from the descendants of Uzziel,Amminadab the leader and 112 relatives.

ELLICOTT, "(10) Of the sons of Uzziel.—Uzziel was fourth son of Kohath (1 Chronicles 6:2). Exodus 6:22 names three sons of Uzziel—Mishael, Elzaphan, and Zithri. The family of Elzaphan has already been represented (1 Chronicles 15:8). The term “sons of Uzziel,” therefore, in this verse represents the two other Uzzielite houses, which may have amalgamated in one. As Elzaphan is mentioned first, the elder line of Mishael may have become extinct. At any rate, 1 Chronicles 23:20; 1

19

Chronicles 24:24 imply the existence of only two Uzzielite stocks.

11 Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites.

GILL, "And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests,.... See 2Sa_8:17. and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab; the six chiefs before mentioned.

K&D 11-12, "Zadok of the line of Eleazar (1Ch_6:1-15), and Abiathar of the line of Ithamar, were the heads of the two priestly lines, and at that time both held the office of high priest (1Ch_24:3; cf. 2Sa_15:24., 2Sa_20:25). These priests and the six princes of the Levites just enumerated were charged by David to consecrate themselves with their brethren, and to bring up the ark of God to the place prepared for it. התקדש, to consecrate oneself by removal of all that is unclean, washing of the body and of the clothes (Gen_35:2), and careful keeping aloof from every defilement, avoiding coition and the touching of unclean things; cf. Exo_19:10, Exo_19:15. ו ו .to (the place) which I have prepared for it ,אל־כינותי הכינותי is a relative clause with אשר, construed with a preposition as though it were a substantive: cf. similar constructions, 1Ch_29:3; 2Ch_16:9; 2Ch_30:18; Neh_8:10; and Ew. §33, b.

BENSON, "Verse 11-121 Chronicles 15:11-12. David called for Zadok and Abiathar — The chief priests: Abiathar being the high-priest, and Zadok the second priest. And said, Sanctify yourselves — By solemn purification and preparation of yourselves, both in soul and body: see notes on Genesis 35:2, and Exodus 19:10.

20

ELLICOTT, " (11) David’s instructions to the eight spiritual chiefs.Zadok and Abiathar the priests were of coordinate rank, as representing the two lines of Eleazar and Ithamar. (Comp. Notes on 1 Chronicles 6:4, sqq., and 1 Chronicles 24:3. ) On 1 Chronicles 15:5 the meanings of three of these names have been suggested. Of the others, Zadok imports just, perhaps equivalent to Zedekiah, Jah is just; Abiathar, the Father (i.e., God) excels; She-maiah, Jah heareth; Eliel, God (and none else) is God (i.e., Divine); Amminadab, the Clansman (i.e., the Lord) is bounteous. Thus the very names of those who conducted this great religious event expressed to themselves and others the high spiritual truths that Jehovah the Lord is righteous, the Author and Bestower of all knowledge and excellence and working power; that He alone is God; and that He hears prayers, as being a gracious Father unto all His creatures.

TRAPP, "1 Chronicles 15:11 And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,Ver. 11. And David called for Zadok and Abiathar.] These, and those chief captains that follow, were tanquam Ephori et directores totius deductionis, directors and principal doers.

POOLE," Zadok and Abiathar the priests, i.e. the chief priests, Abiathar the high priest, and Zadok the second priest: see Numbers 3:32.

12 He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have

21

prepared for it.

GILL, "And he said unto them, ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites,.... Of the families of the Levites, heads of their fathers' houses: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren; respectively under each, whose numbers are before given, by washing their bodies and clothes, and abstaining from their wives: that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it; 2Sa_6:17.

JAMISON, "sanctify yourselves — This special sanctification, which was required on all grave and important occasions, consisted in observing the strictest abstinence, as well as cleanliness, both in person and dress (see on Gen_35:2; Exo_19:10, Exo_19:15); and in the neglect of these rules no step could have been taken (2Ch_30:3).

ELLICOTT, " (12) Chief of the fathers.—Heads of the father- houses. They were the heads of the chief divisions in each sub-group of the tribe.Sanctify yourselves.—Special purifications appear to have been prescribed in connection with all sacrifice and worship. (Comp. Genesis 35:2; Exodus 19:10; Exodus 19:15; Exodus 30:17-21.) Bathing the person, and washing or changing the garments, and keeping oneself aloof from whatever was regarded as defiling, were the main requisites. And all this was needful to teach Israel that the All-pure requires purity in His worshippers. (Comp. 2 Chronicles 30:3.)The ark of the Lord (Jehovah) God of Israel.—Contrast the simpler expression, “ark of God” (1 Chronicles 13 and 1 Chronicles 14:1-2). Here David uses a specially solemn title, by way of warning. Further, the term “God of Israel” suggests that the undertaking is national, and that the nation’s future welfare depends on its due performance (1 Samuel 2:30). Israel’s vocation was to be “a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (Exodus 19:6), as the chronicler has well understood.Unto the place that I have prepared for it.—Unto (that) I have prepared for it. The relative is omitted. (Comp. 1 Chronicles 29:3 and 2 Chronicles 1:4.)

22

TRAPP, "1 Chronicles 15:12 And said unto them, Ye [are] the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, [both] ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto [the place that] I have prepared for it.Ver. 12. Sanctify yourselves.] Outwardly and inwardly. Holy things are to be handled sancte magis quam scite.POOLE, "Sanctify yourselves, by solemn purification and preparation of yourselves, both in soul and body. See Poole "Exodus 19:10,15".

PULPIT, "Sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren. Nothing of the appointed observances of the Law are to be omitted this time, as in the haste and want of premeditation of the former occasion (Exodus 19:22; Exodus 28:41; Exodus 40:13; Le Exodus 8:12; Exodus 20:7; Exodus 21:8; 2 Chronicles 5:11; 2 Chronicles 29:15). These "sanctifyings" consisted of different observances, according to the person and the occasion, but largely of ablutions of the body, washing of the clothes, and keeping separate from all natural and ceremonial causes of uncleanness in ordinary cases of Levitical service. That ye may bring up the ark. The word here employed for "bring" is not the same with the "carry" of 1 Chronicles 15:1 and 1 Chronicles 15:2. But the following verses (13-15) seem to intimate that, whatever the exact reason for which Uzzah had been peremptorily cut off, the Levites had also been to blame in not sanctifying themselves to carry the ark by its staves in the way originally appointed.

BI, "Sanctify yourselves.Personal holiness essential to sacred serviceI. Personal holiness required in those who serve.

1. In heart.2. In life.

II. Personal holiness the pattern according to which we must serve (Eph_5:1).III. Personal holiness is the only condition on which we can serve.

1. By this we influence others.2. By this we answer the end of our being. “He hath not called you to uncleanness, but unto holiness.” (J. Wolfendale.)

23

13 It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.”

BARNES, "The “due order” was that the ark should be borne on the shoulders of Kohathite Levites - not that it should be placed upon a cart, drawn by oxen, and rudely shaken.

GILL, "For because ye did it not at the first,.... Did not sanctify themselves, as the supplement in our version directs; but rather the sense is, ye were not there at first, when the ark was brought from Kirjathjearim as far as the house of Obededom, as they should have been; they were not then employed, as was their business, and therefore the Lord our God made a breach upon us; by smiting Uzzah with death, who was no Levite, and touched the ark, which is called his "error", and for which God smote him, 2Sa_6:7 on which place Lud. Capellus observes, the word "shal", we there render "error", signifies a "disease" in the Arabic language, and might formerly design a sudden one with the Hebrew; as an apoplexy; and so the sense be, that God smote Uzzah with an apoplexy, of which he suddenly died: for that we sought him not after the due order; but, instead of employing the Levites to carry the ark on their shoulders, it was put upon a cart.

K&D, "“For because in the beginning (i.e., when the ark was removed from the house of Amminadab, 1Ch_13:1-14) it was not you (sc., who brought it up), did Jahve our God made a breach upon us,” sc. by the slaying of Uzza, 1Ch_13:11. In the first clause the predicate is wanting, but it may easily be supplied from the context. The contracted form למברשונה, made up of למה and בראשונה, is unique, since מה is so united only with small words, as in מזה, Exo_4:2, מלכם, Isa_3:15; but we find מתלאה for מה־תלאה, Mal_1:13; cf. Ew. §91, d. למהhere signifies: on account of this which = because; cf.'Ew. §222, a, and 353, a. “This was done, because we did not seek Him according to the right,” which required that the ark,

24

upon which Jehovah sits enthroned, should be carried by Levites, and touched by no unholy person, or one who is not a priest (Num_4:15).

ELLICOTT, " (13) For because ye did it not at the first.—The Hebrew seems to mean, for because on the first occasion it was not you (that is, the heads of the Levitical houses)—scil., who carried up the ark, but Uzza and Ahio, sons of Abinadab (2 Samuel 6:3). The phrase so rendered only occurs here (lĕmabbârîshônâh = “because at the first”).Our God made a breach.—Broke out upon us; referring to the sudden death of Uzza (1 Chronicles 13:10). (Comp. Exodus 19:22; Exodus 19:24, same phrase.)We sought him not (1 Chronicles 13:3) after the due order.—The Ark was carried on a cart, instead of being borne by the sons of Kohath “on their shoulders, with the staves thereon” (1 Chronicles 15:15; Numbers 4:15). Even the Kohathites themselves were forbidden to “touch any holy thing,” as Uzza had ventured to do. It has been said that the “sanctity of institutions,” as opposed to the “sanctity of a people under the government of a righteous God,” is the leading idea of the Chronicles. It would be difficult to show how the sanctity of a people is to be secured, and how the government of a righteous God is to be realised, except in and through Divine institutions. As there is a “due order” by which God rules the physical world, so is there a corresponding order whereby His will is fulfilled in the spiritual sphere. There are positive institutions in Christianity as well as in Mosaism; and if we abolish the Divine authority of the one, why not of the other also?

TRAPP, "1 Chronicles 15:13 For because ye [did it] not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.Ver. 13. God made a breach upon us.] See on 1 Chronicles 13:9.For that we sought him not.] David faulteth himself also.After the due order.] See on 1 Chronicles 13:12.

POOLE, " Because ye did it not at the first; because you did not sanctify and prepare yourselves by solemn prayer, and seeking counsel from God, and by a

25

serious consideration of God’s will as to the manner of carrying it; which it was your duty more than others to observe and see it executed.We sought him not: he takes a part of the guilt to himself, because it was his duty, as well as theirs, diligently to read the law and word of God, and to see it executed, and their oversight did not excuse his. After the due order; according to the rules which he appointed.

PULPIT, "This verse purports to say that the Levites had been deficient in their duty in the double sense of not having themselves exclusively undertaken the removal of the ark, and not having executed that removal after the due order.

14 So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel.

GILL, "So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves,.... As they were ordered, and in the manner they should: to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel; for though it was chiefly the work of the Levites, yet the priests might do it, and sometimes did, see Jos_3:13.

K&D 14-15, "The Levites consecrated themselves, and bare - as 1Ch_15:15anticipatively remarks-the ark of God upon their shoulders, according to the prescription in Num_7:9, עליהם בדים the flexible pole used for carrying burdens, Num_13:23. Those used to carry the ark are called ,מוטה .by means of poles upon them (the shoulders) ,במומות in the Pentateuch, Exo_25:13.

26

TRAPP, "1 Chronicles 15:14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.Ver. 14. So the priests and Levites sanctified themselves.] They replied not, We sufficiently understand our duties, and need not your instruction: but did as they were commanded.

15 And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord.

CLARKE, "Upon their shoulders - That is the staves which went through the rings rested on their shoulders, but the ark itself rested on the staves like a sedan on its poles.

As Moses commanded - See Num_4:5, Num_4:15.

GILL, "And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders, with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded, according to the word of the Lord. Not only bare it on their shoulders, but with the staves in it, which rested on their shoulders, see Num_7:9, the reason of this command, that the ark should be carried on men's shoulders, and not in any carriage, according to Maimonides (h), was both for the honour of it, and lest its form and structure should be any ways damaged.

ELLICOTT, " (15) And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God.—The priests and Levites, having purified themselves (1 Chronicles 15:14), duly and rightly discharged their sacred office of bearing the Ark. This statement anticipates 1 Chronicles 15:25, sqq. Such brief anticipative summaries of a series of events

27

afterwards described in detail are very common in Hebrew narrative.Upon their shoulders with the staves there-on.—Literally, with their shoulder, with the poles upon themselves.As Moses commanded according to the word of the Lord.—Numbers 7:9; Numbers 4:15; Exodus 25:13-15.

PULPIT, "(So see Exodus 25:13-15; Numbers 4:15; Numbers 7:9.) It is plain that from the first stress was laid upon the rings and the staves through them by which the ark was to be carried, as also the "table of shittim wood" (Exodus 25:26-28) and the "altar" (Exodus 27:4-7) and the "altar of incense" (Exodus 30:4, Exodus 30:5). However, these rings and staves were not found in the permanent furniture of the temple, except only for the ark.1 Chronicles 15:18Ben. This word is either altogether an accidental interpolation, or a remnant of some statement of the patronymic character regarding Zechariah. Another indication of the state of the text in this verse is to be found in the probable omission of the name Azazgah of verse 21, after Jeiel. It will be observed that no trace of this word Ben is found in the repeated list of verse 20.

16 David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.

BARNES, "The singers - Singing had long been recognized as appropriate to religious 28

ceremonies Exo_15:21; Jdg_5:1; 1Ch_13:8; but this is the first occasion on which we find the duty of conducting musical services expressly laid on the Levites. Henceforth, the services of the tabernacle and the temple were regularly choral, and a considerable section of the Levites was trained in musical knowledge, and set apart to conduct this portion of the national worship.

GILL, "And David spake to the chief of the Levites,.... The six before mentioned, 1Ch_15:11. to appoint their brethren to be the singers; before the ark, as they brought it up: with instruments of music, psalteries, and harps, and cymbals; which were used in those times, see 2Sa_6:5. sounding by lifting up the voice with joy; the instrumental music was to be attended with vocal music, and that very sonorous and loud, and performed with all tokens of inward joy and gladness, as the occasion required.

JAMISON 16-24, "David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint ... the singers with instruments — These eminent Levites were instructed to train the musicians and singers who were under them, for the solemn procession. The performers were ranged in three choirs or bands, and the names of the principal leaders are given (1Ch_15:17, 1Ch_15:18, 1Ch_15:21), with the instruments respectively used by each. “Ben” (1Ch_15:18) is omitted (1Ch_15:20). Either it was used merely as a common noun, to intimate that Zechariah was the son of Jaaziel or Aziel, or Ben is the same as Azaziah [1Ch_15:21].

K&D 16-18, "David gave the princes of the Levites a further charge to appoint singers with musical instruments for the solemn procession, which they accordingly did. שיר instruments to accompany the song. In 1Ch_15:16 ,כלי three kinds of these are named: נבלים, nablia, ψαλτήρια, which Luther has translated by psalter, corresponds to the Arabic santir, which is an oblong box with a broad bottom and a somewhat convex sounding-board, over which strings of wire are stretched; an instrument something like the cithara. כנרות, harps, more properly lutes, as this instrument more resembled our lute than the harp, and corresponded to the Arabic catgut instrument el ‛ûd (l-cûd); cf. Wetzstein in Delitzsch, Isaiah, S. 702, der 2 Aufl., where, however, the statement that the santir is essentially the same as the old German cymbal, vulgo Hackebrett, is incorrect, and calculated to bring confusion into the matter, for the cymbal was an instrument provided with a small bell. מצלתים, the later word for צלצלים, cymbals, castanets; see on 2Sa_6:5. משמיעים does not belong to the three before-mentioned instruments (Berth.), but, as is clear from 1Ch_15:19, 1Ch_15:28, 1Ch_16:5, 1Ch_16:42, undoubtedly only to מצלתים (Böttcher, Neue krit. Aehrenlese, iii. S. 223); but the meaning is not “modulating,” but “sounding clear or loud,” - according to the proper meaning of the word, to make to hear. The infinitive clause וגו להרים belongs to the preceding sentence: “in order to heighten the sound (both of the song and of the instrumental music) to joy,” i.e., to the expression of joy. לשימחה is frequently used to express festive joy: cf. 1Ch_15:25, 2Ch_23:18; 2Ch_29:30; but also as

29

early as in 2Sa_6:12; 1Sa_18:6; Jdg_16:23, etc. - In 1Ch_15:17, 1Ch_15:18 the names of the singers and players are introduced; then in 1Ch_15:19-21 they are named in connection with the instruments they played; and finally, in 1Ch_15:22-24, the other Levites and priests who took part in the celebration are mentioned. The three chief singers, the Kohathite Heman, the Gershonite Asaph, and the Merarite Ethan, form the first class. See on 1Ch_6:33, 1Ch_6:39, and 1Ch_6:44. To the second class (המשנים, cf. 2 ,המשנהKi_23:4) belonged thirteen or fourteen persons, for in 1Ch_15:21 an Azaziah is named in the last series who is omitted in 1Ch_15:18; and it is more probable that his name has been dropped out of 1Ch_15:18 than that it came into our text, 1Ch_15:21, by an error. In 1Ch_15:18 בן comes in after זכריהו by an error or transcription, as we learn from the w before the following name, and from a comparison of 1Ch_15:20 and 1Ch_15:25. The name יעזיאלis in 1Ch_15:20 written עזיאל, Yodh being rejected; and in 1Ch_16:5 it is יעיאל, which is probably only a transcriber's error, since יעיאל occurs along with it both in 1Ch_15:18 and in 1Ch_16:5. The names Benaiah and Maaseiah, which are repeated in 1Ch_15:20, have been there transposed. All the other names in vv.18 and 20 coincide.

BENSON "1 Chronicles 15:16. By lifting up the voice with joy — Singing so loud that all might hear, and having their hearts lifted up to God with joy. There was scarce any solemn service performed to their gods, either by Greeks or barbarians, without both vocal and instrumental music.

ELLICOTT, " (16) David spake to the chief.—Ordered the chiefs (sârîm).To appoint their brethren to be the singers.—To station or assign places to their clansmen, the minstrels.Psalteries and harps.—Harps and lutes, or guitars (nĕbâlîm and kinnôrôth).Sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.—So far as grammar goes, the participle sounding (Heb., causing to hear—i.e., making a loud noise) might refer to the musicians, or to all the instruments mentioned, or to the last kind (the cymbals) only. The third reference is the best, because of the special sense of the verb. (Comp. 1 Chronicles 15:19 and Psalms 150:5 : “loud cymbals,” i.e., cymbals of sound or hearing.) Translate: “harps and lutes and clashing cymbals, in order to swell the sound for gladness:” that is, to express and enhance the rejoicing. (Comp. 2 Chronicles 5:13.)

TRAPP, "1 Chronicles 15:16 And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren [to be] the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps

30

and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.Ver. 16. And David spake to the chief of the Levites] From hence it appeareth, saith one, that this sacred music, vocal and instrumental, was in use even before David’s time; though there be no mention made of it in the law: but David did afterwards illustrate it. [1 Chronicles 25:1-7]

PULPIT, "1 Chronicles 15:16, 1 Chronicles 15:17To appoint their brethren to be the singers. This was the first step towards what we have already read in 1 Chronicles 6:31-39, 1 Chronicles 6:44; 1 Chronicles 9:33, 1 Chronicles 9:34 (where see notes).

17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berekiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah;

CLARKE, "- Heman - Asaph - Ethan - These were the three chief musicians in the time of David; see 1Ch_6:31.

GILL, "So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel,.... The grandson of Samuel the prophet, 1Ch_6:33. and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; a famous singer, often mentioned in the Psalms, 1Ch_6:39.

31

and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; the same with the son of Kishi, 1Ch_6:44, these were the chief of the singers.

ELLICOTT, "(17) Heman . . . Asaph . . . Ethan (or Jeduthun) were the precentors of David’s three choirs of Levitical minstrels (1 Chronicles 6:31-44). Heman was of Kohath, and Asaph of Gershon, as Ethan of Merari.

18 and with them their relatives next in rank: Zechariah,[b] Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel,[c] the gatekeepers.

GILL, "And with them their brethren of the second degree,.... Who were next unto them, both in office and skill in singing: the fourteen following, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters; who, when they were not employed in singing, were doorkeepers of the sanctuary; either they had been porters at the tabernacle in Gibeon, or were so after the ark was placed in the tabernacle David prepared for it.

BENSON, "1 Chronicles 15:18. Their brethren of the second degree — The first rank or degree of sacred musicians was that of those three famous persons, named 1 Chronicles 15:17; the next consisted of these here mentioned. The porters — Who were to keep the doors of the tabernacle and courts, but withal were instructed in music, that when they were free from attendance upon their proper office, they

32

might not be idle nor unprofitable in God’s house.ELLICOTT, " (18) And with them their brethren of the second degree.—So 1 Chronicles 16:5 : “Asaph the leader, and his second Zechariah.” Fourteen minstrels of the second rank—that is, subordinate to the first three—are named here.Ben (son) is not a proper name. That of Zechariah’s father may have fallen out after it (comp. the Syriac and Arabic: “Zechariah son of Ne’ael”), or it may be due to a scribe’s inadvertence. The LXX. omits it.Shemiramoth.—This peculiar name resembles the Assyrian Sammurramat, the classical Semiramis. Delitzsch suggests that it is a compound of sammîm (“spices”), and râ’imat (“loving”): a suitable name for a woman, and actually borne by a lady of the court of Rammân-nirâri (B.C. 812), king of Assyria.Jaaziel.—Called Jeiel by mistake in 1 Chronicles 16:5.And Jeiel.—The LXX. adds, “and Azaziah” (Ozias). (Comp. 1 Chronicles 15:21.) Perhaps this should be read, and “the porters” omitted. (See 1 Chronicles 15:24.)

POOLE, " Their brethren of the second degree; the first rank or degree of sacred musicians being those three famous persons named 1 Chronicles 15:17, next unto whom were these here named.The porters; who were to keep the doors of the tabernacle and courts but withal were instructed in music and singing, that when they were free from attendance upon their proper office, they might not be idle nor unprofitable persons in God’s house.

19 The musicians Heman, Asaph and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals;

33

GILL, "So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan,.... The three principal of them: these were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass; for as there were three sorts of musical instruments, 1Ch_15:16 these three chief singers had one of those instruments appropriated to them, one of which were the cymbals of brass, to which the apostle alludes, 1Co_13:1.

K&D 19-21, "These singers formed three choirs, according to the instruments they played. Heman, Asaph, and Ethan played brazen cymbals להשמיע (1Ch_15:19); Benaiah and the seven who follow played nablia (psalteria) עלמות על (1Ch_15:20); while the last six played lutes (harps) לנצח השמינית על (1Ch_15:21). These three Hebrew words plainly denote different keys in singing, but are, owing to our small acquaintance with the music of the Hebrews, obscure, and cannot be interpreted with certainty. נצח, going over from the fundamental signification glitter, shine, into the idea of outshining and superior capacity, overwhelming ability, might also, as a musical term, denote the conducting of the playing and singing as well as the leading of them. The signification to direct is here, however, excluded by the context, for the conductors were without doubt the three chief musicians or bandmasters (Capellenmeister), Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, with the cymbals, not the psaltery and lute players belonging to the second rank. The conducting must therefore be expressed by להשמיע, and this word must mean “in order to give a clear tone,” i.e., to regulate the tune and the tone of the singing, while לנצח signifies “to take the lead in playing;” cf. Del. on Psa_4:1. This word, moreover, is probably not to be restricted to the singers with the lutes, the third choir, but must be held to refer also to the second choir. The meaning then will be, that Heman, Asaph, and Ethan had cymbals to direct the song, while the other singers had partly psalteries, partly lutes, in order to play the accompaniment to the singing. The song of these two choirs is moreover distinguished and defined by עלמות על and השמינית עלמות ;These words specify the kind of voices .על על after the manner of virgins, i.e., in the soprano; השמינית - after the octave, i.e., in bass ,על al ottava bassa. See Del. on Psa_6:1; Psa_46:1. In 1Ch_15:22-24 the still remaining priests who were engaged in the solemn procession are enumerated.

ELLICOTT, " (19) The cymbal-players.Were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass.—Rather, with cymbals of bronze for clashing. Furnished with these instruments, the three chiefs were to lead and accentuate the music.1 Chronicles 15:19-25 give the order of the procession thus:—I. The three master-singers, and two bands of seven each (1 Chronicles 15:19-21).II. Chenaniah, marshal of the bearers.

34

III. Two warders of the Ark.IV. Seven priests, with trumpets.

PULPIT, "1 Chronicles 15:19-21The psalteries on Alamoth (1 Chronicles 15:20), and harps on the Sheminith to excel (1 Chronicles 15:21), are descriptions the exact significance of which is not yet satisfactorily ascertained. Yet their connection in a series of four divisions of musical duty does throw some light upon them. These four verses manifestly purport to describe a special part to be performed by those of whom they respectively speak. Gesenius explains psalteries on Alamoth to mean such instruments as savoured of virgin tone or pitch, i.e. high as compared with the lower pitch of men's voices. This lower pitch he considers intimated by the word "Sheminith," literally, the eighth, or octave. The added expression, "to excel," need scarcely be, with him, understood to mean "to take the lead musically," but may be read generally to mark their supassing quality.

20 Zechariah, Jaaziel,[d] Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play the lyres according to alamoth,[e]

BARNES, "Psalteries on Alamoth - Probably, psalteries whose tone resembled the voices of girls (עלמות ‛ălâmôth). Compare the “female flutes” of the Lydians.

35

CLARKE, "With psalteries on Alamoth - Some suppose that the word signifies virgins, or women singers, the persons mentioned here being appointed to accompany them with psalteries, and preside over them.

The Vulgate says arcana cantabant, they sang secret things or mysteries; probably prophetic hymns.

GILL, "And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah,.... Who were eight of the second degree; Aziel is the same with Jaaziel, 1Ch_15:18 and Ben is left out, in whose room Azaziah, in the next verse, seems to be put; Ben is thought to be sick or dead before they came to execute their office, and whom the father of Kimchi takes to be the same with him who is expressed in the title of Psa_9:1 which title is, "on Muthlabben", or the death of Ben: these were appointed to sound with psalteries on Alamoth; psalteries were another kind of instruments of music; and Alamoth was either the beginning of a song, to the tune of which those instruments played, or the tune itself, and the note of it; either the treble or counter tenor, a shrill sound, like that of organs, which this word sometimes signifies, see Psa_46:1.

BENSON, "1 Chronicles 15:20. With psalteries on Alamoth — Or, with Alamoth, which is thought by many to be the name of an instrument of music; or of a certain tune, or note, or part in music. Houbigant renders the words with psalteries, of a deeper sound. The certain signification of the expression is not now known.

ELLICOTT, "V. Two warders of the Ark.VI. The king, with the heads of the nation.(20) The eight harpers. Perhaps Maaseiah or Benaiah belongs to the next verse. This would give seven (comp. 1 Chronicles 15:24) in each band.Aziel should be Jaaziel, as in 1 Chronicles 15:18.Jehiel.—God liveth. Jeiel=Jeuel (1 Chronicles 9:6; 1 Chronicles 9:35), Remembered of God.With psalteries on Alamoth.—“With harps after the mode of maidens:” that is, probably, of soprano compass or pitch. The same expression occurs in the heading of Psalms 46

36

TRAPP, "1 Chronicles 15:20 And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth;Ver. 20. On Alamoth.] {See Trapp on "Psalms 46:1" Title}

COFFMAN, ""The psalteries set on Alamoth ... the harps set on Sheminith" (1 Chronicles 15:20,21). It is not definitely known just what these instructions indicated.The detailed description here of the ceremonies that accompanied David's bringing the ark to Jerusalem was the Chronicler's way of emphasizing the importance of that event. "The bringing of the ark into Jerusalem brought about a permanent centralization of the religion of Israel within Jerusalem."[2]

COKE, "1 Chronicles 15:20. With psalteries on Alamoth— With psalteries of a deeper sound. Houbigant. But respecting this, the word Sheminith in the next verse, and other words of the like sort, we refer to our notes upon the Psalms.

POOLE, " In this catalogue Ben is omitted, who was mentioned 1 Chronicles 15:18. Yet others think him to be the same who is called Azaziah, 1 Chronicles 15:21. But Ben might be some other person, who was indeed appointed for this work, as is related, 1 Chronicles 15:17,18; and yet he might be taken off by death or sickness, or some sudden and extraordinary accident which hindered his execution of the place and work allotted for him, which might force the chief of the Levites to appoint some other in his stead, when they came to put their institution in practice, as here they did.

On Alamoth, or, with (as that particle is elsewhere used) Alamoth, which is thought to be the name of an instrument of music; or of a certain tune, or note, or part in music. The certain signification of it is not now known, nor is it necessary for us to know it. And the like may be said of Sheminith, 1 Chronicles 15:21.

37

21 and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah were to play the harps, directing according to sheminith.[f]

BARNES, "Harps on the Sheminith - “Sheminith” properly means “the eighth,” and has been compared with the modern musical term “octave.” Further, “Sheminith” and “Alamoth” are regarded as contrasted, and the harps of Mattithiah and his companions are supposed to have been pitched an octave below the psalteries of Zechariah and his brethren.

The word translated “to excel,” is taken as meaning “to lead,” and Mattithiah, etc., as leaders of the singers.

CLARKE, "On the Sheminith - According to the Targum, this signifies an instrument that sounded an octave, or, according to others, an instrument with eight strings. The Syriac and Arabic have it, instruments to sing with daily, at the third, sixth, and ninth hour; the Vulgate, an octave, for a song of victory: some think the eighth band of the musicians is intended, who had the strongest and most sonorous voices; and that it is in this sense that shelomith and lenatstseach should be understood.

GILL, "And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah,.... These six were appointed to sound: with harps on the Sheminith to excel; which Sheminith some take to be an harp with eight strings, or the beginning of a song, or a musical tone, the bass; see the title of Psa_6:1.

BENSON, "1 Chronicles 15:21. With harps on Sheminith — Some think Sheminith signifies a harp with eight strings. But perhaps, as was said of Alamoth, it might be the name of a tune, or note, or part in music. Or it might be the beginning of some psalm much used. Its signification is very doubtful, nor is it necessary to know it. To excel — The original word לנצח, lenatzeach, being derived from נצח, natzach, to

38

overcome, is thought by Strigelius to signify an extension or elevation of the voice above all the rest.

ELLICOTT, " (21) The six lute-players.With harps on the Sheminith.—“With lutes (or lyres) in the bass.” Literally, after the mode of the eighth—i.e., an octave below the tenor—al ottava bassa.To excel.—To lead the orchestra, to precent. (Comp. Psalms 6, heading.)

TRAPP, "1 Chronicles 15:21 And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.

Ver. 21. Upon Sheminith.] {See Trapp on "Psalms 6:1" Title}

POOLE, " See Poole "1 Chronicles 15:20".To excel: the word may be here added to note the excellency of that instrument, or note, or part of music; or that there was a greater extension or elevation of the voice than in the former.

22 Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it.

39

BARNES, "For song - See the margin. Hebraists are still at variance as to the meaning of this passage, some supposing elevation or, delivery of the voice, others elevation of the ark, to be intended.

CLARKE, "Chenaniah - he instructed about the song - This appears to have been the master singer; he gave the key and the time, for he presided במשא bemassa, in the elevation, probably meaning what is called pitching the tune, for he was skillful in music, and powerful in his voice, and well qualified to lead the band: be might have been precentor.

GILL, "And Chenaniah chief of the Levites was for song,.... But the chief for the song were Heman, Asaph, and Ethan; rather for the burden, as the Targum; for the lifting up and bearing the ark: he instructed about the song; or about the taking up and bearing the burden, the ark; directing when to take it up, and how far to go with it, and then rest: because he was skilful; a wise and prudent man in all things, and so proper to direct in this business.

K&D, "“Chenaniah, the prince of the Levites, for the bearing, teacher in bearing; for he was instructed in it.” Since Chenaniah does not occur among the six princes of the Levites in 1Ch_15:5-10, and is called in 1Ch_15:27 המשא במשא we must here also join ,השר (as most editions punctuate the first במשא, while according to Norzi במשא is the right reading even in the first case) closely with לוים משא with the meaning that Chenaniah was captain of the Levites who had charge of the bearing of the ark, a chief of the Levites who bore it. The word ,שר־ה is,however, very variously interpreted. The lxx have ἄρχων τῶν ᾠδῶν, and the Vulgate, prophetiae praeerat ad praecinendam melodiam; whence Luther translates: the master in song to teach them to sing. This translation cannot, however, be linguistically upheld; the word משא means only the bearing of the burden (Num_4:19, Num_4:27, etc.; 2Ch_35:3), and a prophetical utterance of an oppressive or threatening character (Isa_13:1, and Isa_15:1, etc.). But from this second signification neither the general meaning prophetia, nor, if we wish to go back upon the קול to raise the voice, the signification master of song, supremus musicus ,נשא (Lavat.), or qui principatum tenebat in cantu illo sublimiore (Vatabl.), can be derived. The meaning prophetia, moreover, does not suit the context, and we must consequently, with Bertheau and others, hold fast the signification of bearing. We are determined in favour of this, (1) by the context, which here treats of the bearing of the ark, for which משא is the usual word; and (2) by the circumstance that in 1Ch_26:29 Chenaniah is mentioned as the chief of the Levites for the external business, which goes to show, if the persons are identical, that he here had the oversight of the external business of the transport. יסר is not the inf. absol., which cannot stand directly for the verb. finit.; nor is it the imperf. of סרר in the signification of שרר (Bertheau and others),

40

but a nominal formation from יסר (cf. on this formation as the most proper designation of the actor, Ew. §152, b), in the signification teacher, which is shown by Isa_28:26 certainly to belong to יסר. The clause במשא יסר gives the explanation of the preceding במשא, or it specifies what Chenaniah had to do in the procession. He had to take the lead in the bearing because he was מבין in it, i.e., was instructed in that which was to be observed in it. - In 1Ch_15:23 two doorkeepers for the ark are named; and in 1Ch_15:24, at the end of the enumeration of the Levites who were busied about the transport, two additional names are mentioned as those of men who had the same duty. The business of these doorkeepers was, as Seb. Schmidt has already remarked on 2 Sam 6, non tam introitum aperire arcae, quam custodire, ne ad eam irrumperetur. Between these two pairs of doorkeepers in 1Ch_15:24, the priests, seven in number, who blew the trumpets, are named. The Kethibh מחצצרים is to be read מחצצרים, a denom. from חצצרה; the Keri מחצרים is Hiph. of חצר, as in 2Ch_7:6; 2Ch_13:14, and 2Ch_29:28. In 2Ch_5:12 and 2Ch_5:13, on the contrary, מחצריםis partic. Pi. The blowing of the silver trumpets by the priests in this solemn procession rests on the prescription in Num_10:1-10, which see. The place assigned to these trumpet-blowing priests was either immediately before the ark, like the priestly trumpeters in the march round Jericho (Jos_6:4, Jos_6:6), or immediately after it. For, that these priests entered in the immediate vicinity of the ark, may be inferred from the fact that before and behind them were doorkeepers of the ark. The procession, then, was probably arranged in this way: (1) the singers and players in front, in three division; (2) Chenaniah, the captain of the bearers; (3) two doorkeepers; (4) the priests with the trumpets immediately before or after the ark; (5) two doorkeepers; (6) the king with the elders and captains of thousands (1Ch_15:25). The two doorkeepers Obededom and Jehiah (יחיה), Rashi, Berth.,and others consider to be the same persons as the singers Obededom and Jeiel (יעיאל), supposing that the latter name is wrongly written in one of the passages. This, however, is incorrect, for the identity of the name Obededom is no sufficient ground for supposing the persons to be the same, since in 1Ch_16:38 the singer Obededom and the doorkeeper Obededom the son of Jeduthun seem to be distinguished. And besides that, Obededom and his colleagues could not possibly at the same time as porters precede, and as singers come after, the priests and the ark, and there is consequently no reason to doubt that the name יחיה is correct.

BENSON, "1 Chronicles 15:22. Chenaniah was for song — Or, as it may be translated, was for the carriage, namely, of the voice. He was the moderator of the music, instructing them when and how to lift up their voice, change their notes, or make stops. Accordingly, the following words tell us, he instructed about song — Or taught them how to sing; because he was skilful — Was a great artist in singing.

ELLICOTT, " (22) Rather, And Chenaniah, captain (i.e., conductor) of the Levites in bearing (that is, the sacred vessels), was conducting the bearing, because he was skilled—scil., in the traditional regulations connected with bearing the Ark duly and rightly.

41

Chenaniah.—1 Chronicles 15:27, and 1 Chronicles 26:29.Chief of the Levites.—Not one of the six princes (1 Chronicles 15:5-10), or heads of houses, but president of the carriage of the Ark.Was for song.—So the LXX., which reads “leader of the songs;” but the Syriac has “bore the burden daily” and although the word massâ—i.e., “lifting up,” or “bearing”—might mean “lifting up the voice,” (1) the context is against that meaning here, for Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were conductors of the singing and music; (2) Chenaniah is nowhere else associated with music (see Note on 1 Chronicles 26:29); (3) the word massâ, “bearing,” has the sense we have given it when used in relation to Levites (Numbers 4:19; 2 Chronicles 35:3).He instructed.—The Hebrew has an ambiguous form, which may be an infinitive—instructing, correcting (yâsar); or an imperfect of a different verb—was prince over, superintendent of (sârar).He was skilful.—Comp. 1 Chronicles 25:7; 2 Chronicles 34:12.TRAPP, "1 Chronicles 15:22 And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, [was] for song: he instructed about the song, because he [was] skilful.Ver. 22. Because he was skilful.] In music: and haply in other arts also.

POOLE, " Was for song, Heb. was for lifting up; either,1. Of the ark; he was for carriage of the ark, being appointed to instruct or direct the time and manner of carrying the ark, and when they should make a stand or a change in the bearers. Or rather,2. Of the voice; he was the moderator of the music, instructing them when and how to lift up their voices, or change their notes, or make their stops, which best agrees with the following reason, because he was skillful; for this required far more skill than the carriage of the ark, which any man of common discretion could easily govern; and with 1 Chronicles 15:27, where this same Chenaniah is joined with the singers.

PULPIT, "For song. There is considerable diversity of opinion as to the meaning of this word. Some think its meaning to be "in the carrying ( במשא )" i.e. of the ark. Its exact position here seems not unfavourable to such interpretation. On the other

42

hand, its position in 1 Chronicles 15:27 seems conclusively to point to the translation of the Septuagint and of our Authorized Version in this place as the correct one. Dr. Murphy, however, to escape this, thinks "with the singers" in 1 Chronicles 15:27 to be a "copyist's inadvertent repetition."

23 Berekiah and Elkanah were to be doorkeepers for the ark.

GILL, "And Berechiah, and Elkanah, were doorkeepers for the ark,.... Either while it was at Kirjathjearim, and at Obededom's house; or rather after it was put in the tabernacle David had prepared for it; though it may be best of all to understand it, that those, as it was carrying, went before it, to keep the people from pressing to it, and gazing on it.

BENSON, "1 Chronicles 15:23. Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers — Were appointed to keep the door of the tent in which the ark was to be put and kept, that no unhallowed person might press in and touch it. And in like manner they were to attend upon the ark in the way, and to guard it from the press and touch of profane hands: for which end these two went before the ark, as their other two brethren, mentioned in the close of 1 Chronicles 15:24, came after it that it might be guarded on all sides.

ELLICOTT, " (23) Doorkeepers for the ark.—“Porters” (1 Chronicles 15:18). Warders are meant. Obed-edom and Jehiah were also warders of the Ark (1 Chronicles 15:24). In the procession two may have walked in front of it and two behind. They would be responsible for the prevention of all unauthorised approach to the Ark of God.TRAPP, "1 Chronicles 15:23 And Berechiah and Elkanah [were] doorkeepers for

43

the ark.Ver. 23. Were doorkeepers.] To keep off any such as would rush rudely upon the ark. Procul, o procul este profani; Stand off.

POOLE, "They were appointed to keep the door of the tent, in which the ark was to be put and kept, that no unallowed person might press in and touch it; and in like manner they were to attend upon the ark in the way, and to guard it from the press and touch of profane hands; for which end these two went before the ark, as their other two brethren, mentioned in the close of 1 Chronicles 15:24, came after it, that so it might be guarded on all sides; which, how necessary it was to be done, sufficiently appears from the danger of coming too near the ark, or to look into it, which was exemplified in the Bethshemites, 1 Samuel 6:19.

PULPIT, "1 Chronicles 15:23Berechiah and Elkanah. It appears from the following verse that there was also another couple of doorkeepers (i.e. persons to protect the openings of the ark, that it should not be opened), viz. Obed-edom and Jehiah.

24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer the priests were to blow trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also to be doorkeepers for the ark.

44

GILL, "And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God,.... With the silver trumpets; one use of which was to blow with when the camps and ark of the Lord moved, Num_10:5. and Obededom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark; they went behind it, as the others before it, for the same purpose, as it was bringing up.

ELLICOTT, " (24) Seven priestly trumpeters.The priests, did blow with the trumpets.—Were blowing. (Comp. Numbers 10:2.) A pair of silver clarions were blown by the priests “for the calling of the assembly, and the journeying of the camps.” (See also 1 Chronicles 16:6.) The seven priests perhaps walked immediately before the Ark, as in Joshua 6:4.of the Ark,And Obed-edom and Jehiah were door-keepers for the ark.—Comp. 1 Chronicles 15:23. It is hardly likely that these persons were identical with the minstrels Obed-edom and Jeiel of 1 Chronicles 15:18; 1 Chronicles 15:21, for (1) 1 Chronicles 15:19-24 appear to describe the order of the procession, according to which two “doorkeepers” walked before and two behind the ark (1 Chronicles 15:23-24), whereas Obed-edom and Jeiel the minstrels walked, playing their lutes, two places before even the first pair of doorkeepers (1 Chronicles 15:21); (2) the name “Jeiel” is different in form and meaning from “Jehiah,” Jah liveth; (3) the recurrence of names has been too frequent to allow us to be much surprised at a second Obed-edom. (Comp. 1 Chronicles 16:38.)

PULPIT, "Between these couples probably went the seven priests blowing the trumpets (Numbers 10:1-9). These trumpets were of solid silver, of one piece, were straight and narrow, and had an expanded mouth. They are found on the arch of Titus, and are described by Josephus. On the other hand, the trumpet, more correctly rendered "cornet'' ( שופר, as distinguished from our חצוערה, which was used for proclaiming the jubilee, for announcing the new year for sentinel and other special signals, and for war, was shaped like a ram's horn, and probably made of the same. The particular appropriateness of the use of the former on this occasion is manifest, in addition to the fact that they were the appointed trumpets for the journeying of the camp and a fortiori of the ark itself at a time so essentially

45

religious as the present. Yet, as we learn from verse 28, the latter were used as well, and cymbals, psalteries, and harps. The original number of the silver trumpets was two only, and they were to be sounded strictly by the anointed priests, sons of Aaron, at all events when their employment was within the sanctuary. Their employment, however, grew far more general, and we find (2 Chronicles 5:12 ) that their number had risen to a hundred and twenty (so too 2 Chronicles 13:12; Nehemiah 12:35). For Obed-edom, the doorkeeper, see 1 Chronicles 16:38; and therewith note on 1 Chronicles 13:14.

BI, "And David made him houses in the city Of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God.Removal of the ark, or carrying on the work of GodI. Preparation for God’s work.

1. By personal sanctification.2. By implicit obedience to God’s command.

II. Hearty co-operation in god’s work.1. Gained by consultation. Teachers’ Meetings, Ministers’ Conferences, National Councils of great help in effective work.2. Displayed in united ranks.3. Expressed by individual effort.

III. Success achieved in God’s work. (J. Wolfendale.)

The call to serviceI. The call.

1. Personal.2. Pressing.3. Worthy.

II. The response.1. Ready.2. Universal.3. Immediate.

III. The directions to carry it out.1. Clear.2. Right.

46

3. Safe. (J. Wolfendale.)

25 So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom, with rejoicing.

GILL, "So David and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands,.... He and the principal men of the nation, and the officers of the army or militia: went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of Obededom with joy; with all demonstrations of it; for which purpose such a band of music was prepared, as before described.

HENRY 25-29, "All things being got ready for the carrying of the ark to the city of David, and its reception there, we have here an account of the solemnity of this conveyance thither from the house of Obed-edom.

I. God helped the Levites that carried it. The ark was no very great burden, that those who carried it needed any extraordinary help. But, 1. It is good to take notice of the assistance of the divine providence even in those things that fall within the compass of our natural powers: if God did not help us, we could not stir a step. 2. In all our religious exercises we must particularly derive help from heaven. See Act_26:22. All our sufficiency for holy duties is from God. 3. The Levites, remembering the breach upon Uzza, were probably ready to tremble when they took up the ark; but God helped them, that is, he encouraged them to it, silenced their fears, and strengthened their faith. 4. God helped them to do it decently and well, and without making any mistake. If we perform any religious duties so as to escape a breach, and come off with our lives, we must own it is God that helps us; for, if left to ourselves, we should be guilty of some fatal miscarriages. God's ministers that bear the vessels of the Lord have special need of divine help in their ministrations, that God in them may be glorified and his church edified. And, if God help the Levites, the people have the benefit of it.II. When they experienced the tokens of God's presence with them they offered sacrifices of praise to him, 1Ch_15:26. This also he helped them to do. They offered these bullocks

47

and rams perhaps by way of atonement for the former error, that it might not now be remembered against them, as well as by way of acknowledgment for the help now received.III. There were great expressions of rejoicing used: the sacred music was played, David danced, the singers sang, and the common people shouted, 1Ch_15:27, 1Ch_15:28. This we had before, 2Sa_6:14, 2Sa_6:15. Learn hence, 1. That we serve a good master, who delights to have his servants sing at their work. 2. That times of public reformation are, and should be, times of public rejoicing. Those are unworthy of the ark that are not glad of it. 3. It is not any disparagement to the greatest of men to show themselves zealous in the acts of devotion. Michal indeed despised David (1Ch_15:29); but her despising him did not make him at all despicable; he did not regard it himself, nor did any that were wise and good (and why should we covet the esteem of any but such?) think the worse of him.

JAMISON, "So David, and the elders ... and captains ... went — The pious design of David in ordering all his principal ministers and officers to take part in this solemn work and imparting so much pomp and imposing ceremony to the procession, was evidently to inspire the popular mind with a profound veneration for the ark and to give the young especially salutary impressions of religion, which would be renewed by the remembrance that they had been witnesses of the august solemnity in which the king and the highest aristocracy of the land participated, vying with all other classes to do honor to the God of Israel.

K&D, "narrate the further proceedings connected with the bring of the ark to Jerusalem; cf. 2Sa_6:12-19. By the words וגו דויד ויהי the account of the execution of the design is connected with the statements as to the preparations (vv. 2-24): “And so were David ... who went to bring up the ark.”

ELLICOTT, " (25) SO David, and the elders of Israel.—Literally, And it was David and the elders of Israel and princes of the thousands who were walking to bring up the Ark, &c. The preparations for the ceremony are now complete, and the procession starts. A slight change in the Hebrew (omission of the article; so Syriac and one MS. of LXX.) will improve the sense: “And it came to pass, David and the elders . . . were walking to bring up the Ark.”To bring up the ark.—“Into the city of David” (Samuel).The ark of the covenant of the Lord.—A special title of the Ark, which has not occurred before in this history. It is not read in the parallel passage of Samuel, where we find only “ark of God,” and “ark of Jehovah.” The phrase may therefore indicate that the chronicler had another source besides that book. (Comp. Joshua 3:3; Joshua 3:17.) The parallel (2 Samuel 6:12) makes no mention of “the elders and

48

captains,” but merely states in brief and somewhat abrupt fashion that David went and brought up the Ark, because he had heard of its bringing a blessing upon the house of Obed-edom.With joy.—With set rejoicings and festal mirth.

TRAPP, "1 Chronicles 15:25 So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obededom with joy.Ver. 25. With joy.] All God’s services must be performed with joy, or else they lose their lustre.

26 Because God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed.

BARNES, "When God helped the Levites - The death of Uzza had deeply impressed both David and the Levites, and it was doubted whether God would allow the ark to be moved anymore. Sacrificial animals were held ready; and when it appeared - by the movement of the ark six paces 2Sa_6:13, without any manifestation of the divine displeasure - that God was not opposing but rather helping the Levites in their task, the victims were at once offered.

CLARKE, "God helped the Levites - When they saw that God had made no breach among them, as he had in the case of Uzza, in gratitude for their preservation, and his acceptance of their labor, they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams.

49

GILL, "And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord,.... Not merely granted them bodily strength to carry it, which did not require a great deal; but helped them to carry it with cheerfulness, and without fear, and so as to commit no error, nor in any respect provoke his displeasure, as when it was brought before from Kirjathjearim: that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams; by way of thanksgiving, besides what David offered; and this was done by the way, see 2Sa_6:13.

JAMISON, "it came to pass, etc. — (See on 2Sa_6:13-23).they offered seven bullocks and seven rams — The Levites seem to have entered on this duty with fear and trembling; and finding that they might advance without any such indications of divine wrath as Uzza had experienced (1Ch_13:10), they offered an ox and a fatted sheep immediately after starting (2Sa_6:13), and seven bullocks and seven rams - a perfect sacrifice, at the close of the procession (1Ch_16:1). It is probable that preparations had been made for the offering of similar sacrifices at regular intervals along the way.

K&D, "When God had helped the Levites who bare the ark of the covenant of Jahve, they offered seven bullocks and seven rams, i.e., after the journey had been happily accomplished. Instead of this, in 2Sa_6:13, the offering which was made at the commencement of the journey to consecrate it is mentioned; see on the passage.

BENSON, "1 Chronicles 15:26. God helped the Levites — Not only preserved them from committing any error, so that no plague was inflicted upon them as had happened to Uzza, but gave them strength to bear their burden, and encouraged them in their work with some comfortable sign of his presence with them, and approbation of them.

ELLICOTT, "(26) When God helped the Levites that bare the ark.—Comp. 2 Samuel 6:13, “And it was so, that when the bearers of the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings” (sing. collect.). God had been adverse to those who conducted the Ark on the former occasion (1 Chronicles 13:9), as was inferred from the sudden death of Uzza. Now, when the Levites had undertaken the work in due order, and no harm had befallen, it was understood that the Divine goodwill was with the enterprise. That they had borne the holy Ark six paces without any sign of wrath was enough to call forth the grateful offerings of hearts relieved from a dread which only ceased to haunt them when the event proved it to be groundless. Our text, more exact than Samuel, gives the number and kind of the victims then sacrificed. Others refer the two accounts to different sacrifices, taking

50

Samuel to mean that at every six paces a bullock and a fat sheep were slain by priests stationed all along the course, while they suppose our text to refer to a final sacrifice, offered when the Ark had reached its destination. This solution of the difficulty appears incredible, especially as regards the supposition of priests not mentioned in the narrative. Another view understands our text in this sense, but makes the offering in Samuel an initial sacrifice of consecration. But it is not likely that the two sacrifices are really different: (1) because the narrative here is generally parallel with Samuel; and (2) the chronicler may have intentionally paraphrased the older text for the sake of explanation. (Comp. Numbers 23:1; Numbers 23:29 for the sacrifice.) "1 Chronicles 15:26 And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

TRAPP, "1 Chronicles 15:26 And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.Ver. 26. When God helped the Levites that bare the ark.] So helped them, say the Rabbis, that they felt not any weight thereof upon their shoulders. Rather God helped there, that is, he not only spared them - Uzzah met not with such a mercy -but enabled them and relieved them. Will he not do as much for his faithful ministersThat they offered seven bullocks,] viz., At every sixth pace, [2 Samuel 6:13] because Uzzah perished when he had gone but six paces, say some. Every man that seeth another stricken, and himseff spared, is to offer sacrifice, yea, to keep a passover for himself.

COKE, "1 Chronicles 15:26. When God helped the Levites— 1:e. He favoured those who bare the ark, and insisted no plague upon them, as had happened to Uzza. Or it may be, God added strength to the Levites bearing the ark, enabling them to support the burthen during all the time that the sacrifices were offered. Houbigant.

POOLE, " When God helped the Levites; either,1. By giving them strength to carry their burden; or rather,

51

2. By encouraging them in their work with some comfortable sign of his presence with them, and approbation of their work and manner of carrying the ark: when they saw that he did not cut off any of the persons employed, as he had done before, but spared and favoured them; which they perceived when they had gone six paces, as appears by 2 Samuel 6:13.

PULPIT, "This verse with the following four are paralleled by 2 Samuel 6:12-16 The contents of this verse in particular reveal the intense anxiety and the trembling fear and awe with which the sacred burden was now again lifted. A world of meaning and of feeling for all those present at least underlay the expression, When God helped the Levites that bare the ark. The offering of seven bullocks and seven rams is thought by some to he additional to David's offering, when he had gone "six paces" (2 Samuel 6:13). Much more probably, however, the "six paces" meant, not six footsteps, but six lengths that would make some distance.

27 Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the musicians, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a linen ephod.

BARNES, "“Fine linen” (byssus) is here first spoken of as used for dress. It seems to have been reserved for nobles of the highest rank Est_8:15, for kings, and for priests 2Ch_5:12. David’s robe was probably worn, like that of the high priest, immediately under the ephod, and may, like that, have reached the feet.

52

CLARKE, "A robe of fine linen - A robe made of בוץ buts, probably the tuft or beard of the Pinna Magna, a species of muscle found every where on the shores of the Mediterranean, growing sometimes, as I have seen, to a foot and a half in length. I have seen a pair of gloves made of this very rich stuff; the color is a deep dark yellow, something inclining to what is called the lilac. The buts or byssus was not heard of in Israel before the time of David: after that it is frequently mentioned.

GILL, "And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen,.... For though a king, he, being among the singers, was clothed as they; for so it follows: and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song; or of those that bore the burden, the ark, as the Targum: with the singers; all were clothed in robes of fine linen: David also had upon him an ephod of linen; which he had besides his linen robe, and was over it; and being a shorter and tighter garment, it bound the other closer to him; though some think this is explanative of the former, and designs the same, and is what others, besides priests, were, on occasion, allowed to wear, see 1Sa_2:18.

JAMISON, "a robe of fine linen — Hebrew, Butz - is rather supposed in the later books to denote cotton.

an ephod — a shoulder-garment, a cincture or cape over his dress. It was worn by the priests, but was not so peculiar to them as to be forbidden others (1Sa_2:18; 1Sa_22:18).

K&D, "The discrepancy between 1Ch_15:27 and 2Sa_6:14 is more difficult of explanation. Instead of the words יהוה לפני בכל־אז מכרכר בוץ David danced with all his might before Jahve, we read in the Chronicle ,דוד במעיל מכרבל מכרכר David was clothed with a robe of byssus. But since ,דויד differs from מכרבל only in the last two letters, and כר might be easily exchanged for בל, we may suppose that מכרבל has arisen out of מכרכר. Bertheau accordingly says: “Any one who remembered that in this verse David's clothing was spoken of might write מכרכר as מכרבל, while the words עז בוץ which were probably illegible,were conjecture to be ,בכל יהוה This opinion would be worthy of consideration, if only the other discrepancies between the Chronicle and Samuel were thereby made more comprehensible. That, besides David, the bearers of the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah are mentioned, Bertheau thinks can be easily explained by what precedes; but how can that explain the absence of the ”.במעיל לפני of Samuel from our text? Bertheau passes this over in silence; and yet it is just the absence of these words in our text which shows that בוץ מכרבלבמעיל cannot have arisen from an orthographical error and the illegibility of עז יהוה since ,בכל לפני must have been purposely omitted. Böttcher's opinion (N. kr. Aehrenl. iii. S. 224),

53

that the Chaldaizing מכרבל can scarcely have been written by the chronicler, because it is not at all like his pure Hebrew style, and that consequently a later reader, who considered it objectionable that a Levite should dance, and perhaps impossible that the bearers should (forgetting that they were released in turn from performing their office), while holding as closely to the letter of the text as possible, corrected עז בכל מכרכר into בוץ במעיל וכנניה and that the same person, or perhaps a later, added besides ,מכרבל משררים לוים is still less probable. In that way, indeed, we get no explanation of the main difficulty, viz., how the words from ,וה ה to המשררים came into the text of the Chronicle, instead of the יהוה לפני of Samuel. The supposition that originally the words from לוים וכל־ה בכל־עז מכרכר ודויד to משררים וה stood in the text, when of course the statement would be, not only that David danced with all his might, but also that all the Levites who bore the ark danced, is in the highest degree unsatisfactory; for this reason, if for no other, that we cannot conceive how the singers could play the nebel and the kinnor and dance at the same time, since it is not alternations between singing and playing, and dancing and leaping that are spoken of.The discrepancy can only be got rid of by supposing that both narratives are abridged extracts from a more detailed statement, which contained, besides David's dancing, a completer account of the clothing of the king, and of the Levites who took part in the procession. Of these the author of the books of Samuel has communicated only the two characteristic facts, that David danced with all his might before the Lord, and wore an ephod of white; while the author of the Chronicle gives us an account of David's clothing and that of the Levites, while he omits David's dancing. This he does, not because he was scandalized thereby, for he not only gives a hint of it in 1Ch_15:29, but mentions it in 1Ch_13:8, which is parallel to 2Sa_6:5; but because the account of the king's clothing, and of that of the Levites, in so far as the religious meaning of the solemn progress was thereby brought out, appeared to him more important for his design of depicting at length the religious side of the procession. For the clothing of the king had a priestly character; and not only the ephod of white (see on 2Sa_6:14), but also the me‛il of בוץ, white byssus, distinguished the king as head of a priestly people. The me‛il as such was,it is true, an outer garment which every Israelite might wear, but it was worn usually only by persons of rank and distinction (cf. 1Sa_2:19; 1Sa_15:27; 1Sa_18:4; 1Sa_24:5; Ezr_9:3; Job_29:14), and white byssus was the material for the priests' garments. Among the articles of clothing which the law prescribed for the official dress of the simple priest (Exo_28:40) the מעיל was not included, but only the כתונת, a tight close-fitting coat; but the priests were not thereby prevented from wearing a me‛il of byssus on special festive occasions, and we are informed in 2Ch_5:12 that even the Levites and singers were on such occasions clad in byssus. In this way the statement of our verse, that David and all the Levites and bearers of the ark, the singers, and the captain Chenaniah, had put on me‛ilim of byssus, is justified and shown to be in accordance with the circumstances. The words therefore are to be so understood. The words from לוים וכל־ה to המשא השר are co-ordinate with ודויד, and may translate the verse thus: “David was clothed in a me‛il of byssus, as also were all the Levites,” etc. No objection can be taken to the המשא השר when we have the article with a nomen regens, for cases of this kind frequently occur where the article, as here, has a strong retrospective force; cf. Ew. §290, d. On the contrary, המשררים after המשא is meaningless, and can only have come into the text, like בן in 1Ch_15:18, by an error of the transcriber, although it was so read as early as the time of the lxx. For the last clause, cf. 2Sa_6:14.

BENSON, "1 Chronicles 15:27. David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, also an 54

ephod of linen — “David was clothed with a double garment, with a robe of fine linen, and with a linen ephod. These two garments are expressly distinguished in the account of the vestments of the high-priest, Exodus 29:5; Exodus 28:4; Exodus 28:6; Exodus 39:23. The fabric of them was different; the ephod was made of gold, blue, purple, scarlet; whereas the robe was formed all of blue. The shape of them was different; the ephod reaching only to the knees, the robe flowing down even to the very covering of the feet. The robe had no division in it throughout, but was made whole and round, with an opening in the middle of it, at the top; so that it was impossible any part of the body could be seen through it, especially as the ephod, on this occasion of David’s dancing, was thrown over it, and tied, probably, with a girdle, as the priest’s ephod always was. David clothed himself with these linen garments on this solemnity, both out of reverence to God, and for convenience, because they were cooler. It may be further observed, that this robe was worn by kings, their children, princes, priests, Levites, and prophets, when they appeared on any solemn occasion, and it covered their other garments: see 1 Samuel 28:14; 2 Samuel 13:8. David, therefore, dressed himself on this occasion with this long, flowing linen robe, instead of the robe of state proper to him as king of Israel, and which was made of richer materials; and hence he was scornfully insulted by Saul’s daughter, as uncovering himself as a king, and appearing in a habit wholly unworthy, as she thought, of his royal character and dignity.” See on 2 Samuel 6:20; Chandler’s Review, and Dodd.

ELLICOTT, " (27) And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen.—Samuel reads, “And David was dancing before Jehovah with all might” (Heb.). The Hebrew of our text may be a corruption or intentional alteration of this. The word for “clothed” is the Aramaic (Daniel 3:21, mĕkurbâl), which might easily be, by inadvertence or design, substituted for the rare word mĕkarkçr (Sam.), “dancing.”A robe of fine linen.—Heb., a me’il of byssus. The me’il was an upper garment worn by persons of rank (2 Samuel 12:18; 1 Samuel 15:27; Job 29:14).And all the Levites . . . and the singers, and Chenaniah.—Scil., were clothed with a me‘îl of byssus.The master of the song.—Rather, the chief (overseer) of the bearing. (Comp. 1 Chronicles 15:22.)With the singers.—Omit, as an accidental repetition. The word “with” is wanting in the Hebrew, which is ungrammatical as it stands. The entire clause, “and all the

55

Levites . . . with the singers,” is not read in the parallel account.David also had upon him an ephod of linen.—Literally, and upon David (was) an ephod of linen. (See 2 Samuel 6:14.) The ephod, a sort of cope, was distinctive of the priests (1 Samuel 22:18).

TRAPP, "Verses 27-291 Chronicles 15:27 And David [was] clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also [had] upon him an ephod of linen.Ver. 27-29.] See on 2 Samuel 6:14-15, &c.

COKE, "1 Chronicles 15:27. A robe of fine linen—also—an ephod of linen— David was clothed with a double garment, with a robe of fine linen, and with a linen ephod. These two garments are expressly distinguished in the account of the vestments of the high-priests, Exodus 4:6; Exodus 29:5; Exodus 39:23. The fabric of them was different; the ephod was made of gold, blue, purple, scarlet; whereas the robe was formed all of blue. The shape of them was different; the ephod reaching only to the knees, the robe flowing down to the very covering of the feet. The robe had no division in it throughout, but was made whole and round, with an opening in the middle of it, at the top, so that it was impossible that any part of the body could be seen through it, especially as the ephod on this occasion of David's dancing, was thrown over it, and tied probably with a girdle, as the priest's ephod always was. David clothed himself with these linen garments on this solemnity out of reverence to God. It may be further observed, that this robe, which covered their other garments, was worn by kings, their children, princes, priests, Levites, and prophets, when they appeared on any solemn occasion. See 1 Samuel 28:14. 2 Samuel 13:18. David, therefore, dressed himself on this occasion with this long flowing linen robe, instead of the robe of state proper to him as king of Israel, and which was made of richer materials; and hence he was scornfully insulted by Saul's daughter as uncovering himself, &c. 1:e. uncovering himself as a king, and appearing in a habit wholly unworthy, as she thought, of his royal character and dignity. See 2 Samuel 6:20 and Chandler's Review.

REFLECTIONS.—1st, The first attempt to remove the ark proved abortive. The 56

reason of their misfortune David had now learnt; he therefore justifies God, humbles himself, and warns the Levites to be more exact for the future. When we mean well, yet suffer for our mistakes, we must not be discouraged, but apply with greater circumspection to the work before us.1. David having built his own house, and reared a tabernacle for the reception of the ark, gathers the priests and Levites to the amount of eight hundred and sixty-two, besides their six chiefs; and having admonished them of the cause of the late disaster, exhorts them to prepare for the solemnity, and be more exactly observant of the divine prescription. Note; (1.) The greatest reformers are but men, and therefore not faultless. (2.) It is a mercy when we discover our errors, and amend them.2. The Levites now carefully observed the divine rule, and God enabled them for their work. Each man had his several post; some bore the ark, others were porters to keep the doors of the tabernacle from intruders, and now probably surrounded the ark, that others might not touch it as Uzza had done. Some with musical instruments joined in concert, while others were appointed to lead the sacred song, and join the vocal with instrumental harmony. Note; (1.) When we have a right understanding of the way of duty, and ability to walk in it, both these come from the Lord. (2.) Church-music, when under good regulations, may still be made a great blessing; though the absurd and irreligious manner in which it is too often performed, is justly offensive, and a disturbance to devotion.2nd, With solemn sacrifices, as atonements for past mistakes, and to obtain present assistance, the Levites proceeded, divinely supported under their burden; and with every expression of joy David and the people rejoiced before the ark. Michal, David's wife, seems the only discontented spirit that was that day in Israel. She could not without indignation and contempt behold her husband thus, as she thought, degrading himself. Note; (1.) Songs of praise are the natural expressions of the soul that is happy in God. (2.) They who have no relish for a Christian's joys are apt to despise them, and think those services of religion mean and contemptible which the believer accounts his most honourable and happy enjoyment.

POOLE, "With a robe of fine linen, i.e. with a linen ephod, as it is explained in the close of this verse, where this circumstance is repeated, because it was a notable and unusual thing for David, who was no Levite, to wear a Levitical garment. Of this and the following verses, See Poole "2 Samuel 6:14", See Poole "2 Samuel 6:15", See Poole "2 Samuel 6:16".

57

PULPIT, "Several things in this verse indicate a somewhat uncertain and unsteady selection of particulars by the compiler from his original sources. The natural reading of the verse would seem to say that David and all those Levites who bore the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah, all wore the robe of byssus, while David had, in addition, the ephod of linen. Yet it is unlikely that all did wear the robe. Again, the Hebrew text exhibits no preposition before the singers, on the second occasion of the occurrence of the expression in this verse. Yet little sense can be found without a preposition. The robe was not distinctively a priest's garment (1 Samuel 18:4; 1 Samuel 24:5, 1 Samuel 24:12; 2 Samuel 13:8; Job 1:20; Job 2:12), though priests did wear it. The robe of byssus is spoken of only here; 2 Chronicles 5:12; and Esther 8:15. Byssus, however, is spoken of as material for other purposes in 1 Chronicles 4:21; 2 Chronicles 2:14; 2 Chronicles 3:14; Esther 1:6; Ezekiel 27:16. The ephod, on the other hand, was no doubt distinctively a high priest's garment (Exodus 28:4-12), though we read of Samuel wearing one (1 Samuel 2:18, 1 Samuel 2:28), and of David doing the same, as on this occasion. The fine linen ( בוץ ), in the first clause of this verse, is not the same with that ( ב ) in the last clause. The first clause of this verse (which makes the last clause somewhat redundant) bears some resemblance in letters to the fourteenth verse of 2 Chronicles 42-6:1 . first clause, which means, "and David danced with all his might," and the two clauses exactly answer to one another in position—another suggestion of an uncertain text here.

28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.

GILL, "Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting,.... 58

See 2Sa_6:15.

K&D, "1Ch_15:28 is, as compared with 2Sa_6:5, somewhat enlarged by the enumeration of the individual instruments.

ELLICOTT, " (28) Thus all Israel brought.—And all Israel were bringing. Samuel has “and David and all the house of Israel,” and “ark of the Lord.”Cornet.—Rather, trumpet.The rest of this verse is wanting in Samuel, but all the additional instruments have already been mentioned (1 Chronicles 15:16-21).Trumpets.—Clarions, or straight trumpets.The last clause should be rendered, “and with clanging cymbals, with harps and lutes.” (Comp. Psalms 150:3-4.)

PULPIY, "Making a noise. This description qualifies the cymbals alone, and should rather appear in our translation as "noise-making cymbals."

29 As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.

CLARKE, "Michal - saw - David dancing - and she despised him - See this whole 59

business explained 2Sa_6:20 (note), etc., where David’s conduct is vindicated, and the nature of Michal’s disgrace and punishment hinted at, but all left to the reader’s determination.

GILL, "And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul, looking out at a window,.... Of the palace, to see the procession, see 2Sa_6:16 where not only this circumstance is related, and the inward contempt she had David in, because of his behaviour, but also what she said, and what David returned in answer to it.

JAMISON, "Michal ... saw ... David dancing and playing — His movements would be slow and solemn, suitable to the grave and solemn character of the music. Though his royal robes were laid aside, he was attired like the other officials, showing a becoming humility in the immediate presence of God. The feelings manifested by Michal were only an ebullition of spleen from a proud and passionate woman.

K&D, "1Ch_16:29 and 1Ch_16:1-3 agree in substance with 2Sa_6:15-19, only some few words being explained: e.g., ומשחק ומכרכר 1Ch_15:29, instead of ,מרקד מפזז (Sam.), and בריתיהוה ארון instead of והוה ערון (Sam.); see the commentary on 2 Sam. l.c.

ELLICOTT, " (29) And it came to pass.—The verse reads in the Hebrew like a modernised form of 2 Samuel 6:16.As the ark of the covenant of the Lord came.—Rather, The ark had come so far as to the city, and Michal had looked forth by the lattice, and she saw . . .Dancing and playing.—In the Hebrew two common words have been substituted for the two obsolete ones occurring in Samuel.Playing.—The Hebrew word denotes dancing combined with singing and playing (Jeremiah 30:19; 1 Samuel 18:6-7).She despised him.—Because he seemed forgetful of his royal and manly honour, in dancing like a woman.COFFMAN, "We have written several pages regarding this sad episode in my commentary on 2Samuel, pp. 75-77. Some may be surprised that we find many reasons to sympathize with the lonely, mistreated daughter of Saul. Also, this writer

60

seriously questions the propriety of David's actions in dancing before the ark without his breeches.We have continued to limit our comments on much of the material in Chronicles; because, important as it was to the participants, the ultimate significance of the detailed names and ceremonies outlined here is limited indeed.

PULPIT, "Thus briefly is given by our compiler what occupies five verses (2 Samuel 6:19, 2 Samuel 6:20-23) in the Book of Samuel. Neither of the words here rendered dancing and playing (but which would be better rendered "leaping and dancing") is the same with those employed in 2 Samuel 6:14, 2 Samuel 6:16, where our Authorized Version rendering is "dancing" and "leaping and dancing" respectively. The word in both of those verses that represents the dancing, does correctly so represent, bet is a somewhat generic form, as it carries the idea of dancing in a circle. The reason of Michal "despising David in her heart" can only be found in the unreason and the irreligion of that heart itself. She was a type of not a few, who despise devotion, enthusiasm, and above all practical liberality and generosity, on the part of any individual of their own family, when these are shown to Christ and his Church, and when they think they may be a trifle the poorer for it, or when they feel that the liberality and devotion of another exposes their own "poverty" in both these respects.

Footnotes:

1 Chronicles 15:7 Hebrew Gershom, a variant of Gershon 1 Chronicles 15:18 Three Hebrew manuscripts

61

and most Septuagint manuscripts (see also verse 20 and 16:5); most Hebrew manuscripts Zechariah son and or Zechariah, Ben and 1 Chronicles 15:18 Hebrew; Septuagint (see also verse 21) Jeiel and Azaziah 1 Chronicles 15:20 See verse 18; Hebrew Aziel, a variant of Jaaziel. 1 Chronicles 15:20 Probably a musical term 1 Chronicles 15:21 Probably a musical term

62