XV. 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 se... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN. — This word is here a real note of time. It seems to denote 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, where the Kohathite Levites are appointed to carry the Ark and other sacred objects; and the... [ Continue Reading ]
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 PLAC... [ Continue Reading ]
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 c... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THE SONS OF KOHATH. — Kohath comes first, as the senior clan, to which the priestly house of Aaron itself belonged.... [ Continue Reading ]
(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.... [ Continue Reading ]
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).... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THE SONS OF HEBRON. — Hebron was third son of Kohath (Exodus 6:18). (Comp. 1 Chronicles 6:2, above.)... [ Continue Reading ]
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 U... [ Continue Reading ]
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 sugg... [ Continue Reading ]
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;... [ Continue Reading ]
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 (_lĕmabbâ... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 J... [ Continue Reading ]
HEMAN... ASAPH... ETHAN (or Jeduthun) were the precentors of David’s three choirs of Levitical minstrels (1 Chronicles 6:31). Heman was of Kohath, and Asaph of Gershon, as Ethan of Merari.... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 give the order of the procession thus: — I. The three master-singers, an... [ Continue Reading ]
(19-21) The minstrels named in 1 Chronicles 15:17, classified according to their instruments.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ARK. 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._... [ Continue Reading ]
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.)... [ Continue Reading ]
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. CHENANIAH. — 1 Chronicles 15:27, and 1 Chroni... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 immediat... [ Continue Reading ]
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; s... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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). TRUM... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]