| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
1
Chronicles Chapter Fifteen
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 15
David,
having prepared a place for the ark of God, gathered the Israelites, Levites,
and priests, to assist in the bringing of it up thereunto, 1 Chronicles 15:1
and which was done in a very honourable and joyful manner, 1 Chronicles 15:24,
though David, for his behaviour, was despised by Michal his wife in her heart, 1 Chronicles 15:29.
1 Chronicles
15:1 David
built houses for himself in the City of David; and he prepared a place for the
ark of God, and pitched a tent for it.
YLT
1And he maketh for himself
houses in the city of David, and prepareth a place for the ark of God, and
stretcheth out for it a tent.
And David made him houses in the city of David,.... With the
help of the masons and carpenters Hiram sent him, 1 Chronicles 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 2 Samuel 6:17.
1 Chronicles
15:2 2 Then David said, “No one may
carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord has chosen
them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever.”
YLT
2Then said David, `None
[are] to carry the ark of God, except the Levites, for on them hath Jehovah
fixed to carry the ark of God, and to serve Him -- unto the age.'
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, 2 Samuel 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 Numbers 1:50.
1 Chronicles
15:3 3 And
David gathered all Israel together at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place,
which he had prepared for it.
YLT
3And David assembleth all
Israel unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Jehovah unto its place that he
had prepared for it.
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; 1 Chronicles 15:1.
1 Chronicles
15:4 4 Then
David assembled the children of Aaron and the Levites:
YLT
4And David gathereth the
sons of Aaron, and the Levites.
Verses 4-10
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 1 Chronicles 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, Exodus 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, Exodus 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.
1 Chronicles
15:5 5 of
the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and one hundred and twenty of his
brethren;
YLT
5Of sons of Kohath: Uriel
the chief, and his brethren, a hundred and twenty.
1 Chronicles
15:6 6 of
the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and two hundred and twenty of his
brethren;
YLT
6Of sons of Merari: Asaiah
the chief, and his brethren, two hundred and twenty.
1 Chronicles
15:7 7 of
the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and one hundred and thirty of his
brethren;
YLT
7Of sons of Gershom: Joel
the chief, and his brethren, a hundred and thirty.
1 Chronicles
15:8 8 of
the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and two hundred of his brethren;
YLT
8Of sons of Elizaphan:
Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren, two hundred.
1 Chronicles
15:9 9 of
the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and eighty of his brethren;
YLT
9Of sons of Hebron: Eliel
the chief, and his brethren, eighty.
1 Chronicles
15:10 10 of
the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and one hundred and twelve of his
brethren.
YLT
10Of sons of Uzziel:
Amminadab the chief, and his brethren, a hundred and twelve.
1 Chronicles 15:11 11 And David called for Zadok
and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel,
Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.
YLT
11And David calleth to Zadok
and to Abiathar the priests, and to the Levites, to Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel,
Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,
And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests,.... See 2 Samuel 8:17.
and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and
Eliel, and Amminadab; the six chiefs before mentioned.
1 Chronicles 15:12 12 He said to them, “You are
the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves,
you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel
to the place I have prepared for it.
YLT
12and saith to them, `Ye
[are] heads of the fathers of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, ye and your
brethren, and ye have brought up the ark of Jehovah, God of Israel, unto [the
place] I have prepared for it;
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; 2 Samuel 6:17.
1 Chronicles 15:13 13 For because you did
not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke
out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.”
YLT
13because at the first [it
was] not ye, Jehovah our God made a breach upon us, because we sought Him not
according to the ordinance.'
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, 2 Samuel 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.
1 Chronicles 15:14 14 So the priests and the
Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.
YLT
14And the priests and the
Levites sanctify themselves, to bring up the ark of Jehovah, God of Israel;
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 Joshua 3:13.
1 Chronicles 15:15 15 And the children of the
Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had
commanded according to the word of the Lord.
YLT
15and sons of the Levites
bear the ark of God, as Moses commanded, according to the word of Jehovah, on
their shoulder, with staves, above them.
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 Numbers 7:9, the
reason of this command, that the ark should be carried on men's shoulders, and
not in any carriage, according to MaimonidesF8Moreh Nevochim, par.
3. c. 45. p. 479. , was both for the honour of it, and lest its form and
structure should be any ways damaged.
1 Chronicles 15:16 16 Then David spoke to the
leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied
by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising
the voice with resounding joy.
YLT
16And David saith to the
heads of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers, with instruments of
song, psalteries, and harps, and cymbals, sounding, to lift up with the voice
for joy.
And David spake to the chief of the Levites,.... The six
before mentioned, 1 Chronicles 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 2 Samuel 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.
1 Chronicles 15:17 17 So the Levites appointed
Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of
their brethren, the sons of Merari, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;
YLT
17And the Levites appoint
Heman son of Joel, and of his brethren, Asaph son of Berechiah, and of the sons
of Merari their brethren, Ethan son of Kushaiah;
So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel,.... The
grandson of Samuel the prophet, 1 Chronicles 6:33.
and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; a famous
singer, often mentioned in the Psalms, 1 Chronicles 6:39.
and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of
Kushaiah; the same with the son of Kishi, 1 Chronicles 6:44,
these were the chief of the singers.
1 Chronicles 15:18 18 and with them their
brethren of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben,[a] Jaaziel,
Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Elipheleh,
Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers;
YLT
18and with them their
brethren, the seconds [in rank], Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth,
and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and
Elipheleh, and Mikneiah; and Obed-Edom and Jeiel the gatekeepers;
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.
1 Chronicles 15:19 19 the singers, Heman, Asaph,
and Ethan, were to sound the cymbals of bronze;
YLT
19and the singers, Heman,
Asaph, and Ethan, with cymbals of brass to sound,
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, 1 Chronicles 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, 1 Corinthians 13:1.
1 Chronicles 15:20 20 Zechariah, Aziel,
Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with strings according
to Alamoth;
YLT
20and Zechariah, and Aziel,
and Shemiramoth, and Jeheil, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah,
with psalteries besides virgins,
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, 1 Chronicles 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 Psalm 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 Psalm 46:1.
1 Chronicles 15:21 21 Mattithiah, Elipheleh,
Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, to direct with harps on the Sheminith;
YLT
21and Mattithiah, and
Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps, on
the octave, to oversee.
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 Psalm 6:1.
1 Chronicles 15:22 22 Chenaniah, leader of the
Levites, was instructor in charge of the music, because he was
skillful;
YLT
22And Chenaniah, head of the
Levites, [is] over the burden; he instructeth about the burden, for he [is]
intelligent.
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.
1 Chronicles 15:23 23 Berechiah and Elkanah were
doorkeepers for the ark;
YLT
23And Berechiah and Elkanah
[are] gatekeepers for the ark.
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.
1 Chronicles 15:24 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat,
Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, were to blow
the trumpets before the ark of God; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah, doorkeepers for
the ark.
YLT
24And Shebaniah, and
Joshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer
the priests, are blowing with trumpets before the ark of God; and Obed-Edom and
Jehiah [are] gatekeepers for the ark.
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, Numbers 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.
1 Chronicles 15:25 25 So David, the elders of
Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the
covenant of the Lord
from the house of Obed-Edom with joy.
YLT
25And it is David, and the
elders of Israel, and the heads of the thousands, who are going to bring up the
ark of the covenant of Jehovah from the house of Obed-Edom with joy;
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.
1 Chronicles 15:26 26 And so it was, when God
helped the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they
offered seven bulls and seven rams.
YLT
26and it cometh to pass, in
God's helping the Levites bearing the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, that they
sacrifice seven bullocks and seven rams.
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 2 Samuel 6:13.
1 Chronicles 15:27 27 David was clothed with a
robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and
Chenaniah the music master with the singers. David also wore a linen
ephod.
YLT
27And David is wrapped in an
upper robe of fine linen, and all the Levites who are bearing the ark, and the
singers, and Chenaniah head of the burden of the singers; and on David [is] an
Ephod of linen.
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 1 Samuel 2:18.
1 Chronicles 15:28 28 Thus all Israel brought up
the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting and with
the sound of the horn, with trumpets and with cymbals, making music with
stringed instruments and harps.
YLT
28And all Israel are bringing
up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah with shouting, and with the sound of a
cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding with psalteries and
harps,
Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord
with shouting,.... See 2 Samuel 6:15.
1 Chronicles 15:29 29 And it happened, as
the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the City of
David, that Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David
whirling and playing music; and she despised him in her heart.
YLT
29and it cometh to pass, the
ark of the covenant of Jehovah is entering in unto the city of David, and
Michal daughter of Saul is looking through the window, and seeth king David
dancing and playing, and despiseth him in her heart.
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 2 Samuel 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.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)