1 Chronicles 15

Ch. 1 Chronicles 15:1-24. David’s Preparations for Bringing Home the Ark There is no parallel in Samuel to this section; on the other hand Chronicles omits the reason given in 2 Samuel 6:12 for the renewal of David’s attempt to bring home the ark, viz., that David heard of the blessing which had befallen Obed-edom, in whose house the ark had been left.

1 Chronicles 15:1

1. made him houses] Cp. 2 Samuel 5:9. a tent] a new tent, not the old tabernacle (1 Chronicles 16:39). Cp. the prefatory note to ch. 13.

1 Chronicles 15:2

2. None … but the Levites] Numbers 1:50; Numbers 7:9. Nothing is said in the parallel place (2 Samuel 6:13) of the Levites, but bearers (and not a cart) are spoken of with regard to this second attempt. Cp. 2 Chronicles 5:4, note.

1 Chronicles 15:3

3. gathered all Israel together] R.V. assembled all Israel. It was a solemn religious assembly (Heb. Qβhβl, Greek ἐκκλησία). his place] R.V. its place, his being the obsolete genitive of it.

1 Chronicles 15:5

5. the sons of Kohath: Uriel] Kohath had four sons (Exodus 6:18 = 1 Chronicles 6:18) Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Here the descendants of Amram (exclusive of the priests, the Aaronites) represented by Uriel head the list (1 Chronicles 15:5), and the descendants of Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel appear in 1 Chronicles 15:8-10 respectively. Elizaphan (1 Chronicles 15:8), either stands for the Izhar of Exo 6:18, or is the name of some prominent descendant of Izhar after whom the whole family was named. As regards number the Kohathites were 512 against 350 of the sons of Merari and the sons of Gershom combined. In 1 Chronicles 6:60-63 (45–48 Heb. division) 23 cities are reckoned to Kohath against 25 to Merari and Gershom combined. The Kohathites formed the largest and most important of the three divisions of the Levites.

1 Chronicles 15:11

11. Zadok and Abiathar] This double priesthood (2 Samuel 8:17; 2 Samuel 15:29; 2 Samuel 15:35; 2 Samuel 19:11; 2 Samuel 20:25) came to an end in the reign of Solomon (1 Kings 2:27; 1 Kings 2:35). Zadok is always mentioned first as being descended from Eleazar the third son of Aaron, while Ithamar from whom Abiathar (Ahimelech) was descended through Eli (1 Kings 2:27) was the fourth son (1 Chronicles 24:1; 1 Chronicles 24:3). In two of the passages quoted in this note Abiathar (probably being confused with his father) is called Ahimelech or Abimelech (2 Samuel 8:17 = 1 Chronicles 18:16; 1 Chronicles 24:3). Conversely in Mark 2:26 Ahimelech is called Abiathar. In the Chronicler’s list of highpriests (1 Chronicles 6:4-14) Zadok alone is mentioned, the line of Eleazar alone being given. Cp. Kirkpatrick on 2 Samuel 6 (Prefatory Note); and on ib. 2 Samuel 8:17. the priests] Only the two chief priests are mentioned here. Other priests blew with the trumpets in front of the ark (1 Chronicles 15:24).

1 Chronicles 15:12

12. the chief of the fathers of the Levites] R.V. the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites. sanctify yourselves] Cp. 2 Chronicles 29:5. For the method of sanctifying cp. Exodus 19:10; Exodus 19:15.

1 Chronicles 15:13

13. ye did it not] R.V. ye bare it not. made a breach] 1 Chronicles 13:11 (cp. R.V.); 1 Chronicles 14:11 (cp. R.V. mg.). we sought him not] Render, we sought not unto it. Cp. note on 1 Chronicles 13:3. after the due order] R.V. according to the ordinance. Cp. 1 Chronicles 15:15 for the observance of the ordinance.

1 Chronicles 15:15

15. the Levites bare … upon their shoulders] Numbers 1:50; Numbers 7:9. the staves] Exodus 25:13-14.

1 Chronicles 15:16

16. psalteries] See note on 1 Chronicles 13:8. sounding, by lifting up] R.V. sounding aloud and lifting up. So. 1 Chronicles 15:19; 1 Chronicles 16:42.

1 Chronicles 15:17

17. Herman the son of Joel] a descendant of Samuel the prophet; 1 Chronicles 6:33 (1 Chronicles 6:18, Heb.). Cp. Psalms 88 (title). As Heman was descended from Kohath, Asaph from Gershom, and Ethan from Merari, each division of the Levites was represented by a chief musician. Heman was king’s seer (1 Chronicles 25:5). Asaph the son of Berechiah] a descendant of Gershom; 1 Chronicles 6:39-43 (24–28, Heb.). Asaph was the chief of the musicians; 1 Chronicles 16:5; 1 Chronicles 16:7. One of the small collections of Psalms from which our Psalter was compiled was named after him; cp. the titles of Psalms 50, 73-83. Ethan the son of Kushaiah] a descendant of Merari; 1 Chronicles 6:44-47. Cp. Psalms 89 (title). He is apparently called Jeduthun in 1 Chronicles 25:1-6.

1 Chronicles 15:18

18. their brethren] The names of these are repeated in 1 Chronicles 15:20-21, where they are distributed according to musical instruments. Ben] This word, which means “son,” seems to have slipped in by mistake. the porters] R.V. the doorkeepers, the Heb. word being the same as in 1 Chronicles 15:23-24. See the notes on 1 Chronicles 9:17.

1 Chronicles 15:19

19. to sound] R.V. to sound aloud.

1 Chronicles 15:20

20. on Alamoth] R.V. set to Alamoth; cp. Psalms 46 (title) R.V.

1 Chronicles 15:21

21. Azaziah] a name not found in 1 Chronicles 15:18. on the Sheminith to excel) R.V. set to the Sheminith to lead. Cp. Psalms 6 (title, R.V. mg.).

1 Chronicles 15:22

22. was for song] The Heb. word (massa) used here twice for “song” (lit. “burden”) means sometimes “burden” in a physical sense; hence R.V. mg. was over the carrying of the ark.

1 Chronicles 15:23

23. were door-keepers for the ark] The same statement is made in 1 Chronicles 15:24 concerning Obed-edom and Jehiah.

1 Chronicles 15:24

24. the priests] In Numbers 10:1-10 it is enjoined to make two silver trumpets to be blown by the priests on days of joy and on feast-days. This festal trumpet was different from the “cornet” (1 Chronicles 15:28), properly a ram’s horn, which was freely used for secular purposes. See Driver, Amos, p. 144 ff. (with illustrations).

1 Chronicles 15:25-26

25–16:3 (= 2 Samuel 6:12-20). The Bringing Home of the Ark. Michal despises David 25, 26. So David, and the elders … went … And it came to pass … that they etc.] Render, And it came to pass that David and the elders … who went to bring up the ark …, It came even to pass when the Lord helped the Levites … that they (i.e. David and the elders) offered seven bullocks and seven rams. The phrase, it came to pass (1 Chronicles 15:25) is repeated in 1 Chronicles 15:26 because of the length of the parenthesis which separates it from the words, that they offered, which complete the construction. The awkwardness of the whole sentence arises from the fact that the Chronicler has filled out the briefer statement of 2 Samuel 6:13.

1 Chronicles 15:26

26. when God helped the Levites] In 2 Samuel 6:13, when they that bare the ark of the Lord had gone six paces. The Chronicler interprets the safe start as a sign of Divine assistance. seven bullocks and seven rams] In Sam. an ox and a fatling (so R.V., not, oxen and fatlings as A.V.). The smaller sacrifice of Samuel is represented as the king’s own offering, the larger sacrifice of Chron. as that of the king and his elders combined.

1 Chronicles 15:27

27. the master of the song] R.V. mg., the master of the carrying of the ark. Cp. 1 Chronicles 15:22, note. an ephod of linen] A linen ephod was the ordinary vestment for all priests (1 Samuel 22:18). The highpriest’s ephod was a more elaborate garment (Exodus 28:6-12), fitted with the means of divination (1 Samuel 23:6; 1 Samuel 23:9-12).

1 Chronicles 15:28

28. with shouting] The Heb. word (tĕ ?rû‘ah) is technical in the sense of a blast with the festal trumpets (Numbers 10:1-10), and in this sense it should be taken here, since the Chronicler has expanded the account given in Samuel by introducing a mention of these trumpets.

1 Chronicles 15:29

29. looking out at a window saw] R.V. looked out at the window and saw. playing] a synonym of dancing, obsolete in modern English. The closest rendering is perhaps, leaping as in sport. The unrestrained joyousness of this action might easily degenerate (as in idolatrous worship) into licence. The Chronicler omits to say that the dancing was “before the Lord” (2 Samuel 6:16). David’s subsequent interview with Michal (ib. 2 Samuel 6:20-23) is also passed over in Chron.