1 And they bring in the ark of God, and set it up in the midst of the tent that David hath stretched out for it, and they bring near burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before God;
2 and David ceaseth from offering the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings, and blesseth the people in the name of Jehovah,
3 and giveth a portion to every man of Israel, both man and woman: to each a cake of bread, and a measure of wine, and a grape-cake.
4 And he putteth before the ark of Jehovah, of the Levites, ministers, even to make mention of, and to thank, and to give praise to Jehovah, God of Israel,
5 Asaph the head, and his second Zechariah; Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, with instruments of psalteries, and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals is sounding;
6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests `are' with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.
7 On that day then hath David given at the beginning to give thanks to Jehovah by the hand of Asaph and his brethren: --
8 Give thanks to Jehovah, call in His name, Make known among the peoples His doings.
9 Sing ye to Him, sing psalms to Him, Meditate on all His wonders.
10 Boast yourselves in His holy name, Rejoice doth the heart of those seeking Jehovah.
11 Seek ye Jehovah and His strength, Seek His face continually.
12 Remember His wonders that He did, His signs, and the judgments of His mouth,
13 O seed of Israel, His servant, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!
14 He `is' Jehovah our God, In all the earth `are' His judgments.
15 Remember ye to the age His covenant, The word He commanded -- To a thousand generations,
16 Which He hath made with Abraham, And His oath -- to Isaac,
17 And He establisheth it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel -- a covenant age-during.
18 Saying: To thee I give the land of Canaan, The portion of your inheritance,
19 When ye are few of number, As a little thing, and sojourners in it.
20 And they go up and down, From nation unto nation, And from a kingdom unto another people.
21 He hath not suffered any to oppress them, And reproveth on their account kings:
22 Come not against Mine anointed ones, And against My prophets do not evil.
23 Sing to Jehovah, all the earth, Proclaim from day unto day His salvation.
24 Rehearse among nations His glory, Among all the peoples His wonders.
25 For great `is' Jehovah, and praised greatly, And fearful He `is' above all gods.
26 For all gods of the peoples `are' nought, And Jehovah the heavens hath made.
27 Honour and majesty `are' before Him, Strength and joy `are' in His place.
28 Ascribe to Jehovah, ye families of peoples, Ascribe to Jehovah honour and strength.
29 Ascribe to Jehovah the honour of His name, Lift up a present, and come before Him. Bow yourselves to Jehovah, In the beauty of holiness.
30 Be pained before Him, all the earth:
31 Also, established is the world, It is not moved! The heavens rejoice, and the earth is glad, And they say among nations: Jehovah hath reigned.
32 Roar doth the sea, and its fulness, Exult doth the field, and all that `is' in it,
33 Then sing do trees of the forest, From the presence of Jehovah, For He hath come to judge the earth!
34 Give thanks to Jehovah, for good, For to the age, `is' His kindness,
35 And say, Save us, O God of our salvation, And gather us, and deliver us from the nations, To give thanks to Thy holy name, To triumph in Thy praise.
36 Blessed `is' Jehovah, God of Israel, From the age and unto the age;' And all the people say, `Amen,' and have given praise to Jehovah.
37 And he leaveth there before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, for Asaph and for his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, according to the matter of a day in its day,
38 both Obed-Edom and their brethren, sixty and eight, and Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun, and Hosah for gatekeepers,
39 and Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of Jehovah, in a high place that `is' in Gibeon,
40 to cause to ascend burnt-offerings to Jehovah, on the altar of burnt-offering continually, morning and evening, and for all that is written in the law of Jehovah, that He charged on Israel.
41 And with them `are' Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen, who were defined by name, to give thanks to Jehovah, for to the age `is' His kindness,
42 and with them -- Heman and Jeduthun -- `are' trumpets and cymbals for those sounding, and instruments of the song of God, and the sons of Jeduthun `are' at the gate.
43 And all the people go, each to his house, and David turneth round to bless his house.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 16
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 16 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 16
1Ch 16:1-6. David's Festival Sacrifice and Liberality to the People.
2. he blessed the people in the name of the Lord—The king commended their zeal, supplicated the divine blessing upon them, and ordered the remains of the thank offerings which had been profusely sacrificed during the procession, to be distributed in certain proportions to every individual, that the ceremonial might terminate with appropriate festivities (De 12:7).
3. flagon of wine—The two latter words are a supplement by our translators, and the former is, in other versions, rendered not a "flagon," but a "cake," a confection, as the Septuagint renders it, made of flour and honey.
4-6. he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord—No sooner was the ark deposited in its tent than the Levites, who were to officiate in the choirs before it, entered upon their duties. A select number of the musicians were chosen for the service from the list (1Ch 15:19-21) of those who had taken a prominent part in the recent procession. The same arrangement was to be observed in their duties, now that the ark again was stationary; Asaph, with his associates, composing the first or principal company, played with cymbals; Zechariah and his colleagues, with whom were conjoined Jeiel and Obed-edom, forming the second company, used harps and similar instruments.
5. Jeiel—the same as Aziel (1Ch 15:20).
6. Benaiah also and Jahaziel—The name of the former is mentioned among the priests (1Ch 15:24), but not the latter. The office assigned to them was that of blowing trumpets at regular intervals before the ark and in the tabernacle.
1Ch 16:7-43. His Psalm of Thanksgiving.
7. Then on that day David delivered first this psalm—Among the other preparations for this solemn inauguration, the royal bard had composed a special hymn for the occasion. Doubtless it had been previously in the hands of Asaph and his assistants, but it was now publicly committed to them as they entered for the first time on the performance of their sacred duties. It occupies the greater part of this chapter (1Ch 16:8-36), and seems to have been compiled from other psalms of David, previously known to the Israelites, as the whole of it will be found, with very slight variations, in Ps 96:1-13; 105:1-15; 106:47, 48. In the form, however, in which it is given by the sacred historian, it seems to have been the first psalm given for use in the tabernacle service. Abounding, as it does, with the liveliest ascriptions of praise to God for the revelation of His glorious character and the display of His marvellous works and containing, as it does, so many pointed allusions to the origin, privileges, and peculiar destiny of the chosen people, it was admirably calculated to animate the devotions and call forth the gratitude of the assembled multitude.
36. all the people said, Amen—(Compare Ps 72:19, 20; 106:48). In the former, the author of the doxology utters the "amen" himself, while in the latter the people are exhorted to say "amen." This may arise from the fact that the latter psalm originally concluded with the injunction to say "amen." But in this historical account of the festival, it was necessary to relate that the people obeyed this injunction on the occasion referred to, and therefore the words "let them praise," were altered into "and they praised" [Bertheau].
37-42. So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord Asaph and his brethren, &c.—The sequel of the chapter describes the appointment of the sacred musicians and their respective duties.
38. Obed-edom with their brethren—Hosah, mentioned at the close of the verse, and a great number besides (see on 1Ch 26:1).
to be porters—doorkeepers.
39, 40. And Zadok … before the tabernacle … at Gibeon—While the above-mentioned officers under the superintendence of Abiathar, were appointed to officiate in Jerusalem, whither the ark had been brought, Zadok and the priests subordinate to him were stationed at Gibeon to perform the sacred service before the ancient tabernacle which still remained there.
40. continually morning and evening—as the law enjoined (Ex 29:38; Nu 28:3, 6).
and do according to all that is written in the law—(See Nu 28:1-31). Thus, in the time of David, the worship was performed at two places, where the sacred things that had been transmitted from the age of Moses were preserved. Before the Ark in Jerusalem, Asaph and his brethren officiated as singers, Obed-edom and Hosah served as doorkeepers, and Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets. While at the tabernacle and burnt offering in Gibeon, Heman and Jeduthun presided over the sacred music, the sons of Jeduthun were door keepers, and Zadok, with his suite of attendant priests, offered the sacrifices.