1David, having prepared a place for the ark, ordereth the priests and Levites to bring it from the house of Obed-edom. 25The solemnity is attended by David and all Israel with great demonstrations of joy. 29Michal despiseth David for dancing before the ark.
1AND David made him houses 1in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and 2pitched for it a tent.
1 This was the uppermost part of the city of Jerusalem, which David had taken by force from the Jebusites. And it was called the city of David, because David had taken up there his dwelling place. Hebr. and he made him houses in David’s city.
2 See 2 Sam. 6:17.
2Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hatha the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.
a Num. 4:15.
3And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD unto his place, which he had prepared for it.
4And David assembledb3the children of Aaron, and the Levites:
b 1 Chron. 6:1, 2.
3 That is, the posterity.
5Of the sons of Kohath; Uriel the chief, and his 4brethren an hundred and twenty:
4 That is, kinsmen; and so in the following chapters.
6Of the sons of Merari; Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty:
7Of the sons of Gershom; Joel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and thirty:
8Of the sons of 5Elizaphan; Shemaiah the chief, and his 6brethren two hundred:
5 He was the son of Uzziel, the son of Kohath, Exod. 6:21.
6 Namely, kinsmen.
9Of the sons of 7Hebron; Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore:
7 He was a son of Kohath, Exod. 6:18.
10Of the sons of 8Uzziel; Amminadab the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twelve.
8 He was also a son of Kohath, Exod. 6:18, but these, who are mentioned in verse 8, have been from other descendants of Uzziel, but they also called Uzziel their grandfather.
11And David called for Zadok and 9Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,
9 Or, Ebiathar; he was high priest, and Zadok was next unto him, according to the order instituted by God, Num. 3:32.
12And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Le-vites: 10sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel 11unto the place that I have prepared for it.
10 That is, prepare yourselves for this holy work, by outward ceremonial cleansing and purifying, but especially with purity of heart. See Exod. 19:10, 15.
11 See verse 1.
13For because ye did it 12not at the 13first, the LORD our God 14made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not 15after the due order.
12 Understand with this: but did put the ark upon a cart, 1 Chron. 13:7.
13 Namely, when I intended the ark to be brought into mine house, 1 Chron. 13:10.
14 Understand this of the death of Uzza, 1 Chron. 13:10; 2 Sam. 6:6.
15 Or, after the manner; that is, as it is just and proper, Num. 4:15.
14So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.
15And 16the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, asc Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.
16 Namely, who were of Kohath’s family. See Num. 4:4.
c Exod. 25:14; Num. 4:15; 7:9.
16And 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.
17So the Levites appointed Hemand the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, 17Ethan the son of Kushaiah;
d 1 Chron. 6:33, 39, 44.
17 Otherwise called: Jeduthun.
18And with them their brethren 18of the second degree, 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 porters.
18 These following were a degree lower than the first three previously.
19So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and 19Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass;
19 Other, Jeduthun; his father is called Kishi, 1 Chron. 6:44.
20And Zechariah, and 20Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries 21on Alamoth;
20Jaaziel, verse 18, Ben, mentioned verse 18, is here left out. Some think that it is Azaziah, whereof verse 21; others, that it is a part of the name of Zechariah.
21 That is, with a maiden-like or a woman-like voice, which musicians call the superius or treble; or, the altus and contra-tenor, which must be sung with a woman-like voice. Other, with fine or clear voices. Other, upon the virginal. Understand this according to the opinion of some. And so in the sequel.
21And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps 22on the Sheminith to excel.
22 So he calls the bassus or tenor, which indeed differ an octave or eight notes from the superius or contra-tenor. See Psalm 6 in the title, the 2nd annotation.
22And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for 23song: he 24instructed about the song, because he was skilful.
23 Namely, of the voices, or of the song, as verse 27; that is, he was the master of the song, who gave order for the tunes and voices, and when the singers would lift up their voice, or begin to sing; see verse 27. Others understand that he was the most important one in the lifting up of the ark; that is, has had the discretion and management of it.
24 Other, he was ruler in, etc.
23And Berechiah and Elkanah were 25doorkeepers for the ark.
25 These, as is perceived, went immediately in front of the ark, and took care that no man would rush in upon it, or come near unto it, as the door is kept. Verse 24 there are two more porters named, who for the same end and purpose followed immediately after the ark of the covenant.
24And Shebaniah, and Jehosh-aphat, and Nethaneel, and Ama-sai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed-edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.
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 Obed-edom with joy.
26And 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.
27And 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 26with the singers: David also had upon him 27an ephod of linen.
26 Other, of the song. Or thus: with the singers.
27 Wherewith he covered his royal dignity and greatness before the transcendent excellency and majesty of God, behaving himself as the other servants and ministers did in the service and worship of God. Hebr. and upon David was an ephod.
28Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.
29¶And ite 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 saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart.
e 2 Sam. 6:16.