4 He appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of Yahweh, and to celebrate and to thank and praise Yahweh, the God of Israel:
5 Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with psalteries and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud;
6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually, before the ark of the covenant of God.
7 Then on that day David first ordained to give thanks to Yahweh, by the hand of Asaph and his brothers.
8 Oh give thanks to Yahweh, call on his name; Make known his doings among the peoples.
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him; Talk you of all his marvelous works.
10 Glory you in his holy name; Let the heart of them rejoice who seek Yahweh.
11 Seek you Yahweh and his strength; Seek his face forever more.
12 Remember his marvelous works that he has done, His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,
13 You seed of Israel his servant, You children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
14 He is Yahweh our God; His judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember his covenant forever, The word which he commanded to a thousand generations,
16 [The covenant] which he made with Abraham, His oath to Isaac,
17 Confirmed the same to Jacob for a statute, To Israel for an everlasting covenant,
18 Saying, To you will I give the land of Canaan, The lot of your inheritance;
19 When you were but a few men in number, Yes, very few, and foreigners in it;
20 They went about from nation to nation, From one kingdom to another people.
21 He allowed no man to do them wrong; Yes, he reproved kings for their sakes,
22 [Saying], Don't touch my anointed ones, Do my prophets no harm.
23 Sing to Yahweh, all the earth; Show forth his salvation from day to day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples.
25 For great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised: He also is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols: But Yahweh made the heavens.
27 Honor and majesty are before him: Strength and gladness are in his place.
28 Ascribe to Yahweh, you relatives of the peoples, Ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength;
29 Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name: Bring an offering, and come before him: Worship Yahweh in holy array.
30 Tremble before him, all the earth: The world also is established that it can't be moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let them say among the nations, Yahweh reigns.
32 Let the sea roar, and the fullness of it; Let the field exult, and all that is therein;
33 Then shall the trees of the wood sing for joy before Yahweh; For he comes to judge the earth.
34 Oh give thanks to Yahweh; for he is good; For his loving kindness endures forever.
35 Say you, Save us, God of our salvation, Gather us together and deliver us from the nations, To give thanks to your holy name, To triumph in your praise.
36 Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. All the people said, Amen, and praised Yahweh.
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.