1 Chronicles 15:2

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Then David said, "No one but the L'vi'im should carry the ark of God, because ADONAI chose them to carry the ark of ADONAI and to serve him forever."

Berean Standard Bible:

Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever.”

American Standard Version:

Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath Jehovah chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

Then David^{H1732} said^{H559}, None ought to carry^{H5375} the ark^{H727} of God^{H430} but the Levites^{H3881}: for them hath the LORD^{H3068} chosen^{H977} to carry^{H5375} the ark^{H727} of God^{H430}, and to minister^{H8334} unto him for^{H5704} ever^{H5769}.

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Commentary for 1 Chronicles 15:2

1 Chronicles 15:2 is a verse that reflects a significant moment in the history of Israel, particularly concerning the proper handling of the Ark of the Covenant, a sacred chest symbolizing God's presence and the centerpiece of Israelite worship. The verse is part of the narrative describing King David's efforts to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, an act meant to centralize worship and affirm Jerusalem as the religious and political capital of Israel.

In this verse, David acknowledges the special role of the Levites, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, designated by God to perform religious duties, including the transportation and care of the Ark. This designation was based on God's specific commandments given through Moses (Numbers 4:15, Deuteronomy 10:8). The Levites were set apart for divine service, and their responsibility for the Ark underscored the sanctity of the object and the importance of adhering to the divine protocol for its handling.

The historical context of this verse is set during the period of David's reign when he sought to unify the nation under a centralized worship system. Prior to this, the Ark had been neglected and mistreated, as seen in the incident at Shiloh and during the Philistine captivity (1 Samuel 4-6). David's proclamation in 1 Chronicles 15:2, therefore, represents a restoration of proper worship practices and a respect for the Levitical priesthood's role as ministers before God.

The themes present in this verse include the importance of following divine instructions, the sanctity of worship, and the special role of the Levites in Israel's religious life. It also highlights the theme of covenant faithfulness, as David seeks to return to the instructions given by God to Moses, thus reestablishing the correct order of worship according to the Law. This moment is emblematic of David's broader efforts to establish a worship tradition in Jerusalem that would honor God and lay the groundwork for the temple that his son Solomon would eventually build.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H1732
   There are 911 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: דָּוִד
   Transliteration: Dâvid
   Pronunciation: daw-veed'
   Description: rarely (fully); דָּוִיד; from the same as דּוֹד; loving; David, the youngest son of Jesse; David.
   
2. Strong's Number: H559
   There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָמַר
   Transliteration: ʼâmar
   Pronunciation: aw-mar'
   Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
   
3. Strong's Number: H5375
   There are 611 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָשָׂא
   Transliteration: nâsâʼ
   Pronunciation: naw-saw'
   Description: or נָסָה; (Psalm 4:6 (אֲבַד)), a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative; accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable ([phrase] man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, [idiom] needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, [phrase] swear, take (away, up), [idiom] utterly, wear, yield.
   
4. Strong's Number: H727
   There are 467 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָרוֹן
   Transliteration: ʼârôwn
   Pronunciation: aw-rone'
   Description: or אָרֹן; from אָרָה (in the sense of gathering); a box; ark, chest, coffin.
   
5. Strong's Number: H430
   There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֱלֹהִים
   Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym
   Pronunciation: el-o-heem'
   Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.
   
6. Strong's Number: H3881
   There are 258 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: לֵוִיִּי
   Transliteration: Lêvîyîy
   Pronunciation: lay-vee-ee'
   Description: or לֵוִי; patronymically from לֵוִי; a Levite or descendant of Levi; Leviite.
   
7. Strong's Number: H3068
   There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יְהֹוָה
   Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
   Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
   Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.
   
8. Strong's Number: H977
   There are 164 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בָּחַר
   Transliteration: bâchar
   Pronunciation: baw-khar'
   Description: a primitive root; properly, to try, i.e. (by implication) select; acceptable, appoint, choose (choice), excellent, join, be rather, require.
   
9. Strong's Number: H8334
   There are 92 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׁרַת
   Transliteration: shârath
   Pronunciation: shaw-rath'
   Description: a primitive root; to attend as a menial or worshipper; figuratively, to contribute to; minister (unto), (do) serve(-ant, -ice, -itor), wait on.
   
10. Strong's Number: H5704
    There are 97 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עַד
    Transliteration: ʻad
    Pronunciation: ad
    Description: properly, the same as עַד (used as a preposition, adverb or conjunction; especially with a preposition); as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with); against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as), (hither-) to, [phrase] how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, ([phrase] as) yet.
    
11. Strong's Number: H5769
    There are 414 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עוֹלָם
    Transliteration: ʻôwlâm
    Pronunciation: o-lawm'
    Description: or עֹלָם; from עָלַם; properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) always; alway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, (n-)) ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world ([phrase] without end). Compare נֶצַח, עַד.