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2 Chronicles 5

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The Work Finished and the Ark Brought to the Temple 1–10

1
Thus all the work that Solomon wrought for the house of Jehovah was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, even the silver, and the gold, and all the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of the house of God. ​
2
Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’housesof the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the city of David, which is Zion.
3
And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king at the feast, which was in the seventh month. ​
4
And all the elders of Israel came: and the Levites took up the ark;
5
and they brought up the ark, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; these did the priests the Levites bring up. ​
6
And king Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude.
7
And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Jehovah unto its place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. ​
8
For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves thereof above.
9
And the staves were so long that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without: and there it is unto this day.
10
There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put there at Horeb, when Jehovah made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt. ​

God's Glory Fills the Temple 11–14

11
And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place (for all the priests that were present had sanctified themselves, and did not keep their courses; ​
12
also the Levites who were the singers, all of them, even Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brethren, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets);
13
it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking Jehovah; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised Jehovah, saying, For he is good; for his lovingkindness endureth for ever; that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of Jehovah, ​
14
so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of Jehovah filled the house of God. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Chronicles 5

Verse 1

things that David his father had dedicated — The silver, gold and instruments David had set apart, from the spoils of his wars and the offerings of the chiefs, were kept under Shelomith (1 Chr 26:26–28; 2 Sam 8:11). Solomon places them 'among the treasures of the house of God' (otsar, treasury), so the house is finished with its father's gifts as well as his own work.

Verse 3

the feast which was in the seventh month — 1 Kgs 8:2 names the month Ethanim. The feast of tabernacles fell on 'the fifteenth day of this seventh month' (Lev 23:34), and 2 Chr 7:8–10 shows the dedication of the altar for seven days followed by the feast, with the people sent home on the twenty-third day.

Verse 5

the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation — Two places are emptied into the new house. The ark had been in the tent David pitched for it at Jerusalem (2 Chr 1:4; 5:2), and the tabernacle Moses made stood at Gibeon (2 Chr 1:3). The priests and the Levites carried them up, with 'all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle'.

Verse 7

the oracle of the house — Debir, the inner room of the house, 'the most holy place'. The ark was set 'under the wings of the cherubims', which 1 Kgs 8:7 says 'covered the ark and the staves thereof above'. This is the place the LORD named for meeting Israel, 'from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark' (Ex 25:22).

Verse 10

nothing in the ark save the two tables — The tables of the covenant that Moses 'put… in the ark' at Horeb (Deut 10:2–5; 1 Kgs 8:9). The pot of manna and Aaron's rod were laid up 'before the Testimony' beside it (Ex 16:34; Num 17:10), which fits Heb 9:4 listing them with the ark in the tabernacle.

Verse 11

did not then wait by course — Under David the priests were divided into twenty-four courses (machaloqeth, divisions) that served in turn (1 Chr 24:1–19). For this day every priest present was sanctified, and no course stood down, so the whole priesthood stood at the dedication.

Verse 13

as one, to make one sound — The trumpeters and singers 'as one' include the hundred and twenty priests with trumpets and the Levite singers with cymbals, psalteries and harps (v.12). The refrain, 'he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever' (chesed, covenant love), is David's song of thanks (1 Chr 16:34), and then the house 'was filled with a cloud'.

Verse 14

the glory of the LORD had filled the house — The same sign that met the tabernacle at its setting up, when 'the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle', so that Moses 'was not able to enter' (Ex 40:34–35). Here 'the priests could not stand to minister'; at the end of Solomon's prayer the glory fills the house again (2 Chr 7:1–2).