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1 Chronicles 16

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The Ark Placed and Sacrifices Offered 1–3

1
So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God. ​
2
And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.
3
And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. ​

Appointment of Levitical Ministers 4–6

4
And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to record, and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel: ​
5
Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obededom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals;
6
Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.

David's Psalm of Thanksgiving 7–36

7
Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren. ​
8
Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
9
Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.
10
Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. ​
11
Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.
12
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
13
O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
14
He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
15
Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations; ​
16
Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac;
17
And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,
18
Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance; ​
19
When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.
20
And when they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people;
21
He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,
22
Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. ​
23
Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation.
24
Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations.
25
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.
26
For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. ​
27
Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.
28
Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
29
Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. ​
30
Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.
31
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.
32
Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.
33
Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he cometh to judge the earth.
34
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. ​
35
And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.
36
Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD. ​

Organization of Continuous Worship 37–43

37
So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required: ​
38
And Obededom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obededom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be porters:
39
And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon, ​
40
To offer burnt offerings unto the LORD upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which he commanded Israel; ​
41
And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever;
42
And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters.
43
And all the people departed every man to his house: and David returned to bless his house. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Chronicles 16

Verse 1

burnt sacrifices and peace offerings — The burnt offering (olah, 'that which goes up') was wholly consumed, while of the peace offering the offerer ate: its flesh 'shall be eaten the same day that it is offered' (Lev 7:15). The meal of v.3 follows the offerings. The ark stands in the tent David 'pitched for it' (15:1).

Verse 3

a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine — The loaf is kikkar, a round loaf; the 'good piece of flesh' is eshpar, a measured portion; and the 'flagon' is ashishah, a cake of pressed raisins. The three items are the same as in 2 Sam 6:19, where the bread is 'a cake of bread'. He gave 'to every one of Israel, both man and woman'.

Verse 4

to record, and to thank and praise — Zakar, 'to record', is to bring to remembrance; it is the title of two psalms, 'A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance' (Ps 38:1; 70:1). 'Thank' is yadah and 'praise' is halal. Together with 'minister' (sharat), these are the Levites' charge before the ark.

Verse 7

delivered first this psalm — Natan, to give: David gave the psalm to Asaph and his brethren. Vv.8–22 correspond to Ps 105:1–15, vv.23–33 to Ps 96, and vv.34–36 to Ps 106:1, 47–48. Asaph was 'the chief' (v.5), and 'made a sound with cymbals'.

Verse 10

Glory ye in his holy name — Halal in this form is to boast: 'My soul shall make her boast in the LORD' (Ps 34:2). The name is qodesh, holy. The seekers here use baqash; v.11 adds the other word for seeking, darash (the verb of 13:3): 'Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.'

Verse 15

Be ye mindful always of his covenant — Zakar again, the verb of 'record' in v.4: what the Levites bring to remembrance, the psalm asks all Israel to remember. The covenant word is 'commanded to a thousand generations', as in Deut 7:9, where the LORD 'keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations'.

Verse 18

the lot of your inheritance — Chebel is a measuring line, a cord, and so the portion measured by it; nachalah is the inheritance. The same pair is in Deut 32:9, 'Jacob is the lot of his inheritance', and Ps 78:55 says he 'divided them an inheritance by line'. Gen 17:8 gives Canaan 'for an everlasting possession'.

Verse 22

Touch not mine anointed — Mashiach, anointed, the word that gives 'Messiah'. The verses before it are about the patriarchs: 'he reproved kings for their sakes' (v.21). Abimelech was told, 'thou art but a dead man' (Gen 20:3), and charged his people, 'He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death' (Gen 26:11). Abraham is called 'a prophet' (Gen 20:7).

Verse 26

all the gods of the people are idols — Here there is a play on words: elohim, 'gods', against elilim, 'idols', things of nought. Elil is the word of Lev 19:4, 'Turn ye not unto idols'. The LORD 'made the heavens', as Isa 42:5 says, 'he that created the heavens, and stretched them out'.

Verse 29

the beauty of holiness — Hadarah is adornment or splendour. The phrase occurs also in Ps 29:2 and Ps 96:9, and in 2 Chr 20:21, where Jehoshaphat appointed singers 'that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army'. 'Offering' is minchah, a gift brought, and 'worship' is shachah, to bow down.

Verse 34

for his mercy endureth for ever — Chesed, covenant mercy. The refrain opens Ps 106:1 and is sung again when fire came down on Solomon's house (2 Chr 7:3), when the singers went before Jehoshaphat's army (2 Chr 20:21), and at the foundation of the second temple (Ezra 3:11).

Verse 36

Amen, and praised the LORD — The blessing 'Blessed be the LORD God of Israel' ends Ps 106:48, where the call is 'let all the people say, Amen'. Here 'all the people said, Amen'. Amen is the people's assent, as in Deut 27:15, where 'all the people shall answer and say, Amen.'

Verse 37

continually — Tamid is the word for the continual burnt offering at Gibeon in v.40, and also for Asaph's service before the ark. 'As every day's work required' is the same Hebrew phrase that 2 Chr 8:14 renders 'as the duty of every day required'. The porters, Obed-edom and his brethren, are named in v.38.

Verse 39

the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon — There 'was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness' (2 Chr 1:3). 'No house' had yet been built for the LORD's name (1 Kgs 3:2), so Solomon went to Gibeon, 'the great high place', and offered a thousand burnt offerings (1 Kgs 3:4).

Verse 40

morning and evening — The daily offering of the law: 'two lambs of the first year day by day continually' (Ex 29:38), 'the one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even' (Num 28:4). The offering at Gibeon is done 'according to all that is written in the law of the LORD'.

Verse 43

David returned to bless his house — 2 Sam 6:20 has 'David returned to bless his household'. The next chapter opens with David 'in his house' (17:1), and the LORD's word to him through Nathan is that he 'will build thee an house' (17:10). 'Bless' is barak.