1 Chronicles 15

1 And he maketh for himself houses in the city of David, and prepareth a place for the ark of God, and stretcheth out for it a tent.
2 Then said David, `None [are] to carry the ark of God, except the Levites, for on them hath Jehovah fixed to carry the ark of God, and to serve Him -- unto the age.'
3 And David assembleth all Israel unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Jehovah unto its place that he had prepared for it.
4 And David gathereth the sons of Aaron, and the Levites.
5 Of sons of Kohath: Uriel the chief, and his brethren, a hundred and twenty.
6 Of sons of Merari: Asaiah the chief, and his brethren, two hundred and twenty.
7 Of sons of Gershom: Joel the chief, and his brethren, a hundred and thirty.
8 Of sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren, two hundred.
9 Of sons of Hebron: Eliel the chief, and his brethren, eighty.
10 Of sons of Uzziel: Amminadab the chief, and his brethren, a hundred and twelve.
11 And David calleth to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, and to the Levites, to Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,
12 and saith to them, `Ye [are] heads of the fathers of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, ye and your brethren, and ye have brought up the ark of Jehovah, God of Israel, unto [the place] I have prepared for it;
13 because at the first [it was] not ye, Jehovah our God made a breach upon us, because we sought Him not according to the ordinance.'
14 And the priests and the Levites sanctify themselves, to bring up the ark of Jehovah, God of Israel;
15 and sons of the Levites bear the ark of God, as Moses commanded, according to the word of Jehovah, on their shoulder, with staves, above them.
16 And David saith to the heads of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers, with instruments of song, psalteries, and harps, and cymbals, sounding, to lift up with the voice for joy.
17 And the Levites appoint Heman son of Joel, and of his brethren, Asaph son of Berechiah, and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan son of Kushaiah;
18 and with them their brethren, the seconds [in rank], 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 gatekeepers;
19 and the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, with cymbals of brass to sound,
20 and Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jeheil, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries besides virgins,
21 and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps, on the octave, to oversee.
22 And Chenaniah, head of the Levites, [is] over the burden; he instructeth about the burden, for he [is] intelligent.
23 And Berechiah and Elkanah [are] gatekeepers for the ark.
24 And Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests, are blowing with trumpets before the ark of God; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah [are] gatekeepers for the ark.
25 And it is David, and the elders of Israel, and the heads of the thousands, who are going to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah from the house of Obed-Edom with joy;
26 and it cometh to pass, in God's helping the Levites bearing the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, that they sacrifice seven bullocks and seven rams.
27 And David is wrapped in an upper robe of fine linen, and all the Levites who are bearing the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah head of the burden of the singers; and on David [is] an Ephod of linen.
28 And all Israel are bringing up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah with shouting, and with the sound of a cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding with psalteries and harps,
29 and it cometh to pass, the ark of the covenant of Jehovah is entering in unto the city of David, and Michal daughter of Saul is looking through the window, and seeth king David dancing and playing, and despiseth him in her heart.

1 Chronicles 15 Commentary

Chapter 15

Preparations for the removal of the ark. (1-24) The removal of the ark. (25-29)

Verses 1-24 Wise and good men may be guilty of oversights, which they will correct, as soon as they are aware of them. David does not try to justify what had been done amiss, nor to lay the blame on others; but he owns himself guilty, with others, of not seeking God in due order

Verses 25-29 It is good to notice the assistance of Divine Providence, even in things which fall within the compass of our natural powers; if God did not help us, we could not stir a step. If we do our religious duties in any degree aright, we must own it was God that helped us; had we been left to ourselves, we should have been guilty of some fatal errors. And every thing in which we engage, must be done in dependence on the mercy of God through the sacrifice of the Redeemer.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 15

David, having prepared a place for the ark of God, gathered the Israelites, Levites, and priests, to assist in the bringing of it up thereunto, 1Ch 15:1,13 and which was done in a very honourable and joyful manner, 1Ch 15:24-28, though David, for his behaviour, was despised by Michal his wife in her heart, 1Ch 15:29.

1 Chronicles 15 Commentaries

Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.