1 Chronicles 15:16

16 And David said to the princes of (the) deacons, that they should ordain of their brethren singers in organs of musics, that is, in gitterns, and harps, and cymbals; that the sound of gladness should sound on high. (And David said to the leaders of the Levites, that they should ordain among their kinsmen singers, and players of musical instruments, that is, of lutes, and harps, and cymbals; so that the sound of gladness could be heard on high.)

1 Chronicles 15:16 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 15:16

And David spake to the chief of the Levites
The six before mentioned, ( 1 Chronicles 15:11 )

to appoint their brethren to be the singers;
before the ark, as they brought it up:

with instruments of music, psalteries, and harps, and cymbals;
which were used in those times, see ( 2 Samuel 6:5 ) ( 13:8 )

sounding by lifting up the voice with joy;
the instrumental music was to be attended with vocal music, and that very sonorous and loud, and performed with all tokens of inward joy and gladness, as the occasion required.

1 Chronicles 15:16 In-Context

14 Therefore the priests and deacons were hallowed, that they should bear the ark of the Lord God of Israel. (And so the priests and the Levites purified themselves, so that they could carry the Ark of the Lord God of Israel.)
15 And the sons of Levi took the ark of God with bars upon their shoulders, as Moses commanded by the word of the Lord. (And the Levites took the Ark of God on bars upon their shoulders, as Moses commanded by the word of the Lord.)
16 And David said to the princes of (the) deacons, that they should ordain of their brethren singers in organs of musics, that is, in gitterns, and harps, and cymbals; that the sound of gladness should sound on high. (And David said to the leaders of the Levites, that they should ordain among their kinsmen singers, and players of musical instruments, that is, of lutes, and harps, and cymbals; so that the sound of gladness could be heard on high.)
17 And they ordained deacons, Heman, the son of Joel, and of his brethren, Asaph, the son of Berechiah; soothly of the sons of Merari, [the] brethren of them, they ordained Ethan, the son of Kushaiah, (And the Levites ordained Heman, the son of Joel, and of his kinsmen, Asaph, the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari, their kinsmen, they ordained Ethan, the son of Kushaiah;)
18 and the brethren of them with them; in the second order Zechariah, and Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, porters; (and with them, their kinsmen of the second order, or degree, Zechariah, and Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and the guards, or the doorkeepers, Obededom, and Jeiel;)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.