2 Samuel 6:5

5 And David and all Israel played before the Lord, in all treen instruments of melody, and in harps, and citoles, and tympans, and trumps, and cymbals. (And David and all Israel played music before the Lord, on all the wooden instruments, and on harps, and lutes, and drums, or tambourines, and trumpets, and cymbals.)

2 Samuel 6:5 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 6:5

And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord,
&c.] That is, before the ark, which was a symbol of the presence of the Lord:

on all manner of [instruments made of] fir wood:
which is a general expression, the particulars follow; though instruments of different sorts are mentioned, and even some of metal, as cymbals, which were vessels of brass, they struck one against another, and gave a very acute sound, being hollow ^F7;

even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and
on cymbals;
harps, psalteries, and timbrels, are frequently met with; cornets, according to Kimchi, are such sort of instruments, that in playing upon them it required an agitation of the whole body. Now it was that David penned the sixty eighth psalm, which begins, "let God arise" ( Psalms 68:1-35 ) , words used by Moses when the ark set forward, ( Numbers 10:35 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 Suidas in voce (kumbala) .

2 Samuel 6:5 In-Context

3 And they putted the ark of God on a new wain, and they took it from the house of Abinadab, that was in Gibeah (And they put the Ark of God on a new wagon, and they took it from Abinadab's house, which was on the hill). And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new wain.

4 And when they had taken it from the house of Abinadab, that was in Gibeah, and kept the ark of God, Ahio went before the ark. (And so they took it from Abinadab's house, which was on the hill, who had kept the Ark of God safe; and Ahio went before the Ark.)

5 And David and all Israel played before the Lord, in all treen instruments of melody, and in harps, and citoles, and tympans, and trumps, and cymbals. (And David and all Israel played music before the Lord, on all the wooden instruments, and on harps, and lutes, and drums, or tambourines, and trumpets, and cymbals.)

6 Forsooth after that they came to the cornfloor of Nachon, Uzzah held forth his hand to the ark of God, and held it, for the oxen kicked, and bowed it. (But when they came to the threshing floor of Nachon, Uzzah put forth his hand to the Ark of God, and held it, for the oxen stumbled, and shook it.)

7 And the Lord was wroth by indignation against Uzzah, and smote him on the folly (and struck him down for his foolishness in touching the Ark); and he was dead there beside the ark of God.