1 Chronicles 16:7

Ver. 7-34. Then on that day,.... The ark was brought to Zion, and the above persons appointed to minister before it: David delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord into the hand of Asaph and his

Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren. Then on that day David delivered first this psalm.

David delivered first this psalm; whereby it is implied, that after this he delivered many other psalms successively into their hands, to be sung by them to the praise of God in his public service. See . As for the matter of this psalm, I shall defer the explication of it till I come to the Book of Psalms, where we shall find it in the same words, in Psalms 96 Psalms 105.

1 Chronicles 16:7 Then on that day David delivered first [this psalm] to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.Ver. 7. David delivered.] David, "the sweet psalmist of Israel."

(7-36) An ode of thanksgiving appropriate to the occasion. (7) Then on that day David delivered first this psalm.—Rather, On that day then (viz., after the Ark had been placed in its tent, and the minstrels appointed) David originally committed the giving of thanks to Jehovah into the hands of Asaph and his brethren. Thus understood, the verse merely asserts that this was the occasion when “Asaph and his brethren” were first charged with the duties described in 1 Chronicles 16:4-6. But the words seem really intended to introduce the long ode which follows, and therefore we should perhaps render, “On that day, then David gave for the first time into the hands of Asaph and his brethren, for giving thanks to Jehovah, Give thanks unto the Lord,’” &c., the whole psalm being regarded as the object of the verb. It may be that this composite hymn was sung in the time of the compiler, on the anniversary of the removal of the Ark, which may in after-times have been commemorated by a special service. Hence it was easy to infer that it was the ode sung at the original service under David. The words “then” (’âz) and “on that day” certainly seem to introduce the psalm. (Comp, their use, Exodus 15:1, and Judges 5:1. Comp. also 2 Chronicles 7:6.) But the ambiguity of 1 Chronicles 16:7 may be taken along with other considerations to indicate that this ode does not constitute an original part of the Chronicles, but has been inserted by a later hand. For (1) the Psalm is clearly a cento consisting of portions of three others extant in the Psalter, and so loosely patched together that the seams are quite visible; (2) the Psalter itself does not refer the three psalms in question to David; if, however, the editors of the Psalter had read in the Chronicles a clear assertion of Davidic authorship, they would hardly have left them anonymous; (3) all critics agree that it is not here expressly said that David composed this ode, and, in fact, its ideas and language betray a later origin than the Davidic age; and (4) it contains no specific allusion to the occasion for which it purports to have been written. If no record was preserved of the psalms actually sung at the festival, it was natural that some editor should attempt to supply the apparent lacuna from the Psalter.

Verse 7. David delivered first this psalm] I believe the meaning of this place to be this: David made the psalm on the occasion above specified; and delivered it to Asaph, who was the musician, and to his brethren, to be sung by them in honour of what God had done in behalf of his people.

7. On that day David delivered first this psalm — This statement seems clearly to settle the question of the origin of the psalm that follows.