1 Chronicles 15

gave a commandment, and they were burnt’with fire. No wonder they could not preserve such gods as could not preserve them. Which David would not honour, as they had done the ark when they took it, but burnt them. (See there, ver. 21.)

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XjlND David made him houses in the city ofDavidC\ He had need of many houses, because he had many wives and children, as we read before: who could not all well live in one house, unless we suppose it to be very large, and to contain many apartments, which may be called houses. And prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.] As we read in 2 Sam. vi. 17. For he did not think fit to bring the tabernacle from Gibeon, because he intended shortly to build a house for the ark. Or, as Conradus Pellicanus thinks, the tabernacle of Moses, having been long neglected, was grown ruinous: and bethought it better to prepare a new tabernacle than repair the old.

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TJien David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levitts:for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever. The former miscarriage, when they brought up the ark from Kirjath-jearim, had taught him to use it with greater reverence, according to the prescription. of the law; which ordered the Levites to carry it upon their shoulders. (See Numb. vi. 15, vii. 9.)

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And David gathered all Israel together to Jeru- - salem, to bring up the ark of the Lord unto his place which he had prepared for it. See 2 Sam. vi. 15.

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And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites^. Whom he ordered should be sent for before, when he first attempted to bring up the ark, but we do not read that they came, (chap. xiii. 2. 5.) therefore now he actually got them together. -

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Of the sons ofKohath; Uriel the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twenty. The sons of Kohath are mentioned in Exod; vi. 17, 18. and Uriel is none of them: therefore he was bis grandson, who proved so famous, that his descendants are reckoned in the first place. Ver. G. Of the sons ofMerari; Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty.

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, Of the sons of Gershom; Joel the chief, and his brethren a hundred and thirty,

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Of the sons ofEUzaphan; Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred. He was the son of Uzziel, the youngest son ofKohath. (See Exod. vi. 18.23. Numb. iv. 3.)

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Of the sons of Hebron; EUel the chief, and his brethren fourscore.

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Of the sons of Uzziel; Amminadah the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twelve. These two last named were the sons ofKohath! • «■

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And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests. I have observed here before, that Zadok was in the greatest favour with David: and therefore is mentioned first, though Abiathar was the high-priest, and Zadok only the second priest. (See upon 2 Sara. xv. 27. 29.), And for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and EUel, and Ammtnadab.’] The six persons mentioned in the foregoing verses.

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And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel unto the place that 1 have prepared for it.] This sanctification was by washing their bodies and garments, abstaining from their wives, and other purifications.. (See Exod.xix.10. 15.)

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And the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad in the valley.. For because ye did it not at the first, the Lord our God made a breach upon us.". It seems the priests and Levites were not well acquainted with the law j or, the ark having been very long in one place, they had forgot how it ought to be removed: and did not sanctify themselves, and seriously consider their duty. At least, they that were then present (for the chief were not then assembled, as I said ver. 4.) were ignorant, or careless. For that we sought him not after the due order.] This good king doth not wholly excuse bimself, and lay all the blame on them: but puts himself into the number of those who were negligent in this matter. For it was his duty as well as theirs to look into the law, and pray to God for his direction. There were four faults committed: First, inputting the ark into the cart, which should have been carried by the Levites on their shoulders. Secondly, the Levites were not permitted to touch the ark, as Uzza did. Thirdly, he was no Levite, and therefore more grievously offended. (Numb. xvi. 28.) Lastly, he wanted faith, that God would take care of the ark. This last David could not help: but the three first he might have prevented.

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Therefore David inquired again of God; and God said unto him, Go not up after them; turn away from them, and come upon them over against tlve mulberry -trees. So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.] From this place, and some others, (as Josh. iii. 3.) Buxtorf truly infers, I think, that all the tribe of Levi had a right’to carry the ark, the priests as well as the others. But while they were in the wilderness, they that were bare Levites commonly did it, because the priests were few, and had other employment. But the priests, being Levites, might do it when they pleased, or were appointed to it. (See Histor. Arcae, cap. 8. sect. 2.)

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And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle: for God is gone forth before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines. And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoidders, with the staves thereon, as Mqses commanded, according to the word of the Lord.] The children of Kohath had this peculiar privilege: who are the Levites here mentioned, (Numb. iv. 4.)

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David therefore did as the Lord commanded him: and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even, to Gazer. See there, 2 Sam. v. 22 — 25. * And David spake to the chief of the Levites.] To those sixpersons beforementioned, ver. 5, G, &c.. To appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments yy Microsoft ® 4 D 2 A COMMENTARY UPON [chap. XV, of music, psalteries, and harps, and cymbals.] They that were chief among them knew who could sing well, and play upon such instruments as arc hero mentioned: the best of which were to be ordered to perform this service. Sounding, by lifting up the voice tvith joy*] Singing so loud that all might hear, and have their hearts lifted up with joy in God. (See2Chron. xx. 19.) Here it maybe observed, that though David did not build the temple, yet he ordered how the service of God should be performed there, in a more solemn manner than it had been hitherto, with singing and musical instruments. Which began now when the ark was brought to the place prepared for it; and was ordered afterward to be constantly performed every day, (chap. xvi. 4. 42.) And indeed there was scarce any solemn service performed to their gods, either by Greeks or barbarians, without both vocal and instrumental music, as the illustrious Ezekiel Spanhcmius hath observed out of Strabo, lib. x. p. 4G7. See him upon Callimachus’s hymn to Diana, ver. 245. where he notes out of Plutarch, that their musical instruments were three (as they were here); and that music was thought to be a thing so heavenly, that their gods were accounted the inventors of the principal instruments of it. (See upon ver. 295.) Certain it is that the Greeks were not the inventors of them, but they had them out of the east, as he shews upon ver. 249. AVhich appears by the names of some of them, which are plainly extant in the Bible, as Bochartus hath observed.

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And the fame of David went out into all lands; and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations. Upon all those upon whom the fame of him came: that is, all the neighbouring countries, So theLevites appointed Heinan the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah.] These three were the principal, who were appointed to govern the rest.

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And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel. The LXX. take Ben for an appellative, and join it with the next, as if he had said, Zechariah the son of Jaaziel. But the Jews take it for a proper name of one of the singers (as we do), and David Kimchi thinks this is the person to whom David directed the ninth psalm, to be sung by him, upon the occasion of the death of Saul; for it is said to be Laben, which he understands to be to Ben the singer. And Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Uni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the porters.] This was the office of these of the second degree; who were also, when their attendance was over, instructed in music, and assisted in it when they were not in the other employment.

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So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass.

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And Zechariah, and Azicl, andSJiemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab t and Maaseiah, and Benaiah. Here is no mention made of Ben; which some imagine is, because, before they came to execute their office, he fell sick, or died: and Azaziah, who was not mentioned before, came in his room: but was not so eminent as he, and therefore put in the last place. With psalteries on Alamoth.] Or, with Alamoth. Which being joined with psalteries, is thought by some to be a musical instrument. But Strigelius, from the derivation of the word, thinks that Alanu th signifies that these men sung the bass, as those in the next verse did the treble.

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And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-Edoin, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Shenwiith. Some take Sheminitfi to signify a harp with eight strings. To excel.] The Hebrew word lenatzeach, coming from natzach, to overcome, is thought by Strigelius to signify a voice higher than all the rest.

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And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites. A principal person among them, but not before mentioned: so that it doth not appear of what family he was. Was for song.] Or, as it is translated in the margin, was for carriage; that is, for managing of the voice. He taught them how to sing, as the following words tell us, he instructed about the song, because he was skilful. Being a great artist in singing, he was the precentor: for, ver. 27. he is called master of the song. Which Lud. Capellus thinks signifies as much, as that he guided them to keep time, by the elevation of his hand, or of a wand. So the LXX. apx^v ru)v ySwv, who is properly called the precentor among us: who among the ancient Salii was called vates: he being the prime singer while they were dancing; as Gutberlctius observes in his book De Saliis, cap. 11.

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And Berechiah and Elkanah were dooi’-keepers for the ark. Their office at present was to guard the ark as it passed along, that none might touch it.

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And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel,andAmasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God. For this was the office of the priests, as we read in Numb. x. the beginning. And Obed-Edom and Jehiah were door-keepers for the ark.] When it was settled at Jerusalem, they kept the door of the tent prepared for it; that none might approach it but the high-priest at proper seasons.,

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So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captainsover thousands, ivent to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of Obed-Edom with joy. With music and d.incing.- (See 2 Sam. vi. 5. 12. 15.)

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And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams. Some understand this of the strength that God gave them to carry the ark without fainting, though they went up a steep hill, to settle it in the place where it was to rest. But it is not likely God imposed such great burdens on them in his service, that it was hard to bear them, without an extraordinary assistance. I think the meaning rather is, that he preserved them from committing any*crror, so that they carried it without offence. Or, as Junius takes it, God gave them ease, and others were ordered to take their place, when they had gone some part of the way. For, though it was not a heavy burden, yet they could not but proceed with fear and trembling, lest they should incur God’s displeasure, as Uzzah did. Then they, that is, theLevites, offered upon their own account the sacrifices here mentioned; besides thdse which the king offered, as we read 2 Sam. vi. 13. And seven bullocks, and as many rains, being offered, some think, that every time the ark rested, for the Levites to rest themselves, a bullock was offered with a ram: which was