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1 Chronicles Chapter Thirteen

 

1 Chronicles 13 Outline of Contents

The Ark Brought from Kirjath Jearim (v.1~14)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 13

The contents of this chapter are the same with 2 Samuel 6:1, only David's consultation with the principal men of Israel concerning the affair herein transacted is premised in the first four verses of this.

 

1 Chronicles 13:1  Then David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader.

   YLT  1And David consulteth with the heads of the thousands, and of the hundreds, every leader,

And David consulted with the captains of thousands, and hundreds, and with every leader. With the chiliarchs and centurions, and every officer in that large body of armed men in every tribe, who met to make and crown him king: for at that time was this consultation had, and therefore is connected with it; though the affair advised about was not yet done, as Dr. LightfootF8Works, vol. 1. p. 61,62. observes, and was not done until some considerable time afterwards. Advice being taken, the several officers went with their men to their respective countries, to meet again at a certain time and place to put the thing projected into execution; and between this and that time were Hiram's message to David on his accession to the throne, the taking of Jerusalem, and the two battles with the Philistines, as the same writer notes; most of which are recorded before this in the book of Samuel, and follow here.

 

1 Chronicles 13:2  2 And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is of the Lord our God, let us send out to our brethren everywhere who are left in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites who are in their cities and their common-lands, that they may gather together to us;

   YLT  2and David saith to all the assembly of Israel, `If unto you it be good, and from Jehovah our God it hath broken forth -- we send unto our brethren, those left in all the lands of Israel, and with them the priests and the Levites, in the cities of their suburbs, and they are gathered unto us,

And David said unto all the congregation of Israel,.... To the above persons, as representatives of it:

if it seem good unto you, and that it be of the Lord our God; if it could be thought by them a good and useful thing, and agreeable to the will of God, and would make for his glory:

let us send abroad unto our brethren everywhere that are left in all the land of Israel; that were not then present with them, even all the common people; whom David, though king, owns as his brethren; nor is his antitype ashamed to own this relation between him and his people, Hebrews 2:11.

and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs: given to them in the several tribes to dwell in, see 1 Chronicles 6:54,

that they may gather themselves unto us; at a certain time and place appointed.

 

1 Chronicles 13:3  3 and let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we have not inquired at it since the days of Saul.”

   YLT  3and we bring round the ark of our God unto us, for we sought Him not in the days of Saul.'

And let us bring again the ark of our God to us,.... The symbol of the divine Presence, than which nothing was more desirable to David, and he chose to begin his reign overall Israel with it:

for we inquired not at it in the days of Saul; he being indifferent to religion, and careless about it, and the enjoyment of the presence of God, and having direction from him; and the people also content with worship at the tabernacle at Gibeah, though the token of the divine Presence was absent.

 

1 Chronicles 13:4  4 Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

   YLT  4And all the assembly say to do so, for the thing is right in the eyes of all the people.

And all the congregation said that they would do so,.... They unanimously agreed to the motion:

for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people; they saw the propriety, necessity, and usefulness of it.

 

1 Chronicles 13:5  5 So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor in Egypt to as far as the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjath Jearim.

   YLT  5And David assembleth all Israel from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering in of Hamath, to bring in the ark of God from Kirjath-Jearim,

Verses 5-14

So David gathered all Israel together,.... The principal of them, even 30,000 select men, 2 Samuel 6:1.

from Shihor of Egypt; or the Nile of Egypt, as the Targum and other Jewish writers, called Shihor from the blackness of its water, see Jeremiah 2:18 though some think the river Rhinocurura is meant, which both lay to the south of the land of Israel:

even unto the entering of Hamath; which the Targum interprets of Antiochia, which lay to the north of the land; so that this collection of the people was made from south to north, the extreme borders of the land:

to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim; where it then was, and had been a long time, see 1 Samuel 7:1, from hence to the end of the chapter the account is the same with 2 Samuel 6:1, see the notes there; what little variations there are, are there observed. See Gill on 2 Samuel 6:1, 2 Samuel 6:2, 2 Samuel 6:3, 2 Samuel 6:4, 2 Samuel 6:5, 2 Samuel 6:6, 2 Samuel 6:7, 2 Samuel 6:8, 2 Samuel 6:9, 2 Samuel 6:10, 2 Samuel 6:11

 

1 Chronicles 13:6  6 And David and all Israel went up to Baalah,[a] to Kirjath Jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who dwells between the cherubim, where His name is proclaimed.

   YLT  6and David goeth up, and all Israel, to Baalah, unto Kirjath-Jearim that [is] to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God Jehovah, inhabiting the cherubs, where the Name is called on.

 

1 Chronicles 13:7  7 So they carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart.

   YLT  7And they place the ark of God on a new cart, from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio are leading the cart,

 

1 Chronicles 13:8  8 Then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets.

   YLT  8and David and all Israel are playing before God, with all strength, and with songs, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

 

1 Chronicles 13:9  9 And when they came to Chidon’s[b] threshing floor, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled.

   YLT  9And they come in unto the threshing-floor of Chidon, and Uzza putteth forth his hand to seize the ark, for the oxen were released,

 

1 Chronicles 13:10  10 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before God.

   YLT  10and the anger of Jehovah is kindled against Uzza, and He smiteth him, because that he hath put forth his hand on the ark, and he dieth there before God.

 

1 Chronicles 13:11  11 And David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak against Uzza; therefore that place is called Perez Uzza[c] to this day.

   YLT  11And it is displeasing to David, because Jehovah hath made a breach upon Uzza, and one calleth that place `Breach of Uzza' unto this day.

 

1 Chronicles 13:12  12 David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God to me?”

   YLT  12And David feareth God on that day, saying, `How do I bring in unto me the ark of God?'

 

1 Chronicles 13:13  13 So David would not move the ark with him into the City of David, but took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.

   YLT  13And David hath not turned aside the ark unto himself, unto the city of David, and turneth it aside unto the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.

 

1 Chronicles 13:14  14 The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that he had.

   YLT  14And the ark of God dwelleth with the household of Obed-Edom, in his house, three months, and Jehovah blesseth the house of Obed-Edom, and all that he hath.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

 

New King James Version (NKJV)

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Chronicles 13:6 Called Baale Judah in 2 Samuel 6:2
  2. 1 Chronicles 13:9 Called Nachon in 2 Samuel 6:6
  3. 1 Chronicles 13:11 Literally Outburst Against Uzza