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1 Chronicles Chapter Sixteen

 

1 Chronicles 16 Outline of Contents

The Ark Placed in the Tabernacle (v.1~6)

David’s Song of Thanksgiving (v.7~36)

Regular Worship Maintained (v.37~43)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 16

This chapter relates that David offered sacrifices when the ark was brought into his city, 1 Chronicles 16:1 who were the singers he appointed to sing before it continually, 1 Chronicles 16:4 and the song he that day composed and delivered to them to sing, 1 Chronicles 16:7 and that he appointed not only proper persons to minister before the ark, but also before the tabernacle at Gibeon, 1 Chronicles 16:37.

 

1 Chronicles 16:1  So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.

   YLT  1And they bring in the ark of God, and set it up in the midst of the tent that David hath stretched out for it, and they bring near burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before God;

Verses 1-3

So they brought the ark of God,.... What is contained in these three verses is the same with 2 Samuel 6:17, see the notes there. See Gill on 2 Samuel 6:17. See Gill on 2 Samuel 6:18. See Gill on 2 Samuel 6:19.

 

1 Chronicles 16:2  2 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.

   YLT  2and David ceaseth from offering the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings, and blesseth the people in the name of Jehovah,

 

1 Chronicles 16:3  3 Then he distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins.

   YLT  3and giveth a portion to every man of Israel, both man and woman: to each a cake of bread, and a measure of wine, and a grape-cake.

 

1 Chronicles 16:4  4 And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord God of Israel:

   YLT  4And he putteth before the ark of Jehovah, of the Levites, ministers, even to make mention of, and to thank, and to give praise to Jehovah, God of Israel,

And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord,.... By singing the praises of God:

and to record; or bring to remembrance; to commemorate in a song the great and good things God had done for Israel as a people:

and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel; for all his benefits, and the blessings of his goodness bestowed on them.

 

1 Chronicles 16:5  5 Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed-Edom: Jeiel with stringed instruments and harps, but Asaph made music with cymbals;

   YLT  5Asaph the head, and his second Zechariah; Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, with instruments of psalteries, and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals is sounding;

Asaph the chief,.... Of those that were now appointed: otherwise, of the three principal singers, Heman was the chief, and Asaph next, 1 Chronicles 6:33.

and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, with psalteries, and with harps; to play upon them before the ark at the same time the psalms and songs were vocally sung; the above persons are such as are named before, 1 Chronicles 15:18,

but Asaph made a sound with cymbals; he struck and played upon them, see 1 Chronicles 15:19.

 

1 Chronicles 16:6  6 Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests regularly blew the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God.

   YLT  6and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests [are] with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.

Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests,.... These were appointed to blow

with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; morning and evening.

 

1 Chronicles 16:7  7 On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord:

   YLT  7On that day then hath David given at the beginning to give thanks to Jehovah by the hand of Asaph and his brethren: --

Verses 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 brethren to be sung by them now, and on every proper occasion; and this seems to be the first that was delivered to them; afterwards there were many more, as the titles of the psalms show; the following is composed of part of two others, as they now stand in the book of Psalms. From hence, to the end of 1 Chronicles 16:22 is the same with Psalm 105:1, with a little variation, see the notes there; and from thence to the end of 1 Chronicles 16:33 is Psalm 96:1 which see; and 1 Chronicles 16:34 is the same with Psalm 106:1, see the notes there. See Gill on Psalm 106:1, Psalm 107:1, Psalm 105:1, Psalm 105:2, Psalm 105:3, Psalm 105:4, Psalm 105:5, Psalm 105:6, Psalm 105:7, Psalm 105:8, Psalm 105:9, Psalm 105:10, Psalm 105:11,on Psalm 105:12, Psalm 105:13, Psalm 105:14,on Psalm 105:15

 

1 Chronicles 16:8  8 Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!

   YLT  8Give thanks to Jehovah, call in His name, Make known among the peoples His doings.

 

1 Chronicles 16:9  9 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!

   YLT  9Sing ye to Him, sing psalms to Him, Meditate on all His wonders.

 

1 Chronicles 16:10  10 Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!

   YLT  10Boast yourselves in His holy name, Rejoice doth the heart of those seeking Jehovah.

 

1 Chronicles 16:11  11 Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!

   YLT  11Seek ye Jehovah and His strength, Seek His face continually.

 

1 Chronicles 16:12  12 Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,

   YLT  12Remember His wonders that He did, His signs, and the judgments of His mouth,

 

1 Chronicles 16:13  13 O seed of Israel His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

   YLT  13O seed of Israel, His servant, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!

 

1 Chronicles 16:14  14 He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth.

   YLT  14He [is] Jehovah our God, In all the earth [are] His judgments.

 

1 Chronicles 16:15  15 Remember His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,

   YLT  15Remember ye to the age His covenant, The word He commanded -- To a thousand generations,

 

1 Chronicles 16:16  16 The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac,

   YLT  16Which He hath made with Abraham, And His oath -- to Isaac,

 

1 Chronicles 16:17  17 And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel for an everlasting covenant,

   YLT  17And He establisheth it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel -- a covenant age-during.

 

1 Chronicles 16:18  18 Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan As the allotment of your inheritance,”

   YLT  18Saying: To thee I give the land of Canaan, The portion of your inheritance,

 

1 Chronicles 16:19  19 When you were few in number, Indeed very few, and strangers in it.

   YLT  19When ye are few of number, As a little thing, and sojourners in it.

 

1 Chronicles 16:20  20 When they went from one nation to another, And from one kingdom to another people,

   YLT  20And they go up and down, From nation unto nation, And from a kingdom unto another people.

 

1 Chronicles 16:21  21 He permitted no man to do them wrong; Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,

   YLT  21He hath not suffered any to oppress them, And reproveth on their account kings:

 

1 Chronicles 16:22  22 Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.”[a]

   YLT  22Come not against Mine anointed ones, And against My prophets do not evil.

 

1 Chronicles 16:23  23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

   YLT  23Sing to Jehovah, all the earth, Proclaim from day unto day His salvation.

 

1 Chronicles 16:24   24 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.

   YLT  24Rehearse among nations His glory, Among all the peoples His wonders.

 

1 Chronicles 16:25  25 For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods.

   YLT  25For great [is] Jehovah, and praised greatly, And fearful He [is] above all gods.

 

1 Chronicles 16:26  26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens.
   YLT 
26For all gods of the peoples [are] nought, And Jehovah the heavens hath made.

 

1 Chronicles 16:27  27 Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and gladness are in His place.

   YLT  27Honour and majesty [are] before Him, Strength and joy [are] in His place.

 

1 Chronicles 16:28  28 Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Give to the Lord glory and strength.

   YLT  28Ascribe to Jehovah, ye families of peoples, Ascribe to Jehovah honour and strength.

 

1 Chronicles 16:29  29 Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!

   YLT  29Ascribe to Jehovah the honour of His name, Lift up a present, and come before Him. Bow yourselves to Jehovah, In the beauty of holiness.

 

1 Chronicles 16:30  30 Tremble before Him, all the earth. The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved.

   YLT  30Be pained before Him, all the earth:

 

1 Chronicles 16:31  31 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”

   YLT  31Also, established is the world, It is not moved! The heavens rejoice, and the earth is glad, And they say among nations: Jehovah hath reigned.

 

1 Chronicles 16:32  32 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it.

   YLT  32Roar doth the sea, and its fulness, Exult doth the field, and all that [is] in it,

 

1 Chronicles 16:33  33 Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord, For He is coming to judge the earth.[b]

   YLT  33Then sing do trees of the forest, From the presence of Jehovah, For He hath come to judge the earth!

 

1 Chronicles 16:34  34 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.[c]

   YLT  34Give thanks to Jehovah, for good, For to the age, [is] His kindness,

 

1 Chronicles 16:35  35 And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation; Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles, To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise.”

   YLT  35And say, Save us, O God of our salvation, And gather us, and deliver us from the nations, To give thanks to Thy holy name, To triumph in Thy praise.

Verse 35-36

And say ye, save us, O God of our salvation,.... The author of temporal, spiritual, and eternal salvation; the words are a direction to the singers, and those that sung with them, to express the prayer and doxology in the next verse, which both are the same with Psalm 106:47. See Gill on Psalm 106:47, Psalm 106:48; which David directed by a spirit of prophecy, foreseeing the people of Israel would be in captivity among the Heathens; though some think these were added by Ezra; for though there was in his time a return from the captivity, yet many still remained in it.

 

1 Chronicles 16:36  36 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting![d] And all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.

   YLT  36Blessed [is] Jehovah, God of Israel, From the age and unto the age;' And all the people say, `Amen,' and have given praise to Jehovah.

 

1 Chronicles 16:37  37 So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister before the ark regularly, as every day’s work required;

   YLT  37And he leaveth there before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, for Asaph and for his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, according to the matter of a day in its day,

So he left there, before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, Asaph and his brethren,.... Whom he, that is, David, had appointed for the service of it:

to minister before the ark continually; in singing the praises of God:

as every day's work required; at the time of the morning and evening sacrifice, as Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it.

 

1 Chronicles 16:38  38 and Obed-Edom with his sixty-eight brethren, including Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, to be gatekeepers;

   YLT  38both Obed-Edom and their brethren, sixty and eight, and Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun, and Hosah for gatekeepers,

The Levites, the brethren of Asaph and Obededom, these were left before the ark to minister there:

Obededom also the son of Jeduthun; or Ethan, which some take to be another Obededom; but the ו, "vau" may be explanative, "even Obededom":

and Hosah to be porters; these he left to be doorkeepers of the ark.

 

1 Chronicles 16:39  39 and Zadok the priest and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place that was at Gibeon,

   YLT  39and Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of Jehovah, in a high place that [is] in Gibeon,

And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests,.... These he left, having appointed them

to be before the tabernacle of the Lord, in the high place that was at Gibeon; namely, the tabernacle of Moses, which was removed from Nob thither in the days of Saul, and continued there to the times of Solomon, 1 Chronicles 21:28.

 

1 Chronicles 16:40  40 to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the Law of the Lord which He commanded Israel;

   YLT  40to cause to ascend burnt-offerings to Jehovah, on the altar of burnt-offering continually, morning and evening, and for all that is written in the law of Jehovah, that He charged on Israel.

To offer burnt offerings unto the Lord,.... Which was the work of the priests only to do:

upon the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening; the lambs of the daily sacrifice, which were a burnt offering, and only to be offered on the brasen altar at the tabernacle:

and to do according to all that is written in the law of the Lord, which he commanded Israel; with regard to them, and all other sacrifices, see Exodus 29:38.

 

1 Chronicles 16:41  41 and with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the Lord, because His mercy endures forever;

   YLT  41And with them [are] Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen, who were defined by name, to give thanks to Jehovah, for to the age [is] His kindness,

And with them,.... That is, with Zadok, and the priests with him at Gibeon:

he left Heman and Jeduthun: or Ethan, two principal singers:

and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name; see 1 Chronicles 16:18.

to give thanks to the Lord, because his mercy endureth for ever; to praise him for his benefits, flowing from his grace and mercy continually.

 

1 Chronicles 16:42  42 and with them Heman and Jeduthun, to sound aloud with trumpets and cymbals and the musical instruments of God. Now the sons of Jeduthun were gatekeepers.

   YLT  42and with them -- Heman and Jeduthun -- [are] trumpets and cymbals for those sounding, and instruments of the song of God, and the sons of Jeduthun [are] at the gate.

And with them Heman and Jeduthun, with trumpets and cymbals,.... Or with them were the trumpets and cymbals, as Kimchi; or, as Piscator supplies it, with them he "left" the trumpets and cymbals:

for those that should make a sound; by striking upon them:

and with musical instruments of God; sacred ones, such as were devoted to his service, as psalteries and harps; the Syriac and Arabic versions carry the sense of the words quite differently, that these men did not sing with those musical instruments, but with a pleasant voice, and with pure and acceptable prayers, in humility and uprightness, glorified God:

and the sons of Jeduthun were porters; at the tabernacle in Gibeon.

 

1 Chronicles 16:43  43 Then all the people departed, every man to his house; and David returned to bless his house.

   YLT  43And all the people go, each to his house, and David turneth round to bless his house.

And all the people departed, every man to his house,.... Having accompanied the ark to its place, and having praised the Lord for it, and been refreshed with food, see 2 Samuel 6:19.

and David returned to bless his house; his family; the Targum is,"to bless the people;'see 2 Samuel 6:20.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

 

New King James Version (NKJV)

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Chronicles 16:22 Compare verses 8–22 with Psalm 105:1–15
  2. 1 Chronicles 16:33 Compare verses 23–33 with Psalm 96:1–13
  3. 1 Chronicles 16:34 Compare verse 34 with Psalm 106:1
  4. 1 Chronicles 16:36 Compare verses 35, 36 with Psalm 106:47, 48