Psalms Alluded To
Psalm 8	Psalm 12	Psalm 16	Psalm 46
Psalms Appropriately Exegeted in this Chapter
Psalm 24	Psalm 47		Psalm 68
These links will take you to where these psalms are discussed within 1Chron. 15; and at the end of the chapter, there will be direct links to exegetical studies of these Psalms. Although Psalm 8 was probably written while David was under the stars (I have placed it after he defeats the Amalekites when living in a territory given him by Achish King of Gath), it is not inconceivable that this psalm was sung as a part of the procession.
There is no science in placing these particular psalms as a part of the musical celebration while the Ark is being transported. Two of them are placed here simply because there is a word in the psalms and in this chapter which are the same (likely, these are technical musical terms, which do not necessarily indicate that these psalms belong here rather than elsewhere). However, I am certain that psalms were sung during the moving of the Ark; and it is possible that any of these 4 (or 5) are appropriate to this chapter of Scripture.
Here is what I would suggest: the Ark represents Jesus Christ, the God-man, Who is known to David and to Israel as Jehovah Elohim. Therefore, it would make sense that a Messianic psalm be sung at this time. Psalm 8 is the only psalm which is Messianic which I have included. At some time, I may add one of the Messianic psalms here (Psalms 2, 8, 16, 22, 40, 41, 45, 54, 68, 69, 89, 109, 110, 118).

Related Psalms and Chapters of Scripture Previously Exegeted
2Samuel 6			Psalm 110

I ntroduction: In 2Sam. 6, David makes his first attempt to move the Ark, fails, and then successfully brings the Ark to Jerusalem on the second try. As we have already studied, all of 1Chron. 13 is devoted to the first attempt to move the Ark; 1Chron. 14 deals with David in Jerusalem (and parallels 2Sam. 5:11–25), and this chapter, 1Chron. 15, and the next, correspond to the second half of 2Sam. 6. Since the 2^nd half of 2Sam. 6 is comprised of 12 verses and 1Chron. 15–16 make up 72 verses, we are going to find a lot more detail of this event in Chronicles. The reason that two chapters are given over to this event in Chronicles is that there are two separate but related events: the transporting of the Ark from the home of Obed-edom to Jerusalem; and the celebration of the Ark being placed in its tent in Jerusalem. Part I: Transport of the Ark (1Chron. 15); Part II: Celebration of the Successful Transport of the Ark (1Chron. 16).

What is striking in the Chronicles record is the great organization and celebration which takes place the second time the Ark is moved under David’s direction. The book of Samuel only devotes 3 verses to the celebration and 2^nd move of the Ark, wherein, it is clear that there was a celebration; but the extent of this celebration is revealed in Chronicles. In Samuel, you read the text and you think, “Hmm, sounds like maybe this was a big deal?” However, the text of Chronicles makes it unmistakably clear, this is a big deal!

As will be clear in this chapter of Chronicles, there will be a great deal of music and singing which takes place while the Ark is being moved and once it comes to its place in Jerusalem. Interestingly enough, 3 psalms are alluded to in 1Chron. 16, but no psalm is actually named in 1Chron. 15 (although there will be numerous references to musicians, singers and a musical celebration performed while the Ark was being moved). So, we may reasonably assume that there were psalms sung during this event which David and the music leaders picked out, but we do not know which psalms these were (assuming, of course, that they chose particular psalms which are extent today). Therefore, we will make reasonable guesses as to which psalms were sung at this time, and study those particular psalms with the procession of the Ark in mind (we will do this in between the chapters). When we study 1Chron. 16, portions of the psalms sung will be included in that chapter, and we will study those psalms as they are alluded to by the editor of Chronicles.

There are several themes to be found in this chapter of Chronicles: most obvious is, the moving of the Ark from a temporary holding place with Obed-edom (which is never described in any way). However, what is also clearly pointed out is the important place of the Levites in this celebration. They are both verified as to which branch of Levites they belong to, and the part which they play while the Ark is being moved. Interestingly enough, even though we can make some reasonable guesses as to who exactly moved the Ark (the 4 gatekeepers?), this is not clearly presented. Finally, it is important to recognize that the driving force behind all of this is King David. Levites did not come to David and petition that he bring the Ark to Jerusalem; this was in David’s mind, and it will be apparent throughout Chronicles that he has put a lot of thought into the Ark (David wanted to move the Ark in the first place; he knew what went wrong originally and he knew how to fix that; he prepared a place for the Ark to go; and he wanted to design and build a permanent place for the Ark of God). What has less emphasis, but is important, is, this is a celebration for all Israel. With all that goes on when the Ark is moved and when it comes to its tent in Jerusalem, indicates a great celebration.

If you read critically, you should have a number of questions occur to you in v. 1 (look in your Bible and read that verse right now, and determine if one or two questions come to you). Most people who read the Bible rarely think critically during their reading of it, unless they are simply looking to find something wrong or contradictory.

Chronicles is said to be man's history from God's viewpoint, and God emphasizes here that which He deems is important. The successful move of the Ark and the ensuing celebration no doubt have important spiritual implications.

I always like inserting an alternate outline.
Matthew Henry Outlines 1Chronicles 15
Section	Subdivided
I. How the Ark was moved more properly than before	1. A place was prepared for it (1Chron. 15:1). 2. The priests were ordered to carry it (1Chron. 15:2–15). 3. The Levites had their offices assigned them in attending on it (1Chron. 15:16–24).
II. How the Ark was moved more successfully than before	1. The Levites made no mistake in their work (1Chron. 15:26). 2. David and the people met with no damp upon their joy (1Chron. 15:27–28). 3. As for Michal's despising David, it was nothing (1Chron. 15:29).

Quite frankly, this outline seems rather lame to me.

Taken from Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; from e-Sword, 1Chron. 15 Introduction; slightly edited.

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David builds some houses for himself and sets up a tent for the Ark (v. 1). He comments that the Levites should have been the ones to move the Ark (v. 2). David gathers many from Israel for this second attempt to move the Ark, including many leaders from the prominent branches of Levites (vv. 3–10). David appears to assign 2 priests and 6 Levites to the actual moving of the Ark, although probably not all 8 were needed to actually lift and carry the Ark (vv. 11–12). David reiterates the importance of moving the Ark the correct way in v. 13, and the Levites prepared themselves and began to move the Ark (vv. 14–15). There are apparently a large number of musicians and choir types who are involved, who are partially enumerated in vv. 16–24. The overall celebration as the Ark was transported by the Levites is described in vv. 25–28. Then, at the very end of the chapter, we get another viewpoint, which is that of Michal, Saul’s daughter and one of David’s wives—who sees David and hates him (v. 29).

In our chapter, we will focus on the successful move of the Ark, the Levites who played a part in this move, and the gathering of Israel. The celebration will be examined in the next chapter.

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David Summons the Levites to Move the Ark

2Sam. 6:12–15

Slavishly literal:

Moderately literal:

And so he makes for himself houses in a city of David and so he erect a place to an Ark of the Elohim and so he stretches out for him a tent.

1Chronicles

15:1

David [lit., he] constructed houses for himself in the City of David. He also prepared a place for the Ark of Elohim and spread out a tent for it.

David constructed royal residences for himself (and his wives) in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the Ark of God, setting up a tent for it.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text And so he makes for himself houses in a city of David and so he erect a place to an Ark of the Elohim and so he stretches out for him a tent.

Septuagint And he made for himself houses in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and made a tent for it.

Significant differences: None.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV David had several buildings built in Jerusalem, and he had a tent set up where the sacred chest would be kept..

The Message After David built houses for himself in the City of David, he cleared a place for the Chest and pitched a tent for it.

GNB (TEV) For his own use, David built houses in David's City. He also prepared a place for God's Covenant Box and put up a tent for it.

NLT David now built several buildings for himself in the City of David. He also prepared a place for the Ark of God and set up a special tent there to shelter it.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ After David constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for God's ark and set up a tent for it.

HCSB David built houses for himself in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

ESV David built houses for himself in the city of David. And he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

Young’s Updated LT And he makes for himself houses in the city of David, and prepares a place for the ark of God, and stretches out for it a tent.

What is the gist of this verse? David begins some construction projects in Jerusalem: he builds some houses for himself and he prepared a place for the Ark of God and a tent wherein it would be placed.

1Chronicles 15:1a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa or va (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
׳âsâh (הָָע) [pronounced ģaw-SAWH]	to do, to make, to construct, to fashion, to form, to prepare	3^rd person masculine singular suffix	Strong's #6213 BDB #793
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition; with the 3^rd person masculine singular suffix	No Strong’s # BDB #510
bayith (ת̣י ַ) [pronounced BAH-yith]	house, residence; household, habitation as well as inward	masculine plural noun	Strong's #1004 BDB #108
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
׳îyr (רי ̣ע) [pronounced ģeer]	encampment, city, town	feminine singular construct	Strong's #5892 BDB #746
Dâvid (ד ̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED]	beloved and is transliterated David	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #1732 BDB #187

Translation: David [lit., he] constructed houses for himself in the City of David. David is royalty and he has at least three wives at this time, and possibly more. No doubt he began with everyone living in the same tent. Here we find him building houses, which suggests to me that, not only did David build one or two federal buildings, but he probably built some houses for his wives, to separate them. This is pure speculation, but bear in mind that several women under the same roof can be a difficult thing to maintain. For that reason, I am guessing that David's multiplicity of wives dictated, to some degree, his residential building projects.

At one time, in a different lifetime, I was a real estate agent, and I found out early on that, when it came to buying a house, 90% of the time, the only person who needed to be pleased was the wife. Now, she might send the husband out into the garage or he may crawl into the attic and look around, but that was simply a diplomatic gesture on the part of the wife, to make him think that he had some involvement in buying the house, apart from writing the monthly checks for it. I mean, it's not like the husband is going to walk back into the house from the garage and say, "Sorry, honey, there is no workbench in the garage; we are going to have to find another house." Or, "I don't know about the SEER number on this AC unit; maybe we should keep looking." Even a husband foolish enough to make a comment which suggested that he had a say in the matter, was gently reminded that he didn't, usually by the wife either ignoring his observation or saying, "This way you can build a workbench exactly the way you would like it to be." So, even here, where David is king over the Re-United Israel, his wives may be less blatant about this house situation, but don't think that they had no say in the matter. "David, honey, you're king of all Israel; if you think we need 3 houses, then you can have 3 houses built. This is what kings do."

We do not know how this parallels with Hiram King of Tyre, who build a home for David in 1Chron. 14. Recall that these chapters of Chronicles are roughly in chronological order, but not precisely. However, my thinking is, Hiram first build a palace for David and then David, learning from the construction, had those under him build more houses as well as federal buildings. This makes sense for several reasons:

Why Hiram Built a Palace for David prior to David’s Construction Project

1. The Israelites, up until this point in time, were not known for their building projects. They took the Land of Promise from people who had already built homes and had set up vineyards and wells. Everything that Israel needed was here; they just had to move in. For that reason, building skills would not have been foremost in the skills of Israelis (this may help to explain why there were no blacksmiths in Israel as well, as they would have inherited the tools of the land’s former occupants).

2. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that David had a large number of men that he could go to for this building project.

3. However, after Hiram built a palace for David, David learned these skills, as did those around him. No doubt he told a variety of men, “Shadow Hiram’s men; stay out of their way, but learn from them.” Personally, I have dealt with houses that were already built for a long time; and I couldn’t have told you the first thing about building one from scratch. However, after having an addition added to my home, and after observing the men working for several weeks, I would at least have a clue as to how to start, and which things need to be done in which order. In fact, I am doing a reasonable amount of the finishing work myself, which is only possible because I watch and learn. Prior to this project, I could not have done a third of what I can do now.

4. This may help to explain the placement of 1Chron. 14 prior to 1Chron. 15. It is not that all of chapter 14 occurs before chapter 15; but 1Chron. 14:1 definitely precedes 1Chron. 15:1, and that may account for how these chapters were placed (recall that 1Chron. 14 is almost identical to 2Sam. 5).

This would be another reason to add to the list of reasons why 1Chron. 14 is placed where we find it (which list of reasons is found in the exegesis of 1Chron. 14).

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Gill, by the way, suggests a slightly different scenario: that David had his men work right along side of Hiram’s servants so that 1Chron. 14:1 and 1Chron. 15:1 are essentially equivalent verses, which simply provide a different emphasis.

Why There are Two Separate Building Projects

1. Hiram builds a house (palace) for David; David builds houses.

2. Hiram provides the men and materials for his project for David; David is said to do the building in our passage (properly, he might be called the builder, much the same way a builder is so named today. Today, a builder might not draw up the plans, he might not ever lift up a hammer, but he coordinates the entire building process; that is probably David’s function, although I suspect he got hands on now and again.

3. Different verbs are used as well.

a. 1Chron. 14:1: And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also masons and carpenters to build a house for him. The verb found here is bânâh (ה ָנ ָ) [pronounced baw-NAWH], which means to build, to rebuild, to restore. Strong’s #1129 BDB #124. The first occurrence of this verb is Gen. 2:22: And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he built into a woman and brought her to the man. God built the woman based upon Adam’s rib.

b. 1Chron. 15:1a: David made [constructed] houses for himself in the city of David. The verb found here is ׳âsâh (הָָע) [pronounced ģaw-SAWH], which means to do, to make, to construct, to fashion, to form, to prepare, to manufacture. Strong's #6213 BDB #793. We first find this verb in Gen. 1:7: And God made [constructed] the atmosphere and separated the waters that were under the atmosphere from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.

c. Although I would be hard-pressed to distinguish these verbs, the first is more narrowly focused on somehow taking existing material and making something somewhat different out of it, while retraining some of the original properties. The latter verb has a much wider application, and can include the activities of the first verb, it has a variety of other applications as well. We don’t necessarily have a different set of activities being described here, merely a different verb, which implies that we are dealing with different building projects

d. Keil and Delitzsch suggest that the second verb indicates that David is preparing the houses for habitation, rather than building them.¹ The problem with this theory is, Hiram builds a house and here David is constructing houses. So, even if we are primarily focusing on the finishing work, we still have the difference in number.

e. Wesley suggests² that Hiram build a huge palace, and that this is finished off as separate offices and dwelling places. I’m not sure whether this is what Keil and Delitzsch meant, but this is a reasonable possibility in my mind.

4. The description for Hiram’s project includes the materials which he sends to David; David’s project does not mention material or workforce, but it includes the tent which David sets up for the Ark of God.

5. It is very likely that the houses which David built were in accordance with his wives’ wishes, and these buildings were probably attached to the larger structure which Hiram built for David.

6. Even though David was not known for his building projects, he apparently had a crew of men who could build and he apparently supervised these projects, as we read in 2Sam. 5:9: And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward. V. 10, by the way, is Hiram coming to David to build a palace for David.

7. Although these two events occurred probably during the same year or two, Hiram built David a house to celebrate his becoming king over all Israel and David built his houses and constructed the tent in anticipation of moving the Ark of God.

8. Let me suggest that the wives of David also had some sort of imput to this operate ration, as Michal will be looking out a window and observing David and the procession of the Ark. “Honey,” she said before she got pissed off at David, “I would like you to build me a house with a big picture window which looks out over the main street” is probably close to her instructions to David (if David build several houses for his several wives, each no doubt had a list of things that she required).³ There were no doubt servants’ quarters for those who served David’s wives and David directly, as well as guard outposts and quarters.

9. Israel is not known for its building projects up until this point in time. They took the land and the houses already available on the land. I suspect that David and some of his men learned Building 101 from Hiram and his crew of carpenters and stonemasons. After seeing a palace build from the ground up, David was inspired to do essentially the same thing.

10. The fact that Solomon becomes known for great building projects which he initiates and completes during his kingship, suggests that building became a trade that Israelis had become familiar with (as had Solomon); and this suggests that they had training and/or experience—hence, building projects during the time of David such as this one.

Given these facts—particularly #1–3 above, this surely refers to two separate building projects.

Now, quite frankly, I don’t know how big of a deal this is to treat these as separate projects; but it is important to me to either get the details right, or, if there are several reasonable scenarios, to present them all, along with their implications, if any.

¹ Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament; from e-Sword; 1Chron. 15:1.

² John Wesley; Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible; courtesy of e-sword, 1Chron. 15:1.

³ Jamieson, Fausset and Brown indicated that having several wives suggests that several separate dwellings would be necessary. Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown; Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; from e-sword, 1Chron. 15:1.

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1Chronicles 15:1b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore; because	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
kûwn (ן) [pronounced koon]	to erect (to stand up perpendicular), to set up, to establish, to prepare, to strengthen, to be stabilized	3^rd person masculine singular, Hiphil imperfect	Strong’s #3559 BDB #465
mâqôwm (םקָמ) [pronounced maw-KOHM]	place, situated; for a soldier, it may mean where he is stationed; for people in general, it would be their place of abode (which could be their house or their town)	masculine singular noun	Strong’s #4725 BDB #879
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
ărôwn (ןר ֲא) [pronounced uh-ROHN]	ark, chest; Ark	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #727 BDB #75
Ělôhîym (מי̣הֹלֱא) [pronounced el-o-HEEM]	gods, foreign gods, god; God; rulers, judges; superhuman ones, angels; transliterated Elohim	masculine plural noun with the definite article	Strong's #430 BDB #43

Translation: He also prepared a place for the Ark of Elohim... As king, it should be obvious that David did not build whatever homes are referenced in the previous portion of this verse; however, it is possible that David did set up a tent for the Ark himself. It is obvious that he read in the Bible how the Ark should be moved (as we will see in vv. 12–13); therefore, he may have made an attempt, based upon Scripture, to set up a tent for the Ark. However, this is a very surprising statement. I'll reserve additional comment until the next part of this verse.

1Chronicles 15:1c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore; because	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
nâţâh (ה ָט ָנ) [pronounced naw-TAWH]	to stretch out, to spread out, to bow, to extend, to incline, to turn	3^rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect	Strong’s #5186 BDB #639
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition; with the 3^rd person masculine singular suffix	No Strong’s # BDB #510
ohel (ל ∵הֹא) [pronounced OH-hel]	tent, tabernacle, house, temporary dwelling	masculine singular noun	Strong's #168 BDB #13

Translation: ...and spread out a tent for it. David has been doing some reading. We will find this out in the next verse and in v. 13. He knows how the Ark is to be moved. Now, even though historians may hotly debate whether or not David owned a Strong's Concordance or Topical index for his Bible, I would suppose that he did not. Whether he read the Law carefully, or skimmed over it, we do not know; but when he came to the section on the Ark of God, he read that section carefully, which will be clear in vv. 2 and 13. If David knows how to move the Ark, then surely he knows where the Ark belongs. The Ark of God is to be placed in the Holy of Holies within the Tabernacle of God (tabernacle means a semi-permanent tent). In ancient Israel, there were tents, tabernacles and houses. These roughly correspond to our motor homes, our mobile homes, and our single family dwellings. I suspect that a tabernacle is larger and more permanent than a tent, just as a mobile home is generally larger and more stationary than a motor home. Let me get to the point: why doesn't David either move the Ark of God to the Tabernacle of God; or why doesn't David bring the Tabernacle of God to Jerusalem?

Let's take this in points:

What We Know about the Tabernacle of God

1. At one time, the Tabernacle of God was located in Shiloh. We examined the movement of the Ark in 1Sam. 7:2 (which I placed with 1Sam. 6) and we studied the destruction of Shiloh there as well.

a. In a war with the Philistines, during the time of Eli and Samuel, the Ark was taken from Shiloh into battle by the army of Israel and they were beat down badly, and the Ark was taken into Philistia. 1Sam. 1–5

b. Although the Ark is returned to Israel, we do not hear about Shiloh again, and the Ark is taken to Kiriath-jearim, where it stays until David attempts to move it for the first time.

c. Eli dies, his sons are killed, Samuel takes over as Israel’s spiritual leader, and the Ark stays in Kiriath-jearim and we never hear about it or the Tabernacle until the time of David.

d. Jeremiah tells us that Shiloh was destroyed in Jer. 7:1, 12–15 26:4, 6. Jeremiah spoke of Shiloh long after it had been destroyed.

e. What seems to be the most logical is, Shiloh was destroyed around the same time that the Ark was taken. We covered this in great detail in the Doctrine of he Destruction of Shiloh , which was a part of our 1Samuel study.

2. Apparently, although Shiloh was destroyed, it appears as though the Tabernacle was not.

a. We find the priests with the Table of Showbread in 1Sam. 21 at Nob (no previous passage references a move to Nob; we must reasonably assume the priests moved there as a group).

b. However, Saul goes to Nob and kills all of the priests; only Abiathar, a very young man, escapes to David with the Ephod of God. If the Tabernacle was set up there, which seems reasonable, what happened to it after that?

c. When the Temple is constructed by Solomon, he places the original Tabernacle in the Temple. 1Kings 8:4 2Chron. 1:3

d. It is unclear how often the Tabernacle was set up, whether it functioned as it was suppose to function.

3. In any case, it does appear that the Tabernacle is in Gibeon at this time (1Chron. 16:39 2Chron. 1:3).

4. In this and the next chapter about successfully moving the Ark, the Tabernacle is not mentioned.

Let me warn you, I pose questions as I go along; if I am able to offer a reasonable explanation for them, that is great; if not, then that is your homework.

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David has been to the Tabernacle, insofar as we know. Recall, he got bread from the shewbread at Nob, at the City of the Priests. This leaves us with a number of questions:

Questions about the Tabernacle and David

1. Where is the Tabernacle at this time?

2. Why doesn’t David fetch it as well?

3. Why doesn’t David take the Ark to the Tabernacle?

4. Where are the priests?

5. There are two lines of priests, as we have examined in 1Chron. 6; is this other line with the Tabernacle?

The last two questions are easy: David will summon the two priests and they will attend and take part in this celebration (1Chron. 15:11, 14). So, Levites, which apparently have some sort of present function (they are apparently organized musically) and priests who represent the two lines of the priesthood willingly come when David summons them.

The first question is also easy: apparently the Tabernacle is in Gibeon at this time (1Chron. 16:39 2Chron. 1:3).

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This leaves the second and third questions, and I have a few possible theories.

Why Doesn’t David Bring the Tabernacle to Jerusalem?

1. David, after having a house built for him and after building a few houses, has his mind set on building a house for God, as opposed to fetching the Tabernacle. He will later express this exact sentiment, which suggests that possibly David has been thinking about this all along. This would explain both why David did not bring the Tabernacle to Jerusalem and why he did not take the Ark to wherever the Tabernacle was set up.

2. Because of David, all of the priests were killed at the Tabernacle. Maybe he just feels unworthy of dealing with the Tabernacle. Although David may have felt guilty about this, it is a sin from his past; he has confessed his sins on a number of occasions and has moved on.

3. David is possibly unfamiliar with Tabernacle worship. We don’t know this for a fact, but it appears as though Tabernacle worship disappeared before and during the reign of Saul, which would have been pretty much all of David’s life. So, it is possible that he read about the Ark, and then researched the Bible to find out how to move the Ark; but that he did not really examine Tabernacle worship. Like the previous point, I doubt that this is the reason.

4. Barnes presents the theory: David probably thought that something newer and more magnificent was requisite. He therefore allowed the former tabernacle to keep its place, and had another made and erected.¹

5. To back up the idea that David has in mind a project to build a permanent dwelling for the Ark is found in 1Chron. 17:1 (1Chron. 15–16 are about the moving of the Ark to Jerusalem and the celebration which took place after it arrived). In 1Chron. 17:1, David speaks to the prophet Nathan about building a permanent structure for the Ark, which indicates that this was probably on David’s mind all along.

I think that #1 is the most likely explanation, although #4 is a possibility. #’s 2 and 3, I just threw out there.

¹ Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the Old Testament; from e-Sword, 1Chron. 15:1.

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We’ve looked at this from the human viewpoint so far. What was in David’s mind? Why didn’t David do this or that? However, David would have been willing to do whatever God wanted him to do with respect to the Tabernacle and the Ark of God. Why didn’t God require that these two things be united? Why didn’t God tell David, “Either bring the Ark to the Tabernacle or bring the Tabernacle to Jerusalem”?

Why Did God Allow Tabernacle Worship and the Ark to Remain in the Background?

1. We are looking at this from the divine perspective now. We know possibly why David did not bring the Ark and Tabernacle together, but only from his perspective. From God’s vantage point, I believe that God chose to have one Christ figure at a time in the forefront.

2. You may recall that Samuel was an outstanding parallel to our Lord, and that prior to his leading the nation Israel, the existing priesthood suddenly ended, the Ark was out of commission, and Shiloh, where the Tabernacle was kept, was apparently destroyed. The idea was, Samuel stood as a shadow for Jesus Christ.

3. With David, we have a similar situation. David is an outstanding shadow figure of Christ to come. Furthermore, his reign and his son’s reign also parallel the 2^nd Advent and the Tribulation followed by our Lord’s rule over the earth during a Millennium of peace. Samuel would have been the 1^st Advent of our Lord, including being resurrected.

4. The purpose of the Ark, of the Tabernacle and of the sacrifices was to foreshadow Jesus Christ and to provide the gospel to those of that time. Samuel and David are such good representations of Christ Jesus that the Ark and the Tabernacle were no longer in the forefront.

5. So, it is possible that Tabernacle worship was still going on at this time, but it is not mentioned because God wants us to look at Samuel and David and see the 1^st and 2^nd Advents. With Solomon, David’s son, on the throne, there is a time of peace and the Temple is built, representing a permanence, as we have in the Millennium rule of Jesus Christ.

6. Bear in mind that, Samuel, David and Solomon are all real people, who lived and died, who sinned and who did great things. You cannot examine each and every detail of these men’s lives and find a parallel to Jesus Christ. However, if you paint with broad strokes, the most essential similarities can be easily seen.

7. Samuel: Samuel was a prophet, a priest, and a judge. He was not in the direct line of the priests, yet he was chosen from even before he was born to serve God. Even in the end, God brought Samuel back from the dead, to complete the parallel between himself and Jesus Christ.

8. David: David is the king-prophet and throughout his kingship, he will be a bloody king, involved in innumerable wars, just as our Lord will kill a tremendous number of people during the Tribulation.

9. Solomon: Solomon will rule over Israel during a time of peace. All that David did secured this great time of peace for Israel. At this point in Israel’s history, Israel will occupy the most land and be the most prosperous. There will no longer be worship at the semi-permanent Tabernacle, but worship will be at a permanent dwelling, the Temple of Solomon (there will also be a Temple during the Millennium). This will represent the permanence and the prosperity of the Millennium. However, just as Solomon’s rule will not be perfect, there will be sin during the Millennium and, at the end, rebellion (at the end of Somon’s rule, Israel will be split into two kingdoms).

10. Therefore, since these three men represent our spiritual future, they will be in the forefront, and the Tabernacle and the Ark will not be as important during this time period.

When we deal with events that we do not completely understand, bear in mind, there should be reasons for them from a human perspective as well as from the divine perspective.

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One final question—why didn’t David just build an large, permanent edifice to keep the Ark in? He had already tried to move the Ark with disastrous results; so David knew that doing things differently than what was found in Scripture could be very problematic. Therefore, I am sure that he followed the example what was done at Obed-edom’s home or in Kiriath-jearim, where the Ark had been kept successfully throughout David’s lifetime. This is given no emphasis, as there was not really an official place to keep the Ark other than in the Tabernacle of God. God allowed the Ark to be kept where it is kept all these years for the reasons cited above. Before David tries to change up things too much, he will first speak to Nathan the prophet about it (1Chron. 17:1).

Then said David, “Not to carry an Ark of the Elohim for if the Levites for in them chose Y^ehowah to carry an Ark of the Y^ehowah and to His ministry as far as forever.”

1Chronicles

15:2

David then said, “None should carry the Ark of Elohim except the Levites for Y^ehowah chose to carry the Ark of Y^ehowah by means of them so that they [might] minister [to] Him forever.”

David then said, “It is not lawful for anyone except the Levites to carry the Ark of God, for Jehovah chose them to bear the Ark of the Lord and to minister before Him forever.”

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text Then said David, “Not to carry an Ark of the Elohim for if the Levites for in them chose Y^ehowah to carry an Ark of the Y^ehowah and to His ministry as far as forever.”

Septuagint Then said David, It is not lawful for any to bear the ark of God, but the Levites; for the Lord has chosen them to bear the ark of the Lord, and to minister to Him for ever.

Significant differences: The LXX smoothed out the text slightly in regards to God choosing them to bear the Ark. In my mostly literal translation, I essentially did the same thing.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV He said, "Only Levites will be allowed to carry the chest, because the LORD has chosen them to do that work and to serve him forever."

The Message Then David gave orders: "No one carries the Chest of God except the Levites; GOD designated them and them only to carry the Chest of GOD and be available full time for service in the work of worship."

NLT Then he issued these instructions: “When we transport the Ark of God this time, no one except the Levites may carry it. The Lord has chosen them to carry the Ark of the Lord and to minister before him forever.”

REB He decreed that only Levites should carry the Ark of God, since they had been chosen by the Lord to carry it and to serve him for ever.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ Then David insisted that only the Levites carry God's ark because the LORD had chosen them to carry his ark and to serve him forever.

HCSB Then David said, "No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever."

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

ESV Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the LORD had chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister to him forever.

Young’s Updated LT Then said David, “None are to carry the ark of God, except the Levites, for on them has Jehovah fixed to carry the ark of God, and to serve Him—unto the age.”

What is the gist of this verse? David indicates that the problem before was, the Levites were to bear the Ark of God, and that God gave them a specific ministry—to bear the Ark and to serve Him forever.

1Chronicles 15:2a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
âz (ז ָא) [pronounced awz]	then, at that time, in that case (when following an if or though), now, as things are; that being so	adverb	Strong’s #227 BDB #23
âmar (ר ַמ ָא) [pronounced aw-MAHR]	to say, to speak, to utter; to say [to oneself], to think	3^rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect	Strong’s #559 BDB #55
Dâvid (ד ̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED]	beloved and is transliterated David	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #1732 BDB #187
lô (אֹל or אל) [pronounced low]	not, no	negates the word or action that follows; the absolute negation	Strong’s #3808 BDB #518
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
nâsâ (אָָנ) [pronounced naw-SAW]	to lift up, to bear, to carry	Qal infinitive construct	Strong’s #5375 (and #4984) BDB #669
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth]	generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward	indicates that the following substantive is a direct object	Strong's #853 BDB #84
ărôwn (ןר ֲא) [pronounced uh-ROHN]	ark, chest; Ark	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #727 BDB #75
Ělôhîym (מי̣הֹלֱא) [pronounced el-o-HEEM]	gods, foreign gods, god; God; rulers, judges; superhuman ones, angels; transliterated Elohim	masculine plural noun with the definite article	Strong's #430 BDB #43
kîy (י̣) [pronounced kee]	when, that, for, because	explanatory conjunction; preposition	Strong's #3588 BDB #471
îm (ם ̣א) [pronounced eem]	if, though; lo, behold; oh that, if only; when, since, though	primarily an hypothetical particle	Strong's #518 BDB #49
Together, kîy îm (ם ̣א י ̣) [pronounced kee-eem] act as a limitation on the preceding thought, and therefore should be rendered but, except, except that, unless and possibly only. However, these particles are not used in a limiting way if they follow an oath, a question or a negative. Then they can be rendered that if, for if, for though, that since, for if, but if, indeed if, even if.
L^evîyyim (ם ̣ ̣ול) [pronounced l^e-vee-YIM]	joined to, attached; garland, crown; and is transliterated Levites	proper plural noun with the definite article	Strong’s #3881 BDB #532

Translation: David then said, “None should carry the Ark of Elohim except the Levites... This translation is a little weak; the negation used here generally negates the verb; there is another substantive is not used here which is rendered none. Brenton suggests, in his rendering of the LXX, that this should be it is not lawful for anyone to carry the Ark of God except for the Levites. What we have here are a couple of missing words from the MT, or David is speaking in ellipsis, where a few words are left out in order to place great emphasis upon what he is saying. Literally, this reads: “Not to carry the Ark of God except the Levites...”

All this aside, this tells us that David has been reading his Bible. We know that part of a king’s duties are to make a copy of the Law for himself, so David does have a personal Bible. As we have studied earlier, the Law of Moses makes it quite clear that the Levites are the ones who are to transport the Ark (Num. 1:50 4:5, 15 7:9 10:8, 17 Deut. 10:8 31:9). I suspect that David read about the Ark, originally, in the first few chapters of Samuel, which told him where the Ark of God was, and, without doing any further research, attempted to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, following the example of the Philistines. When this did not work, then David went back to the Scriptures, read the passages I just named, and now will made a second attempt to move the Ark.

Application: As I pointed out when we studied 2Sam. 6, you do not read a narrative in the Bible and then copy what you find in the narrative. This is not how spirituality or the spiritual life works. David read about how the Philistines moved the Ark and copied their method, to some degree, because they were successful in transporting the Ark from Philistia back to Israel. However, this was not God’s way of doing things; in other passages, God makes it clear how the Ark is supposed to be moved. Now, maybe you don’t get the point. Here’s the point: many cults have begun by reading narrative and copying what is there. Joseph Smith read the Bible and then put together a similar set of Scriptures himself, also written in King James’ English (which is not how people spoke then Smith wrote the Book of Mormon). The Mormons read about polygamy in the Bible and many of them took it up as a lifestyle (this is not a part of official Mormon today). Charismatics, over the past century, saw the giving of the Holy Spirit occurring in several instances in the Book of Acts, which experience was followed by, in several cases, speaking in tongues. Because they did not necessarily have an emotional high after being saved (assuming that many of them are saved), they imitated what they found in the book of Acts, and justified this with a few Scriptures from 1Corinthians. Let me make this clear: you do not read some narrative in Scripture and then try to copy it. The Bible is filled with mandates; there are hundreds of mandates. The New Testament has many verses in the imperative mood. Before you try to just copy what you read in narrative, read these mandates and obey these mandates. I can guarantee you that, if you obey Paul’s mandates (and those in the other epistles), you spiritual life is going to be fine. You aren’t going to feel as though you are somehow lacking this or that dimension in your spiritual life.

1Chronicles 15:2b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
kîy (י̣) [pronounced kee]	when, that, for, because	explanatory conjunction; preposition	Strong's #3588 BDB #471
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity; with the 3^rd person masculine plural suffix	No Strong’s # BDB #88
bâchar (ר ַח ָ) [pronounced baw-KHAHR]	to choose; Gesenius also lists to prove, to try, to examine, to approve, to choose, to select; to love, to delight in [something], to desire	3^rd person masculine singular, Qal perfect	Strong's #977 BDB #103
YHWH (הוהי) [pronunciation is possibly yhoh-WAH]	transliterated variously as Jehovah, Yahweh, Y^ehowah	proper noun	Strong’s #3068 BDB #217
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
nâsâ (אָָנ) [pronounced naw-SAW]	to lift up, to bear, to carry	Qal infinitive construct	Strong’s #5375 (and #4984) BDB #669
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth]	generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward	indicates that the following substantive is a direct object	Strong's #853 BDB #84
ărôwn (ןר ֲא) [pronounced uh-ROHN]	ark, chest; Ark	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #727 BDB #75
YHWH (הוהי) [pronunciation is possibly yhoh-WAH]	transliterated variously as Jehovah, Yahweh, Y^ehowah	proper noun	Strong’s #3068 BDB #217
In the Hallel codex and 1 early printing, this reads Elohim instead of YHWH.

Translation: ...for Y^ehowah chose to carry the Ark of Y^ehowah by means of them... God chose the Levites to minister to him, which meant that they had charge of maintaining the Tabernacle and the furniture; and, when necessary, moving these holy things from place to place.

Each article of furniture of the Tabernacle and every ritual helped to explain God’s character, essence and plan. God even used specific events (the failure of Moses; the offering of Isaac) in order to teach great spiritual truths. We have God’s holiness taught here; all that is connected with God—and specifically, the Ark—cannot be simply handled and moved. No person could have direct contact with the Ark, no matter how good they are. And only the Levites, after having been consecrated, could be closely associated with the Ark (although they could not touch the Ark).

Application: The aspect of God’s essence which is most often ignored is His perfection and his holiness; God cannot have direct contact with man. We can pick out men that we think are really wonderful, and kind, and who sin very little, and who have few if any overt sins, and these men cannot have any direct contact with God, any more than having direct contact with the sun. God is perfect holiness and we are not; perfect righteousness cannot have fellowship with unrighteousness, no matter how nice that unrighteous person seems to us. Uzza was probably a hell of a nice guy and he was one of the caretakers of the Ark, yet when he touched the Ark inadvertently, he died immediately. There was no second chance. Unrighteousness cannot have fellowship with perfect righteousness. There can be no contact between man and God, because man is profane and God is holy; even someone like Uzza, who touched the Ark accidentally and who was, by all accounts, a pretty moral and upright guy, could not have contact with God. We need an intermediary; we need a mediator; we need Jesus Christ.

J. Vernon McGee gives us some application: As we look around us, we see a restlessness. The church, having departed from the Word of God, is in as much disarray as any other institution. The theology of both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism is a shambles, my friend. Why? Because both got away from the Word of God, and as a result, they are not doing it God’s way. My firm conviction is that the most important matter is to get the ark of God on the move, by which I mean, get the gospel going out, get the Word of God moving out to the human family. Let’s put the emphasis where God puts it.

Application: There are two ways to learn something: the hard way and God’s way. David could have moved the Ark successfully the first time, had he gone to the Word of God first. Let me be more specific: I am sure that David had gone to the Word of God, read about the Ark and where it was, noticed how the Philistines moved the Ark, and then copied the Philistines. You can’t do it that way. God specified how the Ark was to be moved, and all David had to do was dig a little deeper into the Word to determine what he should have done. Bob Thieme Jr. used to use the phrase, you’ve learned enough doctrine to be dangerous. This is what David did; he had learned enough doctrine to be dangerous, and his first attempt to move the Ark ended in tragedy. David has clearly gone back into the Scriptures and he has researched this issue more carefully, and now, everything is going to go as planned.

Application: In this dispensation, we are to be taught by a pastor-teacher. Did you realize that, after you have been saved, and you walk into church for your first dose of doctrine, that, for some reason, the pastor rarely covers everything that you need to know for the rest of your life in that first lesson. Sometimes it may take two or three. Paul tells us in 1Corinthians not to make any major decisions—don’t get married, don’t get divorced. What is that all about? Once we become Christians, we no longer make big decisions? Of course not! But, when you are saved, what you need is doctrine in order to figure out what you ought to do. Until then, you cool your jets, you slow your roll, and you don’t jump into any major decisions. When I first became a believer in Jesus Christ, I made a major decision right out of the gate, and it was the biggest mistake that I have ever made. You don’t think that Satan is right there just waiting to pounce, waiting to knock you off guard from day one? Now, since then, after I got some doctrine, after I got oriented to this life and my place in it, decisions of what I should do have been extremely easy. Rarely has been the time since then that I agonized, should I do A or should I do B? Decisions for me have been very easy, after I got some doctrine in my soul. 6 years after I was saved, I made one of the biggest decisions of my life (moving from California to Texas); this was exactly what I needed to do, even though, in many ways, it was a difficult decision to make. It became apparent to me that I needed to move—I was spinning my wheels in California—and I had 3 possible places to move to, and Texas was far, far down on that list of 3 (if I recall, it was about 10^th on a list of 3 places to move to). Having been here now for nearly 3 decades, it is quite clear to me that this is where God wanted me, and this is where God wants me. I could not have asked for a better destination. But, notice, this decision came 6 years after becoming a believer in Jesus Christ (and I studied doctrine almost daily for 5 years prior to making the decision). My point: do not make any major decisions after being saved; grow up spiritually first. Once you begin to grow spiritually, you are going to find that divine guidance is one of the easiest aspects of the Christian life.

1Chronicles 15:2c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
shârath (ת ַר ָש) [pronounced shaw-RAHTH]	to serve, to minister	Piel infinitive construct with the 3^rd person masculine singular suffix	Strong’s #8334 BDB #1058
Although Owen has that this is a Qal stem, this verb only occurs in the Piel, as per BDB.
׳ad (דַע) [pronounced ģahd]	as far as, even to, up to, until	preposition	Strong’s #5704 BDB #723
׳ôwlâm (םָלע) [pronounced ģo-LAWM]	long duration, forever, perpetuity, antiquity, futurity	masculine singular noun	Strong’s #5769 BDB #761
Together, they mean and from everlasting to everlasting, from eternity past to eternity future or from antiquity to everlasting, forever; for a lifetime (?); from a point in time to far into the future; to the end of this age.

Translation: ...so that they [might] minister [to] Him forever.” Literally, this reads: ...and to His ministry as far as forever.” I have added a few words in order for this to hold together well. The forever spoken of here would be as long as there was an Ark and as long as there was a Tabernacle (or Temple). Quite obviously, without those things, there is no need for the Levites to minister to them. There are several times when we find the phrase forever which does not mean forever (Ex. 21:6 Lev. 25:46 Deut. 15:17 1Sam. 1:22).

There is no indication that these duties would later pass on to anyone else. The Levites represent the believer in Christ Jesus. They could not own land here on earth, although they were able to live side by side to other Israelites, the land never belonged to them. We are in this world, but we are not of this world. We might own a house which sits on a small tract of land, but it is temporary at best. I personally love my house and the plot of ground that it sits on, but at some point in time, it will no longer belong to me, because my life in this world is temporary. The Levites represented the temporary nature of our life on this earth; and they represented the spiritual aspect of our life. They represent our spiritual life and our spiritual duties.

And so assembles David all Israel unto Jerusalem to bring up an Ark of Y^ehowah unto his place which he set up for him.

1Chronicles

15:3

David assembled all of Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the Ark of Y^ehowah to its place that David had prepared for it.

David assembled all of Israel at Jerusalem in order to bring up the Ark of the Lord to the place that David had prepared for it.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text And so assembles David all Israel unto Jerusalem to bring up an Ark of Y^ehowah unto his place which he set up for him.

Septuagint And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord to the place which he had prepared for it.

Significant differences: The MT has a masculine singular suffix affixed to place, which is not found in the LXX. That is the only difference in the text (recall that there is no neuter gender in the Hebrew, so now and again a masculine gender will be rendered as a neuter in the Greek).

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV Next, David invited everyone to come to Jerusalem and watch the sacred chest being carried to the place he had set up for it.

The Message David then called everyone in Israel to assemble in Jerusalem to bring up the Chest of GOD to its specially prepared place.

GNB (TEV) So David summoned all the people of Israel to Jerusalem in order to bring the Covenant Box to the place he had prepared for it.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ David called together all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the LORD'S ark to the place he had prepared for it.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

LTHB And David gathered all Israel to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Jehovah to its place that he had prepared for it.

Young’s Updated LT And David assembles all Israel unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Jehovah unto its place that he had prepared for it.

What is the gist of this verse? David gathered all Israel to Jerusalem in order to celebrate the moving of the Ark into Jerusalem.

1Chronicles 15:3a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
qâhal (ל-הָק) [pronounced kaw-HAHL]	to assemble, to call together, to summon an assembly [for war, judgement or a religious purpose]	3^rd person masculine singular, Hiphil imperfect	Strong’s #6950 BDB #874
Dâvid (ד ̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED]	beloved and is transliterated David	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #1732 BDB #187
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth]	generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward	indicates that the following substantive is a direct object	Strong's #853 BDB #84
kôl (לֹ) [pronounced kohl]	every, each, all of, all; any of, any	masculine singular construct not followed by a definite article	Strong’s #3605 BDB #481
Yis^erâêl (לֵאָר ׃̣י) [pronounced yis-raw-ALE]	transliterated Israel	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #3478 BDB #975
el (ל∵א) [pronounced ehl]	unto; into, among, in; toward, to; against; concerning, regarding; besides, together with; as to	directional preposition (respect or deference may be implied)	Strong's #413 BDB #39
Y^erûwshâlayim (ם̣יַלָשר׃י) [pronounced yroo-shaw-LAH-yim]	possibly means founded upon peace or city of the Jebusites (or both); it is transliterated Jerusalem	Proper singular noun, location	Strong’s #3389 BDB #436

Translation: David assembled all of Israel at Jerusalem... David is going to bring the Ark up to Jerusalem, and he’s not going to do it in secret; he is not going to take a few expendables out with him and try this or that. He is going to move the Ark, he knows how to move the Ark; and he is going to do it in front of all Israel. Although there are differening opinions here, I believe that David originally assembled 30,000 of his choice men when he made the first attempt to move the Ark; but this time, there was an open invitation to all Israel, a few of whom will be named in this chapter. Given what is occurring and given the planning that went into this, there was essentially a parade route, so to speak, where people could stand, beginning at the home of Obed-edom—where the Ark is—and extending into Jerusalem where the tent is which David prepared, which David had prepared for the Ark. This is a significant moment in Israel’s history, so it would make sense for David to call to all Israel to attend (in 1Chron. 15:25, we read that David and certain higher ups went to bring the Ark up from the house of Obed-edom; this would be the mobile part of the parade, and all Israel would be the spectators).

1Chronicles 15:3b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
׳âlâh (ה ָל ָע) [pronounced ģaw-LAWH]	to cause to go up, to lead up, to take up, to bring up	Hiphil infinitive construct	Strong's #5927 BDB #748
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth]	generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward	indicates that the following substantive is a direct object	Strong's #853 BDB #84
ărôwn (ןר ֲא) [pronounced uh-ROHN]	ark, chest; Ark	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #727 BDB #75
YHWH (הוהי) [pronunciation is possibly yhoh-WAH]	transliterated variously as Jehovah, Yahweh, Y^ehowah	proper noun	Strong’s #3068 BDB #217

Translation: ...to bring up the Ark of Y^ehowah... This will be David’s second attempt at transporting the Ark, but he appears to be quite confident about the procedure. Why is he confident? Because he believes in the Word of God. That is the key.

Application: Confidence comes from knowing and obeying the Word of God.

Application: I’ve been a believer in Jesus Christ for 35 years now, but it is not the number of years on this earth as a believer which contributes to my confidence; it is my knowledge of God’s Word. With a superficial understanding of God’s Word, surely I could say things like, “The Bible is filled with contradictions; the Bible is simply a book written by men; the Bible has been changed many times throughout human history in order to promote this or that religious view.” However, the more that I know about the Bible, the sillier those claims seem to me. What I know about the Bible and what I know of what is in the Bible gives me terrific confidence.

Reasons for Our Confidence in God’s Word

1. The promise of Jesus Christ runs from the beginning of Scripture to the very end.

a. From Gen. 3, we know that the Seed of the Woman is going to solve the great sin problem of Adam and the woman.

b. From Gen. 3, God replaces the clothing which Adam and/or Eve made out of fig leaves with leather, which means, God killed an animal in order to cover their nakedness. Prior to this, there is no indication that animals were killed for any reason (man was a vegetarian until God gave him permission to eat animal flesh).

c. The difference between Cain and Abel’s sacrifices were, Cain’s came from his hard work; Abel presented an animal to God, an animal’s whose throat he slashed open (which is how Cain figured out how to kill Abel). Gen. 4

2. Our Lord’s close association with the woman is found throughout Scripture:

a. Jesus Christ is known as the Seed of the Woman back in Gen. 3 where the quality of the sins of Adam and Eve are distinguished from the very beginning.

b. The Savior would be born of a virgin in Isa. 9:6, which is fulfilled in Matt. 1. The discussion about whether the Hebrew word found in Isaiah means virgin or young woman is smoke a mirrors; simply read the context: The Lord will give you a sign... Quite frankly, it is not really a sign when a young woman becomes pregnant.

3. Man is portrayed as fallen from the very beginning:

a. In Gen. 3, the fall of man is described.

b. Throughout the Law of Moses, there are purifying rituals which are provided in order for man to be, at least temporarily, right with God (most of them involve animal sacrifices).

c. Job cries out, “How can a man be righteous before God?” (Job 9:2b).

d. The psalmist confirms our unrighteousness: The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one (Psalm 14:1–3).

e. Isaiah tells us that even our deeds of righteousness are like menstruous rags in God’s eyes. Isa. 64:6a: But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.

f. Rom. 1:18: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

g. Rom. 3:10: As it stands written: "None is righteous, no, not one.”

4. Our Lord’s substitutionary death on our behalf is found throughout God’s Word:

a. In Gen. 22, Abraham is told to offer up his son (who should have been Abraham’s only son); and immediately before Abraham slits the throat of the son he loves, God provides a substitution for Isaac.

b. We find the continued theme of animal sacrifices throughout the Bible, until, of course, our Lord comes.

c. The firstborn of Egypt had to die in order for the Israelites to be set free.

d. Psalm 22 describes the crucifixion in much greater detail than any of the gospels, including the book of John where John was an eyewitness to the crucifixion.

e. Isa. 53 describes our Lord’s 1^st advent and His death on our behalf with great theological clarity.

f. God speaks to us in Zech. 12:10 about the end times: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on Me, on Him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over Him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”

5. God is our righteousness.

a. Jer. 23:6: In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.'

b. Jer. 33:16: In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.'

c. Rom. 3:22: The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction [between Jews and Gentiles in this regard].

d. Rom. 5:17–19): For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

e. 1Cor. 1:30: And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, Who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

f. Gal. 2:21: I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

6. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ, the God-man, known in the Old Testament as Jehovah Elohim.

a. For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness (Rom. 4:3–5 Gen. 15:6).

b. And Rom. 4:6–8 (and Psalm 32:1–2): Just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin."

c. Philip. 3:7–9: But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.

d. Titus 3:5: he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.

7. The Trinity is found throughout Scripture.

a. As early as Gen. 1:26, God says, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness...”

b. In Deut. 6:4, often cited as proof that the Bible does not teach there is a Trinity, reads: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” The word used for one is a word of unity rather than specifically and exclusively for singularity. This same word is used of the man and the woman becoming one flesh.

c. In Isa. 48:12–13, 16, Jesus Christ speaks: “Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I have called: I am He, I am the first and I am the last; surely My hand founded the earth and My right hand spread out the heavens. When I called to them, they stand together...Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there. And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit.”

8. The need for a Mediator between man and God is found throughout Scripture:

a. When God spoke to the people of Israel and gave them the 10 Commandments, their response was: Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die." (Ex. 20:18–19). They asked that Moses mediate between them and God (which he did on several occasions after that when God said He would wipe them out).

b. Job 33:22–28: His soul draws near the pit, and his life to those who bring death. If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him, and he is merciful to him, and says, 'Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom; let his flesh become fresh with youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor'; then man prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness. He sings before men and says: 'I sinned and perverted what was right, and it was not repaid to me. He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.'

c. 1Tim. 2:5–6: For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

d. Heb. 9:15: And for this cause He is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

9. Jesus Christ is presented from the beginning as Creator of the heavens and the earth. We have already seen passages like Gen. 1:26 Isa. 48:16.

a. We find this confirmed in the New Testament. John 1:1–3, 14: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

b. This is taught throughout the New Testament, but Paul, John and the writer of Hebrews: Rev. 4:11 Heb. 1:2 Col. 1:16.

10. These few consistencies found from beginning to end in the Bible barely scratch the surface of our reason to have confidence in Him and in His Word. None of these doctrines are popular; men have objected to some of all of them throughout human history. I recall vividly the words of a song by Who, “I don’t need to be forgiven, yeah yeah yeah yeah.” If you ask almost any person who has not been saved (and even some of those who have been saved), and they will tell you that they are going to heaven because they are good or because they do good things. The idea that God gives us eternal life for simply believing in Jesus Christ runs counter to our natural way of thinking. Every cult and every religion has a set of rules or commandments that we must follow in order to earn God’s respect and love (although these religions are often less clear about just exactly how well we must obey in insure our eternal salvation). All of these essential doctrines herein named run counter to man’s way of thinking, yet they remain in Scripture from beginning to end, unchanged, even though a myriad of different and often opposing groups preserved Scripture over the many centuries of man’s history.

The more that you know from the Old and New Testaments, the greater your confidence level in the Word of God and in your own salvation. The more that you know about what God did on our behalf, from beginning to end, the more all of this holds together. The fact that these books were written by a number of different men from all walks of life, over a period of as much as 3000 years, and yet there is this great consistency, is awesome.

What I have listed here is just a small portion of things which would give us confidence in Scripture. And even though I focused on Jesus Christ, each point could easily have another dozen subpoints.

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1Chronicles 15:3c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
el (ל∵א) [pronounced ehl]	unto; into, among, in; toward, to; against; concerning, regarding; besides, together with; as to	directional preposition (respect or deference may be implied)	Strong's #413 BDB #39
mâqôwm (םקָמ) [pronounced maw-KOHM]	place, situated; for a soldier, it may mean where he is stationed; for people in general, it would be their place of abode (which could be their house or their town)	masculine singular noun with the 3^rd person masculine singular suffix	Strong’s #4725 BDB #879
ăsher (ר∵שֲא) [pronounced ash-ER]	that, which, when, who, whom	relative pronoun	Strong's #834 BDB #81
kûwn (ן) [pronounced koon]	to erect (to stand up perpendicular), to set up, to establish, to prepare, to strengthen, to be stabilized	3^rd person masculine singular, Hiphil perfect	Strong’s #3559 BDB #465
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition with the 3^rd person masculine singular suffix	No Strong’s # BDB #510

Translation: ...to its place that David had prepared for it. V. 1 tells us that David pitched a tent for the Ark of God, which tent is not the Tabernacle of God. It is interesting, as mentioned before, that David does not locate and bring up the Tabernacle of God as well. However, as also discussed, what we may reasonably assume is, David had other plans for housing the Ark of God (and he will find out that God has other plans Himself in this regard).

Although this chapter of Chronicles parallels and second half of 2Sam. 6, there are only 3 or so verses which are actually similar, this being one of them. I’ll try to compare these verses at the end with 2Sam. 6.

And so gathers David sons of Aaron and the Levites:...

1Chronicles

15:4

He [lit., and David] gathered the sons of Aaron and the Levites:...

So David assembled the sons of Aaron and the following Levites:...

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text And so gathers David sons of Aaron and the Levites:...

Septuagint And David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites. [Brenton left out the conjunction in his English translation; it is found in the Greek, however].

Significant differences: None.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV He also sent for Aaron's descendants and for the Levites. The Levites that came were:...

The Message David also called in the family of Aaron and the Levites.

GNB (TEV) Next he sent for the descendants of Aaron and for the Levites.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ David also called together Aaron's descendants and the Levites.

HCSB Then he gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:...

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

WEB David gathered together the sons of Aaron, and the Levites...

Young's Updated LT And David gathers the sons of Aaron, and the Levites.

What is the gist of this verse? One subset of those gathered are the priests, who are the descendants of Aaron, brother of Moses. All priests are Levites but not all Levites are priests.

1Chronicles 15:4a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
âçaph (ף ַס ָא) [pronounced aw-SAHF]	relocate, transfer, transport, gather, to gather and remove, to remove	3^rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect	Strong’s #622 BDB #62
Dâvid (ד ̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED]	beloved and is transliterated David	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #1732 BDB #187
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth]	generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward	indicates that the following substantive is a direct object	Strong's #853 BDB #84
bên (ן ֵ) [pronounced bane]	son, descendant	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #1121 BDB #119
Ahărôn (ןֹרֲה-א) [pronounced ah-huh-ROHN]	transliterated Aaron	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #175 BDB #14

Translation: He [lit., and David] gathered the sons of Aaron... There is some confusion with who is who. We hear the phrase Levitical priests all the time, but that is not really accurate. The sons of Aaron were priests, and Aaron is a branch of the Levite tribe. The Levites in general served God working under the priests. So all priests are Levites, but not all Levites are priests.

1Chronicles 15:4b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth]	generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward	indicates that the following substantive is a direct object	Strong's #853 BDB #84
L^evîyyim (ם ̣ ̣ול) [pronounced l^e-vee-YIM]	joined to, attached; garland, crown; and is transliterated Levites	proper plural noun with the definite article	Strong’s #3881 BDB #532

Translation: ...and the Levites:... This is one of the 12 tribes of Israel. They did not specifically own any land, but they shared space with the other 11 tribes throughout Israel. David would not have simply gone to one territory and gather up the Levites; they would have come from all over Israel. Even though there was probably a city of priests (Gibeon now instead of Nob1Chron. 16:29), the Levites would be all over Israel in specific designated cities (Joshua 21).

...to sons of Kohath: Uriel the head and his brothers a hundred and twenty;...

1Chronicles

15:5

...from [lit., to, for, with regard to; and so throughout] the descendants of Kohath: Uriel, the head [of this branch] and 120 of his brothers;...

...from the sons of Kohath,—120 came (their leader is Uriel);...

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text ...to sons of Kohath: Uriel the head and his brothers a hundred and twenty;...

Septuagint Of the sons of Caath; there was Uriel the chief, and his brethren, a hundred and twenty.

Significant differences: None.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV ...Uriel, the leader of the Kohath clan, and one hundred twenty of his relatives;...

The Message From the family of Kohath, Uriel the head with 120 relatives;...

GNB (TEV) From the Levite clan of Kohath came Uriel, in charge of 120 members of his clan;...

NLT There were 120 from the clan of Kohath, with Uriel as their leader.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ Leading Kohath's descendants was Uriel, who came with 120 of his relatives.

HCSB ...From the Kohathites, Uriel the leader and 120 of his relatives;...

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

ESV ...of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, with 120 of his brothers;...

Young's Updated LT Of sons of Kohath: Uriel the chief, and his brethren, a hundred and twenty.

What is the gist of this verse? In attendance is Uriel, the head of the Kohath branch of Levites, along with 120 others.

1Chronicles 15:5a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to, with reference to, as to, with regards to; belonging to; by	directional/relational preposition with the 3^rd person masculine singular suffix	No Strong’s # BDB #510
The meanings of the lâmed preposition broken down into groups: ➊ to, towards, unto; it is used both to turn one’s heart toward someone as well as to sin against someone; ➋ to, even to; in this sense, it can be used with a number to indicate the upper limit which a multitude might approach (nearly). ➌ Lâmed can be equivalent to the Greek preposition eis (εἰς), meaning into, as in transforming into something else, changing into something else (Gen. 2:7). This use of lâmed after the verb hâyâh (ה ָי ָה) [pronounced haw-YAW] (Strong’s #1961 BDB #224) is one thing becoming another (Gen. 2:7). ➍ Its fourth use is the mark of a dative, after verbs of giving, granting, delivering, pardoning, consulting, sending, etc. This type of dative is broken down into several categories, but one includes the translation by, which would be apropos here. ➎ With regards to, as to. Similar to the Greek preposition eis (εἰς) plus the dative. [Numbering from Gesenius]. ➏ On account of, because, propter, used of cause and reason (propter means because; Gesenius used it). ➐ Concerning, about, used of a person or thing made the object of discourse, after verbs of saying. ➑ On behalf of anyone, for anyone. ➒ As applied to a rule or standard, according to, according as, as though, as if. ➓ When associated with time, it refers to the point of time at which or in which anything is done; or it can refer to the space of time during which something is done (or occurs); at the time of.
bên (ן ֵ) [pronounced bane]	son, descendant	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #1121 BDB #119
K^ehâth (תָהק) [pronounced k^eh-HATH]	assembly; transliterated Kohath	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #6955 BDB #875

Translation: ...from [lit., to, for, with regard to; and so throughout] the descendants of Kohath:... We are now dealing with the various branches of the Levite line. 6 branches will be named in this and the next 5 verses. The Levite line goes back about 1000 years, and one branch of Levites are descendants of Kohath, Levi’s second son (Gen. 46:11). Kohath was one of the sons who originally moved to Egypt during the famine, where his Uncle Joseph was prime minister. There are three primary lines of Levi: Kohath, Gershon and Merar.

Samuel was half or a quarter Levite through the line of Kohath, something which we discussed in 1Chron. 6:24, and was shown on the chart The Lines of Korah and the Ancestors of Heman, in that same passage. I also discussed this in the first chapter of 1Samuel, in The Line of Samuel the Prophet. This helps to explain why Hannah, his mother, would be so willing to give up Samuel, her first son, to God. The pertinent passages on this topic are: 1Sam. 8:2 1Chron. 6:33 15:17. In reading the text of 1Chron. 6:33–34, I don’t see how it can be interpreted in any other way.

Although Kohath is not the eldest of Levi’s sons, his branch is considered to be the predominant branch, as from him came Moses and Aaron.

1Chronicles 15:5b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
Ûwrîyêl (ל̤אי .רא) [pronounced oo-ree-ALE]	flame of El; my light is El, God is my light, flame of God; transliterated Uriel	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #222 BDB #22
sar (ר ַ) [pronounced sar]	chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince, leader, commander	masculine singular noun with the definite article	Strong’s #8269 BDB #978

Translation: ...Uriel, the head [of this branch]... Uriel would have been a prominent Levite at this time, and the most prominent of the Kohath line. This is possible the same Uriel mentioned in the line of Kohath back in 1Chron. 6:24. The Kohathites are responsible for moving certain pieces of furniture, including the Ark of God, so Uriel would oversee the moving of the Ark to Jerusalem.

ISBE lists 3 different Uriel’s, one from the Apocrypha:

The Uriel’s of Scripture

(1) A Kohathite, said in 1Chron. 15:5 to be the chief of the sons of Kohath (1Chron. 6:24 (Hebrew verse 9); 1Chron. 15:5, 11). He corresponds to Zephaniah in the pedigree of Heman in 1Chron. 6:33–38 (Hebrew 18–23). Easton lists the man of 1Chron. 6:24 as different.

(2) A man of Gibeah, and father of Micaiah the mother of King Abijah of Judah (2Chron. 13:2).

(3) Called only in 2Esdras an “angel,” except 2Esdras 4:36 where the Revised Version (British and American) and the King James Version rightly give “Jeremiel the archangel” for the King James Version “Uriel the archangel,” but elsewhere known as one of the four chief archangels. He was the angel who instructed Ezra (2Esdras 4:1 5:20 10:28). In Enoch 20:2 Uriel is the angel who is “over the world and Tartarus”

Taken from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; James Orr, Editor; ©1956 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.; Ⓟ by Hendrickson Publishers; from E-Sword; Topic: Uriel. Slightly edited. M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary; 1897; from e-Sword, topic: Uriel.

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1Chronicles 15:5c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
âch (ח ָא) [pronounced awhk]	brother, kinsman or close relative	masculine plural noun with the 3^rd person masculine singular suffix	Strong's #251 BDB #26
mêâh (ה ָא ֵמ) [pronounced may-AW]	one hundred, a hundred, hundred	feminine singular numeral	Strong’s #3967 BDB #547
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
׳es^erîym (םי.ר∵ע) [pronounced ģes^e-REEM]	twenty	plural numeral adjective	Strong’s #6242 BDB #797

Translation: ...and 120 of his brothers;... Given that we have thousands of Kohathites in previous centuries, this would have been the prominent ones who attend. There is also the possibility that some priests merged with the general populace of Israel, something which I believe the ancestors of Hannah, Samuel’s mother, did. Such a merging with the general population would be a foreshadowing of the Jews in the Tribulation, who originally assimilate into the general population, and then come to the forefront of spiritual information dissemination (primarily the gospel) during the Tribulation.

When we get to v. 10, we will compare these Levite family branches.

...to sons of Merari: Asaiah the head and his brothers two hundred and twenty;...

1Chronicles

15:6

...from the descendants of Merari: Asaiah, the head [of this branch] and 220 of his brothers;...

...from the sons of Merari,220 came (their leader is Asaiah);...

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text ...to sons of Merari: Asaiah the head and his brothers two hundred and twenty;...

Septuagint Of the sons of Merari; Asaia the chief, and his brethren, two hundred and twenty.

Significant differences: None.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV ...Asaiah, the leader of the Merari clan, and two hundred twenty of his relatives;...

The Message ...from the family of Merari, Asaiah the head with 220 relatives;...

GNB (TEV) ...from the clan of Merari came Asaiah, in charge of 220;...

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ Leading Merari's descendants was Asaiah, who came with 220 of his relatives.

HCSB ...from the Merarites, Asaiah the leader and 220 of his relatives;...

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

MKJV From the sons of Merari: Asaiah the chief, and two hundred and twenty of his brothers.

Young's Updated LT Of sons of Merari: Asaiah the chief, and his brothers, two hundred and twenty.

What is the gist of this verse? In attendance is Asaiah, the head of the Merari branch of Levites, along with 220 of his brothers.

1Chronicles 15:6a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
bên (ן ֵ) [pronounced bane]	son, descendant	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #1121 BDB #119
M^erârîy (י .רָרמ) [pronounced mehr-aw-REE]	sorrowful, sad; bitter; transliterated Marari	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #4847 BDB #601

Translation: ...from the descendants of Merari:... What an odd name for a son: sorrowful, sad; bitter. For whatever reason, this is the meaning of Merari, the youngest son of Levi. It is suggested that, Merari was born when Levi and his brothers left their homeland due to the famine (this is the Land of Promise, by the way) and moved to Egypt, where their brother Joseph had made provision for them. This may explain why he has this name. I personally left California and family and friends for Texas, and it was very difficult to make a move of this magnitude; the family of Jacob would have faced the same difficulties, except that they moved to a foreign country, which is even more of a culture shock.

1Chronicles 15:6b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
׳Ăsâyâh (הָיָֲע) [pronounced ģuh-saw-YAW]	Jah has made, made by Jehovah; transliterated Asaiah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #6222 BDB #795
sar (ר ַ) [pronounced sar]	chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince, leader, commander	masculine singular noun with the definite article	Strong’s #8269 BDB #978

Translation: ...Asaiah, the head [of this branch]... Asaiah means the Lord has made, and he was the current head of the Merari branch of Levites. He is one of 4 different Asaiah’s found in Scripture.

ISBE lists 4 different Asaiah’s:

The Asaiah’s of Scripture

(1) A Levite of the family of Merari, and one of those who helped bring the ark from the house of Obed–edom to Jerusalem (1Chron. 6:30 15:6, 11).

(2) A leading man of the tribe of Simeon. He was in the incursion which attacked and dispossessed the Meunim (which see), or the shepherd people, in the valley of Gedor (1Chron. 4:36).

(3) An officer of Josiah sent to Huldah the prophetess for advice regarding the law book found by Hilkiah (2Kings 22:12, 14 2Chron. 34:20; also spelled Asahiah).

(4) A Shilonite resident of Jerusalem (1Chron. 9:5). He is called Maaseiah in Neh. 11:5.

Taken from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; James Orr, Editor; ©1956 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.; Ⓟ by Hendrickson Publishers; from E-Sword; Topic: Asaiah. Slightly edited. Fausset lists these as 5 Asaiah’s, but without any detail. Andrew Robert Fausset, Fausset’s Bible Dictionary; from e-Sword, topic: Asaiah.

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1Chronicles 15:6c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
âch (ח ָא) [pronounced awhk]	brother, kinsman or close relative	masculine singular noun with the 3^rd person masculine singular suffix	Strong's #251 BDB #26
mâthayim (ם̣י -תאָמ) [pronounced maw-thah-YIM]	two hundred	feminine dual numeral	Strong’s #3967 BDB #547
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
׳es^erîym (םי.ר∵ע) [pronounced ģes^e-REEM]	twenty	plural numeral adjective	Strong’s #6242 BDB #797

Translation: ...and 220 of his brothers;... Even at the Exodus, this branch of the tribe of Levi numbered in the thousands; therefore, this is certainly a group of the heads of Merari.

...to sons of Gershom: Joel the head and his brothers a hundred and thirty;...

1Chronicles

15:7

...from the descendants of Gershom: Joel, the head [of this branch] and 130 of his brothers;...

...from the sons of Gershom,130 came (their leader is Joel);...

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text ...to sons of Gershom: Joel the head and his brothers a hundred and thirty;...

Septuagint Of the sons of Gedson; Joel the chief, and his brethren, a hundred and thirty.

Significant differences: None. If you notice the difference in the proper name Gershom; in the Greek, it reads Gedson; this is because a d and r in the Hebrew can be easily confounded; and, for whatever reason, this name (along with most others) can end in an m or an n in the Hebrew.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV ...Joel, the leader of the Gershon clan, and one hundred thirty of his relatives;...

The Message ...from the family of Gershon, Joel the head with 130 relatives;...

GNB (TEV) ...from the clan of Gershon, Joel, in charge of 130;...

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ Leading Gershom's descendants was Joel, who came with 130 of his relatives.

HCSB ...from the Gershomites, Joel the leader and 130 of his relatives;...

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

MKJV From the sons of Gershom: Joel the chief, and a hundred and thirty of his brothers.

Young’s Updated LT Of sons of Gershom: Joel the chief, and his brothers, a hundred and thirty.

What is the gist of this verse? In attendance is Joel, the head of the Gershom branch of Levites, along with 130 of his brothers.

1Chronicles 15:7a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
bên (ן ֵ) [pronounced bane]	son, descendant	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #1121 BDB #119
Gêr^eshôwm (םש ר̤) [pronounced gay-rehsh-OHM]	exile, refugee; to cast out; transliterated Gershon, Gershom	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #1648 BDB #177
Also spelled Gêr^eshôwn (ןש ר̤) [pronounced gay-rehsh-OWN].

Translation: ...from the descendants of Gershom:... It is interesting that Gershom is mentioned last, of the 3 sons of Levi, as he was the eldest of the brothers. One problem with retrieving information on him is, he is known in Chronicles as Gershom, but in the rest of Scripture as Gershom (which occurs with several names in Scripture).

1Chronicles 15:7b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
Yôwêl (ל̤אי) [pronounced yoh-ĀL]	to whom Jehovah is God or worshiper of Jehovah; and is transliterated Joel	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #3100 BDB #222
sar (ר ַ) [pronounced sar]	chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince, leader, commander	masculine singular noun with the definite article	Strong’s #8269 BDB #978

Translation: ...Joel, the head [of this branch]... There are about 14 different men with the name Joel in Scripture. There are 3 of them who may or may not be the same person.

Because there are as many as 3 different Joel’s who are all named in Scripture during David’s reign, we will summarize them here:
Which Joel is Joel? Are These the Same Man?
Person	Scripture	Discussion
Joel, a head of the Gershom branch of the Levites	1Chron. 15:7: ...of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, with 130 of his brothers... 1Chron. 15:11: Then David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab...	This is the Joel of our passage.
Joel, the eldest son of Samuel.	1Sam. 8:2: The name of Samuel’s firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 1Chron. 6:31–34a: These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the LORD after the ark rested there. They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting until Solomon built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they performed their service according to their order. These are the men who served and their sons. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman the singer the son of Joel, son of Samuel, son of Elkanah,... 1Chron. 15:17: So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari, their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah.	Although the ages are roughly the same, the Joel here is a Kohathite (1Chron. 6:33) and the Joel of our passage is a Gershonite. Therefore, these are different men.
Joel, A Gershonite Levite, in the reign of David, son of Jehiel, a descendant of Laadan.	1Chron. 23:7–8: The sons of Gershon were Ladan and Shimei. The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, and Zetham, and Joel, three. 1Chron. 26:21–22: The sons of Ladan, the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, the heads of the fathers' houses belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehieli. The sons of Jehieli, Zetham, and Joel his brother, were in charge of the treasuries of the house of the LORD.	This man is probably equivalent to the Joel of our passage.

If these men are different, they are all contemporaries. And given the fact that, you can walk into any classroom in this year 2007 and not be surprised that there are 3 Taylor’s or 3 Michael’s in the same class; the idea that there are 3 men of spiritual prominence with the same name is not a difficult thing to believe or to grasp.

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1Chronicles 15:7c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
âch (ח ָא) [pronounced awhk]	brother, kinsman or close relative	masculine singular noun with the 3^rd person masculine singular suffix	Strong's #251 BDB #26
mêâh (ה ָא ֵמ) [pronounced may-AW]	one hundred, a hundred, hundred	feminine singular numeral	Strong’s #3967 BDB #547
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
sh^elôshîym (םי.שֹלש) [pronounced sh^elow-SHEEM]	thirty	plural numeral	Strong’s #7970 BDB #1026

Translation: ...and 130 of his brothers;... Again, these are simply men of renown of this particular branch of the Levites.

...to sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the head and his brothers two hundred;...

1Chronicles

15:8

...from the descendants of Elizaphan: Shemaiah, the head [of this branch] and 200 of his brothers;...

...from the sons of Elizaphan, 200 came (their leader is Shemaiah);...

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text ...to sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the head and his brothers two hundred;...

Septuagint Of the sons of Elisaphat; Semei the chief, and his brethren, two hundred.

Significant differences:

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV ...Shemaiah, the leader of the Elizaphan clan, and two hundred of his relatives;...

The Message ...from the family of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the head with 200 relatives;...

GNB (TEV) ...from the clan of Elizaphan, Shemaiah, in charge of 200;...

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ Leading Elizaphan's descendants was Shemaiah, who came with 200 of his relatives.

HCSB ...from the Elizaphanites, Shemaiah the leader and 200 of his relatives;...

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

MKJV From the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the chief and two hundred of his brothers.

Young’s Updated LT Of sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the chief, and his brothers, two hundred.

What is the gist of this verse? In attendance is Shemaiah, the head of the Elizaphan branch of Levites, along with 200 of his brothers.

1Chronicles 15:8a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
bên (ן ֵ) [pronounced bane]	son, descendant	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #1121 BDB #119
Ělîytsâphân (ןָפָצי.לֱא) [pronounced ehl-ee-tsaw-FAW]	God has protected; God of treasure; transliterated Elizaphan	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #469 BDB #45
Also spelled Ěl^etsâphân (ןָפָצלֱא) [pronounced ehl^e-tsaw-FAW].

Translation: ...from the descendants of Elizaphan:... Elizaphan was a descendant of Kohath, a son of Levi, who came to the forefront as the Jews pushed toward the Land of Promise (Num. 3:30). He is known as Elzaphan in Ex. 6:22 Lev. 10:4. We really known nothing about this man other than his listing in a few genealogies and in this chapter.

1Chronicles 15:8b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore; because	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
Sh^ema׳^eyâh (הָיע-מש) [pronounced sh^e-mahģ^e-YAW]	Yah has heard; heard by Jehovah; and is transliterated Shemaiah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #8098 BDB #1035
This is also spelled: Sh^ema׳^eyâhûw (הָיע-מש) [pronounced sh^e-mahģ^e-YAW-hoo].
sar (ר ַ) [pronounced sar]	chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince, leader, commander	masculine singular noun with the definite article	Strong’s #8269 BDB #978

Translation: ...Shemaiah, the head [of this branch]... There are 18 different men with this name, and many of them are Levites, or probably Levites (1Chron. 9:14, 16 15:8 28:4–8 2Chron. 17:8 29:14 31:15 35:9 Neh. 3:29 11:15). As far as I can tell, this is the only mention of this particular Shemaiah.

There are 25 or so Shemaiah’s found in Scripture:

The Shemaiah’s of Scripture

(1) A prophet who, together with Ahijah, protested against Rehoboam's contemplated war against the ten revolted tribes (1Kings 12:22–24 = 2Chron. 11:2–4). He declared that the rebellion had divine sanction. The second Greek account knows nothing of Ahijah in this connection and introduces Shemaiah at the gathering at Shechem where both Jeroboam and Rehoboam were present; it narrates that on this occasion Shemaiah (not Ahijah) rent his garment and gave ten parts to Jeroboam to signify the ten tribes over which he was to become king. (This version, however, is not taken very seriously, because of its numerous inconsistencies.) Shemaiah also prophesied at the invasion of Judah by Shishak (2Chron. 12:5–7). His message was to the effect that as the princes of Israel had humbled themselves, God's wrath against their idolatrous practices would not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak (2Chron. 13:7). He is mentioned as the author of a history of Rehoboam (2Chron. 12:5, 7, 15).

(2) Son of Shecaniah (1Chron. 3:22), a descendant of Zerubbabel. This is also the name of one of the men who helped to repair the wall (Neh. 3:29 1Chron. 3:17–24)).

(3) A Simeonite (1Chron. 4:37), identical, perhaps, with the Shimei of 1Chron. 4:26–27.

(4) A Reubenite (1Chron. 5:4), called Shema in 1Chron. 5:8.

(5) A Merarite Levite (1Chron. 9:14 Neh. 11:15), one of those who dwelt in Jerusalem.

(6) A Levite of the family of Jeduthun, father of Obadiah or Abda (1Chron. 9:16, called “Shammua” in Neh. 11:17).

(7) Head of the Levitical Kohathite clan of Elizaphan in the time of David (1Chron. 15:8, 15:11). He may be the same person as (8).

(8) The scribe (1Chron. 24:6), the son of Nethanel, who registered the names of the priestly courses.

(9) A Korahite Levite, eldest son of Obed–edom (1Chron. 26:4, 6, 7).

(10) A Levite (2Chron. 17:8). One of the commission appointed by Jehoshaphat to teach the book of the Law in Judah. The names of the commissioners as a whole belong to a period later than the 9th century. (Gray, HPN, 231).

(11) One of the men “over the free–will offerings of God” (2Chron. 31:15́).

(12) A Levite of the family of Jeduthun in the reign of Hezekiah (2Chron. 29:14), one of those who assisted in the purification of the Temple.

(13) A chief of the Levites (2Chron. 35:9), called “Samaias” in Septuagint and 1 Esdras 1:9.

(14) A “chief man” under Ezra (Ezra 8:16), called “Maasmas” and “Samaias” in 1 Esdras 8:43, 44.

(15) A member of the family of Adonikam (Ezra 8:13́; “Samaias” in 1 Esdras 8:39).

(16) A priest of the family of Harim who married a foreign wife (Ezra 10:21), called “Sameus” in 1 Esdras 9:21.

(17) A layman of the family of Harim who married a foreign wife (Ezra 10:31), called “Sabbeus” in 1 Esdras 9:32.

(18) A prophet (Neh. 6:10–14), employed by Sanballat and Tobiah to frighten Nehemiah and hinder the rebuilding of the wall.

(19) One of the 24 courses of priests, 16th under Zerubbabel (Neh. 12:6), 15th under Joiakim (Neh. 12:18), and 21^st under Nehemiah (Neh. 10:8́), mentioned in connection with the dedication of the wall.

(20) A priest, descendant of Asaph (Neh. 12:35).

(21) A singer (or clan) participating in the dedication of the wall (Neh. 12:36).

(22) Father of the prophet Urijah (Jer. 26:20).

(23) A false prophet who was upbraided by Jeremiah (Jer. 29:24–32) for attempting to hinder his work. He is styled “the Nehelamite” and was among those carried into captivity with Jehoiachin. In opposition to Jeremiah, he predicted a speedy ending to the captivity. Jeremiah foretold the complete destruction of Shemaiah's family.

(24) Father of Delaiah, who was a prince in the reign of Zedekiah (Jer. 36:12).

(25) “The great,” kinsman of Tobias (Tobit 5:13).

Taken from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; James Orr, Editor; ©1956 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.; Ⓟ by Hendrickson Publishers; from E-Sword; Topic: Shemaiah. Slightly edited. ISBE includes the Greek spellings and from which manuscript these spellings are found

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1Chronicles 15:8c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
âch (ח ָא) [pronounced awhk]	brother, kinsman or close relative	masculine singular noun with the 3^rd person masculine singular suffix	Strong's #251 BDB #26
mâthayim (ם̣י -תאָמ) [pronounced maw-thah-YIM]	two hundred	feminine dual numeral	Strong’s #3967 BDB #547

Translation: ...and 200 of his brothers;... Although Elizaphan is not a son of Levi, but a grandson or great grandson, he still became a significant branch of the Levites.

...to sons of Hebron: Eliel the head and his brothers eighty;...

1Chronicles

15:9

...from the descendants of Hebron: Eliel, the head [of this branch] and 80 of his brothers;...

...from the sons of Hebron, 80 came (their leader is Eliel);...

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text ...to sons of Hebron: Eliel the head and his brothers eighty;...

Septuagint Of the sons of Chebrom; Eliel the chief, and his brethren eighty.

Significant differences: None.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV ...Eliel, the leader of the Hebron clan, and eighty of his relatives; and...

The Message ...from the family of Hebron, Eliel the head with 80 relatives;...

GNB (TEV) ...from the clan of Hebron, Eliel, in charge of 80;...

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ Leading Hebron's descendants was Eliel, who came with 80 of his relatives.

HCSB ...from the Hebronites, Eliel the leader and 80 of his relatives;...

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

MKJV From the sons of Hebron: Eliel the chief and eighty of his brothers.

Young's Updated LT Of sons of Hebron: Eliel the chief, and his brethren, eighty.

What is the gist of this verse? In attendance is Eliel, the head of the Hebron branch of Levites, along with 80 of his brothers.

1Chronicles 15:9a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
bên (ן ֵ) [pronounced bane]	son, descendant	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #1121 BDB #119
Cheb^erôwn (ןר׃ב∵ח) [pronounced khe^bv-ROHN]	association, league, joined; transliterated Hebron	proper noun; location	Strong’s #2275 BDB #289

Translation: ...from the descendants of Hebron:... Hebron is also one of Kohath’s sons—his 3^rd son (Ex. 6:18 Num. 3:19 1Chron. 6:2, 6:18 23:12). His family are called Hebronites, as one would expect (Num. 3:27 26:58 1Chron. 15:9 23:19 26:23 30–31). As those who have been mentioned previously, we know essentially nothing about Hebron except for his genealogy.

1Chronicles 15:9b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
Ělîyêl (ל̤אי.לֱא) [pronounced uh-lee-ALE]	God is (my) God, El is my El; transliterated Eliel	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #447 BDB #45
sar (ר ַ) [pronounced sar]	chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince, leader, commander	masculine singular noun with the definite article	Strong’s #8269 BDB #978

Translation: ...Eliel, the head [of this branch]... There are 9 men in Scripture with this name. This Elie is the only one who is definitely a Levite, apart from the one found in 2Chron. 31:13. They were all named in 1Chron. 12:11.

1Chronicles 15:9c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
âch (ח ָא) [pronounced awhk]	brother, kinsman or close relative	masculine singular noun with the 3^rd person masculine singular suffix	Strong's #251 BDB #26
sh^emônîym (םי.נֹמש) [pronounced sh^e-moh-NEEM]	eighty	indeclinable plural numeral; adjective	Strong’s #8084 BDB #1033

Translation: ...and 80 of his brothers;... There were 80 prominent men in this branch who came to move the Ark.

...to sons of Uzziel: Amminadab the head and his brothers a hundred and two-ten.

1Chronicles

15:10

...from the descendants of Uzziel: Amminadab, the head [of this branch] and 112 of his brothers.

...from the sons of Uzziel, 112 came (their leader is Amminadab).

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text ...to sons of Uzziel: Amminadab the head and his brothers a hundred and twenty.

Septuagint Of the sons of Oziel; Aminadab the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twelve.

Significant differences:

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV ...Amminadab, the leader of the Uzziel clan, with one hundred twelve of his relatives.

The Message ...from the family of Uzziel, Amminadab the head with 112 relatives.

GNB (TEV) ...and from the clan of Uzziel, Amminadab, in charge of 112.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ Leading Uzziel's descendants was Amminadab, who came with 112 of his relatives.

HCSB ...from the Uzzielites, Amminadab the leader and 112 of his relatives.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

MKJV From the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab the chief and a hundred and twelve of his brothers.

Young's Updated LT Of sons of Uzziel: Amminadab the chief, and his brethren, a hundred and twelve.

What is the gist of this verse? In attendance is Amminadab, the head of the Uzziel branch of Levites, along with 112 of his brothers.

1Chronicles 15:10a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
bên (ן ֵ) [pronounced bane]	son, descendant	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #1121 BDB #119
׳Ŭzzîyêl (ל̤אי.ֻע) [pronounced ģooz-zee-ALE]	my strength is El, strength of God; transliterated Uzziel	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #5816 BDB #739

Translation: ...from the descendants of Uzziel:... Uzziel is Kohath’s fourth son, and his descendants made up a large branch of Levites (Ex. 6:18, 22 Lev. 10:4 1Chron. 6:2, 18). His descendants are also referenced in Scripture (Num. 3:27 1Chron. 26:23). 6 men bear the name of Uzziel.

There are 7 men in Scripture with the name Uzziel in Scripture:

The Uzziel’s of Scripture

(1) A “son” of Kohath (Ex. 6:18, 22 Lev. 10:4 Num. 3:19, 30 1Chron. 6:2, 18 (see Hebrew 5:28; 6:3) 1Chron. 15:10 23:12, 20 24:24), called in Lev. 10:4 “uncle of Aaron.” The family is called Uzzielites in Num. 3:27 1Chron. 26:23.

(2) A Simeonite captain (1Chron. 4:42).

(3) Head of a Benjamite (or according to Curtis a Zebulunite) family (1Chron. 7:7).

(4) A Hemanite musician (1Chron. 25:4); “Azarel” is the name given in 1Chron. 25:18. See Azarel.

(5) A Levite “son” of Jeduthun (2Chron. 29:14).

(6) A goldsmith who joined in repairing the wall of Jerusalem (Neh. 3:8).

(7) The reading of Septuagint for Jahaziel in 1Chron. 23:19. See Jahaziel (3^rd of 5).

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1Chronicles 15:10b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
׳Ammîynâdâb (בָדָני .-ע) [pronounced ģahm-mee-naw-DAW^BV]	my kinsman is noble; people of liberality; people of the prince; my people are willing; transliterated Amminadab	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #5992 BDB #770
sar (ר ַ) [pronounced sar]	chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince, leader, commander	masculine singular noun with the definite article	Strong’s #8269 BDB #978

Translation: ...Amminadab, the head [of this branch]... 3 men have this same name; two Levites and a Judahite. This Amminadab is mentioned only here and in the next verse.

There are 3 Amminadab’s found in Scripture:

The Amminadab’s of Scripture

(1) In Ruth 4:19, 4:20 and 1Chron. 2:10 Amminadab is referred to as one of David's ancestors. He was the great–grandson of Perez, a son of Judah (Gen. 38:29 46:12) and the great–grandfather of Boaz, who again was the great–grandfather of David. Aaron's wife, Elisheba, was a daughter of Amminadab (Ex. 6:23), while one of the sons, namely, Nahshon, occupied an important position in the Judah–clan (Num. 1:7 2:3 7:12 10:14).

(2) In the first Book of Chronicles (1Chron. 6:22) Amminadab is mentioned as a son of Kohath (and therefore a grandson of Levi) and the father of Korah. But in other genealogical passages (Ex. 6:18 Num. 3:19 1Chron. 6:2) the sons of Kohath are Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel, and in two places (Ex. 6:21 1Chron. 6:38) Izhar is mentioned as the father of Korah.

(3) According to 1Chron. 15:10–11, Amminadab was the name of a priest who took part in the removal of the ark to Jerusalem. He was the son of Uzziel, and therefore a nephew of Amminadab, son of Kohath (= Izhar).

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1Chronicles 15:10c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
âch (ח ָא) [pronounced awhk]	brother, kinsman or close relative	masculine singular noun with the 3^rd person masculine singular suffix	Strong's #251 BDB #26
mêâh (ה ָא ֵמ) [pronounced may-AW]	one hundred, a hundred, hundred	feminine singular numeral	Strong’s #3967 BDB #547
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
sh^enêym (ם̤נ ש) [pronounced sh^eNAH-yim]	two of, a pair of, both of, a duo of	masculine plural numeral; construct form	Strong’s #8147 BDB #1040
׳âsâr (רָָע) [pronounced ģaw-SAWR]	ten; –teen [resulting in numbers 11–19]	masculine/feminine singular noun	Strong’s #6240 BDB #797
These two numerals together mean 12.

Translation: ...and 112 of his brothers. 112 leaders from the family of Uzziel gathered behind Amminadab.

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Let’s quickly sum up the branches of the Levites:
The Levite Branches
Branch:	Kohath	Merari	Gershom	Elizaphan	Hebron	Uzziel
Present Leader	Uriel	Asaiah	Joel	Shemaiah	Eliel	Amminadab
Number of Levites	120	220	130	200	80	112
Head of family relation to Levi	2^nd son of Levi, but predominant branch	3^rd son of Levi	1^st son of Levi	son of Uzziel, a grandson of Levi	3^rd son of Kohath, a son of Levi	4^th son of Kohath, a son of Levi
Errata	Aaron was descended from Kohath; therefore, the line of priests are descendants of Koath	although traditionally split into two lines, Mahli and Mushi, they are not presented in this way here	Their function was more exalted than that of the Merarites, who carried the boards, and less so than that of the Kohathites, who carried the most holy utensils and symbols
Specific duties as per Mosaic Law	Their special charge was “the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the screen, and all the service thereof”	To the Merarites was entrusted the care of the boards, bars, pillars, sockets, vessels, pins and cords of the tabernacle	they were charged with the carrying of the curtains, coverings, screens, hangings, cords and instruments of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting on the journeys in the wilderness	these are Kohathites with Kohathite duties	these are Kohathites with Kohathite duties	these are Kohathites with Kohathite duties
Census of males 1 month and older	8600	6200	7500
Census (males between 30 and 50)	2750	3200	2630
Cities	23 cities from Judah, Simeon, Benjamin, Ephraim, Dan, Manasseh	12 cities out of Gad, Reuben and Zebulun	13 cities in northern Palestine

Source verses: Gen. 46:11 Ex. 6:16–22 Num. 3–4 1Chron. 6

This is one of the few times these other 3 branches of Kohathites are broken down.

Much of this was taken from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; James Orr, Editor; ©1956 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.; Ⓟ by Hendrickson Publishers; from E-Sword; Topics: Kohath, Merari, Gershon, Elizaphan, Hebron, Uzziel.

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David Explains What Went Wrong Before

And so calls David to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests and to the Levites; to Uriel, Asaiah and Joel, Shemaiah and Eliel and Amminadab.

1Chronicles

15:11

David then summoned Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, along with [lit., and] the Levite [leaders]: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab.

David then summoned the two priests, Zadok and Abiathar, along with the 6 Levite leaders: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text And so calls David to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests and to the Levites; to Uriel, Asaiah and Joel, Shemaiah and Eliel and Amminadab.

Septuagint And David called Sadoc and Abiathar the priests, and the Levites, Uriel, Asaia, and Joel, and Semaia, and Eliel, and Aminadab,...

Significant differences: The LXX has an additional and in its text.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV David called together these six Levites and the two priests, Zadok and Abiathar.

GNB (TEV) David called in the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the six Levites, Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

NLT Then David summoned the priests, Zadok and Abiathar, and these Levite leaders: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

HCSB David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

ESV Then David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab,...

WEB David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,...

Young’s Updated LT And David calls to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, and to the Levites, to Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,...

What is the gist of this verse? David summons the two priests, as well as the 6 Levite heads, to speak to.

1Chronicles 15:11a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
qârâ (א ָר ָק) [pronounced kaw-RAW]	to call, to proclaim, to read, to call to, to call out to, to assemble, to summon; to call, to name [when followed by a lâmed]	3^rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect	Strong's #7121 BDB #894
Dâvid (ד ̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED]	beloved and is transliterated David	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #1732 BDB #187
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
Tsâdôwq (קד ָצ or קֹדָצ) [pronounced tzaw-DOHK]	just, righteous; transliterated Zadok	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #6659 BDB #843
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
Eb^eyâthâr (רָתָיב∵א) [pronounced eb^e-yaw-THAWR]	the Great One is father; my father is great; transliterated Abiathar	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #54 BDB #5
kôhên (ן ֵהֹ) [pronounced koh-HANE]	priest	masculine plural noun with the definite article	Strong's #3548 BDB #463

Translation: David then summoned Zadok and Abiathar, the priests,... This is a change, and one which appears to come out of nowhere. Zadok has not been mentioned before, apart from being in the genealogies of 1Chron. 6 (or, if you have studied the Bible from cover to cover, then he can also be found in 2Samuel and 1Kings). However, chronologically, this is actually his first appearance in Scripture. For all intents and purposes, we have two High Priests.

Here is what happened:

The Two High Priests

1. What we need is a little review: Eli was a judge and the High Priest, but his sons got so out of control that God cut off his line, and Samuel became a priest-judge-prophet. He was not in the proper line to be a priest, although he carried out priestly activities (the offering of animals). Previous to his taking over, the Ark of God was taken out into battle, lost in battle, returned, and then returned to Israel, but kept at a private residence. 1Sam. 1–7

2. Samuel became Israel’s clear spiritual leader, and he, for all intents and purposes, eclipsed whatever remained of the line of priests, as well as the Tabernacle activity. We, in fact, know nothing of Tabernacle worship during this time period. Spiritually, the reason is, Samuel is such a good shadow of Christ to come, that all of the other shadows faded into the background.

3. Historically, we can only guess at the events which took place to cause these things, as the Bible is silent on these things. We know that the Ark was not kept with the Tabernacle during all of Samuel’s life (from his youth on up to his death), but we do not know what became of Tabernacle worship. We do not know the relationship between Samuel and the priestly lines. We know that Shiloh, the city where the Tabernacle was kept, was destroyed around this time period, but we do not know any specifics about it.

4. You will also recall that, many years ago, David, when on the run from Saul, went into Nob, the city of priests, and took some bread for himself and his men. Saul later found out about this, went berserk, and he killed 85 of the priests there, along with men, women, children, infants and even their livestock. Abiathar, as a very young lad at that time (I estimate somewhere between 8 and 12), ran to David to escape the carnage. He also brought with him the Ephod of God. 1Sam. 22

5. From that point on, Abiathar was associated with David and he remained with David for several years while David was on the run from Saul and even when David left the country Israel.

6. So, what we may reasonably deduce, you have a priestly line which is wiped out (this is the line of Ithamar), almost completely, the only remaining person in that line essentially disappears (it is unclear whether anyone in the Levite tribe even knew that Abiathar was still alive).

7. We may reasonable deduce that, a different line of priests arose (the line of Eleazar), and the current priest from that line is Zadok.

8. Eleazar and Ithamar are the 3^rd and 4^th sons of Aaron; his first two sons dying the sin unto death. The priest line is always taken from Aaron’s descendants.

9. For awhile, these two high priests will appear to function together, even though they come from two different lines, and even though having two high priests is not a proper shadow of things to come.

10. The proper shadow, however, is Samuel, then David, and finally Solomon. Samuel represents our Lord in His first advent, all the way to His resurrections. The number of parallels between Samuel and our Lord is astonishing. David represents our Lord, both in His first and second advents, and Solomon represents our Lord in the Millennium.

11. Because these three men are the focus of Scripture, the priesthood, although it exists, fades into the background somewhat, as it is no longer the primary means to convey truth.

12. So, Israel primarily recognizes Zadok as their High Priest, yet David, given his background with Abiathar and given how Abiathar came to him, cannot bump Abiathar from his position. So, we have a duel priesthood during David’s time.

13. However, this is presented in Scripture as a side issue and is not emphasized. It takes a reasonable amount of digging to determine just exactly what is going on.

That we have two high priests (or, perhaps I should just say head priests) is clear from this passage and 2Sam. 8:117 15:24, 35 20:25 1Chron. 18:16 24:6.

Why isn’t the Bible more explicit about the destruction of Shiloh, the function of the Tabernacle during this time frame, or the dual priesthood? The key is, this is not the focus of Scripture. Although we get a reasonable amount of history throughout, it is by no means complete, as that is not the purpose of Old Testament narrative; the purpose is to present Jesus Christ as God the Holy Spirit had intended Him to be presented to the people of that time and to us at later times.

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So we now have two priestly lines, which will function during the time of David, but they will not be the focus of Scripture.

1Chronicles 15:11b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
L^evîyyim (ם ̣ ̣ול) [pronounced l^e-vee-YIM]	joined to, attached; garland, crown; and is transliterated Levites	plural gentilic adjective with the definite article	Strong’s #3881 BDB #532

Translation: ...along with [lit., and] the Levite [leaders]:... The Levites were the ones involved with spiritual responsibilities; and from one line of Levites, that through Aaron, come the priests. David will explain what went wrong the last time they attempted to move the Ark.

1Chronicles 15:11c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
Ûwrîyêl (ל̤אי .רא) [pronounced oo-ree-ALE]	flame of El; my light is El, God is my light, flame of God; transliterated Uriel	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #222 BDB #22
׳Ăsâyâh (הָיָֲע) [pronounced ģuh-saw-YAW]	Jah has made, made by Jehovah; transliterated Asaiah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #6222 BDB #795

Translation: ...Uriel, Asaiah,... Uriel is the head of the Kohathites, and Asaiah is the head of the Merari clan (vv. 5–6).

For most of us, these are just names on a page, but each name represents a man who demonstrated faithfulness to God and a great leadership position. So, even though we may sigh at going through name after name after name, or men about whom we know very little; imagine if it is your name that you come across here; even if you are only mentioned once, it would be quite a kick. Somehow, in someway, many of us will see our names in lights, or on the printed page, with regards to eternal things; immortalizing forever portions of our lives. Even though we will not have the indwelling old sin nature, and therefore, our thoughts and feelings about such things will be different, I suspect that there will be some sort of a positive emotion corresponding to pride, when we see our names in God’s eternal record. So, even though we barely touch on these names, recognize that this is a person who lived his life for 70 or 80 years; he had a wife he loved, and children he loved; and a very full life, with eternal spiritual import. Although we may know less about them than about, say, David, or even Saul, I suspect that, at some point in time, we will find out more about these saints, their lives, their struggles and their victories.

Application: God places their names here before us, if to only remind us that each one of us has a life worth living, a life which can be abundant and fulfilling. God has a life for each one of us, and this does not mean that we will end up in some state of religiosity that we see in others and hate; this does not mean that God is going to cast us upon the mission field in great privation when this is the last thing in the world that we want to do. God has a plan for us and this plan is suitable to our temperaments and our skills. We can trust that He knows what He is doing; we can trust that our spiritual growth and our life in fellowship is not going to result in some horrible life that we will come to despise, and yet maintain some hypocritical exterior. God is able to take us from where we are and create in our lives a great life. Now, some of our values will change, and things which were important to us at one time made become less so. But, always bear in mind, God knows what He is doing.

1Chronicles 15:11d
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Yôwêl (ל̤אי) [pronounced yoh-ĀL]	to whom Jehovah is God or worshiper of Jehovah; and is transliterated Joel	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #3100 BDB #222
Sh^ema׳^eyâh (הָיע-מש) [pronounced sh^e-mahģ^e-YAW]	Yah has heard; heard by Jehovah; and is transliterated Shemaiah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #8098 BDB #1035

Translation: ...Joel, Shemaiah,... These are men of great spiritual value whom God recognizes herein. Joel is the head of the Gershomites (v. 7) and Shemaiah is the head of the Elizaphan branch (v. 8).

1Chronicles 15:11e
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Ělîyêl (ל̤אי.לֱא) [pronounced uh-lee-ALE]	God is (my) God, El is my El; transliterated Eliel	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #447 BDB #45
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
׳Ammîynâdâb (בָדָני .-ע) [pronounced ģahm-mee-naw-DAW^BV]	my kinsman is noble; people of liberality; people of the prince; my people are willing; transliterated Amminadab	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #5992 BDB #770

Translation: ...Eliel and Amminadab. Eliel is the head of the Hebron clan and Amminadab was over the Uzziel branch of Levites (vv. 9–10).

One of the things which we get from this is the structure of the Hebrew. Typically, we find names strung together with a series of wâw conjunction, but that is not the case here. Literally, this verse reads: And so calls David to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests and to the Levites; to Uriel, Asaiah and Joel, Shemaiah and Eliel and Amminadab. The preposition to functions as a part of the verb, and is applied to all 6 spiritual leaders named at the end of this verse. However, one ought to notice that, in this list of names, some of them are simply listed one after another without the wâw conjunction. Although this is not generally how things are done in the Hebrew, this does tell us that, on occasion, this is legitimate Hebrew syntax. It seems unlikely that the wâw conjunction’s fell out of the text at some point in time, as this would be sorely missed, if a series of wâw conjunction’s is the only way to present a list of names.

And so he says to them, “You [are] heads of the fathers to the Levites; cleanse yourselves and your brothers and you have brought up an Ark of Y^ehowah Elohim of Israel unto my setting up to him.

1Chronicles

15:12

He said to them, “You [are] the heads of the fathers, [leaders] of the Levites; consecrate yourself and your brothers so that you may bring up the Ark of Y^ehowah, Elohim of Israel, to my preparation [of a place] for it.

He said to them, “You are the heads of your fathers’ houses; you are leaders of the Levites; consecrate yourselves and your brothers so that you may bring up the Ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Latin Vulgate And he said to them: You that are the heads of the Levitical families, be sanctified with your brethren, and bring the ark of the Lord the God of Israel to the place, which is prepared for it.

Masoretic Text And so he says to them, “You [are] heads of the fathers to the Levites; cleanse yourselves and your brothers and you have brought up an Ark of Y^ehowah Elohim of Israel unto my setting up to him.

Peshitta And he said to them, “You are the chiefs of the fathers of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, both you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the Ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place which has been built for it before.

Septuagint ...and said to them, “You are the heads of the families of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, you and your brothers, and you will carry up the ark of the God of Israel, [to the place which] I have not prepared for it.

Significant differences: The Greek has families where the Hebrew has fathers; the Greek has a negative in the final phrase, which Brenton does not translate. My English rendering of the Syriac and the Latin include to the place which; however, I don’t know whether that negative is a part of the original text. The Peshitta alone adds the word before at the end of this verse.

The big difference is this: in the Peshitta, it is unclear whether this is the place which David prepared for the Ark at the first move; or whether this is a place which already existed (e.g., the Tabernacle]. In the Greek, although Brenton did not see it this way, there is a negative in the final phrase, indicating that the place for the Ark was not put up by David (although, this would contradict 2Sam. 6:17). This is one of the rare places in the Old Testament where, not only is there a real difference in the text, but, the actual narrative is altered. That is, we are not saying the same thing using slightly different words. The last time this occurred was in 1Sam. 14:18 (I am translating Chronicles concurrently with 1 and 2Samuel), when Saul calls for the Ark in the MT, but calls for the Ephod in the Greek. My general tendency is to go with the Masoretic text here (as I usually do) for at least two reasons: Brenton, who translated the Greek into the English ignores the negative (perhaps it reads differently in other LXX manuscripts?) and this would be in keeping with 2Sam. 6:17.

On the one hand, for some, my position and explanation might not seem like enough, to the point where, you might even be somewhat troubled by this. What should be your reaction, if any, is a profound trust of the Scriptures: in all of Samuel and Chronicles (so far) there are two substantive differences in the text; differences which actually have an effect upon the narrative, and even have very slight doctrinal connotations. I.e., if David did not prepare this place for the Ark, perhaps it went into the Tabernacle where it belongs? So we have a significant difference here (the Latin, by the way, is in complete agreement with the Hebrew text).

People who do not have a clue think that the Roman church somehow got a hold of the Scriptures and imposed all kinds of church doctrine upon them, and gave us the Bible that we have today. This is pure poppycock. What I have observed, is, Jerome, who translated from the Hebrew into the Latin, gives a very careful and accurate rendering of the Hebrew. And bear in mind that the MT and the Latin Vulgate (and the Greek Septuagint) were all preserved and copied from century to century by completely different groups of people; sometimes by people who were diametrically opposed to one another in some theological areas. We know that the Muslims bastardized the Hebrew text in order to make Arabs the chosen people (this did not occur until the time of Mohammed, insofar as I know). I would assume that they made some other changes as well. However, we have Roman Catholics preserving Jerome’s text, the Christian church preserving the Greek text, and the Masoretic Jews preserving the Hebrew text. These are groups of people who were, at times, very much at odds with one another; yet, the Bible is respected and accurately preserved despite their differences. These very difference groups respected the Word of God; they recognized that this is the Word of God. The later Arabic groups did not; they altered the text in order to support their own warped doctrines (the result of which, we observe today).

One more aside: if the Roman Catholics did not corrupt the text to support their peculiar doctrines, then how did they come to differ so much from Orthodoxy? The Catholics did three things: (1) They added the apocrypha as inspired text, getting from this, the notion of purgatory. (2) They promoted the doctrine of ex cathedra, which meant that the pope could speak, and that what he says would carry the same weight as Scripture. (3) They kept the Scriptures out of the hands of the people; the Protestant revolution against the corrupt Catholic church came about when the Scriptures got out to the people, and they recognized the great falsehoods being taught by Romanism.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV He said to them, "You are the leaders of the clans in the Levi tribe. You and your relatives must first go through the ceremony to make yourselves clean and acceptable to the LORD. Then you may carry the sacred chest that belongs to the LORD God of Israel and bring it to the place I have prepared for it.

The Message He said, "You are responsible for the Levitical families; now consecrate yourselves, both you and your relatives, and bring up the Chest of the GOD of Israel to the place I have set aside for it.

NLT He said to them, “You are the leaders of the Levite families. You must purify yourselves and all your fellow Levites, so you can bring the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ He said to them, "You are the heads of the Levite families. You and your relatives must perform the ceremonies to make yourselves holy. Then bring the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place I prepared for it.

HCSB He said to them, "You are the heads of the Levite families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

MKJV And he said to them, You are the heads of the fathers of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel to the place which I have prepared for it.

Young’s Updated LT ...and says to them, “You are heads of the fathers of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brothers, and you have brought up the ark of Jehovah, God of Israel, unto the place I have prepared for it;...

What is the gist of this verse? David tells these leaders that they are the leaders of their respective families and that they need to sanctify themselves in order to bring up the Ark of God to the place that he prepared for it.

1Chronicles 15:12a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
âmar (ר ַמ ָא) [pronounced aw-MAHR]	to say, to speak, to utter; to say [to oneself], to think	3^rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect	Strong’s #559 BDB #55
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition with the 3^rd person masculine plural suffix	No Strong’s # BDB #510
attem (ם∵-א) [pronounced aht-TEM]	you all, you guys, you (often, the verb to be is implied)	2^nd person masculine plural, personal pronoun	Strong’s #859 BDB #61
rôsh (שאֹר) [pronounced rohsh]	heads, princes, officers, captains, chiefs; company, band, division	masculine plural construct	Strong's #7218 BDB #910
âb (ב ָא) [pronounced aw^bv]	father, both as the head of a household, clan or tribe	masculine plural noun with the definite article	Strong’s #1 BDB #3
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
L^evîyyim (ם ̣ ̣ול) [pronounced l^e-vee-YIM]	joined to, attached; garland, crown; and is transliterated Levites	plural gentilic adjective with the definite article	Strong’s #3881 BDB #532

Translation: He said to them, “You [are] the heads of the fathers, [leaders] of the Levites;... David reminds these men of their positions of responsibility. They each represent a specific branch of the Levites, including the two priestly branches.

1Chronicles 15:12b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
qâdash (שַד ָק) [pronounced kaw-DAHSH]	cleanse [purify, consecrate, sanctify] yourselves; cause yourselves to be [become] cleansed [purified, consecrated, sanctified]	2^nd person masculine plural, Hithpael imperative	Strong's #6942 BDB #872
attem (ם∵-א) [pronounced aht-TEM]	you all, you guys, you (often, the verb to be is implied)	2^nd person masculine plural, personal pronoun	Strong’s #859 BDB #61
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
âch (ח ָא) [pronounced awhk]	brother, kinsman or close relative	masculine plural noun with the 2^nd person masculine plural suffix	Strong's #251 BDB #26

Translation: ...consecrate yourself and your brothers... When having anything to do with the holy objects, the Levites had to prepare themselves to handle these things. They could not just handle the things of God with unclean hands. The cleansing process apparently included washing their clothes and sexual abstinence (Ex. 19:10, 15).

1Chronicles 15:12c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
׳âlâh (ה ָל ָע) [pronounced ģaw-LAWH]	to cause to go up, to lead up, to take up, to bring up	2^nd person masculine plural, Hiphil perfect	Strong's #5927 BDB #748
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth]	generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward	indicates that the following substantive is a direct object	Strong's #853 BDB #84
ărôwn (ןר ֲא) [pronounced uh-ROHN]	ark, chest; Ark	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #727 BDB #75
YHWH (הוהי) [pronunciation is possibly yhoh-WAH]	transliterated variously as Jehovah, Yahweh, Y^ehowah	proper noun	Strong’s #3068 BDB #217
Ělôhîym (מי̣הֹלֱא) [pronounced el-o-HEEM]	gods, foreign gods, god; God; rulers, judges; superhuman ones, angels; transliterated Elohim	masculine plural construct	Strong's #430 BDB #43
Yis^erâêl (לֵאָר ׃̣י) [pronounced yis-raw-ALE]	transliterated Israel	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #3478 BDB #975

Translation: ...so that you may bring up the Ark of Y^ehowah, Elohim of Israel,... The Levites were to cleanse themselves in preparation for transporting the Ark of Jehovah into Jerusalem. David gives great emphasis to God’s name here, as well as God’s relationship to Israel.

It will never be completely clear exactly who carried the Ark into Jerusalem. Whether these 8 men carried the Ark as 2 sets of 4, or whether all of them carried the Ark, or whether this was an assignment which they oversaw, is unclear. These men and the Levites were all supposed to cleanse themselves. Since David is calling them in personally, and since these are the top representatives of the Levites present, it makes most sense to me that these are the ones who actually carry the Ark. Clearly, these are the men in charge of moving the Ark, under David’s direction. David runs the show because he is king and because he knows Scripture. He knows what needs to be done and how it should be done. Although he failed in the first attempt to move the Ark, the Levites in attendance failed as well, as they did not know how the Ark was to be moved (or, worse yet, they knew and did not speak to David about it).

1Chronicles 15:12d
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
el (ל∵א) [pronounced ehl]	unto; into, among, in; toward, to; against; concerning, regarding; besides, together with; as to	directional preposition (respect or deference may be implied)	Strong's #413 BDB #39
The Greek text has a negative here.
kûwn (ן) [pronounced koon]	to erect (to stand up perpendicular), to set up, to establish, to prepare, to strengthen, to be stabilized	Hiphil infinitive construct with the 1^st person singular suffix	Strong’s #3559 BDB #465
Owen mistakenly calls this a 3^rd person masculine singular suffix.
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition with the 3^rd person masculine singular suffix	No Strong’s # BDB #510

Translation: ...to my preparation [of a place] for it. As I discussed in great detail near the ancient texts, there is some disagreement with this text. Although I will go along with the Hebrew text, for reasons already stated, I mention this as an aside. We know that David did prepare a place for the Ark, according to 2Sam. 6:17 and 1Chron. 15:3. Although I cannot explain the negative of the Greek text, I stand by the Hebrew text here.

In the book of Samuel, we had to reasonably deduce why moving the Ark previously failed, and why David will succeed on this occasion. In the book of Chronicles, this is laid out for us, both back in v. 2 and in the following 3 verses.

McGee has an opinion about where this place is that David prepared for the Ark: David had prepared a place for the ark, but we are not told exactly where it was. Later on he bought that place for the site on which the temple was to be built. This is on the ridge called Mount Moriah, the place where Abraham offered Isaac. The ridge goes right through Jerusalem; and Golgotha, the place on which Christ was crucified, is located on this same ridge. I am of the opinion that the place David prepared for the ark was on Mount Moriah.

For to why in the first you [did] not, broke out Y^ehowah our Elohim in us for we did not seek Him in the judgement.”

1Chronicles

15:13

For why previously [did] you not [or, Because you did not previously] [carry the Ark], Y^ehowah our Elohim burst forth against us, because we did not seek Him within the Law.

Because you did not previously carry the Ark, Jehovah our God burst out against us, as we did not seek His directives as per the Law of Moses.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Latin Vulgate Lest as the Lord at first struck us, because you were not present, the same should now also come to pass, by our doing some thing against the law..”

Masoretic Text For to why in the first you [did] not, broke out Y^ehowah our Elohim in us for we did not seek Him in the judgement.”

Peshitta So that the Lord our God may not strike us because we did not seek Him after the due order,...

Septuagint For because ye were not [ready] at the first, our God break through upon us, because we sought him not by ordinance.

Significant differences: Although the Greek is similarly elliptical, it leaves out the Lord. Because this text is difficult, I will also exegete the Greek of this verse, and go into more detail there.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV The first time we tried to bring the chest to Jerusalem, we didn't ask the LORD what he wanted us to do. He was angry at us, because you Levites weren't there to carry the chest."

Good News Bible (TEV) Because you were not there to carry it the first time, the LORD our God punished us for not worshiping him as we should have done."

The Message The first time we did this, you Levites did not carry it properly, and GOD exploded in anger at us because we didn't make proper preparation and follow instructions."

Revised English Bible It was because you were no present the first time that the Lord our God broke out upon us. For we had no sought his guidance as we should have done.’

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Bible in Basic English For because you did not take it at the first, the Lord our God sent punishment on us, because we did not get directions from him in the right way.

God’s Word™ Because you weren't there the first time, the LORD our God struck us. We hadn't dedicated our lives to serving him in the way he designated."

HCSB For the LORD our God burst out in anger against us because you Levites were not with us the first time, for we didn't inquire of Him about the proper procedures."

JPS (Tanakh) Because you were not there the first time, the Lord our God burst out against us, for we did not show due regard for Him.”

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

Updated Emphasized Bible Because, at first, you did not bring it; Yahweh our God broke forth against us, because we sought Him not in the appointed way [more literally, according to the regulation].

English Standard Version Because you did not carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule."

New King James Version “For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order [regarding the ordinances].”

Young’s Updated LT ...because at the first it was not you, Jehovah our God made a breach upon us, because we sought Him not according to the ordinance.”

What is the gist of this verse? David explains that God struck them because they did not obey the ordinances set forth with regards to moving the Ark of God.

The text here is quite difficult to unravel; the words are simple, and the combinations of prepositions and particles are common, but the end result is very difficult to deal with. I suspect that some of the letters are wrong, or that some words have dropped out of the text. However, the only proof that I have of this is, the original Hebrew text which I have here is so unbelievably clunky. Because this is such a mess, I will appeal to the original Greek as well, and examine that text word by word.

1Chronicles 15:13a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
kîy (י̣) [pronounced kee]	when, that, for, because	explanatory conjunction; preposition	Strong's #3588 BDB #471
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to, with reference to, as to, with regards to, belonging to	preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
mâh (ה ָמ) [pronounced maw]	what, how, why	interrogative; exclamatory particle	Strong’s #4100 BDB #552
Lâmed + mâh can be rendered why, for what reason, to what purpose, for what purpose, indicating an interrogatory sentence. BDB also offers the rendering lest. Gesenius, perhaps for this passage alone, offers the rendering on account of [that] which, because that.
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
rîshôwnâh (הָןש̣ר) [pronounced ree-show-NAW]	first [in time, in degree, chief, former [in time], ancestors, former things; foremost; beginning	feminine singular adjective with the definite article	Strong’s #7223 BDB #911
With the bêyth preposition, rîshôwnâh means first, in front, in the first rank; before, formerly, previously, aforetime.
lô (אֹל or אל) [pronounced low]	not, no	negates the word or action that follows; the absolute negation	Strong’s #3808 BDB #518
attem (ם∵-א) [pronounced aht-TEM]	you all, you guys, you (often, the verb to be is implied)	2^nd person masculine plural, personal pronoun	Strong’s #859 BDB #61

Translation: For why previously [did] you not [or, Because you did not previously] [carry the Ark],... As you have noticed, I have added a huge number of words here, in hopes of making this make sense, while maintaining the Hebrew text. Still, even with this additional text, we have the problem that, David knows why moving the Ark failed before; but he seems to be pointing the finger at the Levites here for their shortcomings. This is properly a shared blame of David and the Levites. The Levites were a part of David’s original attempt to move the Ark of God, and they should have known what to do. They should have read up on the proper way to move the Ark and they should have come to David and said, “Hey, David, no way do you move the Ark in a cart; we should be carrying the Ark.” Being Levites, and seeing that is their primary responsibility, David is correct in assessing some blame here.

However, David is also to blame, as he got all jazzed about moving the Ark, but he did not do any sort of research on transporting the Ark. He has a copy of the Law which he hand copied himself, so David has ready access to the Law. He has two priests that he could consult with and a prophet (and David will do some consulting when it comes to his next move in the spiritual realm).

I don’t think that David is placing all of the blame on the Levites here, although, since the text is fairly elliptical, it is difficult to say that with any certainty.

One explanation for this portion of v. 13, and I offer this with a grain of salt, is David began to point out the shortcomings of the Levites with regards to this matter, but he stops before finishing, realizing that he is to blame as well, and simply moves straight into the results.

Gesenius lets us off the hook here, and offers up that lamed + the interrogative can be rendered on account of [that] which, because that. This smooths our the translation tremendously, but I would feel better if I found the combination of these particles used the same way elsewhere as well. This would give us: Because you did not [carry the Ark as the Law required] at the first, Jehovah our God made an outburst against us, for we did not seek Him [i.e, His will] according to the ordinance. This understanding of the lamed + the interrogative does make a great deal more sense.

The problems with translating this verse notwithstanding, we do know that David and the Levites are both at fault here. They both should have known what to do, and they did not; then end result was, Uzzah died (and, for the record, he should have known better as well). Obviously, being the cause of the death of Uzzah weighed on David’s mind.

Application: It was incumbent upon David to know the Word of God and to know what he should have done the first time that he moved the Ark. We need to recognize that knowing the Word of God is half the battle; you cannot just jump into your spiritual life without a clue.

Illustration: In the political realm, liberals are a great example of this. They are concerned about the poor, they are concerned about racism, they are concerned about fairness, and they are concerned about war. For many of them, they have reasonable, if not, admirable motivation. However, unless they are beat over the head with something again and again, they do not realize that their decisions and their actions do not necessarily lead them to achieve the goals that they have. I know a huge number of liberals coming from California, and, for instance, many of them are so very proud of whatever influence they exerted which ended the Vietnam War. This was a great achievement in liberal history, and I have even had one who told me, “If it were up to you, we’d still be in Vietnam!” It does not register in their minds that we turned our backs on our friends; we deserted our allies, we broke our word and our promises to those who depended upon us. They do not realize how horrible this was to let down the people who depended upon us. The end result was the death a million people in Cambodia and perhaps a million in Vietnam (along with millions of families which were destroyed and millions who were reeducated and then enslaved). The liberal has no concept of the untold intense suffering which came upon the people of this region because we left, because we deserted them. The glib answer is, “Well, we shouldn’t have been there in the first place; so it’s not our fault; it’s yours.” Even in retrospect, it is difficult to revisit this history and determine what we should have done. But, we will never see on camera, night after night, the suffering of millions of American supporters who were slaughtered like dogs; we will never see profile after profile of this or that Vietnamese family that was destroyed because we abandoned them. Murderous dictatorships do not allow free press, so what happened after we left is not recorded daily and broadcast to us. Furthermore, it does not fit the broadcast slant of the news. For many of us, these are just big numbers and statistics. My point in this tangent is, yes, the Vietnam War did need to be resolved; however, but not in the way that we resolved it. Liberals who pushed for us to be suddenly taken out of Vietnam may have had wonderful motives, but the results were bloody beyond all that had gone before. In the few months which followed our withdrawal from Vietnam, what transpired made our war in Vietnam pale by comparison, when it came to death and suffering.

I know a few people in Vietnam now; and, what is interesting is, they have become, at least in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) more capitalistic than we are in the states. They may be a poor people, but they have a great deal of freedom and experiencing some economic prosperity, some of which, no doubt, was a result of our being there for so many decades. Had the Communists simply marched in and took over, without any action by the Americans or by the French, it is quite possible that Vietnam could be another North Korea today. As it is, we probably have a better relationship with the Vietnamese than we do with any other Communist country (even though we have a great deal of trade with China, we also have no reason to trust them).

On the other hand, Vietnam is not a land of freedom; my understanding is, Vietnam is one of the most oppressive counties in the world when it comes to Christianity.

Application: Now, although our presence in Iraq is not Vietnam, there are certain some parallel decisions which must be made. What is sad is, there are many liberals who view our withdrawal from Vietnam as a great liberal victory, and they would like to repeat this victory. They are not mindful of the great suffering which will result if we leave Iraq. They think that this is a grand step toward peace; and since the free press will withdraw from Iraq with our troops, we will never be exposed to the millions of people who might potentially be killed because we withdraw. However, there is an even more important consideration, and that is our own national security. Right now, soldiers from Iran and terrorists from all over the Middle East are flocking to Iraq to cause civil unrest and so that they can war against the infidel (that’s us, in case you didn’t know) . If we pull out of Iraq, in such a way that it is seen as a retreat, these terrorists will be left in somewhat of a void. Of course Iraq will suffer great consequences, and millions will be killed, but, terrorists, believing that America is on the run, will pursue us. Right now, they have no reason to pursue us, as we have brought the fight to them. Iraq is just as much responsible for the lack of terrorist attacks against the United States as any legislative or executive act which has been passed in the US. These people have an unnatural hatred for the US; however, it is much easier for them to go into Iraq and satiate their hatred there, as opposed to making provisions to come here to the US. Furthermore, they do not even have to kill American soldiers in order to fulfill their dreams; they can simply commit acts of terrorism within Iraq, knowing that this causes some Americans great consternation.

I realize that I have gone off on such a great tangent, but let me pull this all together: the key is knowledge; the key is knowing cause and effects; the key is being able to know what we ought to do. They key is not just having great emotion, as David had at the first, but having the knowledge to go with this great emotional fervor. Emotion has no value in and of itself, no matter how noble it may seem. Let me give you an example: I have a friend of mine who witnessed severe poverty in southeast Asia, and this concerned him greatly and, because I did not demonstrate equal emotion to his, he views me as heartless. However, when it comes to actual actions: having any sort of an impact on the lives of anyone in southeast Asia, I can almost guarantee you that I have had a greater impact on people there than my emotional friend has had. I’ve given money to individuals whom I know in southeast Asia, and I have given money to my church, which supports missionaries to that part of the world. So, even though my emotion does not reach the intensity of this person’s emotion, the end result is, I think that I have had a greater positive impact on that part of the world.

1Chronicles 15:13b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
pârats (ץַרָ) [pronounced paw-RATS]	to break, to break down, to destroy; to break asunder, to scatter, to disperse, to spread abroad; to break forth upon, to produce by breaking through; to act violently; to break through [negative volition, a bad attitude, a mindset, or whatever]	3^rd person masculine singular, Qal perfect	Strong’s #6555 BDB #829
YHWH (הוהי) [pronunciation is possibly yhoh-WAH]	transliterated variously as Jehovah, Yahweh, Y^ehowah	proper noun	Strong’s #3068 BDB #217
Ělôhîym (מי̣הֹלֱא) [pronounced el-o-HEEM]	gods, foreign gods, god; God; rulers, judges; superhuman ones, angels; transliterated Elohim	masculine plural noun with the 1^st person singular suffix	Strong's #430 BDB #43
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity with the 1^st person singular suffix	No Strong’s # BDB #88

Translation: ...Y^ehowah our Elohim burst forth against us,... Although the first portion of this verse was difficult, this is quite simple: because David and the Levites moved the Ark, but not in the way which God required, God burst out against them—God broke through from His world into ours and killed Uzzah instantly. 2Sam. 6:7 reads: Then the LORD's anger burned against Uzzah, and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there next to the ark of God. And recall, Uzzah did nothing except instinctively reach out his hand to steady the Ark, as it appeared as though it might fall.

We discussed this at great length in this passage and in the parallel passage in Chronicles (1Chron. 13:10). There are two points which I made: (1) The manner of Uzzah’s death: no one could ask for a better death; Uzzah went instantly from life to death, insofar as we know (there is no reason to assume otherwise, given the language of these passages). It was a beautiful day, he was outside walking, and one instant Uzzah is alive, and the next, he is in Abraham’s bosom. There was no pain, necessarily, no anticipate, no fear; just instantaneous death. In other words, his experience of death was probably better than the classic, dying in one’s sleep. (2) Secondly, Uzzah’s death illustrates like nothing else the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man. Uzzah’s intentions and his emotions do not play a part in mitigating his end—he was probably sincere, honest and faithful—but man cannot have direct contact with God any more than he can touch the sun. Most people are smart enough that, when they see a burning building, they don’t go inside and hang out to see what is going on—they realize that they cannot have direct and continuous contact with fire. Similarly, God cannot have direct contact with us nor can we have direct contact with Him—the imputed sin of Adam, our old sin nature, and the sins that we do make direct contact with a holy God impossible.

1Chronicles 15:13c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
kîy (י̣) [pronounced kee]	when, that, for, because	explanatory conjunction; preposition	Strong's #3588 BDB #471
lô (אֹל or אל) [pronounced low]	not, no	negates the word or action that follows; the absolute negation	Strong’s #3808 BDB #518
dârash (שַרָ) [pronounced daw-RASH]	to seek, to make inquiries concerning, to consult, to investigate, to study, to follow, to inquire	1^st person plural, Qal perfect; with the 3^rd person masculine singular suffix	Strong’s #1875 BDB #205
It is somewhat of a surprise to find this verb here; we had the exact same verb, with the exact same morphology, with the exact same negative and preceded by the exact same preposition as back in 1Chron. 13:3: Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul." It, in that context, also refers to the Ark of God.
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
mîsh^epâţ (ט ָ ׃ש ̣מ) [pronounced mish^e-PAWT]	judgement, justice, a verdict rendered by a judge, a judicial decision, a judicial sentence, a verdict, a judgement of the court	masculine singular noun with the definite article	Strong's #4941 BDB #1048
Gesenius organizes the meanings as follows: (1) a judgement; including: (a) the act of judging; (b) the place of judgment; (c) a forensic cause, the setting forth of a cause, to appeal a judgment; (d) the sentence of a judge; (e) the fault or crime one is judged for; (2) a right, that which is just, lawful according to law; which set of meanings would include: (a) a law, a statute; a body of laws; (b) that which is lawfully due a person, a privilege, a legal privilege, the right of redemption, the right of primogeniture; (c) a manner, a custom; (d) a fashion, a kind, a plan. We could possibly add the meanings for the plural: laws, responsibilities, privileges. From the standpoint of the one under judgment, mîshepâţ could mean appeal.
It is possible here, that David means this to read in the Law, referring to the Law of Moses.

Translation: ...because we did not seek Him within the Law. The final word here is rather difficult, as it normally means judgement or a judicial verdict or decision. However, this can also refer to a law, a statue, or a body of laws. I believe that David is saying, “We did not seek the Lord in His Law” or “We did not seek the Lord in the Law of Moses.” It is fascinating that this corresponds almost word for word with 1Chron. 13:3, where David says, during the reign of Saul, “We did not seek the Lord.” For this reason, the Ark stayed at Kiriath-jearim, and the Tabernacle worship apparently went into decline.

The will of God is known through His Word; the character of God is known through His Word. David’s problem previously with moving the Ark is, he did not seek God’s will within God’s Word.

Application: We seek the Lord and we seek the will of God in His Word. Without God’s Word, all the sincerity, all the emotion, all the actions that we do, mean nothing; we need to know mechanics and we need to be guided; this all comes through God’s Word, and through no other way.

This was a moderately difficult verse to deal with, simply because the first couple words threw us for a loop, and the verse was elliptical—there were words which were left out, but, to our minds, should have been included. Therefore, we are going to see what the Greek translators did, when they dealt with the Hebrew:

Application: I want you to understand what David is doing here and how this applies to you. David is correcting the Levites, and telling them how the Ark should have been moved originally and what they should have known. He is not putting the blame off on them, although there is some blame which could be placed on the Levites for not knowing how to move the Ark of God. Here’‘s the deal, David is at fault; the Levites are at fault. David should have known what to do, and the Levites should have known what to do. David herein is not placing blame, but conveying some points of doctrine. Why would he do this? The Levites minister to God with respect to the holy things. They need to know the Scriptures in order to get things right. David here tells them what they should have known, and, by implication, they need to go to the Scriptures when determining how to do anything with respect to the holy things. How does this apply to you? You are responsible for your own spiritual life. You cannot put the blame of your shortcomings on anyone else. The key to your spiritual life is knowledge of doctrine, along with the spiritual skills (primarily rebound, to get you started). David should not have depended upon the Levites and the Levites should not have depended upon David to get this right. They should have gone to the Word of God in order to be guided as to the right things to do.

There were some significant differences between the Greek and the Hebrew text; therefore, we need to examine the Greek text here as well.

1Chronicles 15:13 Text from the Greek Septuagint
Greek/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	Strong’s Number
hóti (ὅτι) [pronounced HOH-tee]	that, because, since; as concerning that; as though	demonstrative or causal conjunction	Strong’s #3754
Hóti can also mean because (that), for (that), how (that), (in) that, though, why.
ouk (οὐκ) [pronounced ook]	no, not, nothing, none, no one	negation; this form is used before a vowel	Strong’s #3756
en (ἐν) [pronounced en]	in, by means of, with; among	preposition with the locative, dative and instrumental cases	Strong’s #1722
tô (τ) [pronounced toh]	in the; by the; by means of the	masculine singular definite article; locative, dative, or instrumental case	Strong’s #3588
proteron (πρότερον) [pronounced PROT-ehr-awn]	before, prior; of time, former	Adverb/adjective	Strong’s #4386
humas (ὑμάς) [pronounced hoo-MOSS],	you	2^nd person plural pronoun; accusative case	Strong’s #5209, from Strong’s #5210; a form of Strong’s #4771
einai (εἲναι) [pronounced Ī-nī or Ī-nah-ee]	to be, is, was, will be; am; to exist; to stay; to occur, to take place; to be present [available]	present infinitive of Strong’s #1510	Strong’s #1511 (a form of Strong’s #1510)
The vocabulary form is eimi (εἰμί) [pronounced eye-ME].
διεκοψεν from διακοπτω (διακόπτω) [pronounced dee-ah-KOP-toh]	possibly to break through and to strike down	3^rd person singular, aorist active indicative	Strong’s #none
This is not a verb from the New Testament; there is the related verb koptô (κόπτω) [pronounced KOP-toh], which means to cut off, to cut from; to strike down; to mourn. The unbound Bible on the internet is quite helpful here, but it does not give the meaning for this word.
ὁ	the	definite article for a masculine singular noun	Strong’s #3588
theos (θεός) [pronounced theh-OSS]	God, [the true] God; divine being; god, goddess, divinity	masculine singular noun	Strong’s #2316
hêmn (ἡμν) [pronounced hay-MOHN]	us, of us, from us, our, ours	1^st person plural, personal pronoun; genitive/ablative case	Strong’s #2257 (from Strong’s #1473)
en (ἐν) [pronounced en]	in, by means of, with; among	preposition with the locative, dative and instrumental cases	Strong’s #1722
hêmin (ἡμν) [pronounced hay-MEEN]	to us, of us, by us	1^st person plural pronoun; locative, dative or instrumental case	Strong’s #2254 (from Strong’s #1473)
hóti (ὅτι) [pronounced HOH-tee]	that, because, since; as concerning that; as though	demonstrative or causal conjunction	Strong’s #3754
ouk (οὐκ) [pronounced ook]	no, not, nothing, none, no one	negation; this form is used before a vowel	Strong’s #3756
zêteô (ζητέω) [pronounced zay-TEH-oh]	to seek after [to find]; to seek by thinking [reasoning, inquiring]; to seek for, to aim at, to strive after; to require [demand]; to crave, to desire from someone	1^st person plural, aorist active indicative	Strong’s #2212
en (ἐν) [pronounced en]	in, by means of, with; among	preposition with the locative, dative and instrumental cases	Strong’s #1722
krima (κρίμα) [pronounced KREE-mah]	a decree, judgment; condemnation of wrong; judgement of fault in another; sentence of a judge; legal punishment; condemnatory sentence; a matter to be judicially decided, a lawsuit, a court case	neuter singular noun; in the locative, dative or instrumental case	Strong’s #2917
It is important to note two things: (1) the Septuagint text is not precisely the Word of God; therefore, we ought to be careful about completely relying upon it; that being said, (2) the Apostles used this text frequently, as they spoke and read Greek, but not Hebrew (they would have known Aramaic, which is a form of Hebrew).

Translation: For not in the previous [time] you are; the God of ours broke through among us for we did not seek by means of the decree. Or, less literally, Because you [Levites] were not [carrying the Ark] previously, our God broke through among us, because we did not seek [to transport the Ark] by means of [His] decree. You will notice that, even in the Greek, there is a lot missing, again suggesting that David was intentionally elliptical or that he stopped himself at the beginning, before he finished his thought, and went directly to the results (there is a third possibility, that some of the text dropped out early on, even before the LXX was translated).

My paraphrase of this verse is as follows: Because you did not previously carry the Ark, Jehovah our God burst out against us, as we did not seek His directives as per the Law of Moses. Obviously, I took a lot of liberties with this verse, but I think I am true to what David is saying and what the Levites understood him to say.

And so cleanse themselves the priests and the Levites to bring up an Ark of Y^ehowah Elohim of Israel.

1Chronicles

15:14

The priests and Levites then consecrated themselves [in order] to bring up the Ark of Y^ehowah, Elohim of Israel.

The priests and Levites then consecrated themselves in order to bring up the Ark of Jehovah, God of Israel.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text And so cleanse themselves the priests and the Levites to bring up an Ark of Y^ehowah Elohim of Israel.

Septuagint So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves, to bring up the ark of the God of Israel.

Significant differences: None.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV The priests and the Levites made themselves clean. They were now ready to carry the sacred chest.

Good News Bible (TEV) Then the priests and the Levites purified themselves in order to move the Covenant Box of the LORD God of Israel.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ So the priests and the Levites made themselves holy in order to move the ark of the LORD God of Israel.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

English Standard Version So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel.

MKJV And the priests and the Levites made themselves pure in order to bring up the ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel.

Young's Literal Translation And the priests and the Levites sanctify themselves, to bring up the ark of Jehovah, God of Israel.

What is the gist of this verse? The priests and Levites readied themselves to move the Ark to Jerusalem by cleansing themselves.

1Chronicles 15:14a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
qâdash (שַד ָק) [pronounced kaw-DAHSH]	to regard as holy, to declare holy or sacred; to consecrate, to sanctify, to inaugurate with holy rites	3^rd person masculine plural, Piel imperfect	Strong's #6942 BDB #872
kôhên (ן ֵהֹ) [pronounced koh-HANE]	priest	masculine plural noun with the definite article	Strong's #3548 BDB #463
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
L^evîyyim (ם ̣ ̣ול) [pronounced l^e-vee-YIM]	joined to, attached; garland, crown; and is transliterated Levites	plural gentilic adjective with the definite article	Strong’s #3881 BDB #532

Translation: The priests and Levites then consecrated themselves... There were ceremonial things which were done, according to the Law of Moses, which the priests and Levites did in order to consecrate or purify themselves. This would have included washing themselves and washing their clothes, as well as abstaining from sex with their wives. The idea is, we have no contact with God in an impure state. We might as well stand on the sun as face God in an unholy state. When we die, our sin nature will be removed from us, and we will be able to be in the presence of God for that reason. On earth, temporal purity is achieved through naming our sins to God.

You will note here, as I have pointed out on many occasions, the priests and the Levites are not the same group of people. The priests come from the line of Aaron, who was a Levite (so was Moses, by the way).

1Chronicles 15:14b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to, with reference to, as to, with regards to, belonging to	preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
׳âlâh (ה ָל ָע) [pronounced ģaw-LAWH]	to cause to go up, to lead up, to take up, to bring up	Hiphil infinitive construct	Strong's #5927 BDB #748
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth]	generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward	indicates that the following substantive is a direct object	Strong's #853 BDB #84
ărôwn (ןר ֲא) [pronounced uh-ROHN]	ark, chest; Ark	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #727 BDB #75
YHWH (הוהי) [pronunciation is possibly yhoh-WAH]	transliterated variously as Jehovah, Yahweh, Y^ehowah	proper noun	Strong’s #3068 BDB #217
Ělôhîym (מי̣הֹלֱא) [pronounced el-o-HEEM]	gods, foreign gods, god; God; rulers, judges; superhuman ones, angels; transliterated Elohim	masculine plural construct	Strong's #430 BDB #43
Yis^erâêl (לֵאָר ׃̣י) [pronounced yis-raw-ALE]	transliterated Israel	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #3478 BDB #975

Translation:...[in order] to bring up the Ark of Y^ehowah, Elohim of Israel. The entire purpose for them to purify themselves was, the Ark of God was going to be taken into Jerusalem. This is quite interesting, as only 4 men will actually carry the Ark; however all of the priests and all of the Levites must be cleansed.

And so carry sons of the Levites an Ark of the Elohim as which commanded Moses as a Word fo Y^ehowah in their shoulders in the poles upon them.

1Chronicles

15:15

So the sons of the Levites carried the Ark of Elohim—as Moses had commanded according to the Word of Y^ehowah—by means of poles which rested on their shoulders [lit., on their shoulders by means of poles upon them].

Therefore, the Levites carried the Ark of God using poles which rested upon their shoulders, just as Moses, in the Word of Jehovah, had commanded them to do.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text And so carry sons of the Levites an Ark of the Elohim as which commanded Moses as a Word fo Y^ehowah in their shoulders in the poles upon them.

Septuagint And the sons of the Levites took the ark of God, (as Moses commanded by the word of God according to the scripture) upon their shoulders with staves upon them.

Significant differences: None.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV ...on poles that rested on their shoulders, just as the LORD had told Moses to do.

Good News Bible (TEV) The Levites carried it on poles on their shoulders, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.

The Message The Levites carried the Chest of God exactly as Moses, instructed by GOD, commanded--carried it with poles on their shoulders, careful not to touch it with their hands.

New Living Testament Then the Levites carried the Ark of God on their shoulders with its carrying poles, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ The Levites carried God's ark on their shoulders. They used poles as Moses had commanded according to the LORD'S instructions.

HCSB Then the Levites carried the ark of God the way Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD: on their shoulders with the poles.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

English Standard Version And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.

MKJV And the sons of the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders, with the staves on it, as Moses commanded according to the Word of Jehovah.

Young's Updated LT And sons of the Levites bear the ark of God, as Moses commanded, according to the word of Jehovah, on their shoulder, with staves, above them.

What is the gist of this verse? The sons of Levites bear the poles on their shoulders, which poles hold the Ark of God aloft.

1Chronicles 15:15a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
nâsâ (אָָנ) [pronounced naw-SAW]	to lift up, to bear, to carry	3^rd person masculine plural, Qal imperfect	Strong’s #5375 (and #4984) BDB #669
bên (ן ֵ) [pronounced bane]	son, descendant	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #1121 BDB #119
L^evîyyim (ם ̣ ̣ול) [pronounced l^e-vee-YIM]	joined to, attached; garland, crown; and is transliterated Levites	plural gentilic adjective with the definite article	Strong’s #3881 BDB #532
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth]	generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward	indicates that the following substantive is a direct object	Strong's #853 BDB #84
ărôwn (ןר ֲא) [pronounced uh-ROHN]	ark, chest; Ark	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #727 BDB #75
Ělôhîym (מי̣הֹלֱא) [pronounced el-o-HEEM]	gods, foreign gods, god; God; rulers, judges; superhuman ones, angels; transliterated Elohim	masculine plural noun with the definite article	Strong's #430 BDB #43

Translation: So the sons of the Levites carried the Ark of Elohim... This does not mean that little children carried the Ark; sons of Levites simply refers to those in the tribe of Levi. In this case, it would be specific Kohathites. Since there are 4 leaders from the Kohathite family which David speaks to, they would be the ones who probably carried the Ark.

1Chronicles 15:15b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
kaph or k^e ( ׃) [pronounced k^e]	like, as, according to; about, approximately	preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #453
ăsher (ר ∵ש ֲא) [pronounced ash-ER]	that, which, when, who, whom	relative pronoun	Strong's #834 BDB #81
Together, kaăsher (ר ∵ש ֲא ַ) [pronounced kah-uh-SHER] means as which, as one who, as, like as, just as; because; according to what manner. Back in 1Sam. 12:8, I rendered this for example.
tsâvâh (ה ָו ָצ) [pronounced tsaw-VAW]	to commission, to mandate, to lay charge upon, to give charge to, charge, command, order	3^rd person masculine singular, Piel perfect	Strong's #6680 BDB #845
Mosheh (ה∵שֹמ) [pronounced moh-SHEH]	to draw out [of the water] and is transliterated Moses	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #4872 BDB #602
kaph or k^e ( ׃) [pronounced k^e]	like, as, according to; about, approximately	preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #453
dâbâr (רָבָ) [pronounced daw^b-VAWR]	word, saying, doctrine, thing, matter, command	masculine singular construct	Strong's #1697 BDB #182
YHWH (הוהי) [pronunciation is possibly yhoh-WAH]	transliterated variously as Jehovah, Yahweh, Y^ehowah	proper noun	Strong’s #3068 BDB #217

Translation:...—as Moses had commanded according to the Word of Y^ehowah... Notice how this section of Samuel is making it abundantly clear that David knows what went wrong previously and now is doing things the right way? Note that he knows the correct mechanics from reading the Word of God. We have already listed the passages where the mechanics were given (Num. 4:5, 15 7:9 are among the relevant passages).

Application: One of the biggest fundamental problems in fundamental churches today is the lack of teaching of mechanics. How do you get out of fellowship and how do you get back into fellowship? What is spiritual growth and how does one achieve spiritual growth? These are the most fundamental concepts of Christian living, and so few churches address these concepts directly.

1Chronicles 15:15c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
kâthêph (ף ֵת ָ) [pronounced kaw-THAFE]	side, shoulder, shoulder-blade	feminine plural noun with the 3^rd person masculine plural suffix	Strong’s #3802 BDB #509
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
môwţ (טמ) [pronounced moht]	pole, bar [upon which something is carried]; used figuratively for wavering, shaking, tottering; oppression	masculine plural noun with the definite article	Strong's #4132 BDB #557
׳al (לַע) [pronounced ģahl ]	upon, beyond, on, against, above, over, by, beside	preposition of proximity with the 3^rd person masculine plural suffix	Strong’s #5921 BDB #752

Translation: ...—by means of poles which rested on their shoulders [lit., on their shoulders by means of poles upon them]. The Hebrew is a little clunky at this point, but it is not unclear by any means. There are rings which are connected to the Ark itself. A pole goes through these rings, so that those who carry the pole do not have any direct contact with the Ark. They lift up the Ark, which, between 4 men, it would not be very heavy; the poles are put on their shoulders and then they walk, and the Ark is between the 4 men. Again, there is nothing in Scripture which tells us how many men carry the Ark, but given the set up—two poles, one on each side of the Ark—and given the size of the Ark and what it is made out of, 4 seems like a reasonable number of men for this job (see Ex. 25:12–15 37:3-5 40:20).

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The Chief Levites in Attendance

And so says David to chiefs of the Levites to set their brothers the singers in manufactured goods of music: harps and lyres and [a pair of] cymbals, a causing to hear, to lift up in a sound to joy.

1Chronicles

15:16

Then David told the chiefs of the Levites to station their brothers—the musicians with musical instruments (harps, lyres and cymbals)—those who cause [all] to hear [and] elevate sounds of joy [in specific places].

David then had the chiefs of the Levites assemble their musically-inclined brothers, those with harps, lyres, and cymbals, those who made themselves heard and elevated this event with sounds of joy.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text And so says David to chiefs of the Levites to set their brothers the singers in manufactured goods of music: harps and lyres and [a pair of] cymbals, a causing to hear, to lift up in a sound to joy.

Septuagint And David said to the chiefs of the Levites, Set your brothers the singers with musical instruments, lutes, harps, and cymbals, to sound aloud with a voice of joy.

Significant differences: The Greek lacks the word to prior to set (which appears to be in the imperative mood in the Greek). Apart from that, there do no appear to be any major differences in the text.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV David then told the leaders to choose some Levites to sing and play music on small harps, other stringed instruments, and cymbals.

The Message David ordered the heads of the Levites to assign their relatives to sing in the choir, accompanied by a well-equipped marching band, and fill the air with joyful sound.

New Living Testament David also ordered the Levite leaders to appoint a choir of Levites who were singers and musicians to sing joyful songs to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ David told the Levite leaders to appoint some of their relatives to serve as musicians. They were expected to play music on harps, lyres, and cymbals to produce joyful music for singing.

HCSB Then David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers and to have them raise their voices with joy accompanied by musical instruments--harps, lyres, and cymbals.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

LTHB And David commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers the singers with instruments of song, psalteries, and harps, and sounding cymbals, to lift up the voice for joy.

Young’s Updated LT And David says to the heads of the Levites to appoint their brothers the singers, with instruments of song, psalteries, and harps, and cymbals, sounding, to lift up with the voice for joy.

What is the gist of this verse? David had the Levites assemble their musically-inclined brothers appropriately with their musical instruments in order to celebrate this event with music.

1Chronicles 15:16a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
âmar (ר ַמ ָא) [pronounced aw-MAHR]	to say, to speak, to utter; to say [to oneself], to think	3^rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect	Strong’s #559 BDB #55
Dâvid (ד ̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED]	beloved and is transliterated David	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #1732 BDB #187
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to, with reference to, as to, with regards to, belonging to	preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
sar (ר ַ) [pronounced sar]	chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince, leader, commander	masculine plural construct	Strong’s #8269 BDB #978
L^evîyyim (ם ̣ ̣ול) [pronounced l^e-vee-YIM]	joined to, attached; garland, crown; and is transliterated Levites	plural gentilic adjective with the definite article	Strong’s #3881 BDB #532
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to, with reference to, as to, with regards to, belonging to	preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
׳âmad (ד ַמ ָע) [pronounced ģaw-MAHD]	to cause to stand, to station, to set, to place, to decree, to destine	Hiphil infinitive construct	Strong's #5975 BDB #763
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth]	generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward	indicates that the following substantive is a direct object	Strong's #853 BDB #84
âch (ח ָא) [pronounced awhk]	brother, kinsman or close relative	masculine plural noun with the 3^rd person masculine plural suffix	Strong's #251 BDB #26

Translation: Then David told the chiefs of the Levites to station their relatives—the musicians... To be quite frank, I don’t know why we have the term brothers used here, as we are simply speaking of other Levites. Perhaps this term simply differentiates them from the chiefs of the Levites, or perhaps it is a term which implies that the musically-inclined Levites are those who will be appropriately stationed along the parade route.

The Ark is going to be carried from point A to point B (the home of Obed-edom into the city of Jerusalem); and there would be sacrifices offered and great celebrations as they progressed. There are obviously some very talented musicians, and they were a part of this event. It is unclear whether they were placed in a specific area (or areas) or whether they marched along the route of the Ark, either in front or behind. The verbiage seems to indicate that they were placed in a specific area (or areas) as opposed to marching along with the Ark in a procession. However, this does not mean that this orchestra did not move; it is possible that they marched along the sidelines or that they were placed in several areas along the route.

As I have pointed out before, David has a lot of organizing taking place here, and there are thousands of witnesses to this event. When he tried the same thing, 3 months previous, a prominent Levite died (I am assuming that Uzzah was a Levite). This procession could be extremely embarrassing to David if something similar occurs (recall that the Ark was closely associated with death and disease both with the Philistines and the Israelites); however, David knows what went wrong before and he knows how to correctly move the Ark now. Therefore, he functions with great confidence, and everything is kept out in the open.

1Chronicles 15:16b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
shîyr (רי ̣ש) [pronounced sheer]	singers, choir; professional singers; musicians	masculine plural, Pilel/Polel participle; with the definite article	Strong’s #7891 BDB #1010
Given that we have a list of musical instruments to follow, I think the rendering of this participle as musicians is apt.
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
k^elîy (י.ל) [pronounced melee]	manufactured good, artifact, article, utensil, vessel, weapon, armor, furniture, receptacle; baggage, valuables	masculine plural construct	Strong’s #3627 BDB #479
shîyr (רי.ש) [pronounced sheer]	song, singing; music	masculine singular noun	Strong’s #7892 BDB #1010

Translation: ...the musicians with musical instruments... There is some denomination—the Church of Christ, I believe—and part of their doctrine is, they do not believe in the use of musical instruments. I have never really studied them in depth, so I have no idea why they take this position—to me, it seems a pretty trivial position to take (and they may feel the same way); however, given how many times musical instruments are referenced in Scripture, it seems silly to think that God has something against them. In any case, I think we may reasonably suppose that David is in fellowship here, and he is following God’s Word in the way that he moves the Ark, and it will become obvious that he is quite excited over the whole affair. There is no reason to think that there is anything wrong with his calling for the use of musical instruments.

Now, quite frankly, I am certain that the Church of Christ has reasons for their position on musical instruments, and that they even have an answer for passages like this. To me, it is such a weird doctrine to hold to, that it causes me to discount pretty much everything else that they say. I realize that this is not what they would even necessarily consider an important doctrine (the intentional non-use of musical instruments when God is worshiped in music), but it strikes me as so weird and inconsequential, as to color whatever else they believe in. This does not mean, of course, that a church may function without musical instruments or without even a choir or any sort of music; it is possible that a church can be organized and that there are no musically inclined people in the congregation. However, to have a church-wide doctrine that musical instruments should not be used in church services is just goofy.

1Chronicles 15:16c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
nêbel (ל∵ב̤נ) [pronounced NAY^B-vel]	a portable harp, lute, guitar	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #5035 BDB #614
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
kînnôwr (ר ̣) [pronounced kin-NOHR]	hand-harp, lyre	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #3658 BDB #490
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
m^etsêleth (ת∵ל̤צמ) [pronounced m^ets-Ā-leth]	[a pair of] cymbals	feminine dual noun	Strong’s #4700 BDB #853

Translation:...(harps, lyres and cymbals)—... Here is a list, or a partial list, of the instruments which were to be used by the Levites. Although there are more mentions of musical instruments and music in the Old Testament, there is nothing in the New Testament to indicate that religious music is no longer to be a part of our worship. Eph. 5:18–20: And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled with the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music to the Lord in your heart, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 3:16 Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Barnes points out something which I did not catch: Singing had long been recognized as appropriate to religious ceremonies (Ex. 15:21 Judges 5:1 1Chron. 13:8); but this is the first occasion on which we find the duty of conducting musical services expressly laid on the Levites. Henceforth, the services of the tabernacle and the temple were regularly choral, and a considerable section of the Levites was trained in musical knowledge, and set apart to conduct this portion of the national worship.

It is interesting, although probably not significant, that there were musical instruments brought to accompany the first moving of the Ark (2Sam. 6:5), but there are no specific references to the Levites playing these instruments. However, the focus of this first attempt to move the Ark is not upon the details of the act, but the failure of the act, and how it was temporarily resolved.

What has surprised me is the large number of verses which specifically deal with music as a part of worship: 1Chron. 15:27–28 6:31–38 13:8 16:42 23:5 25:1–6 2Chron. 5:13 29:28–30 Ezra 3:10–11 Neh. 12:36, 46 Psalm 87:7 92:1–3 95:1 100:1 149:3 150:3–4 Jer. 33:11. This is only a partial listing of such verses.

1Chronicles 15:16d
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
shâma׳ (ע ַמ ָש) [pronounced shaw-MAHĢ]	to cause to hear, to let hear; to announce, to tell; to call, to summon; to sing; to play [instruments]	masculine plural, Hiphil participle	Strong's #8085 BDB #1033
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to, with reference to, as to, with regards to, belonging to	preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
rûwm (םר) [pronounced room]	to raise, to lift up [something], to make high; to elevate, to exalt; to erect, to build a house; to take away; to offer sacrifices	Hiphil infinitive construct	Strong's #7311 BDB #926
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
qôwl (לק) [pronounced kohl]	sound, voice, noise; loud noise, thundering	masculine singular noun	Strong’s #6963 BDB #876
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to, with reference to, as to, with regards to, belonging to	preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
sim^echâh (הָח מ ̣) [pronounced sim^e-KHAW],	joy, gladness, mirth, great joy	feminine singular noun	Strong’s #8057 BDB #970

Translation: ...those who cause [all] to hear [and] elevate sounds of joy—[in specific places]. I have added a short phrase at the end to go with the verb at the beginning. Then entire verse reads: Then David told the chiefs of the Levites to station their brothers—the musicians with musical instruments (harps, lyres and cymbals)—those who cause [all] to hear [and] elevate sounds of joy [in specific places].

This gist of this verse is fairly simple: David wants Levites stationed all over to make music in celebration of bringing the Ark of God to Jerusalem. However, how this actually reads is much more difficult. We have a masculine plural, Hiphil participle of to cause to hear, to let hear, to announce, to tell. A participle is often used as a verbal noun; but it can be used as an adjective. So, this gives us 3 possible approaches: (1) as a noun, it can refer to the Levite musicians and singers; (2) it can serve as an adjective which describes cymbals; and (3) it can function as a verb here, indicating that this is what the Levite singers and musicians will do. I’m not the only person who got hung up on this verb.

So that you simply don’t take my word for the different uses of this Hiphil participles, let me show you the approach of the more accurate translations.
Dramatic Differences in Translations
Translation	1Chronicles 15:16 (verb is in bold)	How the Verb is Used
ESV	David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on musical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy.	The Hiphil participle is used as a verb and is applied to the musicians (singers).
HNV	David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers the singers, with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up the voice with joy.	As above, the Hiphil participles is used as a verb and applied to the musicians, but placed in the verse where it is found in the Hebrew.
Kukis	Then David told the chiefs of the Levites to station their brothers—the musicians with musical instruments (harps, lyres and cymbals)—those who cause [all] to hear [and] elevate sounds of joy—[in specific places].	Apparently, of these fairly literal translations, I am the only one to render this Hiphil participle as a verbal noun.
LTHB	And David commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers the singers with instruments of song, psalteries, and harps, and sounding cymbals, to lift up the voice for joy.	The Hiphil participle is used as an adjective to modify cymbals.
MKJV	And David spoke to the chief of the Levites to choose their brothers to be the singers with instruments of music, lyres, and harps, and cymbals, sounding by lifting the voice with joy.	Notice how similar this seems to be with the Literal Translation of the Holy Bible, but the verbal adjective is actually applied to the musicians.
NKJV	Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy.	Used again as a verbal adjective, here it is applied to the noun joy.
The Tanakh	David ordered the officers of the Levites to install their kinsmen, the singers, with musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals, joyfully making their voices heard.	Again, the Hiphil pariticple is used as a verb and applied to the musicians, but notice how differently it interacts with the final words in this verse.

As a personal note, when I come across a word with a particular morphology, and I am completely confused as to how to render it into the English, it sets my mind at ease to find that this caused problems for many translators.

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What is being caused to hear are the sounds of music which these Levites will play.

McGee comments: David wanted the brass band, the orchestra, and all the choirs. It was to be a great day when the ark of God was brought to Jerusalem. This was the high point of David’s coming to Jerusalem. God does not even record David’s coming to Jerusalem to capture it from the Jebusites, nor does He record the great building project that David launched. God puts the emphasis upon the spiritual, and I hope we get the message.

And so set up the Levites Heman ben Joel and from his brothers Asaph ben Berechiah and in sons of Merari their brothers, Ethan ben Kushaiah.

1Chronicles

15:17

The Levites therefore appointed Heman, the son of Joel, and from his relatives, Asaph, the son of Berechiah; and from [lit., in] the sons of Merari, their relatives, Ethan, son of Kushaiah.

The Levites therefore appointed Heman, the son of Joel, along with one of his relatives, Asaph, the son of Berechiah, and Ethan, son of Kushaiah, who is from the Merari branch of Levites.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text And so set up the Levites Heman ben Joel and from his brothers Asaph ben Berechiah and in sons of Merari their brothers, Ethan ben Kushaiah.

Septuagint So the Levites appointed Æman the son of Joel; Asaph the son of Barachias was one of his brethren; and Æthan the son of Kisaeus was of the sons of Merari their brethren;...

Significant differences: My English rendering of the LXX moves some phrases around; however, the material seems to be the same.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV The men chosen to play the cymbals were Heman the son of Joel, his relative Asaph the son of Berechiah, and Ethan the son of Kushaiah from the Merari clan.

Good News Bible (TEV) From the clans of singers they chose the following men to play the brass cymbals: Heman son of Joel, his relative Asaph son of Berechiah, and Ethan son of Kushaiah, of the clan of Merar. Both the CEV and the TEV combine vv. 17–21.

The Message The Levites assigned Heman son of Joel, and from his family, Asaph son of Berekiah, then Ethan son of Kushaiah from the family of Merari,...

New Living Testament So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel, Asaph son of Berekiah, and Ethan son of Kushaiah from the clan of Merari to direct the musicians.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ So the Levites appointed Heman, son of Joel, and from his relatives they appointed Asaph, Berechiah's son. From their own relatives, Merari's descendants, they appointed Ethan, son of Kushaiah.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

MKJV And the Levites chose Heman the son of Joel, and of his brothers, Asaph the son of Berechiah. And from the sons of Merari their brothers, was Ethan the son of Kushaiah.

Young’s Updated LT And the Levites appoint Heman son of Joel, and of his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah, and of the sons of Merari their brothers, Ethan son of Kushaiah.

What is the gist of this verse? The three primary musicians of David’s time are introduced in this verse: Heman, Asaph and Ethan (the 1^st rank, class or position musicians).

1Chronicles 15:17a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
׳âmad (ד ַמ ָע) [pronounced ģaw-MAHD]	to cause to stand, to station, to set, to place, to decree, to destine	3^rd person masculine plural, Hiphil imperfect	Strong's #5975 BDB #763
L^evîyyim (ם ̣ ̣ול) [pronounced l^e-vee-YIM]	joined to, attached; garland, crown; and is transliterated Levites	plural gentilic adjective with the definite article	Strong’s #3881 BDB #532
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth]	generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward	indicates that the following substantive is a direct object	Strong's #853 BDB #84
Hêymân (ןָמי̤ה) [pronounced hay-MAWN]	faithful; transliterated Heman	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #1968 BDB #54
bên (ן ֵ) [pronounced bane]	son, descendant	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #1121 BDB #119
Yôwêl (ל̤אי) [pronounced yoh-ĀL]	to whom Jehovah is God or worshiper of Jehovah; and is transliterated Joel	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #3100 BDB #222

Translation: The Levites therefore appointed Heman, the son of Joel,... There is going to be a long history with Heman and his sons as singers of Israel. I have mentioned in the past that we have questions concerning Samuel’s tribal background. It is likely that the prophet Samuel is the grandfather of Heman here (1Sam. 8:2 1Chron. 6:28, 33 15:17), which would make Samuel a Levite in the line of Kohath (something which is not clear in 1Sam. 1–2). Heman is renown as a singer (1Chron. 6:33). He and his descendants will be long associated with worship in Israel (actually, Judah) and with music (1Chron. 25:1 29:14, 20 2Chron. 5:12 35:15). By the way, he had many descendants, beginning with 14 sons and 3 daughters (1Chron. 25:5). He is possibly the author of Psalm 88 (see the inscription for this psalm).

Application: This should be encouraging to those who have an artistic bend; Heman will be known forever for his musical ability and service to God in that realm.

His father Joel, on the other hand, is known as one of Samuel’s sons who tried to take Samuel’s place, as Samuel became too old, but he (and his brother Abiah) perverted justice. It is not clear whether this is the Joel of 1Chron. 15:7, 11, although the age would have been right. This would mean that Joel really turned his life around, going from being a crook in judge’s robes, to be the head of a branch of Levites. Because the two Joel’s are so different, exegetes are hesitant to unequivocally state that these men are one and the same. However, as some of you know from personal experience, people who believe in Jesus Christ can sometimes make a 180° turn in their lives.

Application: Whether they are or not, it does not matter how much you have screwed up your life up to this point; if you are still alive, then God has a purpose for your life and a place for you to function that is meaningful. There are a number of people out there—you might even be one of them—whose life took a complete 180° after believing in Jesus Christ.

1Chronicles 15:17b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
min (ן ̣מ) [pronounced min]	from, off, out from, out of, away from, on account of, since, than, more than	preposition of separation	Strong's #4480 BDB #577
âch (ח ָא) [pronounced awhk]	brother, kinsman or close relative	masculine plural noun with the 3^rd person masculine singular suffix	Strong's #251 BDB #26
Âçâph (ףָסָא) [pronounced aw-SAWF]	gatherer, collector and is transliterated Asaph	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #623 BDB #63
bên (ן ֵ) [pronounced bane]	son, descendant	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #1121 BDB #119
Berek^eyâhûw (הָיכ∵ר∵) [pronounced beh-rehk-YAW-hoo]	Yah blesses; transliterated Berechiah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #1296 BDB #140
Also spelled Berek^eyâh (הָיכ∵ר∵) [pronounced beh-rehk-YAW] and this is probably equivalent to Strong’s #3000 BDB #140.

Translation: ...and from his relatives, Asaph, the son of Berechiah;... In the Hebrew, relatives is actually the word brother. All Hebrews were considered brothers to one another in one sense or another. Here, these men are considered brothers since they are from the same tribe of Israel.

Psalms 50 and 73–83 are all attributed to Asaph, who is known both as a seer as well as a musical composer (2Chron. 29:30 Neh. 12:46). The sons of Asaph are mentioned several times in Scripture (1Chron. 25:1, 2Chron. 20:14, and Ezra 2:41). These were not necessarily his sons by birth, but this may have included other musicians who joined them. Fausset calls them poets and musical composers who were educated in a school founded by Asaph.

There are 7 Berechiah’s found in Scripture (his name is also found as Berechiahu):
The Berechiah’s of Scripture
Berechiah	Scripture
(1) Son of Shimea, and father of Asaph the musician. This is the Berechiah in our passage.	1Chron. 6:39 15:17
(2) One of the seven Ephraimite chieftains and a son of Meshillemoth	2Chron. 28:12
(3) The fourth of the five sons of Zerubbabel, a descendant of David, and therefore, of the royal family of Judah	1Chron. 3:20
(4) The father of the prophet Zechariah	Zech. 1:1, 7
(5) A Levite and former inhabitant of Jerusalem.	1Chron. 9:16
(6) A doorkeeper for the Ark of God during David's time	1Chron. 15:23
(7) One of the heads of the children of Ephraim	2Chron. 28:12

Taken from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary; 1897; from e-Sword, topic: Berechiah (which lists 4 Berechiah’s). Also from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; James Orr, Editor; ©1956 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.; Ⓟ by Hendrickson Publishers; from E-Sword; Topic: Berechiah. Slightly edited.

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1Chronicles 15:17c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
min (ן ̣מ) [pronounced min]	from, off, out from, out of, away from, on account of, since, than, more than	preposition of separation	Strong's #4480 BDB #577
bên (ן ֵ) [pronounced bane]	son, descendant	masculine plural construct	Strong’s #1121 BDB #119
M^erârîy (י .רָרמ) [pronounced mehr-aw-REE]	bitter; transliterated Marari	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #4847 BDB #601
âch (ח ָא) [pronounced awhk]	brother, kinsman or close relative	masculine plural noun with the 3^rd person masculine plural suffix	Strong's #251 BDB #26

Translation: ...and from [lit., in] the sons of Merari, their relatives,... Three of Levi’s sons, Kohath, Merari and Gershom, are the three primary branches of that tribe. Their brothers here refers to the sons of Merari, relatives of those already named.

1Chronicles 15:17d
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
Êythân (ן ָתי ֵא) [pronounced ay-THAWN]	permanent, enduring; transliterated Ethan	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #387 BDB #450
bên (ן ֵ) [pronounced bane]	son, descendant	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #1121 BDB #119
Qûwshâyâhûw (הָיָשק) [pronounced koo-shaw-YAW-hoo]	entrapped of [by] Yah [Jehovah]; bow of Jehovah; transliterated Kushaiah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #6984 BDB #881
Possibly equivalent to Kush or to Kushi. Taken from the passive participle of Strong’s #6983 and combined with Strong’s #3050.

Translation: ...Ethan, son of Kushaiah. Ethan wrote the 89^th Psalm, and is celebrated here in eternal Scripture. His specific family line is named in 1Chron. 6:44 and his name will occur twice in this chapter (vv. 17 and 19). He is considered by most to be equivalent to Jeduthun (1Chron. 25:6 2Chron. 35:15 Psalm 39 inscription 62 inscription 77 inscription) and it is possible that this is the same person spoken of in 1Kings 4:31. His sons are named in Scripture just as Asaph’s are (1Chron. 25:1–3).

These 3 men, Heman, Asaph and Ethan, make up the 1^st class or 1^st order of musicians, although they are not so called here. These would be the musical leaders, the composers, the conductors of the Levitical Marching Band (okay, let’s just refer to them as the Levitical musicians). The 2^nd order (rank or class) is found in the next verse.

Ethan’s father, Kushaiah, is called Kishi in 1Chron. 6:44.

And with them their brothers the second rank: Zechariah, Ben [or, son] and Jaaziel and Shemiramoth and Jehiel and Unni, Eliab and Benaiah and Maaseiah and Mattithiah and Eliphelehu and Mikneiah and Obed-edom and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

1Chronicles

15:18

With them [are] their brothers of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

And with them are their brothers of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Latin Vulgate And with them their brethren: in the second rank, Zacharias, and Ben, and Jaziel, and Semiramoth, and Jahiel, and Ani, and Eliab, and Banaias, and Maasias, and Mathathias, and Eliphalu, and Macenias, and Obededom, and Jehiel, the porters.

Masoretic Text And with them their brothers the second rank: Zechariah, Ben [or, son] and Jaaziel and Shemiramoth and Jehiel and Unni, Eliab and Benaiah and Maaseiah and Mattithiah and Eliphelehu and Mikneiah and Obed-edom and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

Peshitta And with them their brothers of the second order: Zechariah the son of Neaiel, Jehiel, Elias, Benaiah, Asa, Mattitha, Eliphelehu, Mikiaho, Obed-edo, and Jeiel.

Septuagint ...and with them their brothers of the second rank, Zacharias, and Oziel, and Semiramoth, and Jeiel, and Elioel, and Eliab, and Banaia, and Maasaia, and Matthathia, and Eliphena, and Makellia, and Abdedom, and Jeiel, and Ozias, the porters.

Significant differences: That problematic word that we have in the Hebrew, son, is not found in the Greek. The Peshitta has son of Neaiel, but lacks the name Shemiramoth or anything like it. The Latin treats this as simply the name of one of the men, and included an additional and with the name.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

Good News Bible (TEV) To assist them they chose the following Levites to play the high-pitched harps: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah. To play the low-pitched harps they chose the following Levites: Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Azaziah, and the Temple guards, Obed Edom and Jeiel. [vv. 18–21].

The Message ...and after them in the second rank their brothers Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel as security guards.

New Living Testament The following men were chosen as their assistants: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers, Obed.edom and Jeiel.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Bible in Basic English And with them their brothers of the second order, Zechariah, Bani and Jaaziel and Shemiramoth and Jehiel and Unni, Eliab and Benaiah and Maaseiah and Mattithiah and Eliphelehu and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom and Jeiel, the door-keepers.

God’s Word™ In addition, they appointed their relatives from the second division: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah. Obed Edom and Jeiel were appointed gatekeepers.

HCSB With them were their relatives second in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

WEB ...and with them their brothers of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers.

Young’s Updated LT And with them their brothers, the seconds in rank , Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah; and Obed-Edom and Jeiel the gatekeepers.

What is the gist of this verse? This is the second-ranking of men.

1Chronicles 15:18a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
׳îm (ם ̣ע) [pronounced ģeem]	with, at, by, near; like; from	preposition of nearness and vicinity with the 3^rd person masculine plural suffix	Strong’s #5973 BDB #767
âch (ח ָא) [pronounced awhk]	brother, kinsman or close relative	masculine plural noun with the 3^rd person masculine plural suffix	Strong's #251 BDB #26
mish^enîym (םי.נ ׃ש ̣מ) [pronounced mish^e-NEEM]	double, copy, second [rank, order, grouping]	masculine plural noun with the definite article	Strong’s #4932 BDB #1041

Translation: With them [are] their brothers of the second rank:... Since we have a group of men here who are said to be in the 2^nd rank (or class or group), that would imply that the three men just named—Ethan, Heman and Asaph—are men of the first rank. All this is, is simply a hierarchy of musicians, which indicates organization and clear and appropriate authority. In other words, David didn’t just pull together a few street musicians and they got together and jammed. These are a group of musicians who were well-organized, who probably were banded together as a group prior to David’s reign (or, they began to function as an orchestral unit when David became king). Since Saul went into Nob and killed all the priests there, whatever went on after that may have been done in secret, or as separate from Saul as possible.

At the beginning, we discussed the Tabernacle and different reasons why David did not bring the entire Tabernacle into Jerusalem and set up the sacrificial system of worship there. He was unfamiliar with the system, as the Tabernacle may not have even functioned during his life; and David had in mind a more spectacular building of worship. Now, for 7½ years, Israel has been a divided kingdom, with David in the south and Ishbosheth ruling from the far east. Therefore, the priests and Levites moved the Tabernacle to Gibeon and gathered there (1Kings 3:4–5 9:2 1Chron. 16:39). Whether they gathered there as sort of a central location, or to intentionally stay out of the way of royalty, we don’t know. However, we may reasonably assume that these Levites whom David gathers were probably a part of the worship pertaining to the Tabernacle.

1Chronicles 15:18b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
Z^ekar^eyâh (הָי ר-כז) [pronounced z^ek-ahr^e-YAW]	Yah [Jah, Jehovah] remembers; transliterated Zechariah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #2148 BDB #272
Also spelled Z^ekar^eyâhûw (הָי ר-כז) [pronounced z^ek-ahr^e-YAW-hoo].
bên (ן ֵ) [pronounced bane]	son, descendant	masculine singular noun	Strong’s #1121 BDB #119
Obviously, this appears to be left hanging here without an object. Some think that this is used as a proper noun here and should be rendered Ben. The Vulgate and the Septuagint omit Ben from their text.

Translation: ...Zechariah, Ben,... There are a lot of men in Scripture named Zechariah. Ben is generally used in Scripture to mean the son of. However, here, it is followed by the wâw conjunction rather than by a proper noun, suggesting that it is a proper noun. The Peshitta also lists a man with the name of Ben here; the LXX and Latin Vulgate do not. Whether it was not found in the manuscripts that they used or whether they did not recognize it as a proper noun, we do not know. We would expect a wâw conjunction between Zechariah and Ben, but we do not find one (however, we have seen that we do not always have wâw conjunctions between every pair of proper nouns. In this life, we will never know whether there is a man here named Ben; but, if he belongs here, then we can meet him in eternity.

ISBE lists 30 Zechariah’s in Scripture (his name is also found as Zechariahu):
The Zechariah’s of Scripture
Zechariah	Scripture
(1) King of Israel, son of Jeroboam II (the King James Version “Zachariah”).
(2) The grandfather of King Hezekiah, through Hezekiah's mother Abi (2Kings 18:2, the King James Version “Zachariah” parallel 2Chron. 29:1).
(3) A contemporary of Isaiah, taken by Isaiah as a trustworthy witness in the matter of the sign Maher–shalal–hash–baz (Isa. 8:1). As his father's name was Jeberechiah, some support seems to be offered to theories of those who would make him the author of certain portions of Zechariah.	The Book of Zechariah
(4) A Reubenite of the time of Israel's captivity	1Chron. 5:7
(5) A Benjamite, living in Gideon; the brother of Kish and hence, the uncle of Saul	1Chron. 9:37; called “Zecher” in 1Chron. 8:31
(6) A Manassite of Gilead, at the time of David	1Chron. 27:21
(7) The third son of Jehoshaphat; slain by Jehoram	2Chron. 21:2, 4
(8) A “prince” who Jehoshaphat sent to “teach” in the cities of Judah. As this “teaching” was in connection with the establishing of the Law, Zechariah was primarily a judge	2Chron. 17:7
(9) A prophet who was influential in the early days of Uzziah. He instructed the king in the fear of God. As long as he lived the king profited by his instruction and advice.	2Chron. 26:5
The following eight are all Levites:
(10) A doorkeeper at the time of David, who was made a singer “of the second degree.” He was a player on a “psaltery” and took part in the thanksgiving when the Ark was brought to Jerusalem.	1Chron. 15:18, 20 16:5
(11) A son of Isshiah	1Chron. 24:25
(12) A son of Meshelemiah, a “porter of the door of the tent of meeting” at the time of David	1Chron. 9:21 26:2, 14
(13) A son of Hosah, a Merarite, also at David's time	1Chron. 26:11
(14) The father of the prophet, Jahaziel	2Chron. 20:14
(15) A son of Asaph, who assisted in the purification of the Temple at the time of Hezekiah	2Chron. 29:13
(16) A Kohathite, who assisted in the repair of the Temple at the time of Josiah	2Chron. 34:12
(17) A son of Jonathan, an Asaphite, one of the musicians at the dedication of the wall at the time of Nehemiah	Neh. 12:35
The following 6 are all priests:
(18) A trumpeter at the time of David	1Chron. 15:24
(19)A son of Jehoiada, at the time of Joash. He rebuked the people publicly for their apostasy, and was stoned by them, Joash consenting to their act . As 2Chronicles is the last book in the Hebrew Old Testament, Zechariah was regarded as the last of the Old Testament martyrs, and hence, is coupled with Abel (the first martyr) in Matt. 23:35 parallel Luke 11:51. The words “son of Barachiah” in Matthew are due to confusing this Zechariah with the prophet.	2Chron. 24:20–22
(20) One of the “rulers of the house of God” at the time of Josiah	2Chron. 35:8
(21) A son of Pashhur, 242 of whose descendants as “chiefs of fathers' houses” dwelt in Jerusalem at the time of Nehemiah	Neh. 11:13
(22) A trumpeter at the dedication of the wall at the time of Nehemiah	Neh. 12:41
(23) The prophet (I am confused at this point; what about #3?)	Ezra 5:1 6:14 Neh. 12:16 Zech. 1:1, 7 7:1, 8 1Esdras 6:1 7:3
The following are all returned exiles or are mentioned only as ancestors of such:
(24) A son of Parosh	Ezra 8:3 1Esdras 8:30 has “Zacharias” here and elsewhere
(25) A son of Bebai	Ezra 8:11 1Esdras 8:37
(26) One of the “chief men” dispatched by Ezra to bring priests from Casiphia. Doubtless the same as (24) or (25), above.	Ezra 8:16 1Esdras 8:44
(27) One of the persons who stood by Ezra at the reading of the Law; almost certainly identical with (26).	Neh. 8:4 1Esdras 9:44
(28) A son of Elam, who had taken a foreign wife	Ezra 10:26 1Esdras 9:27
(29) A son of Amariah, a Judahite, the ancestor of certain persons dwelling in Jerusalem	Neh. 11:4
(30) A son of “the Shilonite,” the ancestor of certain persons dwelling in Jerusalem	Neh. 11:5

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Ben could simply be the name of one of the men here, as, it is not that wacky to name your son, Son. Maybe he is the 10^th or 11^th kid and they just ran out of names. Whatever the case, there are several men with this name in the Bible. Quite obviously, some people still name their child Ben, even today. If I recall correctly, one of my former students had the name Ben Jammin.

There are 7 Ben’s found in Scripture (his name is also found as Benu):
The Ben’s of Scripture
Ben (also Benjamin and Benaiah)	Scripture
(1) The son of Jehoiada, chief priest. He was set by David over his body–guard of Cherethites and Pelethites. He remained faithful to Solomon, by whom he was raised to the rank of commander–in–chief	2Sam. 8:18 23:20–22 1Kings 1:8, 10, 26, 32 2:25, 29, 30, 34, 35 4:4 1Chron. 11:22 18:17 27:5
(2) One of David’s mighty men.	2Sam. 23:30 1Chron. 11:31
(3) A musical Levite	1Chron. 15:18, 20
(4) A priest	1Chron. 15:24 16:6
(5) The son of Jeiel	2Chron. 20:14

Taken from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary; 1897; from e-Sword, topic: Ben. Slightly edited.

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It may help us to compare three verses in this chapter with, essentially, the same list of men. I have noted some significant differences in boldface.
A Comparison of Names
1Chronicles 15:18	1Chronicles 15:20–21
With them [are] their brothers of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.	Also [playing are] Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah with harps, [playing] over [the voices of] young women. Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel and Azaziah with lyres to be preeminent over the female chorus [lit., eight, octave].
This has the name Ben,...	...and this verse does not.
The name is Jaaziel in this verse and...	...Aziel in this verse (probably a clerical error).
The order of the names Benaiah and Maaseiah...	...have been switched.
The name Ahaziah is missing in v. 18...	...but it is at the end of v. 21.

These verses are so close with regards to the men named, one would expect them to be exact. However, there is nothing which actually requires that to be so. Therefore, we have real idea whether Ben belongs here or not; nor are we certain about Azaziah. Ben is often found in lists of names, but not with these names, for the most part. Therefore, it seems less likely that it was meant to be part of Zechariah’s name (e.g., Zechariah ben Jaaziel). Furthermore, apart from the 3 men of the 1^st rank, no one else named in the chapter is called the son of (ben) anyone.

The missing name and the difference in Jaaziel’s name suggests more that, at some point, a manuscript which contained v. 20 was partially damaged. Rather than simply copy what was found in v. 18, the verse was copied as is, with portions missing. There seems greater evidence as a whole that no one messed with the manuscripts in order to make passages coincide—even passages like these which are so close together. It seems more likely, based upon the manuscripts that we have, that if a portion of a verse was missing, even in a parallel passage, the copies name also left off what was missing, rather than make an attempt to restore what the copyist believed to be missing.

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Application: You may wonder, is there an application here? Well, there are several, actually. First, if you saw your name in the paper, you would want the information to be correct, including the spelling of your name. I recall being quoted once in a school newspaper and I was unhappy that it was not an accurate quote. However, since the Word of God is forever, and our time on this earth relatively short, there will be an accurate record of names, with none missing, with none misspelled, and I suspect that we might even know a little more about these people than we do now. So, given the short space of time that we are on this earth, there is no need to fret if someone is not correctly represented here; in heaven, it will be correct.

Application: How does this apply to you? We have these lists of names and we know little or nothing about these men apart from the fact that they played music. Simple: in this life, there are going to be times when your spiritual gift functions, yet times when you wonder, are there any tangible results? At least these men played music before a crowd, and we find their names written in the Bible. But what about you? In eternity, you will know about these tangible results. I can give a good example of this. When I began going to Berachah Church, it was perceived by some as a cult and a church where its members just sat on their hands and learned doctrine all the time. Well, sometimes it was very cold in that auditorium, but, many, many pastors came out of Berachah; a number of missionaries came out of Berachah. Whereas, at one time, some might see this church as a very local cult; it has become clear that is not the case. A number of men have come out of Berachah and have established their own local churches; and, as Bob pointed out many times, their personalities are different but the fundamentals of the faith which they teach are the same. Now, much less tangible than this are those, like myself, whose gifts function in private. There are those who have the gift of prayer—people you may see at church and barely acknowledge if at all, and yet these same people may see you and put up a wall of prayer around you, unbeknownst to you. Our churches in the United States have become a joke, which status many unbelievers recognize, but believers without doctrine are not discerning enough to see. We have churches which have become huge financial conglomerates, which have movie theaters and bowling alleys. We have holy roller churches, which are an embarrassment to the Christian community, where their actions and babbling truly shake up unbelievers with any discernment. We even have some mega-churches where their pastors deny that Christ is our only salvation. We don’t need flashy, we don’t need rich, and we don’t need super-emotional; we need believers who learn God’s Word and make an impact—even if this impact is invisible to most.

1Chronicles 15:18c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Ya׳ăzîyêl (ל̤אי.זֲע-י) [pronounced yah-guh-zee-ALE]	made bold by El [God], embolden by God; transliterated Jaaziel	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #3268 BDB #739
Some think that there is a scribal error here, and that this is equivalent to Strong’s #5815 (i.e, the Ya really doesn’t belong here). Because we have the word son and then and, obviously, something is messed up here. Whether son is a part of the previous name, or whether some name dropped out, or whether some letters got transposed here, we don’t know.

Translation: ...Jaaziel,... Jaaziel means made bold by God; and it may be equivalent to Uzziel. We do not have anyone else in Scripture with this name.

1Chronicles 15:18d
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Sh^emîyrâmôwth (תמָרי .מש) [pronounced sh^em-ee-raw-MOHTH]	a name of heights; transliterated Shemiramoth	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #8070 BDB #1029
Also spelled Sh^emârîymôwth (תמי .רָמש) [pronounced sh^em-aw-ree-MOHTH].

Translation: ...Shemiramoth,... Shemiramoth means a name of heights (which can have a spiritual connotation); there are only two men in Scripture with this name; the other is a Levite from the time of Jehoshaphat (2Chron. 17:8).

1Chronicles 15:18e
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Y^echîyêl (ל̤אי.חי) [pronounced y^ehkh-ee-ALE]	may El [God] live; transliterated Jehiel	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #3171 BDB #313
There is an alternate spelling for this proper noun.

Translation: ...Jehiel,... Jehiel means may God live; and there are a number of men in Scripture with this name.

There are 12 Jehiel’s found in Scripture (his name is also found as Jehielu):
The Jehiel’s of Scripture
Jehiel	Scripture
(1) The father of Gibeon (Jeiel)	1Chron. 9:35
(2) One of David's guard (Jeiel)	1Chron. 11:44
(3) One of the Levites “of the second degree,” appointed to conduct the music on the occasion of the ark's being removed to Jerusalem	1Chron. 15:18, 20 16:5 26:21–22
(4) A Hachmonite, a tutor in the family of David toward the close of his reign	1Chron. 27:32
(5) The second of Jehoshaphat's six sons	2Chron. 21:2
(6) A Gershonite, and the head of a Levite house (could he be equivalent to #3?)	1Chron. 23:8 29:8
(7) One of the Levites of the family of Heman who assisted Hezekiah in his work of reformation	2Chron. 29:14
(8) An overseer in Hezekiah's reign	2Chron. 31:13
(9) A “prince” and “ruler of the house of God” who contributed liberally to the renewal of the temple sacrifices under Josiah	2Chron. 35:8
(10) The father of Obadiah and a returned exile	Ezra 8:9
(11) One of the “sons” of Elam and probably equivalent to #10 above	Ezra 10:26
(12) .A “son” of Harim, and one of those who had married foreign wives	Ezra 10:21

Taken from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary; 1897; from e-Sword, topic: Jehiel (which lists 10 Jehiel’s). Also from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; James Orr, Editor; ©1956 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.; Ⓟ by Hendrickson Publishers; from E-Sword; Topic: Jehiel. ISBE lists 12 Jehiel’s. Slightly edited.

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1Chronicles 15:18f
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
׳ûnnîy (י.ֻע) [pronounced ģoon-NEE]	afflicted; transliterated Unni	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #6042 BDB #777
Also spelled ׳ûwnnîy (י.ע) [pronounced ģoon-NEE].

Translation: ...Unni,... Unni means afflicted, who seems to be the odd-man out with this particular name. That is, most of the men named so far have a name which invokes the name of God in some way; this child came along, and his parents named him afflicted. However, here we find his name listed in Scripture, indicating that, even if you have humble beginnings, they can be overcome. We don’t know much about this man, but we do know that he is listed forever in Scripture.

The only other Unni is Scripture is found in Neh. 12:9.

After seeing this name and what it means, and realizing that all of these names have meaning, I thought to myself, why not just string these names together, but use their meanings instead of their transliterations. When we come to the last name on this list of names, then I will put all of these names together, along with Mr. Afflicted here, and the result is going to be quite astonishing.

1Chronicles 15:18g
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
Ĕlîyâ^bv (ב ָאי.ל ֱא) [pronounced el-ee-AW^BV]	God is father; transliterated Eliab	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #446 BDB #45

Translation: ...Eliab,... Eliab’s parents reminded him that God is [our] Father.

There are 7 Eliab’s found in Scripture (his name is also found as Eliabu):
The Eliab’s of Scripture
Eliab	Scripture
(1) Prince of the tribe of Zebulun in the Exodus	Num. 1:9 2:7 7:24, 29 10:16
(2) A Reubenite, father of Dathan and Abiram	Num. 16:11–12 26:8 Deut. 11:6
(3) Eldest son of Jesse and brother of David, once called Elihu. He was of commanding appearance and when serving with Saul's army at the time when it was confronting the Philistines and Goliath, was inclined to lord it over his brother David. His daughter Abihail became a Wife of Rehoboam (2Chron. 11:18).	1Sam. 16:6 17:28 1Chron. 27:18 2Chron. 11:18
(4) An Ephraimite, an ancestor of Samuel; called Eliel in 1Chron. 6:34, and Elihu in 1Sam. 1:1	1Chron. 6:27
(5) A Gadire warrior with David (1Chron. 12:9), one of 11 mighty men	1Chron. 12:8, 8, 14
(6) A Levite musician	1Chron. 15:18, 20 16:5
(7) An ancestor of Judith.	Judith 8:1; compare 9:2

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1Chronicles 15:18h
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
B^enâyâh (הָיָנ) [pronounced b^en-aw-YAW]	Yah [Jehovah] has built up; transliterated Benaiah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #1141 BDB #125
Also spelled B^enâyâhûw (הָיָנ) [pronounced b^en-aw-YAW-hoo].

Translation: ...Benaiah,... Benaiah’s parents named him Jehovah has built [him] up.

There are 13 Benaiah’s found in Scripture (his name is also found as Benaiahu):
The Benaiah’s of Scripture
Benaiah	Scripture
(1) The son of Jehoiada, chief priest (1Chron. 27:5). He was set by David over his body–guard of Cherethites and Pelethites (2Sam. 8:18; 1Kings 1:32; 1Chron. 18:17). His exploits are enumerated in 2Sam. 23:20–22; 1Chron. 11:22. He remained faithful to Solomon (1Kings 1:8, 10, 26), by whom he was raised to the rank of commander–in–chief. ISBE also devotes a great deal of time to this man.	1Kings 2:25, 29, 30, 34, 35 4:4
(2) A Pirathonite (compare Judges 12:13, 15), was one of David's 30 mighty men (2Sam. 23:30 1Chron. 11:31). He was captain over the course of the 11^th month numbering 24,000 (1Chron. 27:14).	2Sam. 23:30 1Chron. 11:31
(3) The Benaiah of our passage, a musical Levite	1Chron. 15:18, 20 16:5
(4) A priest appointed “to blow the trumpet before the ark of God”	1Chron. 15:24 16:6
(5) The son of Jeiel	2Chron. 20:14
(6–9) Four different men of Israel who had taken “strange wives”	Ezra 10:25, 30, 35, 43
(10) A ruler of the house of Simeon	1Chron. 4:36
(11) The father of Jehoiada, but see (1) above	1Chron. 27:34
(12) An ancestor of Jahaziel of the house of Asaph	2Chron. 20:14
(13) An overseer in the service of Hezekiah	2Chron. 31:13
(14) The father of Pelatiah who was seen by Ezekiel in his vision	Ezek. 11:1, 13

Taken from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary; 1897; from e-Sword, topic: Benaiah (which lists 4 Benaiah’s). Also from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; James Orr, Editor; ©1956 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.; Ⓟ by Hendrickson Publishers; from E-Sword; Topic: Benaiah. ISBE lists 13 different Benaiah’s. Slightly edited.

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1Chronicles 15:18i
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Ma׳ăsêyâhûw (הי̤ֲע-מ) [pronounced mah-ģuh-say-YAW-hoo]	work of Yah [Jehovah]; transliterated Maaseiah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #4640 & #4641 BDB #796
Also spelled Ma׳ăsêyâh (הי̤ֲע-מ) [pronounced mah-ģuh-say-YAW].

Translation: ...Maaseiah,... Maaseiah’s parents named him the work of Jehovah.

ISBE lists an amazing 22 different men with the Maaseiah:
The Maaseiah’s of Scripture
Maaseiah	Scripture
(1) A Levite musician named in connection with David's bringing up of the ark from the house of Obed–edom	1Chron. 15:18, 20
(2) A Levite captain who aided Jehoiada at the coronation of Joash	2Chron. 23:1
(3) An officer of Uzziah	2Chron. 26:11
(4) Ahaz's son, slain by the Ephraimite, Zichri	2Chron. 28:7
(5) A governor of Jerusalem under Josiah	2Chron. 34:8
(6–9)The name of 4 men, 3 of them priests, who had married foreign wives	Ezra 10:18, 21, 22, 30
(10) Father of Azariah, one of the builders of the wall	Neh. 3:23
(11) One of those who stood at Ezra's right hand during the reading of the Law	Neh. 8:4
(12) One of the expounders of the Law	Neh. 8:7
(13) One of those who took part in sealing the covenant	Neh. 10:25
(14) A Judahite inhabitant of Jerusalem (), who in 1Chron. 9:5 is called Asaiah.	1Chron. 9:5 Neh. 11:5
(15) A Benjamite	Neh. 11:7
(16–17) Name of two priests	Neh. 12:41 f
(18) A priest in Zedekiah's reign, father of a certain Zephaniah who interviewed the prophet Jeremiah	Jer. 21:1 29:25 37:3
(19) Father of the false prophet Zedekiah	Jer. 29:21
(20) A keeper of the threshold in the reign of Jehoiakim	Jer. 35:4
(21) Baaseiah (which see), a Kohathite name which is probably a textual error for Maaseiah.	1Chron. 6:40
(22) the King James Version for Mahseiah, an ancestor of Baruch	Jer. 32:12

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1Chronicles 15:18j
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Mattith^eyâhûw (הָי ת .-מ) [pronounced maht-tith^e-YAW-hoo]	gift of Yah [Jehovah]; transliterated Mattihiah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #4993 BDB #682
Also spelled Mattith^eyâh (הָי ת .-מ) [pronounced maht-tith^e-YAW].

Translation: ...Mattithiah,... His name means gift of Jehovah, which is the proper attitude for parents to take when a child is born to them.

There are 7 Mattithiah’s found in Scripture (his name is also found as Mattithiahu):
The Mattithiah’s of Scripture
Mattithiah	Scripture
(1) One of the sons of Jeduthun, and a gatekeeper	1Chron. 15:18, 21 16:5 25:3, 21
(2) The eldest son of Shallum, of the family of Korah	1Chron. 9:31
(3) One who stood by Ezra while reading the law (ISBE suggests that #’s 2 and 3 are equivalent.	Neh. 8:4
(4) The son of Amos, and father of Joseph, in the genealogy of our Lord	Luke 3:25
(5) ISBE separates out the Mattithiah in 1Chron. 16:4–5 as a celebrant of the coming of the Ark and not equivalent to the man in our passage.	1Chron. 16:5

Taken from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary; 1897; from e-Sword, topic: Mattithiah. Also from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; James Orr, Editor; ©1956 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.; Ⓟ by Hendrickson Publishers; from E-Sword; Topic: Mattithiah. Slightly edited.

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1Chronicles 15:18k
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Ělîyp^elêhûw (ה̤לפי.לֱא) [pronounced el-ee-peh-LAY-hoo]	may God distinguish him; transliterated Eliphelehu	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #466 BDB #45
Also spelled Ělîyp^elêh (ה̤לפי.לֱא) [pronounced el-ee-peh-LAY] and transliterated Elepheleh.

Translation: ...Eliphelehu,... Eliphelehu, which means may God distinguish him, is found here and in v. 21. His parents at birth asked that God would distinguish him, and here, we find his name written in the Word of God. This indicates that God answered the prayers of his parents.

Application: Prayer has a lot of uses; and when you have a son born to you, prayer should be a part of this experience.

1Chronicles 15:18l
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Miq^enêyâhûw (הָי̤נ ק .מ) [pronounced mihk^e-nay-YAW-hoo]	possession of Yah [Jehovah]; transliterated Mikneiah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #4737 BDB #889
Also spelled Miq^enêyâh (הָי̤נ ק .מ) [pronounced mihk^e-nay-YAW].

Translation: ...Mikneiah,... Mikneiah is only found here and in 1Chron. 15:21. Like many of the men here, his name is associated with Yah (Jehovah). This indicates that his parents were believers in Jehovah Elohim and that their son, Mikneiah, is a part of this. Now, bear in mind, parents cannot make their son or daughter become Christians—unlike Buddhists, Muslims and Catholics—however, they can exert a strong influence over them.

Application: People have a lot of aspirations, and, now and again, some of these aspirations are not completely selfish. Mikneiah’s parents concentrated on the one thing in this world that they had influence over, and that was their son, who was raised in a Godly manner, and who, of his own accord, chose to believe in Jehovah Elohim. We all have diffrent spiritual gifts and we all find ourselves in a variety of circumstances; however, if you are a parent, your primary focus should be upon your spouse and your family. This is key. When God blesses you with a son, that is an incredible responsibility. Given Mikneiah’s place—his name recorded here in the Word of God—indicates that his parents focused on what was important and on those over which they had influence. Mikneiah means possession of Jehovah; and his parents treated him in that way. We know this because this is his name.

1Chronicles 15:18m
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
׳Ôbêd (ד̤בֹע) [pronounced ģoh-BADE]	a slave, a servant	masculine singular noun	Strong’s #5660 BDB #713
The vowel points are different from Strong’s #5647 and #5660. Since there were no vowel points in the original Hebrew, this word and the other two are identical. The pronunciation comes from many readings of this passage in the synagogues.
Ědôwm (םד ֱא) [pronounced eh-DOHM]; also Ědôm (םֹד ֱא) [pronounced eh-DOHM	reddish; and is transliterated Edom, Edomites	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #123 BDB #10
Together, these two words make up Obed-edom, which means a slave to the Edomite; a servant to Edom, which is Strong’s #5654 BDB #714.

Translation: ...Obed-edom,... Obed-edom was the man who took in the Ark when David first attempted to move it, and Uzzah died as a result. Obed-edom’s household was blessed greatly because he took care of the Ark. 2Chron. 6:10–12.

We do have a bit of a problem here; Obed-edom is called a Gittite back in 1Chron. 13:13. Although it is not outright stated that he is a Levite, it is at least implied that he is. So, how do we explain this? This is going to be important to figure out, as there may be more than one Obed-edom in this chapter, and it seems unlikely that a Levite is going to have the same name as a Gittite. (1) The King of Gath appeared to have somewhat of an open border policy, and he allowed David and his men to live on Philistine controlled land; therefore, it would not be out of the question for a Levite to travel to Gath to try to make his way (we ran into at least two itinerant Levites in the book of Judges). When David returned to Judah and hostilities broke out between the Jews and Philistines, Obed-edom returned to Judah as well. He apparently lived in Gath long enough to be called a Gittite. (2) The term Gittite might be applied to those who are from Gath or from Gittaim, a city in Benjamin. Although this is not a Levite city, Levites, when there was no work to be done, moved around looking for work. (3) If this is a Levite and different from Obed-edom the Gittite from 1Chron. 13:13, we have the problem of two different nationalities having the same name.

1Chronicles 15:18n
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Y^e׳îyêl (ל̤אי.עי) [pronounced y^eģ-ee-ALE]	carried away of El [God], El sweeps away; transliterated Jeiel	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #3273 & #3260 BDB #418
There are two other spellings of this name: Y^e׳ûwêl (ל̤אעי) [pronounced y^eģ-oo-ALE] (Strong’s #3260); Y^e׳ivêl (ל̤או.עי) [pronounced y^e-ģih-VALE].

Translation: ...and Jeiel,... Jeiel means carried away by God.

There are 10 Jeiel’s found in Scripture:
The Jeiel’s of Scripture
Jeiel	Scripture
(1) A descendant of Benjamin; an ancestor of Saul	1Chron. 9:35 1Chron. 8:29
(2) One of the Levites who took part in praising God on the removal of the ark to Jerusalem	1Chron. 15:18, 21 16:5 2Chron. 20:14
(3) A Levite of the sons of Asaph	2Chron. 29:13
(4) A scribe under King Uzziah	2Chron. 26:11
(5) A Reubenite chief	1Chron. 5:7
(6) One of the chief Levites, who made an offering for the restoration of the Passover by King Josiah	2Chron. 35:9
(7) Equivalent to Jehiel	Ezra 8:13.
(8) One of those who had married foreign wives.	Ezra 10:43.
(9) One of David's mighty men; the Hebrew text reads Jeuel	1Chron. 11:44
(10) Equivalent to Jeuel	2Chron. 29:14

Taken from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary; 1897; from e-Sword, topic: Jeiel (which lists 8 Jeiel’s). Also from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; James Orr, Editor; ©1956 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.; Ⓟ by Hendrickson Publishers; from E-Sword; Topic: Jeiel. Slightly edited.

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In looking at this list of names, it suddenly struck me—why not attempt to make a sentence from the names which we find here?

What Do All of These Names in 1Chronicles 15:18 Mean?

Jehovah remembers a Son and [He is] emboldened by God and a name of heights and may God live and [He is] afflicted (God is [His] Father) and Jehovah is built up and [He is] a work of Jehovah and a gift of Jehovah and may God distinguish Him and [He is] a possession of Jehovah and a slave of reddish [man] and carried away of God.

In this simple list of names, we find the gospel of Jesus Christ revealed, and it helps to explain why God exalted a man whose name is afflicted; with everything else, his name fits in perfectly.

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1Chronicles 15:18o
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
shô׳êr (ר̤עֹש) [pronounced shoh-ĢAIR]	gatekeeper, doorkeeper, porter	masculine plural noun with the definite article	Strong’s #7778 BDB #1045
Also spelled shôw׳êr (ר̤עש) [pronounced shoh-ĢAIR].

Translation: ...the gatekeepers. For an individual house, this appears to be the doorman; for a city, this might be a man who stood at the gate entrance to the city. These 13 or 14 men stood by the entry gate to the city, playing music, as the Ark was carried into the city. At least, this appears to me what their function was. Perhaps the idea here is, this is where these men were stationed—these musicians were placed by the gate.

And the singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan in cymbals brass to sound.

1Chronicles

15:19

The singers, Heman, Asaph and Ethan, sounded aloud with brass cymbals.

The singers Heman, Asaph and Ethan were accompanied with brass cymbals.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text And the singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan in cymbals brass to sound.

Septuagint And the singers, Æman, Asaph, and Æthan, with brazen cymbals to make a sound to be heard.

Significant differences: None.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

The Message The members of the choir and marching band were: Heman, Asaph, and Ethan with bronze cymbals;...

New Living Testament Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were chosen to sound the bronze cymbals.

Revised English Bible They installed the musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan to sound the bronze cymbals;...

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

HCSB The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals;...

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

English Standard Version The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound bronze cymbals;...

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

Young's Updated LT ...and the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, with cymbals of brass to sound;...

What is the gist of this verse? Heman, Asaph and Ethan are singers who also played the cymbals.

1Chronicles 15:19a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
shîyr (רי ̣ש) [pronounced sheer]	singers, choir; professional singers	masculine plural, Pilel/Polel participle; with the definite article	Strong’s #7891 BDB #1010
Hêymân (ןָמי̤ה) [pronounced hay-MAWN]	faithful; transliterated Heman	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #1968 BDB #54
Âçâph (ףָסָא) [pronounced aw-SAWF]	gatherer, collector and is transliterated Asaph	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #623 BDB #63
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Êythân (ן ָתי ֵא) [pronounced ay-THAWN]	permanent, enduring; transliterated Ethan	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #387 BDB #450

Translation: The singers, Heman, Asaph and Ethan,... We’ve already met our 3 lead musician/composer/singers back in v. 17, who will be legend in Scripture, particularly in their association with music.

We have 3 musical leaders, and 3 instruments: harps, lyres and cymbals (vv 16, 17, 19–21).

1Chronicles 15:19
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
m^etsêleth (ת∵ל̤צמ) [pronounced m^ets-Ā-leth]	[a pair of] cymbals	feminine dual noun	Strong’s #4700 BDB #853
n^echôsheth (ת∵שֹחנ) [pronounced n^e-KHOH-sheth]	copper, bronze, brass; that which is made of brass or copper, money, fetter, bonds, leg irons	feminine singular noun	Strong’s #5178 BDB #638
Both Owen and BDB seem to spell this word the same for the masculine and feminine forms; in this passage, Owen lists this as a masculine singular noun. The th ending generally indicates a feminine ending, so I am going to list this as a feminine.
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to, with reference to, as to, with regards to, belonging to	preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
shâma׳ (ע ַמ ָש) [pronounced shaw-MAHĢ]	to cause to hear, to let hear; to announce, to tell; to call, to summon; to sing; to play [instruments]	Hiphil infinitive construct	Strong's #8085 BDB #1033

Translation: ...sounded aloud with brass cymbals. Again, it appears as though the Hiphil infinitive construct is closely associated with the cymbals, so we might assume that this means that these men either were singing while the brass cymbals were sounding aloud, or that they sang aloud along with the brass cymbals.

Now and again, we do have problems determining exactly what the original Scriptures mean; if you will notice, this rarely has any affect upon the doctrines of our faith. What is obvious in this passage is, as David moves the Ark forward into Jerusalem, there is great celebration, which includes music and musical instruments. Whereas, prior to this time, we do not really know what is going on with the Levites or the priestly line or with the Tabernacle, right here, it is clear that these men are going to play an important part in David’s kingship.

I want you to notice something else here, to contrast David and Saul: Saul had David as a private musician, and David played for Saul alone when Saul became moody. Here, David shares this music with all of Israel.

Application: Music bypasses the thinking of the soul, and can be both a reflection of society, and/or an influence of society. Most young people, who are a confused bundle of emotions and hormones to begin with, are often affected so much by music that they define their very being by the music they like. Obviously, music can be a force for good or evil in this way, and many norms and standards can be passed along in music, as it so easily bypasses certain gates of the soul.

Application: There is apparently a clear recognition of this in the public education system. When I was in grammar school and above, Christmas carols and Christmas celebrations at the school were common. We sang songs which glorified Jesus Christ; we sang songs which were doctrinally correct, meaningful, and musically uplifting (quite frankly, so many hymns are are). Since those days, we might find some religious songs from other false faiths sung, but not Christmas songs. Heathen and various organizations like the ACLU have found out that, it doesn’t take much effort to remove anything of a Christian nature out of the public schools, despite the fact that this is our legitimate heritage. I don’t think that it is a coincidence that the removal of Christian influence from our public school has occurred simultaneous to a great fall in educational standards. I saw it at the very school where I taught. When I began at this school, prayer before a group meal (e.g., a celebratory meal during the Christian holidays) was common. We had pageants where many Christian carols were sung. In relation to education, we had extremely rigorous honors courses, we had good courses for the average student, and we have very relevant and applicable courses for our low-level students (e.g., the mathematics course which I taught to low-level students was filled with real, practical application mathematics). We had a wonderful vocational, home economics, foods and agricultural departments. Every year, our students built a house—that was their project. 30 years later, we have a college prep curriculum, and everyone must take a set of courses designed to prepare them for college. When only 50–60% of your student body is going to go to college, and when only 40% or so actually completes a college course, that means that half of the student population is ignored and forced into a round hole, even though they are square pegs. It is so completely wrong and such a disservice to all the students. Why isn’t this just a disservice to half of the students? Simple. Let’s say you have 10–20% of your student body who, in the past, would take one basic, real application high school math course, sometimes struggle with that course, and when it was over, that would be the end of their mathematics career. That same person today has to take Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry. All of these courses have to be dumbed down in order to accommodate the low-level student. Whereas, at one time, my average geometry students gained great skills of logic in my course, and my strong Algebra II students could bypass College Algebra, now the top students in these courses take remedial courses when they enter into college. I was listening to one student on talk radio the other day give just that exact testimony: he was at the top of his classes in high school, went off to college, and took 3 semesters of remedial courses (information that he was supposed to have received in high school). When you remove the spiritual aspect entirely from any aspect of our culture, that will mark the decline of that institution, whatever it is.

I’ve gone a little far afield. In any case, here, David uses the music and the words of the psalms to celebrate this act of moving the Ark of God, and this music will have a profound affect upon those who are in attendance.

And Zechariah and Aziel and Shemiramoth and Jehiel and Unni and Eliab and Maaseiah and Benaiah in harps over young women.

1Chronicles

15:20

Also [playing are] Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah with harps, [playing] over [the voices of] young women.

Also playing on harps were Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah. They played over the voices of young women.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint Zacharias, and Oziel, Semiramoth, Jeiel, Oni, Eliab, Maasaeas, Banaeas, with lutes, on alaemoth.

Significant differences:

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

The Message ...Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah with lyres carrying the melody;...

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

HCSB ...Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to Alamoth;.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible Zechariah, Ariel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, were to play harps [resembling guitars] set to Alamoth [probably the treble voice].

English Standard Version Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to Alamoth;...

Young's Literal Translation ...and Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries set to Alamoth;...

Young's Updated LT And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jeheil, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries besides virgins,...

What is the gist of this verse? A group of men who were already named are said to play harps.

1Chronicles 15:20a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Z^ekar^eyâh (הָי ר-כז) [pronounced z^ek-ahr^e-YAW]	Yah [Jah, Jehovah] remembers; transliterated Zechariah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #2148 BDB #272
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
׳Ăzîyêl (ל̤אי.זֲע) [pronounced guh-zee-ALE]	made bold by El [God], embolden by God; transliterated Aziel	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #5815 BDB #739
Recall that in this verse, we are missing Ben and the name of the man below is listed as...
Ya׳ăzîyêl (ל̤אי.זֲע-י) [pronounced yah-guh-zee-ALE]	made bold by El [God], embolden by God; transliterated Jaaziel	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #3268 BDB #739
BDB says that both names are probably errors for Strong’s #5816 BDB #739.
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Sh^emîyrâmôwth (תמָרי .מש) [pronounced sh^em-ee-raw-MOHTH]	a name of heights; transliterated Shemiramoth	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #8070 BDB #1029
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Y^echîyêl (ל̤אי.חי) [pronounced y^ehkh-ee-ALE]	may El [God] live; transliterated Jehiel	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #3171 BDB #313
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
׳Ûnnîy (י.ֻע) [pronounced ģoon-NEE]	afflicted; transliterated Unni	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #6042 BDB #777
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Ĕlîyâ^bv (ב ָאי.ל ֱא) [pronounced el-ee-AW^BV]	God is father; transliterated Eliab	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #446 BDB #45
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Ma׳ăsêyâhûw (הי̤ֲע-מ) [pronounced mah-ģuh-say-YAW-hoo]	work of Yah [Jehovah]; transliterated Maaseiah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #4640 & #4641 BDB #796
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
B^enâyâh (הָיָנ) [pronounced b^en-aw-YAW]	Yah [Jehovah] has built up; transliterated Benaiah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #1141 BDB #125

Translation: Also [playing are] Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah... We have already identified these men; here, they will be portrayed as playing a specific instrument.

Aziel is probably equivalent to Jaaziel in v. 18, given that we find him in the same place, in the same order essentially (in this verse, Maaseiah and Benaiah trade places). BDB suggests, as I have noted, that both are errors for a 3^rd name (see the Hebrew table above).

1Chronicles 15:20b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
nêbel (ל∵ב̤נ) [pronounced NAY^B-vel]	a portable harp, lute, guitar	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #5035 BDB #614

Translation: ...with harps,... These are either harps which can be carried or lutes or something akin to our modern guitar. Throughout rock and roll, there have been several bands with as many as 4 guitars; here, apparently, we have 8 of them.

1Chronicles 15:20c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
׳al (לַע) [pronounced ģahl ]	upon, beyond, on, against, above, over, by, beside	preposition of proximity	Strong’s #5921 BDB #752
׳ălâmôwth (תמָלֲע) [pronounced guh-law-MOHTH]	young women; soprano/falsetto singing	feminine plural noun	Strong’s #5961 BDB #761
This is simply the plural form of:
׳al^emâh (הָמל-ע) [pronounced ģahl^e-MAW]	virgin; girl of marriageable age; [possibly] a newly married woman, a young woman	feminine singular noun	Strong’s #5959 BDB #761

Translation:...[playing] over [the voices of] young women. Obviously, in reading the translations, most translators took the easy way out and simply transliterated this word Alemoth. It is suggested that this is soprano or falsetto singing or this could be a choir of women. These men with harps could be playing opposite these women or beside these women. The idea is, we have the intermingling of instruments and voices. Wesley, instead, suggests that this is a musical instrument.

This term, Alemoth, is also found in the inscription for Psalm 46 , so I originally listed this psalm as a psalm appropriate to this chapter of Chronicles. However, it became clear when exegeting Psalm 46 that it did not belong to David’s day, but, perhaps to the time of Isaiah, when Israel faced down Sennacherib.

And Mattithiah and Eliphelehu and Mikneiah and Obed-edom and Jeiel and Azaziah in lyres upon the sheminith to oversee.

1Chronicles

15:21

Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel and Azaziah with lyres to be preeminent over the female chorus [lit., eight, octave].

Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel and Azaziah played lyres in such a way as to be preeminent over the chorus of female singers.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text And Mattithiah and Eliphelehu and Mikneiah and Obed-edom and Jeiel and Azaziah in lyres upon the sheminith to oversee.

Septuagint And Mattathias, and Eliphalu, and Makenia, and Abdedom, and Jeiel, and Ozias, with harps of Amasenith, to make a loud noise [or, to strengthen].

Significant differences: The final verb is in question. Although Brenton renders it to make a loud noise; it means to strengthen, which is still not equivalent to the Hebrew verb found here.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV The men chosen to play the cymbals were Heman the son of Joel, his relative Asaph the son of Berechiah, and Ethan the son of Kushaiah from the Merari clan. Some of their assistants played the smaller harps: they were Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah. Others played the larger harps: they were Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Azaziah, and two of the temple guards, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. [vv. 17–21].

The Message ...Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah with harps filling in the harmony;...

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were appointed to play lyres and to conduct the sheminith.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres set to Sheminith [the bass voice].

English Standard Version ...but Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres according to the Sheminith.

LTHB ...and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah with lyres on the octave, to oversee.

MKJV And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, were to lead with lyres on the octave.

Young's Literal Translation ...and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps tuned to the eight-stringed lyre, to lead.

Young's Updated LT ...and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps, on the octave, to oversee.

What is the gist of this verse? Another portion of the 2^nd ranking of musicians played harps (or lyres), possibly in a way to be preeminent over the female choir (the latter part of this verse is difficult to understand).

1Chronicles 15:21a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Mattith^eyâhûw (הָי ת .-מ) [pronounced maht-tith^e-YAW-hoo]	gift of Yah [Jehovah]; transliterated Mattihiah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #4993 BDB #682
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Ělîyp^elêhûw (ה̤לפי.לֱא) [pronounced el-ee-peh-LAY-hoo]	may God distinguish him; transliterated Eliphelehu	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #466 BDB #45
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Miq^enêyâhûw (הָי̤נ ק .מ) [pronounced mihk^e-nay-YAW-hoo]	possession of Yah [Jehovah]; transliterated Mikneiah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #4737 BDB #889
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
׳Ôbêd (ד̤בֹע) [pronounced ģoh-BADE]	a slave, a servant	masculine singular noun	Strong’s #5660 BDB #713
The vowel points are different from Strong’s #5647 and #5660. Since there were no vowel points in the original Hebrew, this word and the other two are identical. The pronunciation comes from many readings of this passage in the synagogues.
Ědôwm (םד ֱא) [pronounced eh-DOHM]; also Ědôm (םֹד ֱא) [pronounced eh-DOHM	reddish; and is transliterated Edom, Edomites	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #123 BDB #10
Together, these two words make up Obed-edom, which means a slave to the Edomite; a servant to Edom, which is Strong’s #5654 BDB #714.
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Y^e׳îyêl (ל̤אי.עי) [pronounced y^eģ-ee-ALE]	carried away of El [God], El sweeps away; transliterated Jeiel	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #3273 & #3260 BDB #418

Translation: Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel... These are the men whom we have spoken of before, a couple verses back—those in the second tier or second ranking. This is the rest of them, the first of them being found in v. 20.

1Chronicles 15:21b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
׳Ăzaz^eyâhûw (הָיז-זֲע) [pronounced ģuh-zahz^e-YAW-hoo]	Yah [Jehovah] is mighty [strong]; Jehovah has strengthened; transliterated Azaziah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #5812 BDB #739

Translation: ...and Azaziah... Azaziah had not been named before. We do find a few men with a similar name in v. 18, but they are all named a second time in vv. 20–21, which suggests to me that either Azaziah’s name was dropped out of the text before in v. 18, or that he came in later to round things out. Perhaps he is Ben’s replacement (Ben’s name is not found in vv. 20–21, but it is in the Hebrew text in v. 18).

ISBE lists 3 different Azaziah’s:
The Azaziah’s of Scripture
Azaziah	Scripture
(1) A Levite musician who participated in the services held on the return of the ark to Jerusalem. His name is omitted from the list in 1Chron. 15:18.	1Chron. 15:21
(2) Father of Hoshea, who was the leader of Ephraim at the time that David enumerated the people.	1Chron. 27:20
(3) A Levite who had charge of the offerings brought to the temple in the days of Hezekiah.	2Chron. 31:13

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1Chronicles 15:21c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
kînnôwr (ר ̣) [pronounced kin-NOHR]	hand-harp, lyre	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #3658 BDB #490

Translation: ...with lyres... This group played hand-harps or lyres.

1Chronicles 15:21d
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
׳al (לַע) [pronounced ģahl ]	upon, beyond, on, against, above, over, by, beside	preposition of proximity	Strong’s #5921 BDB #752
sh^emîynîyth (תי.ני.מש) [pronounced sh^e-mee-TEETH]	eight; eighth key; octave; transliterated sheminith	feminine singular adjective numeral; with the definite article	Strong’s #8066 & #8067 BDB #1033
Translators either guess at the meaning here or they transliterated this sheminith.

Translation: ...over the female chorus. I have changed the order of the English to give a better sense, which also involves some interpretation. Mattithai, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel and Azaziah with lyres to be preeminent over the female chorus [lit., eight, octave]. Given the transliterated word in the previous verse could mean young women and that this word means 8; I am going to suggest that this refers either to an 8 woman chorus or to a chorus with an 8 octave range, which sang in the background. These are obviously just guesses.

The Hebrew word found here, which is causing us some questions in our minds is sheminith, which is also found in Psalm 6 and 12 (in the inscriptions). Now, Psalm 6 is clearly David when under severe discipline, and since he mentions his bed and his couch in this psalm, we may reasonably assume that David wrote this psalm when under discipline after he became king (it is unlikely that David had both a bed and a couch when he watched over his father’s sheep in the fields). For this reason, I originally wanted to include Psalm 12 as a part of the celebratory psalms read while the Ark was being moved. However, this psalm deals with those who are heavily involved with the sins of the tongue, which is really not appropriate on this occasion.

There are a number of opinions on what we are speaking of here:
What is a Sheminith?
Scripture	Incident
Barnes	“Sheminith” properly means “the eighth,” and has been compared with the modern musical term “octave.” Further, “Sheminith” and “Alamoth” are regarded as contrasted, and the harps of Mattithiah and his companions are supposed to have been pitched an octave below the psalteries of Zechariah and his brethren.
Clarke	According to the Targum, this signifies an instrument that sounded an octave, or, according to others, an instrument with eight strings. The Syriac and Arabic have it, instruments to sing with daily, at the third, sixth, and ninth hour; the Vulgate, an octave, for a song of victory: some think the eighth band of the musicians is intended, who had the strongest and most sonorous voices; and that it is in this sense that shelomith and lenatstseach should be understood.
Gill	Some take [the sheminith] to be an harp with eight strings, or the beginning of a song, or a musical tone, the bass.
Kukis	I’ve rendered this word female chorus, which would suggest there are 8 females singers.

Obviously, we are all making educated guesses here.

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Again, when it comes to things which are not all that important, we have some questions as to the meanings; however, when it comes to information which is absolutely necessary to know, we know those meanings. Here, what we can be certain of is, this is a fairly large orchestra and a reasonably large choir which interact and are well-coordinated.

Application: Although the primary focus of a church should be upon God’s Word, it is okay to put together an orchestra or a choir or a musical celebration. Now notice, this occurs on a very special event—the movement of the Ark of God into Jerusalem. So, as with everything else, there is balance.

1Chronicles 15:21e
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to, with reference to, as to, with regards to, belonging to	preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
nâtsach (ח ַצָנ) [pronounced naw-TZAHKH]	to oversee, to supervise to be; preeminent, to be enduring; the Preeminent One	Piel infinitive construct	Strong’s #5329 BDB #663
As a participle, we find this in many psalm inscriptions and render it overseer (Young), the music leader (CEV), choir director (NASB, NLT), choirmaster (Owens), leader (NRSV, NEB, NAB) and chief musician (Rotherham).

Translation: ...to be preeminent... Although this is a proper rendering of this verb, the way I am using it is interprative. I picture that those on the lyres (or whatever) are set up in such a way as to be preeminent over what I believe to be a female chorus. Whatever the case, it appears as though the lyres are mixed as to sound louder than whatever the eight or octave is (the female chorus?).

It is reasonable to ask, just exactly what is being said here? Our passage reads: The Levites therefore appointed Heman, the son of Joel, and from his relatives, Asaph, the son of Berechiah; and from [lit., in] the sons of Merari, their relatives, Ethan, son of Kushaiah. With them [are] their brothers of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. The singers, Heman, Asaph and Ethan, sounded aloud with brass cymbals. Also [playing are] Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah with harps, [playing] over [the voices of] young women. Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel and Azaziah with lyres to be preeminent over the female chorus [lit., eight, octave]. So, what we have here are 3 leaders (Heman, Asaph and Ethan), along with 13 or 14 men of the second ranking. The 3 leaders both sing and sound the brass cymbals; the 2^nd tier group are stationed near the gate (I assume an entrance to the tent for the Ark of God), and they are all playing harps and lyres, which music intermingles with the female chorus. What we have here is very well organized. We don’t simply have David gathering a mob of people to watch the Ark being moved. We have specific men playing specific instruments placed in specific areas. Although it is not clear in the Hebrew, it also appears as though we have some female singers here as well.

I want you to consider David in all of this as well. He writes music, he plays musical instruments, and I assume that he sings as well. What he organizes here is probably one of the highlights of his life, as well as a highlight in the lives for all who attend. Although we do not have an exact time table, I imagine that David determined early on how to move the Ark, and that at least a week was devoted to planning this out. Although it appears in this context like David is calling together these various musical leaders and giving them orders, and organizing them, my educated guess is, much of this was planned out in advance and that some of the directives found here were determined some time ago.

Application: There is nothing wrong with organizing an event; there is nothing wrong with music which is melodic and well-composed and carefully put together. Some churches and organizations put together various musical events (e.g., the Christmas Tree). Now, although I have not attended any of these events, I can see how they could be doctrinal and edifying; and there is no need for unprofessionalism or sloppiness, which would detract from the event and from the message.

As I try to envision this event, I must admit that I am jazzed thinking about the psalms which will be sung at this event, and what doctrines will be presented while the Ark is placed in its tent. This is a grand turning point in the history of Israel. Israel will enjoy nearly a century of blessing based on their positive volition toward the Word of God.

And Chenaniah, a chief of the Levites, in a burden [or, singing] a correcting in a burden [or, singing] for discerning he.

1Chronicles

15:22

Chenaniah, a leader of the Levites in music, instructs in the music, because he is perceptive [about] [or, well acquainted with] [music].

Chenaniah, a leader of the Levites in music, became their conductor, for he was perceptive, artistic and well-versed in music.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Latin Vulgate And Chonenias chief of the Levites, presided over the prophecy, to give out the tunes: for he was very skillful.

Masoretic Text And Chenaniah, a chief of the Levites, in a burden [or, singing] a correcting in a burden [or, singing] for discerning he.

Peshitta And Benaiah, chief of the Levites, played every day in the booth, for they had prepared a place for him.

Septuagint And Chonenia chief of the Levites was a chief of these things because he was skillful.

Significant differences: The Hebrew is rather difficult here, and some of the words have very different sets of meanings. It is possible that the Greek translators did the best that they could here. We have a repetition in the Greek of the word chief, which is not found in the Hebrew. In the Greek, Chonenia is chief of these things, whereas, in the Hebrew, he is in music, an instructor of music. The Latin is also rather difficult, having two verbs in that same phrase, where the Hebrew has one. The translation prophecy is not far off the mark, as the Hebrew word for burden could possibly mean that. Furthermore, where the Latin, Greek and Hebrew agree at the beginning and at the very end of this verse, the Peshitta does not agree with anything after the first phrase. As usual, I will go with the Hebrew, but I don’t really have an explanation for what happened in the 3 ancient translations from the Hebrew.

When we come down to the end of this verse and compare the various interpretations of this passage, it will be clear that there is little consensus of Chenaniah’s duties and responsibilities.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV Chenaniah was chosen to be the music director, because he was a skilled musician.

Good News Bible (TEV) Because of his skill in music Chenaniah was chosen to be in charge of the levitical musicians.

The Message Kenaniah, the Levite in charge of music, a very gifted musician, was music director.

New Jerusalem Bible Chenaniah, the levitical director of transport was in charge of the transport, being skillful at it.

New Living Testament Kenaniah, the head Levite, was chosen as the choir leader because of his skill.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ Chenaniah, a Levite leader, instructed others how to sing prophetic songs because he was skilled at it.

HCSB Chenaniah, the leader of the Levites in music, was to direct the music because he was skillful.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

Updated Emphasized Bible And Chenaniah the leader of the Levites in the service [or, singing], used to give instructions [possibly, used to take the lead; see exegesis below] in the service [or, singing], because he was skillful.

English Standard Version Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in music, should direct the music, for he understood it.

NRSV Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in music, was to direct the music, for he understood it.

WEB Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the song: he instructed about the song, because he was skillful.

Young's Updated LT And Chenaniah, head of the Levites, is over the burden; he instructs about the burden, for he is intelligent.

What is the gist of this verse? Chenaniah, one chief of Levites, is the choirmaster, as he is skillful in this area..

1Chronicles 15:22a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
K^enan^eyâhûw (הָינ-נ ) [pronounced k^en-ahn^e-YAW-hoo]	Yah [Jehovah] is firm; Yah has planted; Yah has established; transliterated Chenaniah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #3663 BDB #487
This is also spelled K^enan^eyâh (הָינ-נ ) [pronounced k^en-ahn^e-YAW].
sar (ר ַ) [pronounced sar]	chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince, leader, commander	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #8269 BDB #978
L^evîyyim (ם ̣ ̣ול) [pronounced l^e-vee-YIM]	joined to, attached; garland, crown; and is transliterated Levites	plural gentilic adjective with the definite article	Strong’s #3881 BDB #532
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
massâ (אָַמ) [pronounced mahs-SAW]	a bearing, a carrying; load, burden [which is carried]; that which the soul lifts up [desires]; something uttered, a sentence, an oracle, an utterance; singing, music; a gift	masculine singular noun	Strong’s #4853 BDB #672
All of the things named here are things which are lifted up [and carried].

Translation: Chenaniah, a leader of the Levites in music,... Note that even in David’s time, there was a conductor, one who oversaw the product. In all areas of life, authority is necessary, even in the artistic realm (sometimes there is self-imposed authority). This man would control the tempo of the music, make the selections (along with David), determine which instruments would be played, and how loudly each component of the orchestra should be. The end result is going to be a cohesive whole, rather than a bunch of artists trying to outdo one another. It is possible the Chenaniah is the choirmaster here rather than being over all of the musical instruments.

1Chronicles 15:22b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
yâçar (רַסָי) [pronounced yaw-SAHR	to correct [by blows or stripes], to chastise; to correct [with words] to admonish, to instruct	Qal infinitive absolute	Strong's #3256 BDB #415
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
massâ (אָַמ) [pronounced mahs-SAW]	a bearing, a carrying; load, burden [which is carried]; that which the soul lifts up [desires]; something uttered, a sentence, an oracle, an utterance; singing, music; a gift	masculine singular noun with the definite article	Strong’s #4853 BDB #672
Rotherham tells us that 1 early printed edition, the Aramaic, the Septuagint and the Vulgate all read used to take the lead.

Translation: ...instructs in the music,... Although the verb here often means to admonish or correct with discipline, that is not necessarily how it is always used. The conductor might have a very strong and abrasive personality, but, if the end result is pleasant, his choir and orchestra are appreciative, as is the audience.

Application: Authority is necessary in almost every endeavor, and the demeanor of the one in authority is not an issue. I have seen a variety of people in the teaching profession who have wildly different styles (I am thinking of a German teacher and a history teacher right now whose personalities are different and whose teaching styles are extremely different, but who are both exceptional teachers. They both taught with authority, but it was wielded in different ways. These musicians may or many not have liked Chenaniah personally, and in working with him, some may have even resented his style or demeanor; however, when all is said and done, the finished product—the music which they produced—was outstanding. The key which brings everything together is this authority figure. When I was a teacher, one of my first principals and I butted heads, and it was my fault (of my many soul weaknesses, one of them is dealing with authority figures). At no time, despite our disagreement, did I ever lose respect for this man, as he was an outstanding administrator. At that time, I believe that I took him and his staff for granted to some degree, not always realizing just how much of an impact this man had on the entire school. Having authority is absolutely necessary; the larger the organization, the greater the need for authority.

1Chronicles 15:22c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
kîy (י̣) [pronounced kee]	when, that, for, because	explanatory conjunction; preposition	Strong's #3588 BDB #471
bîyn (ןי̣) [pronounced bean]	to declare, to explain; to perceive, to turn the mind to anything, to discern, to understand, to know, to be acquainted with	Hiphil participle	Strong’s #995 BDB #106
hûw (אה) [pronounced hoo]	he, it; as a demonstrative pronoun: that, this	3^rd person masculine singular, personal pronoun	Strong’s #1931 BDB #214

Translation: ...because he is perceptive [about] [or, well acquainted with] [music]. Chenaniah was a musician; he knew music, he knew the instruments (he probably played at least 2 or 3 instruments) and he understood the interaction of voices and instruments. He is a man well-suited for this position. Again, he was either the conductor or the choirmaster.

Application: It takes more than authority to lead an organization. David did not simply go out and find his best friend who liked music and said, “Hey, why don’t you take this position; I’ll see that you are well-paid.” The person who needed to take authority in this situation is one is well-acquainted with music; one who knows music and the different instruments. I gave the example of the principal above. This man had spent a lot of time in the classroom t this same school as a math teacher, and—I may be wrong on this—I believe that he was also a coach. He had experience in the organization of a high school, and he knew the school from the standpoint of a teacher, which was extremely important. I can recall another principal who only spent a couple of years in the classroom and came on as the youngest principal in our state (at the time). He was a horrible principal! He did not have enough experience in the trenches; he wanted to have a position where he could tell everyone else what to do (he, no doubt, saw it as sharing his knowledge and experience). This same principal left the school, having problems with a number of teachers; and later returned. When he was seasoned, he had become a much better principal. However, my point in all of this is, when someone is given authority, he should be knowledgeable about that over which he is going to exercise authority. Obviously, there are a number of characteristics which are important for an authority figure to have, but knowledge is one of the keys.

Although what I have written makes a great deal of sense, it is based upon my interpretation of this passage, with which there is great disagreement. Some see him as overseeing the lifting of the Ark (a burden). The verses which follow will not deal with the music, but with the Ark.
Discussion of 1Chronicles 15:22
Commentator	Opinion
Barnes	Hebraists are still at variance as to the meaning of this passage, some supposing elevation or, delivery of the voice, others elevation of the ark, to be intended.
Clarke	This appears to have been the master singer; he gave the key and the time, for he presided (bemassa) in the elevation, probably meaning what is called pitching the tune, for he was skillful in music, and powerful in his voice, and well qualified to lead the band: be might have been precentor.
Gill	The chiefs for the song were Heman, Asaph, and Ethan; so, rather, we should understand this as follows: for the burden: as the Targum; for the lifting up and bearing the ark; he instructed about the song: or about the taking up and bearing the burden, the ark; directing when to take it up, and how far to go with it, and then rest; because he was skillful: a wise and prudent man in all things, and so proper to direct in this business.
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown	He was not of the six heads of the Levitical families, but a chief in consequence of his office, which required learning, without regard to birth or family. He instructed about the song--He directed all these bands as to the proper time when each was to strike in or change their notes; or, as some render the passage, "He led the burdens, for he was skilled," that is, in the custom which it was necessary to observe in the carriage of the holy things [Bertheau].
Keil and Delitzsch	“Chenaniah, the prince of the Levites, for the bearing, teacher in bearing; for he was instructed in it.” Since Chenaniah does not occur among the six princes of the Levites in 1Chron. 15:5–10, [we can conclude] ...Chenaniah was captain of the Levites who had charge of the bearing of the ark, a chief of the Levites who bore it. The word [found here is] ...variously interpreted. Luther translates [this as]: the master in song to teach them to sing. This translation cannot, however, be linguistically upheld; [as] the word found here] means only the bearing of the burden (Num. 4:19, 27 2Chron. 35:3), and a prophetical utterance of an oppressive or threatening character (Isa. 13:1 15:1). But from this second signification the general meanings prophecy, to raise the voice, the signification master of song, a supreme musician, cannot be derived. The meaning prophecy, moreover, does not suit the context, and we must consequently, with Bertheau and others, hold fast the signification of bearing. We are determined in favour of this, (1) by the context, which here treats of the bearing of the ark; and (2) by the circumstance that in 1Chron. 26:29 (Chenaniah is mentioned as the chief of the Levites for the external business, which goes to show, if the persons are identical, that he here had the oversight of the external business of the transport). [The significance of the language found here is] ...Chenaniah had to...take the lead in the bearing because he was...was instructed in that which was to be observed in it.
Kukis	We would hope that 1Chron. 15:27 would clarify Chenaniah’s responsibilities, but we will find that there are great problems with the construction there as well.
Wesley	He was the moderator of the music, instructing them when and how to lift up their voices, or change their notes, or make their stop.

Obviously, I wish that this could be easily resolved, but this is one of the passages that we will be certain about in eternity. Also, context does not help us, as, what has gone before deals primarily with music, and what will follow this verse will deal primarily with the Ark itself.

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With regards to the most important doctrines of Scripture (the person and work of Jesus Christ, the inspiration of the Scriptures, etc.), we are never left in the dark, nor do we have any questions concerning these primary doctrines. However, now and again, we will come upon passages that we will not be able to interpret definitively.

And Berechiah and Elkanah gatekeepers for the Ark.

1Chronicles

15:23

Berechiah and Elkanah [were made] doorkeepers of the Ark.

Berechiah and Elkanah were made guardians for the Ark.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text And Berechiah and Elkanah gatekeepers for the Ark.

Septuagint And Barachia and Elcana were door–keepers of the ark.

Significant differences: None.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

Good News Bible (TEV) Berechiah and Elkanah, along with Obed Edom and Jehiah, were chosen as guards for the Covenant Box. The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer were chosen to blow trumpets in front of the Covenant Box. [vv. 23–24].

The Message Berekiah and Elkanah were porters for the Chest.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

WEB Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

Young's Literal Translation And Berechiah and Elkanah are gatekeepers for the ark.

What is the gist of this verse? Berechiah and Elkanah became doorkeepers for the Ark of God.

1Chronicles 15:23a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Berek^eyâh (הָיכ∵ר∵) [pronounced beh-rehk-YAW]	Yah blesses; transliterated Berechiah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #1296 BDB #140
Also spelled Berek^eyâhûw (הָיכ∵ר∵) [pronounced beh-rehk-YAW-hoo] and this is probably equivalent to Strong’s #3000 BDB #140.
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
El^eqânâh (הָנָקל∵א) [pronounced el^e-kaw-NAW]	God has created or God has taken possession of; it is transliterated Elkanah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #511 BDB #46

Translation: Berechiah and Elkanah... We have already dealt with Berechiah back in v. 17 (reasonably assuming that this is the same man). However, Elkanah is a new name to this chapter, and, I hope even more obviously, not the Elkanah who was the father of Samuel.

There are 7 Elkanah’s found in Scripture (his name is also found as Elkanahu):

The Elkanah’s of Scripture

(1) An Ephraimite, the father of Samuel (1 Sam 1:1–28 2:11–20). Of his two wives, Hannah, the childless, was best beloved. At Shiloh she received through Eli the promise of a son. Elkanah, with Hannah, took the young Samuel to Shiloh when he was weaned, and left him with EIi as their offering to Yahweh. They were blessed with three other sons and two daughters.

(2) The second son of Korah (Ex. 6:24), who escaped the fate of Korah, Dathan and Abiram (Num. 26:11).

(3) One “next to the king” in Jerusalem in the time of Ahaz; slain by one Zichri of Ephraim in war with Pekah (2Chron. 28:7).

(4) One of the Korahites among David's “mighty men” (1Chron. 12:1, 6).

(5) A Levite, possibly the same as (2) above (1Chron. 6:15, 23, 36).

(6) Another Levite of the same line (1Chron. 6:26, 35).

(7) Another Levite, ancestor of Berechiah (1Chron. 9:16).

(8) Another Levite (if not the same as (4) above), one of the “doorkeepers for the ark” (1Chron. 15:23).

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1Chronicles 15:23b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore; because	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
shô׳êr (ר̤עֹש) [pronounced shoh-ĢAIR]	gatekeeper, doorkeeper, porter	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #7778 BDB #1045
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to, with reference to, as to, with regards to, belonging to	preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
ărôwn (ןר ֲא) [pronounced uh-ROHN]	ark, chest; Ark	masculine singular noun with the definite article	Strong’s #727 BDB #75

Translation:...[were made] doorkeepers of the Ark. We don’t really have a lot of details as to exactly what David prepared for the Ark (as well we shouldn’t, as the Ark actually belongs in Holy of Holies, which is within the Tabernacle of God). He did set up a tent, and, given that there are gatekeepers, indicates that this was either a substantial tent or that the Ark was kept inside a fenced area of sorts, and that these men stood posted outside. Now, whether there was some sort of a fenced area or whether these men simply stood in front of the door to the tent, we do not know. David has apparently done some reading on the Ark and he has certainly found out that a number of people treated the Ark in a trivial way, opening it up and looking into it; and that these people died. David is not going to allow anyone to treat the Ark of God as some sort of an object of curiosity.

Gill offers 3 possible interpretations: (1) These men watched over the Ark for the short time that it remained in the home of Obed-edom; (2) they walked in front and around the Ark as it was transported to keep the over curious from getting too close to the Ark; (3) they watched over the Ark when it came to its resting place in Jerusalem. It is also possible that these men took on responsibilities 2 and 3. It is a reasonable point to make that the Ark is on the move at this point in time, so this would not be where we would read about permanent stations about the Ark after it is placed in the tent. Having two men walk before the Ark and two men after (v. 24) is perfectly reasonable.

Again, let me point out, the Ark of God is not going to be a focus of attention while David and Solomon are kings over Israel. The Ark speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ, and David and Solomon both foreshadow our Lord as well. God tends to focus one prophetic object at a time.

And Shebaniah and Joshaphat and Nethanel and Amasai and Zechariah and Benaiah and Eliezer the priests those blowing trumpets to faces of an Ark of the Elohim. And Obed-edom and Jehiah gatekeeps to the Ark.

1Chronicles

15:24

Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer [are] the priests who blow the trumpets before the Ark of Elohim. Also, Obed-edom and Jehiah [became] doorkeepers for the Ark.

The priests blowing the trumpets included Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer. Two additional Levites, Obed-edom and Jehiah, also became guardians of the Ark.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text And Shebaniah and Joshaphat and Nethanel and Masai and Zechariah and Benaiah and Eliezer the priests those blowing trumpets to faces of an Ark of the Elohim. And Obed-edom and Jehiah gatekeeps to the Ark.

Septuagint And Somnia, and Josaphat, and Nathanael, and Amasai, and Zacharia, and Banaea, and Eliezer, the priests, were sounding with trumpets before the ark of God: and Abdedom and Jeia were door–keepers of the ark of God.

Significant differences: None.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV Four Levites were then appointed to guard the sacred chest. They were Berechiah, Elkanah, Obed-Edom, and Jehiah. Finally, David chose priests to walk in front of the sacred chest and blow trumpets. They were Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer. [vv. 23–24].

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer blew trumpets in front of God's ark. Obed Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

HCSB The priests, Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, were to blow trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were also to be gatekeepers for the ark.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the prists, were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God; and Obed-edom and Jehiah (Jeiel) were also gatekeepers for the ark.

WEB Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed-edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

Young's Literal Translation And Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests, are blowing with trumpets before the ark of God; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah are gatekeepers for the ark.

What is the gist of this verse? 7 priests blew trumpets; two more men are named as doorkeepers for the Ark.

1Chronicles 15:24a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Sh^eban^eyâhûw (הָינ-בש) [pronounced sh^eb-ahn^e-YAW-hoo]	Yah [Jehovah] has grown [prospered], increased by Yah; transliterated Shebaniah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #7645 BDB #987
Also spelled Sh^eban^eyâh (הָינ-בש) [pronounced sh^eb-ahn^e-YAW].

Translation: Shebaniah,... Shebaniah has not been mentioned before.

There are 4 Shebaniah’s found in Scripture (his name is also found as Shebaniahu):

The Shebaniah’s of Scripture

(1) Name of a Levite or a Levitical family that participated in the religious rites that followed the reading of the Law (Neh. 9:4). The name is given in Neh. 10:10 among those that sealed the covenant.

(2) A priest or Levite who took part in the sealing of the covenant (Neh. 10:4 12:14). See Shecaniah.

(3) Another Levite who sealed the covenant (Neh. 10:12).

(4) A priest in the time of David (1Chron. 15:24).

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1Chronicles 15:24b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Yôwshâphâţ (טָפָשי) [pronounced yoh-shaw-FAWT]	Yah [Jehovah] has judged; transliterated Joshaphat	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #3146 & #3092 BDB #221
Also spelled Y^ehôwshâphâţ (טָפָשהי) [pronounced y^e-hoh-shaw-FAWT] (transliterated Jehoshaphat) and Yôwshâphâţûw (טָפָשי) [pronounced yoh-shaw-FAW-too] (transliterated Joshaphatu). The latter spelling is what we have in this verse.

Translation: ...Joshaphat,... Although I have listed him as Joshaphat, his name here is actually spelled Joshaphatu. Some question whether this name is equivalent to Jehoshaphat; however, we have come across similar sets of spellings with similar names.

There are 6 Joshaphat’s found in Scripture (his name is also found as Jehoshaphat and as Joshaphatu):

The Joshaphat’s (Jehoshaphat’s) of Scripture

The first 4 are spelled Jehoshaphat; the fifth is spelled Joshaphat; and the final is spelled Joshaphatu.

(1) King of Judah. 1Kings 22:41–50 2Chron. 17:1–21:1

(2) Son of Ahilud. He was recorder under David (2Sam. 8:16; 2Sam. 20:24; 1Chron. 18:15) and Solomon (1Kings 4:3).

(3) Son of Paruah, and Solomon's overseer in Issachar to provide victuals for the royal household for one month of the year (1Kings 4:17).

(4) Son of Nimshi, and father of Jehu, king of Northern Israel (2Kings 9:2, 2Kings 9:14). His name is omitted in 2Kings 9:20 and 1Kings 19:16, where Jehu is called “son of Nimshi.”

(5) Levite musician whose name is spelled Joshaphat. 1Chron. 15:24

(6) One of David's mighty men (1Chron. 11:43), a “Mithnite,” but not included in the list of 2 Sam 23.

Taken from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; James Orr, Editor; ©1956 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.; Ⓟ by Hendrickson Publishers; from E-Sword; Topic: Joshaphat and Jehoshaphat. Slightly edited.

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1Chronicles 15:24c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
N^ethan^eêl (ל̤אנ-תנ) [pronounced n^eth-ahn^e-ALE]	give of El [God]; transliterated Nethanel, Nethaneel	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #5417 BDB #682

Translation: ...Nethanel,... His name could be transliterated Nethaneel.

There are 10 Nethanel’s found in Scripture (his name is also found as Nethaneel):

The Nethanel’s of Scripture

(1) A chief or prince of Issachar (Num. 1: 2:5 7:18, 23 10:15).

(2) The 4th son of Jesse (1Chron. 2:14).

(3) One of the trumpet-blowers before the ark when it was brought up from the house of Obededom (1Chron. 15:24).

(4) A Levite scribe, the father of Shemaiah (1Chron. 24:6).

(5) The 5th son of Obed-edom (1Chron. 26:4).

(6) One of the princes whom Jehoshaphat sent to teach in the cities of Judah (2Chron. 17:7).

(7) A Levite who gave cattle for Josiah's Passover (2Chron. 35:9).

(8) One of the priests who had married foreign wives (Ezra 10:22; compare 1 Esdras 9:22).

(9) A priest registered under the high priest Joiakim (Neh. 12:21).

(10) A Levite musician who assisted at the dedication of the walls (Neh. 12:36).

Taken from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; James Orr, Editor; ©1956 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.; Ⓟ by Hendrickson Publishers; from E-Sword; Topic: Nethanel. Slightly edited. Many of the other Bible dictionaries/encyclopedias list him as Nethaneel.

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1Chronicles 15:24d
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
׳Ămâsay (י-ָמֲע) [pronounced ģuh-maw-SAH-ee]	burdensome; transliterated Amasi	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #6022 BDB #772

Translation: ...Amasai,... Another trumpeter is Masai, who is found only here in Scripture. However, two other men with his name will be listed below.

There are 3 Amasai’s found in Scripture (his name is possibly found as Abishai—see #2 below):

The Amasai’s of Scripture

(1) A name in the genealogy of Kohath, son of Elkanah, a Levite of the Kohathite family (compare 1Chron. 6:25; 2Chron. 29:12).

(2) Chief of the captains who met David at Ziklag and tendered him their allegiance. Some have identified him with Amasa and others with Abishai, who is called Abshai in 1Chron. 11:20 m (compare 1Chron. 18:12). The difficulty is that neither Amasa nor Abishai occupied the rank of the chief of thirty according to the lists in 2 Sam 23 and 1 Ch 11, the rank to which David is supposed to have appointed into (compare 1Chron. 12:18).

(3) One of the trumpet–blowing priests who greeted David when he brought back the Ark of the Covenant (compare 1Chron. 15:24).

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1Chronicles 15:24e
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Z^ekar^eyâh (הָי ר-כז) [pronounced z^ek-ahr^e-YAW]	Yah [Jah, Jehovah] remembers; transliterated Zechariah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #2148 BDB #272
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
B^enâyâh (הָיָנ) [pronounced b^en-aw-YAW]	Yah [Jehovah] has built up; transliterated Benaiah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #1141 BDB #125

Translation: ...Zechariah, Benaiah... These are possibly the same men named in 1Chron. 15:20; however, they are trumpeters in this verse and harp players in v. 20. Given all of the names that we are dealing with in this chapter, it is not hard to believe that there are two contemporary Levites with the name Zechariah (or Benaiah) who are at the same place at the same time (ask any teacher if he has a class of 30 or so kids where several kids have the same name).

1Chronicles 15:24f
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
׳Ělîy׳ezer (ר∵ז∵עי.לֱא) [pronounced ul-ee-EH-zehr]	El [God] of help; God is help; transliterated Eliezer	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #461 BDB #45
kôhên (ן ֵהֹ) [pronounced koh-HANE]	priest	masculine plural noun with the definite article	Strong's #3548 BDB #463

Translation: ...and Eliezer [are] the priests... These men are specifically called priests here. Even though Saul killed all of the priests in Nob, back in 1Sam. 22, this is a new generation of them or those who are in a different line.

There are 11 Eliezer’s found in Scripture:

The Eliezer’s of Scripture

(1) The chief servant of Abram (Gen. 15:2); the American Standard Revised Version “Eliezer of Damascus,” the English Revised Version “Dammesek Eliezer.” The Hebrew is peculiar: literally, “And the son of the possession (mesheḳ) of my house is Dammeseḳ (of) Eliezer.” A possible but unlikely meaning is that his property would become the possession of Damascus, the city of Eliezer. Targum Syriac (Revised Version margin) read “Eliezer the Damascene”: this supposes a reading, “Eliezer ha–dammasḳī̌” or “mid–dammeseḳ̌.” The text may be corrupt: the assonance between mesheḳ and Dammeseq is suspicious. Abram calls Eliezer “one born in my house” i.e. a dependant, a member of his household, and so regards him as his heir, Lot having gone from him (Gen 13). Eliezer is probably the servant, “the eider of his house, that ruled over all that he had,” of Gen 24.

(2) The 2^nd son of Moses and Zipporah, called thus for “the God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh” (Ex. 18:4; 1Chron. 23:15).

(3) A son of Becher, one of the sons of Benjamin (1Chron. 7:8).

(4) A priest who assisted in bringing up the ark from the house of Obed–edom to Jerusalem (1Chron. 15:24).

(5) The son of Zichri, ruler over the Reubenites in the time of David (1Chron. 27:16).

(6) The son of Dodavahu of Mareshah who prophesied the destruction of the ships which Jehochaphat, king of Judah, built, because he had done so in coöperation with Ahaziah, king of Israel (2Chron. 20:35).

(7–8) A priest and a Levite who had married non–Israelitish women (Ezra 10:18, 23).

(9) One of the sons of Harim who married a non–Israelitish woman (Ezra 10:11).

(10) One of the messengers whom Ezra sent to Iddo, the chief at Casiphia, with the request for ministers for the Temple (Ezra 8:16).

(11) An ancestor of Jesus in the genealogy given by Luke (Luke 3:29).

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1Chronicles 15:24g
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
chătsôtsêr (ר̤צֹצֲח) [pronounced khuts-oh-RAIR]	blowing [sounding] a trumpet, sounding a clarion; those blowing [sounding] trumpets	masculine plural, Hiphil participle	Strong’s #2690 BDB #348
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
chătsôts^erâh (הָרצֹצֲח) [pronounced khuts-oh-ts^er-AW]	clarion, trumpet	feminine plural noun	Strong’s #2689 BDB #348
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
pânîym (םי̣נָ) [pronounced paw-NEEM]	face, faces, countenance; presence	masculine plural construct (plural acts like English singular)	Strong’s #6440 BDB #815
Together, they mean upon the face of, before, before the face of, in the presence of, in the sight of, in front of. When used with God, it can take on the more figurative meaning in the judgment of. This can also mean forwards; the front part [or, the edge of a sword]. L^epânîym (םי.נָפל) can take on a temporal sense as well: before, of old, formerly, in the past, in past times.
ărôwn (ןר ֲא) [pronounced uh-ROHN]	ark, chest; Ark	masculine singular noun with the definite article	Strong’s #727 BDB #75
Ělôhîym (מי̣הֹלֱא) [pronounced el-o-HEEM]	gods, foreign gods, god; God; rulers, judges; superhuman ones, angels; transliterated Elohim	masculine plural noun with the definite article	Strong's #430 BDB #43

Translation: ...who blow the trumpets before the Ark of Elohim. These men played the trumpets (clarions?) as the Ark was moved to Jerusalem.

1Chronicles 15:24h
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
׳Ôbêd (ד̤בֹע) [pronounced ģoh-BADE]	a slave, a servant	masculine singular noun	Strong’s #5660 BDB #713
The vowel points are different from Strong’s #5647 and #5660. Since there were no vowel points in the original Hebrew, this word and the other two are identical. The pronunciation comes from many readings of this passage in the synagogues.
Ědôwm (םד ֱא) [pronounced eh-DOHM]; also Ědôm (םֹד ֱא) [pronounced eh-DOHM	reddish; and is transliterated Edom, Edomites	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #123 BDB #10
Together, these two words make up Obed-edom, which means a slave to the Edomite; a servant to Edom, which is Strong’s #5654 BDB #714.
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Y^echîyyâh (הָ.חי) [pronounced y^ekh-ee-YAW]	may Yah [Jehovah] live; transliterated Jehiah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #3174 BDB #313
shô׳êr (ר̤עֹש) [pronounced shoh-ĢAIR]	gatekeeper, doorkeeper, porter	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #7778 BDB #1045
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to, with reference to, as to, with regards to, belonging to	preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
ărôwn (ןר ֲא) [pronounced uh-ROHN]	ark, chest; Ark	masculine singular noun with the definite article	Strong’s #727 BDB #75

Translation: Also, Obed-edom and Jehiah [became] doorkeepers for the Ark. I don’t know why these two men are listed separately from Berechiah and Elkanah (v. 23) as the doorkeepers for the Ark. The only thing I can come up with, by way of explanation, is that they were stationed behind the Ark, whereas the other two men walked before the Ark. However, they are all mentioned pretty much in the same breath.

It is possible that this is the same Obed-edom is who took care of the Ark for 3 months while David investigated the Scriptures. Keil and Delitzsch are of the opinion that the Obed-edom and Jehiah here are not equivalent to the Obed-edom and Jeiel named previously: Rashi, Berth.,and others consider the two doorkeepers, Obededom and Jehiah, to be the same persons as the singers Obededom and Jeiel, supposing that the latter name is wrongly written in one of the passages. This, however, is incorrect, for the identity of the name Obededom is no sufficient ground for supposing the persons to be the same, since in 1Ch_16:38 the singer Obededom and the doorkeeper Obededom the son of Jeduthun seem to be distinguished. Besides that, Obededom and his colleagues could not possibly at the same time as porters precede, and as singers come after, the priests and the ark, and there is consequently no reason to doubt that the name Jehiah is correct.

We have Obed-edom and Jeiel mentioned several times in this chapter, yet, all of a sudden, it is Obed-edom and Jehiah in this passage.
The Hebrew is fairly different: Jeiel in the Hebrew is Y^e׳îyêl (ל̤אי.עי) [pronounced y^eģ-ee-ALE]; Jehiah is Y^echîyyâh (הָ.חי) [pronounced y^ekh-ee-YAW]. What is in the original Hebrew text, which we no longer have, are the consonants, and, apart from the first letter, all of the consonants are different and generally not confounded with one another.
The Obed-edom/Jeiel Confusion
Scripture	Text	Commentary
1Chron. 15:17–18	So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari, their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; and with them their brothers of the second order, Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.	Obed-edom and Jeiel are called gatekeepers here, but Obed-edom and Jehiah are called gatekeepers in v. 24.
1Chron. 15:19–21	The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound bronze cymbals; Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to Alamoth; but Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres according to the Sheminith.	We essentially have the same group of men as above, but with slightly different responsibilities.
1Chron. 15:23–24	Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers for the ark. Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, should blow the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were to be gatekeepers for the ark.	This appears to be a different group of men than previously mentioned, which leads us to believe that Obed-edom here is a different Obed-edom from above, even with a similar responsibility. If we accepted that, then we have no problems.
1Chron. 16:4–6	Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the LORD, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel. Asaph was the chief, and second to him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, who were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals, and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.	These are reasonably the same men as in 1Chron. 15:20, as they play lyres and are with the same group of men.

I don’t really have a well-thought out explanation here. The 1^st, 2^nd and 4^th group of men appear to be essentially the same guys; the 3^rd group appears to be a different group of guys. This would possibly be 6 gatekeepers for the Ark, two of whom have the same name, which is not an impossible situation. .

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Application: By the way, I have mentioned in the past how the Bible gives us confidence. Note how David does this. There is a great celebration called. He doesn’t go over to Obed-edom’s home to move the Ark at night with one or two disposable lackeys where David says, “Okay, I read this in the Bible; let’s try this method and see how it goes.” David is confident that the Ark will be moved without incident and a huge crowd is there to observe him direct the moving of the Ark of God. David directs and organizes this procession with confidence.

Application: There are a myriad of spiritual gifts. You just let your spiritual gift function, do it with confidence and let the chips fall where they may. Don’t look at other believers and judge yourself by what is going on in their lives. A pastor, for instance, might look to a super-pastor who has a congregation of 10,000, and this congregation keeps growing; and he wonders what is going wrong with his congregation of 50 or 100. If you are filled with God the Holy Spirit and if you are teaching the Word of God as you should, then the numbers are utterly meaningless.

Application: I have a spiritual gift which functions in isolation. Don’t misunderstand me—the impact is a part of the body of Christ, but when I study and write, I’m alone, I don’t have anyone saying to me, “Hey, that’s a great insight that you got from that passage” or anything like that. When I began this examination of the Old Testament (and I have no clue as to how far I will get), I did not even know at that time what would happen with it. It is just like James Strong, whose concordance many of us use. He did not put his concordance together and 500 of his congregation shouted hallelujah! I have no idea what the circumstances were, but Strong had the spiritual gift which gave him the confidence and the patience and the foresight to put together this great tool of Scripture; it is possible that he received few if any way to go’s from his contemporaries. Since I don’t know about the history of Strong’s Concordance, I am just assuming that this sort of work is not one which would be really recognized for its importance right away. In any case, there have been some Christian authors who put together very helpful works, who probably rarely heard good job from anyone.

Application: In a similar vein, I have been screwed over by a number of people in my life (I hope you grant me the colloquialism here), and, on several occasions, I have prayed imprecatory prayers against these people. In at least one case, I have observed God lowering the boom on one of these people, and, quite frankly, I was glad to see it. However, in most cases, I don’t get to see that. I don’t see these people every again, in most cases. However, I know that God is fair and that God answers prayers; therefore, I can speak to God about this or that problem, and then I can step back and allow God to work. I do not need to see proof that God functions in this life and that He answers my prayers. By the way, this should free you up considerably. You do not have to spend time worrying about how God deals with others in your life; He has got it completely under control.

Application: When you are a growing believer, and God moves you to do this or that, you should have confidence in God’s function in your life. You don’t need other believers to tell you way to go. This is especially true of those whose gift is prayer. You might walk into your church and no one there acknowledges you, recognizes you, says thanks to you, or anything else; yet God may be holding your congregation together and protecting this congregation on the basis of your prayers to Him. This shows tremendous faith when you can believe God, when you can take Him at His Word, and you do not require Him to prove His Word to you over and over again.

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Highlights from the Procession

And so he is David and elders of Israel and chiefs of thousands those going to bring up an Ark of a Covenant of Y^ehowah from a house of Obed-edom in joy.

1Chronicles

15:25

So it was [that] David and the elders of Israel along with the commanders of thousands [are among] brought up [lit., (are) those going to bring up] the Ark of the Covenant of Y^ehowah from the house of Obed-edom with [great] rejoicing.

So David and the elders of Israel and all of the military commanders went up with great joy with the Levites and others to bring the Ark of Jehovah’s Covenant from the house of Obed-edom.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text And so he is David and elders of Israel and chiefs of thousands those going to bring up an Ark of a Covenant of Y^ehowah from a house of Obed-edom in joy.

Septuagint So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains of thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant from the house of Abdedom with gladness.

Significant differences: The LXX lacks a few words, including so it was and of Jehovah. Although the Latin and Syriac appear to be missing the initial so it was, they both have of Jehovah. In any case, the meaning does not appear to be altered at all.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV David, the leaders of Israel, and the army commanders were very happy as they went to Obed-Edom's house to get the sacred chest.

Good News Bible (TEV) So King David, the leaders of Israel, and the military commanders went to the house of Obed Edom to get the Covenant Box, and they had a great celebration.

The Message Now they were ready. David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands started out to get the Chest of the Covenant of GOD and bring it up from the house of Obed-Edom. And they went rejoicing.

New Living Testament Then David and the leaders of Israel and the generals of the army went ot the home of Obed-edom to bring the Ark of the Lord’s covenant up to Jerusalem with a great celebration.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ So David, the leaders of Israel, and the army's commanders joyfully went to get the ark of the LORD'S promise from Obed Edom's house.

HCSB David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of the thousands went with rejoicing to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom..

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

MKJV And it happened, David and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the house of Obed-edom with joy.

WEB So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of the house of Obed-edom with joy.

Young's Updated LT And it is David, and the elders of Israel, and the heads of the thousands, who are going to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah from the house of Obed-Edom with joy.

What is the gist of this verse? The event of bringing the Ark to Jerusalem was a joyous event for all.

1Chronicles 15:25a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
hâyâh (ה ָי ָה) [pronounced haw-YAW]	to be, is, was, are; to become, to come into being; to come to pass	3^rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect	Strong's #1961 BDB #224
Dâvid (ד ̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED]	beloved and is transliterated David	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #1732 BDB #187
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
zâkên (ן ֵקָז) [pronounced zaw-KANE]	elders	masculine plural construct	Strong’s #2205 BDB #278
Yis^erâêl (לֵאָר ׃̣י) [pronounced yis-raw-ALE]	transliterated Israel	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #3478 BDB #975
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
sar (ר ַ) [pronounced sar]	chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince, leader, commander	masculine plural construct	Strong’s #8269 BDB #978
ălâphîym (מי.פָלֲא) pronounced uh-law-FEEM]	thousands, families, [military] units	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #505 (and #504) BDB #48

Translation: So it was [that] David and the elders of Israel along with the commanders of thousands... What we find in this chapter is a list of the various groups who brought the Ark of God up from Obed-edom’s home to Jerusalem. We have covered in this chapter the many Levites and priests who were involved in this move; here, David goes along with the elders of Israel and his military commanders. This is a tremendous, national celebration.

1Chronicles 15:25b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
hâlak^e ( ַל ָה) [pronounced haw-LAHK^e]	those walking, those going, those who are departing; walkers, travelers	masculine plural, Qal active participle with the definite article	Strong’s #1980 (and #3212) BDB #229
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to, with reference to, as to, with regards to, belonging to	preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
׳âlâh (ה ָל ָע) [pronounced ģaw-LAWH]	to cause to go up, to lead up, to take up, to bring up	Hiphil infinitive construct	Strong's #5927 BDB #748
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth]	generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward	indicates that the following substantive is a direct object	Strong's #853 BDB #84
ărôwn (ןר ֲא) [pronounced uh-ROHN]	ark, chest; Ark	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #727 BDB #75
b^erîyth (תי .ר) [pronounced b^ereeth]	pact, alliance, treaty, alliance, covenant	feminine singular construct	Strong’s #1285 BDB #136
YHWH (הוהי) [pronunciation is possibly yhoh-WAH]	transliterated variously as Jehovah, Yahweh, Y^ehowah	proper noun	Strong’s #3068 BDB #217

Translation: ...brought up [lit., (are) those going to bring up] the Ark of the Covenant of Y^ehowah... The sense of this verse is not really that these men are a part of this celebration; the verse focuses in on this group of political and military leaders as they attend this procession. However, given the context and the constraints of the English language, it simply fits together better to say that they are among those who are bringing up the Ark of God to Jerusalem.

1Chronicles 15:25c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
min (ן ̣מ) [pronounced min]	from, off, out from, out of, away from, on account of, since, than, more than	preposition of separation	Strong's #4480 BDB #577
bayith (ת̣י ַ) [pronounced BAH-yith]	house, residence; household, habitation as well as inward	masculine singular construct	Strong's #1004 BDB #108
׳Ôbêd (ד̤בֹע) [pronounced ģoh-BADE]	a slave, a servant	masculine singular noun	Strong’s #5660 BDB #713
The vowel points are different from Strong’s #5647 and #5660. Since there were no vowel points in the original Hebrew, this word and the other two are identical. The pronunciation comes from many readings of this passage in the synagogues.
Ědôwm (םד ֱא) [pronounced eh-DOHM]; also Ědôm (םֹד ֱא) [pronounced eh-DOHM	reddish; and is transliterated Edom, Edomites	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #123 BDB #10
Together, these two words make up Obed-edom, which means a slave to the Edomite; a servant to Edom, which is Strong’s #5654 BDB #714.

Translation: ...from the house of Obed-edom... This Obed-edom is a marvelous man, whose name is found throughout Scripture. As has been said several times, when David failed to bring the Ark up to Jerusalem the first time, it was then placed in the care of Obed-edom for a very short period of time (3 months).

1Chronicles 15:25d
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
sim^echâh (הָח מ ̣) [pronounced sim^e-KHAW],	joy, gladness, mirth, great joy	feminine singular noun	Strong’s #8057 BDB #970

Translation: ...with [great] rejoicing. This was one of the great festivals for Israel. A part of making Jerusalem the official capital city of all Israel was to locate the Ark of God there.

And so he is in a helping of the Elohim the Levites those carrying an Ark of a Covenant of Y^ehowah. And so they slaughter 7 bulls and 7 rams.

1Chronicles

15:26

And so it was, when Elohim helped the Levites—the ones carrying the Ark of the Covenant of Y^ehowah—that they slaughtered 7 bulls and 7 rams.

While God helped the Levites to carry the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah, they slaughtered 7 bulls and 7 rams as a part of the celebration.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text And so he is in a helping of the Elohim the Levites those carrying an Ark of a Covenant of Y^ehowah. And so they slaughter 7 bulls and 7 rams.

Septuagint And it came to pass when God strengthened the Levites bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they sacrificed seven calves and seven rams.

Significant differences: In the Latin, Syriac and Hebrew, God helps the Levites who carry the Ark of God; in the Greek, God strengthens the Levites. It is common, when there is a difference between the Greek and the Hebrew, for the Syriac and Latin to be in agreement with the Hebrew.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV God gave the Levites the strength they needed to carry the chest, and so they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

Good News Bible (TEV) They sacrificed seven bulls and seven sheep, to make sure that God would help the Levites who were carrying the Covenant Box.

The Message Because God helped the Levites, strengthening them as they carried the Chest of the Covenant of GOD, they paused to worship by sacrificing seven bulls and seven rams.

New American Bible While the Levites, with God’s help, were bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Bible in Basic English And when God gave help to the Levites who were lifting up the ark of the agreement of the Lord, they made an offering of seven oxen and seven sheep.

JPS (Tanakh) Since God helped the Levites who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

English Standard Version And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

Young’s Updated LT And it comes to pass, in God’s helping the Levites bearing the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, that they sacrifice seven bullocks and seven rams.

What is the gist of this verse? God assists the Levites in the bearing of the Ark of Jehovah. While this occurs, 7 bulls and 7 rams are sacrificed.

1Chronicles 15:26a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
hâyâh (ה ָי ָה) [pronounced haw-YAW]	to be, is, was, are; to become, to come into being; to come to pass	3^rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect	Strong's #1961 BDB #224
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
׳âzar (רַזָע) [pronounced ģaw-ZAHR]	to help, to aid	Qal infinitive construct	Strong’s #5826 BDB #740
The infinitive construct, when combined with the bêyth preposition, can often take on a temporal meaning and may be rendered when [such and such happens]. It can serve as a temporal marker that denotes an event which occurs simultaneously with the action of the main verb.
Ělôhîym (מי̣הֹלֱא) [pronounced el-o-HEEM]	gods, foreign gods, god; God; rulers, judges; superhuman ones, angels; transliterated Elohim	masculine plural noun with the definite article	Strong's #430 BDB #43
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth]	generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward	indicates that the following substantive is a direct object	Strong's #853 BDB #84
L^evîyyim (ם ̣ ̣ול) [pronounced l^e-vee-YIM]	joined to, attached; garland, crown; and is transliterated Levites	plural gentilic adjective with the definite article	Strong’s #3881 BDB #532

Translation: And so it was, when Elohim helped the Levites... You will recall that when David attempted to move the Ark the first time, we had no verses where God said he was helping those who moved the Ark; furthermore, God killed one faithful man for inadvertently touching the Ark (it was a normal reaction). However, here, God makes certain that there are no problems.

Application: David is moving the Ark as God has commanded. No doubt, most everyone there is in fellowship. When you do things God’s way, good things happen. The results are much better than when you go off and do things your way. In one way, God is involved; in the other, He is not.

1Chronicles 15:26b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
nâsâ (אָָנ) [pronounced naw-SAW]	those lifting up, bearers, those carrying; the ones exalting; those taking away	masculine plural construct, Qal active participle	Strong’s #5375 (and #4984) BDB #669
ărôwn (ןר ֲא) [pronounced uh-ROHN]	ark, chest; Ark	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #727 BDB #75
b^erîyth (תי .ר) [pronounced b^ereeth]	pact, alliance, treaty, alliance, covenant	feminine singular construct	Strong’s #1285 BDB #136
YHWH (הוהי) [pronunciation is possibly yhoh-WAH]	transliterated variously as Jehovah, Yahweh, Y^ehowah	proper noun	Strong’s #3068 BDB #217

Translation:...—the ones carrying the Ark of the Covenant of Y^ehowah—... God watches over the Levites—in particular, those who are actually carrying the Ark. Recall that there are probably 4 Levites, one on each end of the 2 poles which are slipped through the rings which are affixed to the Ark. The Levites, therefore, are in direct contact with the poles, but not with the Ark itself. As sinful men, we can have no direct contact with God.

Gill remarks: [God] not merely granted them bodily strength to carry it, which did not require a great deal; but helped them to carry it with cheerfulness, and without fear, and so as to commit no error, nor in any respect provoke His displeasure, as when it was brought before from Kirjath-jearim.

1Chronicles 15:26c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore; because	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
zâbach (חַבָז) [pronounced zaw^b-VAHKH]	to slaughter [usually an animal for sacrifice]	3^rd person masculine plural, Qal imperfect	Strong’s #2076 BDB #256
shib^e׳âh (הָעב̣ש) [pronounced shi^bv^e-ĢAW]	seven	feminine numeral	Strong's #7651 BDB #987
par (ר-) [pronounced pahr]	bull, [especially a] young bull, steer	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #6499 BDB #830

Translation: ...that they slaughtered 7 bulls... 7 is a number used for perfection and often used for God. Interestingly enough, the first time that the Word of God speaks of an offering of a bull, it is in association with 2 rams in order to consecrate the priests (Ex. 29:1). The bull is often associated with the priesthood, as in Ex. 29 Lev. 3 8 16. In fact, Aaron or his sons always seem to be named in association with the sacrifice of the bull.

The bull is an exceptionally strong, obedient work animal, which represents Jesus Christ Who was obedient to the cross. As we see in bullfights, a bull whose volition is allowed to run wild, is a deadly force. However, bulls can be trained from their early youth to be obedient and to do the work of man. Our Lord was obedient to the cross and His work on the cross purchased our salvation.

1Chronicles 15:26d
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
shib^e׳âh (הָעב̣ש) [pronounced shi^bv^e-ĢAW]	seven	feminine numeral	Strong's #7651 BDB #987
ayil (ל̣י-א) [pronounced AH-yil],	ram	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #352 BDB #17

Translation: ...and 7 rams. The ram represents the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ. Now, I realize that, to some degree or another, all of the animals sacrificed represent our Lord’s substitutionary death, but the ram in particular does, as, when Abraham was about to offer up his true son to God, God provided a ram for Abraham to offer up instead. Abraham had offered up God a ram before, in association with God’s gift to Abraham’s descendants in Gen. 15.

Here, we have 7 bulls and 7 rams offered up to God; it might be instructive to see the other occasions when rams and bulls have been associated with one another.
When Bulls and Rams are Offered Together
Scripture	Occasion	Additional Notes
Job 42	Chronologically the first association of bulls and rams are on the occasion of Job’s restoration.	The 7 bulls and 7 rams which are offered are on behalf of Job’s friends, and Job acts as a mediator between them and God.
Ex. 29	Aaron and the priests are consecrated.	Even though the priests are going to be associated with all sacrifices, they clearly are representations of Jesus Christ. A priest represents man to God, which is what Jesus Christ does. Bread offerings were also a part of this offering.
Lev. 8	A consecration of Aaron and his sons, the priests.
Lev. 9	A bull is offered as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering. This was done on a day that the Lord would appear before the priests and elders of Israel.	A burnt offering speaks of judgement; a sin offering emphasizes the reason for the offering. Man has sinned and God cannot have fellowship with sin.
Lev. 16	Aaron, as the High Priest, is to offer up a bull and a ram before entering into the Holy of Holies.	The bull again is a sin offering. It must be offered as atonement for the sins of Aaron and his household. Again, the ram is for a burnt offering.
Lev. 23	For Pentecost, a bull and a ram were offered.	A lot of different animals are sacrificed.
Num. 7	At the completion of the Tabernacle, the leaders of each tribe of Israel offered up a ram and a bull, among other offerings.	These men represented all the tribes of Israel, and their sacrifices spoke of our Lord’s substitutionary death on the cross for all Israel. Many offerings were sacrificed on this day.
Num. 23	7 bulls and 7 rams are offered on 7 altars.	You may recall that Balak wanted Balaam to curse the Jews, so that whatever we find done here could be seen as a counterfeit of the real thing. However, God did speak through Balaam.
Num. 28	This chapter offers some overall laws for offerings.	At the beginning of each month, 2 bulls, 1 ram and 7 male lambs were to be offered. The same is offered for Passover and Firstfruits.
Num. 28	The offerings of the 7^th month include 1 bull and 1 ram. The 10^th day would be a Sabbath, and a bull and a ram (among other things) would be offered up. The 15^th day would begin a Sabbath week where every day would have an offering of a bull and a ram.	Again, the number 7 speaks of the perfection of God. The bull speaks of Christ and His strength and obedience; the ram speaks of the substitutionary aspect of His offering.
Interestingly enough, we have a long interval during which there are few offerings (or, at least, records of offerings), and we do not find the bull and ram associated together until...
1Chron. 15	David offers up 7 bulls and 7 rams as the Ark is moved toward Jerusalem.	We are not really told how David came upon this choice of offerings.
Isa. 11:1	Isaiah speaks of rams, bulls, cattle and goats.	His emphasis here was on the rituals lacking reality or meaning.
2Chron. 13	Abiah speaks of the offering of 1 bull and 7 rams in association with the priests of God.	This takes place after a split in the kingdom of Israel, and civil war will break out in the divided nation.
2Chron. 29	Hezekiah offers up 7 bulls and 7 rams at the Temple.	Hezekiah was one of the better kings and this initiates the restoration of Temple worship.
Ezra 6	The Jews are promised access to bulls, rams and lambs for their sacrifices.	This is a marvelous decree issued by Darius when the Jews are beginning to return and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. They will offer 200 rams and 100 bulls (and 400 lambs) to dedicate the new Temple.
Ezra 7	A decree is issued to Ezra for his march from Babylon to Jerusalem.	In this decree, he is given money to buy bulls and rams (and other animals and foodstuffs) for the sacrifices of the Temple.
Ezra 8	The exiles return.	12 bulls, 96 rams, 77 lambs, and 12 male goats are offered up.
Ezek. 39 43 45 46	In the end times, during and after the Gog-Magog revolutions.	These offerings, although they occur after the first advent of Jesus Christ, are memorials offered up to Him, in recognition of His work n the cross (just as the Eucharist looks back upon what He has done for us on the cross).

In short, as has been already pointed out, the bull represents our Lord’s strength, work and obedience; the ram speaks of His substitutionary sacrifice on our behalf. They are offered up for salvation or to indicate that one has been set apart to God (during the consecration of Aaron and the priests, for instance).

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The sacrifices noted in 2Sam. 6:13 are different. Every six paces, an ox and a fatted calf are offered up to God. We discussed this in great detail in 2Sam. 6:13. This is not a contradiction by any means, but a different set of sacrifices. These 7 bulls and 7 rams may have all been offered together at the beginning or the end of the procession; or right at the entry gate into Jerusalem. Clarke suggests that this occurs at the end of the procession, given in thanks to God for a successful transport. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown suggest that they offered up the ox and fatted calf at the beginning of the transport of the Ark (so this occurs only once, not every six steps), and then the 7 bulls and 7 rams at the end of the transport. They may have been set up along the procession route to be offered as the Ark moved along. In 2Sam. 6:13, we have one pair of different animals being offered up every six steps. The sacrifice of animals was very prevalent in the religion of the Jews, so that they might understand and recognize the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

And David was clothed in a robe of byssus and all the Levites those carrying the Ark and the singers and Chenaniah the leader, the burden, the singers and upon David an ephod of linen.

1Chronicles

15:27

David was clothed in a white linen robe [as were] all the Levites who carried the Ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader [of] the music [and] the singers; furthermore, upon David [was] a linen ephod.

David was clothed in a white linen robe as were all the Levites who carried the Ark, along with the singers and Chenaniah the leader. David also wore a linen ephod.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Latin Vulgate And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that carried the ark, and the singing men, and Chonenias the ruler of the prophecy among the singers: and David also had on him an ephod of linen.

Masoretic Text And David was clothed in a robe of byssus and all the Levites those carrying the Ark and the singers and Chenaniah the leader, the burden, the singers and upon David an ephod of linen.

Peshitta And David was clothed with robes of fine linen, and all the Levites who bore the ark were also clothed with robes of fine linen; and David wore upon his linen garments an ephod of fine linen.

Septuagint And David was girt with a fine linen robe, and all the Levites who were bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the singers, and Chonenias the master of the songs of singers; also upon David there was a robe of fine linen.

Significant differences: The LXX adds the descriptor, of the covenant of the Lord, which is not in the MT. The LXX also renders the master (the leader) as if it is a construct (as do most who render this into the English).

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV David, the Levites, Chenaniah the music director, and all the musicians were wearing linen robes, and David was also wearing a linen cloth.

Good News Bible (TEV) David was wearing a robe made of the finest linen, and so were the musicians, Chenaniah their leader, and the Levites who carried the Box. David also wore a linen ephod.

The Message They were all dressed in elegant linen--David, the Levites carrying the Chest, the choir and band, and Kenaniah who was directing the music. David also wore a linen prayer shawl (called an ephod).

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ David was dressed in a fine linen robe, as were all the Levites who carried the ark, the Levites who were singers, and Chenaniah, the leader of the musicians' prophetic songs. David also wore a linen ephod.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

Updated Emphasized Bible Now David was wrapped about with a robe of byssus with all the Levites who were bearing the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah, the leader of the service, rendered by the singers, but upon David was [also] an ephod of white linen.

English Standard Version David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as also were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the music of the singers. And David wore a linen ephod.

Young's Literal Translation And David is wrapped in an upper robe of fine linen, and all the Levites who are bearing the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah head of the burden of the singers; and on David is an Ephod of linen.

What is the gist of this verse? David, the Levites carrying the Ark, the singers and Chenaniah all are wearing fine white linen robes, and David is wearing a linen ephod.

1Chronicles 15:27a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Dâvid (ד ̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED]	beloved and is transliterated David	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #1732 BDB #187
kar^ebêl (ל̤ר-) [pronounced kahr^e-BALE]	to put on a robe, to clothe [cover] oneself	Pual participle	Strong’s #3736 BDB #499
This appears to come from the unused root kâbal (ל-בָ) [pronounced kaw^b-VAHL], which means to tie, to bind, to tie firmly. Strong’s #none BDB #459.
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
m^e׳îyl (לי.עמ) [pronounced m^eĢEEL]	robe, upper coat or cloak	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #4598 BDB #591
bûwts (ץ) [pronounced boots]	byssus, cloth [or clothing] made of byssus [fine cotton of a bright, white color], fine white Egyptian linen	masculine singular noun	Strong’s #948 BDB #101

Translation: David was clothed in a white linen robe... Apparently, David wore an outer robe made from Egyptian cotton. The finished product was very white with a high thread count. This symbolized several things: Israel’s exodus from Egypt and God’s covering of His saints with white robes, to indicate purity. Now, don’t get carried away with this: the purity is imputed and not always a lifestyle. In maturity, believers might be involved in a relatively pure lifestyle, but throughout most believers lives, they spend some time in fellowship and some time out of fellowship. One might reasonably assume that throughout this entire ceremony, David remained in fellowship.

In any case, whatever this material is, it is only found in 1Chron. 4:21 15:27 2Chron. 3:14 5:12 Esther 1:6 Ezek. 27:15–16; so, essentially, this is the first time it is mentioned in Scripture (1Chron. 4:21 takes place later in time).

Clarke writes: A robe made of buts (ץ) [is] probably the tuft or beard of the Pinna Magna, a species of muscle found every where on the shores of the Mediterranean, growing sometimes, as I have seen, to a foot and a half in length. I have seen a pair of gloves made of this very rich stuff; the color is a deep dark yellow, something inclining to what is called the lilac. The buts or byssus was not heard of in Israel before the time of David: after that it is frequently mentioned.

We must be careful not to lose the significance of this robe and the ephod which David wears—these are clearly priestly garments. You will notice that nowhere in this or the next chapter is David taken to task for his choice of clothing (apart from his wife Michal at the end of 2Sam. 6). However, neither the priests nor the prophets associated with David speak to him about wearing clothing which is normally associated with priests (note the contrast with Saul, who, thinking that Samuel may not show up, offers up sacrifices which he should not (the latter portion of 1Sam. 13). David is the King-Priest, after the order of Melchizedek, which we have already examined in Psalm 110 (in association with 1Sam. 23).

1Chronicles 15:27b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
kôl (לֹ) [pronounced kohl]	the whole, all of, the entirety of, all; can also be rendered any of	masculine singular construct followed by a definite article	Strong’s #3605 BDB #481
L^evîyyim (ם ̣ ̣ול) [pronounced l^e-vee-YIM]	joined to, attached; garland, crown; and is transliterated Levites	plural gentilic adjective with the definite article	Strong’s #3881 BDB #532
nâsâ (אָָנ) [pronounced naw-SAW]	those lifting up, bearers, those carrying; the ones exalting; those taking away	masculine plural, Qal active participle with the definite article	Strong’s #5375 (and #4984) BDB #669
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth]	generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward	indicates that the following substantive is a direct object	Strong's #853 BDB #84
ărôwn (ןר ֲא) [pronounced uh-ROHN]	ark, chest; Ark	masculine singular noun	Strong’s #727 BDB #75

Translation:...[as were] all the Levites who carried the Ark,... My guess in interpreting this phrase is, the Levites who bore the Ark were also dressed in the same fine linen robes, which, of course, would symbolize the same thing. Otherwise, we just simply have them named here for no reason. Now, although it is possible that we are simply making mention of those who are joining in on this celebration, that has already been established in previous verses. Since we speak twice of David’s clothing in this verse, we may reasonably assume that those with David are similarly clothed (i.e., that is the point of the verse).

I want you to notice just how natural this is. In many news reports of people receiving Oscars to even state of the union addresses, the clothing worn is often alluded to. Of course, in entertainment events in our culture, this is the most common thing to mention (as these events are often without substance, so you have to write about something); but what one wears is often mentioned even in events of substance (particularly when women are involved in the event).

1Chronicles 15:27c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
shîyr (רי ̣ש) [pronounced sheer]	singers, choir; professional singers	masculine plural, Pilel/Polel participle; with the definite article	Strong’s #7891 BDB #1010
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
K^enan^eyâhûw (הָינ-נ ) [pronounced k^en-ahn^e-YAW-hoo]	Yah [Jehovah] is firm; Yah has planted; Yah has established; transliterated Chenaniah	masculine singular proper noun	Strong’s #3663 BDB #487
This is also spelled K^enan^eyâh (הָינ-נ ) [pronounced k^en-ahn^e-YAW].

Translation: ...and the singers and Chenaniah... Again, my interpretation is, the singers and their leader, Chenaniah, also wore white Egyptian linen robes for this event.

1Chronicles 15:27d
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
sar (ר ַ) [pronounced sar]	chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince, leader, commander	masculine singular noun with the definite article	Strong’s #8269 BDB #978
One of the reasons that you need to have several versions of the Bible is this: the Revised English Bible footnotes this word, which they translator as the precentor, as follows: Probable reading; Hebrew obscure. 1Chron. 16:1–3 compare 2Sam. 6:17–19. If I had little or no background in the realm of the original languages, I might walk away from this verse with a question mark floating around in my head; however, the word we find here, sar, is an extremely common Hebrew word which simply refers to a person in authority or with authority. I am not aware of there being a question about this being the word used here; nor is that the implication of the footnote of the REB. This is simply proof that not all footnotes are created equal.
From Bible to Bible, there are going to be different qualities of footnotes, something which I address in my study of The English Translations of the Bible. There are several things that you want from your particular translation of the Bible: You want it to be accurate, readable, literarily interesting rather than stilted, and when there are notes, and footnotes and extras, you want these things to be accurate. I cover all of this material in this unfinished work. The abbreviated version is here: Summative Tables.
massâ (אָַמ) [pronounced mahs-SAW]	a bearing, a carrying; load, burden [which is carried]; that which the soul lifts up [desires]; something uttered, a sentence, an oracle, an utterance; singing, music; a gift	masculine singular noun with the definite article	Strong’s #4853 BDB #672
shîyr (רי ̣ש) [pronounced sheer]	singers, choir; professional singers	masculine plural, Pilel/Polel participle; with the definite article	Strong’s #7891 BDB #1010

Translation: ...the leader [of] the music [and] the singers;... Now most translations render the leader as a construct; however, you cannot have a definite article as part of a construct. However, what follows seems to make little sense unless leader is in the construct. Therefore, we would expect to find Chenaniah, the conductor of the music and the choir, rather than Chenaniah, the conductor [leader], the music [musicians?], the singers [which word is inexplicably repeated]. Furthermore, the word music here appears to be out of place, unless leader is in the construct. Almost every translation ignores the awkward construction here—that leader is not in the construct—and they translate it as if it is.

1Chronicles 15:27e
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
׳al (לַע) [pronounced ģahl ]	upon, beyond, on, against, above, over, by, beside	preposition of proximity	Strong’s #5921 BDB #752
Dâvid (ד ̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED]	beloved and is transliterated David	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #1732 BDB #187
êphôwd (דפ̤א) [pronounced ay-FOHD]	is transliterated ephod	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #646 BDB #65
bad (דַ) [pronounced bahd]	white linen for priestly garments	masculine singular noun; pausal form	Strong’s #906 BDB #94

Translation: ...furthermore upon David [was] a linen ephod. I don’t believe that this is the linen ephod, the Ephod of God, but a type and style of clothing associated with priests in general (you may recall that Samuel, at a very early age, was wearing linen ephod sown by his mother).

In Samuel, we read about David wearing only this linen ephod, and that it was possibly too revealing (or, not fitting for a king to wear). What I am assuming is, David is in constant movement here, making sure that everything goes as planned. He is walking around the procession of the Ark to make sure that there is nothing in the way; he is moving among the musicians and singers, enjoying the music, and he is acting as much like an event planner as the king during this celebration. My thinking is, he got extremely hot wearing the ephod and the robe and, and some point, removed the robe and gave it to a servant to carry. We will speak more about this a little later on in this chapter.

Gill discusses the linen ephod: David also wore an ephod of linen: which he had besides his linen robe, and was over it; and being a shorter and tighter garment, it bound the other closer to him; though some think this is explanative of the former, and designs the same, and is what others, besides priests, were, on occasion, allowed to wear. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown: [an ephod is] a shoulder–garment, a cincture or cape over his dress. It was worn by the priests, but was not so peculiar to them as to be forbidden others (1Sam. 2:18 22:18).

Keil and Delitzsch spend over a page on this one verse. However, with regards to this text reading differently with the Samuel text, they write: The discrepancy can only be gotten rid of by supposing that both narratives are abridged extracts from a more detailed statement, which contained, besides David's dancing, a completer account of the clothing of the king, and of the Levites who took part in the procession. Or, the editor of Chronicles used both the Samuel text and another historical text in order to write his narrative from. The almost exact duplication of portions of Samuel in the book of Chronicles indicates they either referred back to the same text or that the editor of Chronicles referred to the text of Samuel directly (this makes the most sense to me).

Keil and Delitzsch continue: Of these the author of the books of Samuel has communicated only the two characteristic facts, that David danced with all his might before the Lord, and wore an ephod of white; while the author of the Chronicle gives us an account of David's clothing and that of the Levites, while he omits David's dancing. This he does, not because he was scandalized thereby, for he not only gives a hint of it in 1Chron. 15:29, but mentions it in 1Chron. 13:8 [And David and all Israel were rejoicing before God with all their might, with song and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets], which is parallel to 2Sam. 6:5; but because the account of the king's clothing, and of that of the Levites, in so far as the religious meaning of the solemn progress was thereby brought out, appeared to him more important for his design of depicting at length the religious side of the procession [i.e., the editor of Chronicles emphasized the religious overtones of this passage; the writer of Samuel focused, in part, on Michal’s reaction to what David did and what he wore]. For the clothing of the king had a priestly character; and not only the ephod of white (see 2Sam. 6:14), but [he] also [wore] the white byssus, [which] distinguished the king as head of a priestly people. [This robee me‛il as such was,it is true, an outer garment which every Israelite might wear, but it was worn usually only by persons of rank and distinction (cf. 1Sam. 2:19 15:27 18:4 24:5 Ezra 9:3 Job. 29:14), and white byssus was the material for the priests' garments. In this way the statement of our verse, that David and all the Levites and bearers of the ark, the singers, and the captain Chenaniah, had put on robes of byssus, is justified and shown to be in accordance with the circumstances. There were other articles of clothing which the priests wore, which are not mentioned here (Ex. 28:40 2Chron. 5:12).

And all Israel is bringing up an Ark of a covenant of Y^ehowah in a shout and in a sound of a horn and in trumpets and in [two] cymbals, causing to hear in harps and lyres.

1Chronicles

15:28

So all Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant of Y^ehowah with shouting [and rejoicing]; with the sound of horns, trumpets and cymbals, announcing [the procession] with [or, playing] harps and lyres.

So all Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah with shouting and rejoicing, with the sounds of horns and trumpets and cymbals, announcing this procession with harps and lyres.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text And all Israel is bringing up an Ark of a covenant of Y^ehowah in a shout and in a sound of a horn and in trumpets and in [two] cymbals, causing to hear in harps and lyres.

Septuagint And all Israel are bringing up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of a horn, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, playing loudly on lutes and harps.

Significant differences: None.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV While the sacred chest was being carried into Jerusalem, everyone was celebrating by shouting and playing music on horns, trumpets, cymbals, harps, and other stringed instruments.

Good News Bible (TEV) So all the Israelites accompanied the Covenant Box up to Jerusalem with shouts of joy, the sound of trumpets, horns, and cymbals, and the music of harps.

The Message On they came, all Israel on parade bringing up the Chest of the Covenant of GOD, shouting and cheering, playing every kind of brass and percussion and string instrument.

New Jerusalem Bible Thus, with war-cries and the sounding of the horn, the trumpets and the cymbals, and the music of lyres and harps, all Israel transported the ark of the covenant of Yahweh.

Revised English Bible All Israel escorted the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord with acclamation, blowing on horns and trumpets, clashing cymbals, and playing on lutes and lyres.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ All Israel brought the ark of the LORD'S promise with shouts of joy and the sounding of rams' horns, trumpets, cymbals, harps, and lyres.

HCSB So all Israel was bringing the ark of the covenant of the LORD up with shouts, the sound of the ram's horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and the playing of harps and lyres.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

English Standard Version So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music on harps and lyres.

Young's Updated LT And all Israel are bringing up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah with shouting, and with the sound of a cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding with psalteries and harps.

What is the gist of this verse? All Israel celebrates the transporting of the Ark with music and singing.

1Chronicles 15:28a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
kôl (לֹ) [pronounced kohl]	every, each, all of, all; any of, any	masculine singular construct not followed by a definite article	Strong’s #3605 BDB #481
Yis^erâêl (לֵאָר ׃̣י) [pronounced yis-raw-ALE]	transliterated Israel	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #3478 BDB #975
׳âlâh (ה ָל ָע) [pronounced ģaw-LAWH]	the one bringing, the one taking, the one leading up	masculine plural, Hiphil participle	Strong's #5927 BDB #748
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth]	generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward	indicates that the following substantive is a direct object	Strong's #853 BDB #84
ărôwn (ןר ֲא) [pronounced uh-ROHN]	ark, chest; Ark	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #727 BDB #75
b^erîyth (תי .ר) [pronounced b^ereeth]	pact, alliance, treaty, alliance, covenant	feminine singular construct	Strong’s #1285 BDB #136
YHWH (הוהי) [pronunciation is possibly yhoh-WAH]	transliterated variously as Jehovah, Yahweh, Y^ehowah	proper noun	Strong’s #3068 BDB #217

Translation: So all Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant of Y^ehowah... Although several individuals have been named thus far, along with specific groups, there is no reason to assume that this procession was limited to the people who have already been named. All Israel joined with David in rejoicing over the movement of the Ark of God to Jerusalem. The people named specifically are those who had a part in the performances which accompanied the movement of the Ark. However, it makes sense that if there are going to be those who perform (sing and play musical instruments), then it only seems reasonable that there are going to be others there to enjoy their performances.

1Chronicles 15:28b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
t^erûw׳âh (הָער ׃) [pronounced t'rū-AWH]	a shout, a cry; a tumult, a loud noise; a joyful noise, rejoicing; a war cry, a cry for battle; the blast [of war, alarm or joy]	feminine singular noun	Strong’s #8643 BDB #929

Translation: ...with shouting [and rejoicing];... Although there may have been shouting as this procession moves along, this could also refer to singing and to the noises which people make when they are happy and celebrating. Again, this is the hoi polloi to whom we are referring at this point.

1Chronicles 15:28c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
qôwl (לק) [pronounced kohl]	sound, voice, noise; loud noise, thundering	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #6963 BDB #876
shôwphâr (רָפש; also רָפֹש) [pronounced shoh-FAWR]	horn, trumpet; transliterated shophar	masculine singular noun	Strong’s #7782 BDB #1051
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
chătsôts^erâh (הָרצֹצֲח) [pronounced khuts-oh-ts^er-AW]	clarion, trumpet	feminine plural noun	Strong’s #2689 BDB #348
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
m^etsêleth (ת∵ל̤צמ) [pronounced m^ets-Ā-leth]	[a pair of] cymbals	feminine dual noun; pausal form	Strong’s #4700 BDB #853

Translation: ...with the sound of horns, trumpets and cymbals,... As has been alluded to already, there were a great many musical instruments which were a part of this procession. We have no idea as to what the music was or what it sounded like, but it appears that some of these musicians dedicated their lives to their instruments as do some today. They might have farmed or raised animals; but a significant portion of their lives was given over to their musical instrument.

Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge writes: Jerome on Hos. 5:8 says this instrument is properly called in Greek κερατινη, from κερας [Strong’s G2768], a horn. The trumpets were, according to Josephus, made of metal, and about a cubit in length.

There is a lot about the Levites which is unknown or conjecture. The quality of their playing, the type of music that they played, their overall quality of sound are all unknown factors. The fact that they have a conductor is significant; this indicates that men with musical instruments did not just show up and jam. The fact that they are able to play for a procession such as this suggests that they have practiced as a group under the hand of Chenaniah. That they exist in the first place also suggests that these musicians were an integral part of their religious festivals as well, just as orchestras and singers (or choirs) are an integral part of most celebrations today, religious or secular.

1Chronicles 15:28d
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
shâma׳ (ע ַמ ָש) [pronounced shaw-MAHĢ]	to cause to hear, to let hear; to announce, to tell; to call, to summon; to sing; to play [instruments]	masculine plural, Hiphil participle	Strong's #8085 BDB #1033
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	No Strong’s # BDB #88
nêbel (ל∵ב̤נ) [pronounced NAY^B-vel]	a portable harp, lute, guitar	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #5035 BDB #614
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
kînnôwr (ר ̣) [pronounced kin-NOHR]	hand-harp, lyre	masculine plural noun	Strong’s #3658 BDB #490

Translation: ...announcing [the procession] with [or, playing] harps and lyres. There are only a few places where this verb is used in conjunction with musical instruments—once in this chapter and the next; and it is used of singing once in Nehemiah. It could mean that a portion of the musical accompaniment was with harps and lyres; or it could mean, taking this verb more transitionally, that these instruments announced the movement of the Ark and went before the Ark. No doubt you have seen a parade where more than one band performed. It is not necessary that all of these instruments be used in conjunction with one another. Their location and sounds must be coordinated, but not necessarily as an orchestra. That is, there may have been different musical performances in different areas with reference to the movement of the Ark.

In any case, there is a lot of music and fanfare to accompany the Ark on a relatively short journey to Jerusalem.

McGee: I think the world in that day heard about David bringing up the ark to Jerusalem. I think there were visitors from other countries who went home and said, “You should have been in Jerusalem with me. It was a great day, a great day!”

McGee continues: Have you noticed that there is nothing in the newscasts, nothing on the front pages of the newspapers, which is spiritual or which shows the joy of the Lord? They will publish a freak sort of thing, an odd-ball news item about religion, or something about some religious nut. Today that which is spiritual and joyful has disappeared from the life of America. That is when we as a nation have begun to die, by the way.

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With this verse, the editor of Chronicles begins to weave back into the account which he has taken from Samuel:
2Samuel 6:15 Compared to 1Chronicles 15:28
2Sam. 6:15	1Chron. 15:28
So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn.	So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music on harps and lyres.

Obviously, these are too close in text to think that the writers accidentally wrote almost the same things. My reasonable theory is, the writer of Chronicles had access to the text of Samuel as well as other texts to refer to.

This verse simply summarizes the event.

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Michal, David's Wife, Despises David

And so he is an Ark of a Covenant of Y^ehowah is coming as far as a city of David and Michal, a daughter of Saul, looked down through the window and so she sees the King, David, dancing and laughing, and so she despises to him in her heart.

1Chronicles

15:29

And when [lit., and it is] the Ark of the Covenant of Yehowah came as far as the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down through [her] window and [when] she saw King David dancing and laughing, she despised him in her heart.

When the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah came to the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked out through her window, and when she saw King David dancing and laughing, she despised him in her heart.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text And so he is an Ark of a Covenant of Y^ehowah is coming as far as a city of David and Michal, a daughter of Saul, looked down through the window and so she sees the King, David, dancing and laughing, and so she despises to him in her heart.

Septuagint And the ark of the covenant of the Lord arrived, and came to the city of David; and Melchol the daughter of Saul looked down through the window, and saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her soul.

Significant differences: The LXX appears to have an additional verb to apply to the Ark of the Covenant. The second participle in the LXX is a reasonable rendering of the participle in the MT. Although there is a word for heart in the Greek, the translators chose soul instead. The differences are obviously quite minor; and the Latin and Syriac are in complete agreement with the Hebrew.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV Saul's daughter Michal looked out her window and watched the chest being brought into David's City. But when she saw David jumping and dancing in honor of the LORD, she was disgusted.

Good News Bible (TEV) As the Box was being brought into the city, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and leaping for joy, and she was disgusted with him.

The Message When the Chest of the Covenant of GOD entered the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, was watching from a window. When she saw King David dancing ecstatically she was filled with contempt.

New Jerusalem Bible Now, as the ark of the covenant of Yahweh entered the City f David, Michal daughter of Saul was watching from the window and, when she saw King David dancing and playing, the sight of him filled her with contempt.

New Living Testament But as the Ark of the Lord’s covenant entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David dancing and leaping for joy, she was filled with contempt for him.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™ When the ark of the LORD'S promise came to the City of David, Saul's daughter Michal looked out of a window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, so she despised him.

HCSB As the ark of the covenant of the LORD was entering the city of David, Saul's daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

English Standard Version And as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and rejoicing, and she despised him in her heart.

Young’s Updated LT And it comes to pass, the ark of the covenant of Jehovah is entering in unto the city of David, and Michal daughter of Saul is looking through the window, and sees king David dancing and playing, and despises him in her heart.

What is the gist of this verse? As David approaches the city of Jerusalem, rejoicing as the Ark proceeds, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looks out her window, sees him dancing and playing, and she despises him.

Up until the previous verse, there have been some parallels between this and the latter half of 2Sam. 6, but there have been no parallel passages—i.e., passages where it is clear that the editor/author of Chronicles used Samuel as source material (apart from the previous verse). Here the writer of Chronicles clearly takes from 2Sam. 6:16:

1Chronicles 15:29a
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
hâyâh (ה ָי ָה) [pronounced haw-YAW]	to be, is, was, are; to become, to come into being; to come to pass	3^rd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect	Strong's #1961 BDB #224
An imperfect in the Samuel text.
ărôwn (ןר ֲא) [pronounced uh-ROHN]	ark, chest; Ark	masculine singular construct	Strong’s #727 BDB #75
b^erîyth (תי .ר) [pronounced b^ereeth]	pact, alliance, treaty, alliance, covenant	feminine singular construct	Strong’s #1285 BDB #136
Covenant is not found in the Samuel text.
YHWH (הוהי) [pronunciation is possibly yhoh-WAH]	transliterated variously as Jehovah, Yahweh, Y^ehowah	proper noun	Strong’s #3068 BDB #217
bôw (א) [pronounced boh]	to come in, to come, to go in, to go, to enter	Qal active participle	Strong’s #935 BDB #97
A 3^rd person masculine singular, Qal perfect in the Samuel text.
׳ad (דַע) [pronounced ģahd]	as far as, even to, up to, until	preposition	Strong’s #5704 BDB #723
Preposition missing in the Samuel text.
׳îyr (רי ̣ע) [pronounced ģeer]	encampment, city, town	feminine singular construct	Strong's #5892 BDB #746
Dâvid (ד ̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED]	beloved and is transliterated David	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #1732 BDB #187

Translation: And when [lit., and it was] the Ark of the Covenant of Y^ehowah came as far as the City of David,... As we have discussed before (primarily in 2Sam. 6), we know that the home of Obed-edom is really not that far from Jerusalem. Therefore, this was a relatively short procession. However, given all of the fanfare and sacrifices, this may have taken several hours.

1Chronicles 15:29b
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
Mîykal (ל-כי.מ) [pronounced mee-KAHL]	possibly means brook or stream and is transliterated Michal	feminine proper noun	Strong’s #4324 BDB #568
bath (ת ַ) [pronounced bahth]	daughter; village	feminine singular construct	Strong's #1323 BDB #123
Shâûwl (לאָש) [pronounced shaw-OOL]	which is transliterated Saul; it means asked for	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #7586 BDB #982
shâqaph (ף ַק ָש) [pronounced shaw-KAHF]	to look out and down, to overhang	3^rd person feminine singular, Niphal perfect	Strong’s #8259 BDB #1054
ba׳ad (ד ַע ַ) [pronounced BAH-ģad]	by, near; because of; behind, after; about, round about; between [two things], through; into, among; pro, for; away from, behind; on behalf of	generally a preposition of separation or nearness	Strong's #1157 BDB #126
challôwn (ןַח) [pronounced khal-LOWN]	window	masculine singular noun with the definite article	Strong’s #2474 BDB #319
1Chron. 15:29b matches 2Sam. 6:16b word for word.

Translation: ...Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down through [her] window... Although Michal is mentioned several times in the book of Samuel, this is the only time she is spoken of in the book of Chronicles; she does not even hold a place in the genealogy of Saul. Even here, she is called the daughter of Saul and not the wife of David. Her response to David will clearly show that she is her father’s daughter.

1Chronicles 15:29c
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore; because	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
rââh (ה ָאָר) [pronounced raw-AWH]	to see, to look, to look at, to view, to behold; to perceive, to understand, to learn, to know	3^rd person feminine singular, Qal imperfect	Strong's #7200 BDB #906
êth (ת ֵא) [pronounced ayth]	generally untranslated; occasionally to, toward	indicates that the following substantive is a direct object	Strong's #853 BDB #84
melek^e ( ∵ל ∵מ) [pronounced MEH-lek]	king, ruler, prince	masculine singular noun with the definite article	Strong’s #4428 BDB #572
Dâvid (ד ̣וָ); also Dâvîyd (די.וָ) [pronounced daw-VEED]	beloved and is transliterated David	masculine proper noun	Strong’s #1732 BDB #187
râqad (ד-קָר) [pronounced raw-KAHD]	to spring, to dance; to be knocked about [used figuratively of a chariot traveling over rough ground]	Piel participle	Strong’s #7540 BDB #955
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
sâchaq (קַחָ) [pronounced saw-KHAHK]	to joke, to jest, to laugh repeatedly, to play, to amuse, to dance	Piel participle	Strong’s #7832 BDB #965
The verbs in Samuel are completely different; furthermore, all that follows is in Samuel, but not in the Chronicles text:
pâzaz (ז-זָ) [pronounced paw-ZAHZ]	to leap, to show agility	Piel participle	Strong’s #6339 BDB #808
Gesenius comments on this verb: This root seems to have almost fallen into disuse among the Hebrews, and by many to have been forgotten, so that the writer of the Chronicles thought it necessary to interpret it in two places by other verbs which were better known.
w^e (or v^e) (ו) [pronounced weh]	and, even, then; namely; when; since, that, so that; though	simple wâw conjunction	No Strong’s # BDB #251
ârar (ר-רָ) [pronounced kaw-RAHR]	to dance, to leap; to go in a circle, to use circumlocution, to move around, to surround	Pilpel participle	Strong's #3769 #BDB #502
In the Qal, this verb means to go (or move) in a circle. I don’t think that the Pilpel (essentially the Piel or intensive stem) refers to moving in a circular movement as a dance ritual, but that David was going around the Ark in a circle to carefully examine any possible problems. The Piel refers to the intensity of David’s circumspection and not to the intensity of a dance. We only find this verb here and in v. 14; and it appears to have no cognates. The word for lamb is similar, and one source said the idea is that the lamb leaps about; but Gesenius not only says this term for lamb generally refers to a fattened, well-fed lamb, but there are two other identical words, one of which means piercing through, something which pierces; and the other which means a specific measure of something. In other words, it is an interesting theory, but not a theory which is exceptionally compelling.
Even though we now have 2 verbs here to describe David’s behavior, both are obscure verbs. The Greek has the verb to dance and the same obscure Greek verb from v. 14.
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to	directional/relational preposition	No Strong’s # BDB #510
pânîym (םי̣נָ) [pronounced paw-NEEM]	face, faces, countenance; presence	masculine plural construct (plural acts like English singular)	Strong’s #6440 BDB #815
Together, they mean upon the face of, before, before the face of, in the presence of, in the sight of, in front of. When used with God, it can take on the more figurative meaning in the judgment of. This can also mean forwards; the front part [or, the edge of a sword]. L^epânîym (םי.נָפל) can take on a temporal sense as well: before, of old, formerly, in the past, in past times.
YHWH (הוהי) [pronunciation is possibly yhoh-WAH]	transliterated variously as Jehovah, Yahweh, Y^ehowah	proper noun	Strong’s #3068 BDB #217

Translation: ...and [when] she saw King David dancing and laughing,... It was unclear as to the exact meaning of the verbs used in Samuel; however, here, they clearly refer to dancing, jesting, laughing. David is enjoying this day exceedingly.

Application: When you know doctrine and your actions are doctrinal and pure, you can relax and enjoy yourself. David has great confidence in Jehovah God. He knows what he is doing is correct; therefore, David is not looking over his shoulder, waiting for the other shoe to drop. He expects no repetition of the previous procession. The key is, David knows the Word of God. The rest is easy.

1Chronicles 15:29d
Hebrew/Pronunciation	Common English Meanings	Notes/Morphology	BDB and Strong’s Numbers
wa (or va) (ַו) [pronounced wah]	and so, and then, then, and; so, that, yet, therefore; because	wâw consecutive	No Strong’s # BDB #253
bâzâh (הָזָ) [pronounced baw-ZAW]	to despise, to regard with contempt, to hold in contempt	3^rd person feminine singular, Qal imperfect	Strong’s #959 BDB #102
lâmed (ל) (pronounced l^e)	to, for, towards, in regards to, with reference to, as to, with regards to; belonging to; by	directional/relational preposition with the 3^rd person masculine singular suffix	No Strong’s # BDB #510
b^e (׃) [pronounced b^eh]	in, into, through; at, by, near, on, upon; with, before, against; by means of; among; within	a preposition of proximity	Strong’s# none BDB #88
lêb (בֵל) [pronounced lay^bv]	heart, inner man, mind, will, thinking	masculine singular noun with the 3^rd person feminine singular suffix	Strong's #3820 BDB #524
This final phrase matches the Samuel text word for word, tense for tense.

Translation: ...she despised him in her heart. This is a great contrast. David is relaxed, he is enjoying himself; it is a great day in all regards. Michal, on the other hand, looks out and sees David, and she is filled with anger and mental attitude sins. We’ve discussed this in 2Sam. 6, and what Michal observes may just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her anger. She was David’s only wife, at first, and now she is one of many, having been separated from her second husband by David. So, what is occurring—David’s clothing and behavior on this day the Ark is moved—is possibly not the only thing which has her upset with him. However, there is a definite contrast between understanding the importance and significance of the Ark and of being upset with one’s life.

Application: What we have here is a completely different focus: David is focused on the Ark of God and is celebrating it being brought into Jerusalem. Let’s say that you lived in a city where there are no churches, and suddenly, a doctrinal church is being opened up—ideally speaking, you’d be happy and excited about it. This is David. On the other hand, Michal is focused on herself and upon her anger toward David. Whether or not this is resentment which has been building up, that is not an important consideration. Michal is focused on her feelings about David and about David’s actions; she does not seem to care two whits about the Ark and what this all means. That is an unfortunate state of mind for her to be in. It is like attending church with your spouse and you are out of fellowship because you are pissed off at your spouse. There is no spiritual benefit to having such anger and resentment going on in your soul—justified or not. You might be able to list 20 good reasons for your being angry, but that is immaterial; the fact that your anger has you out of fellowship is what is key.

You might think that this would be the end of the narrative on this procession, as it was in 2Sam. 6, but there will be a whole other chapter which gives us even more information about the celebration that is taking place. 2Sam. 6 tells us more about Michal confronting David; but the Chronicles will skip that and tell us more about the celebration that takes place in 1Chron. 16 (a 43 verse chapter, by the way).

I have discussed in 2Sam. 6 about Michel’s anger for David in greater detail, but McGee sums it up nicely: Michel...looked at [David]...showing his enthusiasm and joy in serving the Lord, and she thought in her heart, “He is a religious fanatic!” Oh, how we need men like David in our day. It does not have to be fanaticism, but we do need the underlying river of joy flowing through the hearts and lives of God’s people. That is the great message in [1Chron. 15].

The Open Bible suggests: David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as well as the priestly tunic. The reaction of Michal in 2Sam. 6:20 may suggest that he discarded the robe during the dancing, leaving only the small priestly apron, hence Michal’s contempt.

Michel has her eyes on David, she has her eyes on her problems with David; she is thinking about how others will perceive her because of David’s actions. Her focus is all on herself and she is out of step with those celebrating this momentous occasion. This would be a time to put aside one’s own problems and recognize the import of what was occurring, but Michel was unable to do that.

Eugene Merrill gave the false interpretation that Michel did not like David assuming a priestly role because her father Saul did that and was punished for it. However, when she gives her complaint back in 2Sam. 6, nothing like that is stated or implied.

Addendum

Now, let’s talk about which psalms we should examine. The celebration of this event occurs in two chapters; this chapter and the next. The reason they are split into two chapters is, 1Chron. 15 tells us about the procession from the home of Obed-edom to Jerusalem and 1Chron. 16 tells us about the celebration in Jerusalem, after the Ark had been placed in the tent which David had constructed for it. Obviously, there was music played and probably psalms sung while the Ark was moved.

Specific psalms are associated with the moving of the Ark from the home of Obed-edom to Jerusalem.

Commentators Associate Specific Psalms with the Moving of the Ark

The NIV Study Bible includes Psalms 24, 47, 68, 118 and 132 in a processional liturgy celebrating the Lord’s entrance into Zion. I have already placed Psalm 118 (see the comments below), but the other psalms I will cover after 1Chron. 15.

Robinson suggest these as possible psalms to include with the moving of the Ark: Psalm 47 132 146:10 149:2. I agree with Psalm 47 132 149 and have placed them with this chapter of Chronicles. I did not include Psalm 146 and have commented on it below.

Edersheim lists Psalms 15 68 78 101. I did not include Psalm 101 (see the comments below).

Discussion of which psalms I included with the moving of the Ark and those which I did not will follow.

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Some psalms are specifically found in 1Chron. 16

The Psalms of 1Chron. 16

Psalm 105:1–17 = 1Chron. 16:8–22

Psalm 96:1–13 = 1Chron. 16:23–33

Psalm 106:1, 47–48 = 1Chron. 16:34–36

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When I looked back over this portion of my exegesis, it just seemed all jumbled up and it made little sense. Therefore, I figured setting this up in a chart format might be the best approach:
Psalms to be Covered with 1Chron. 15
Psalm	Content	Rationale
Psalm 15	David asks who may abide in Your tent? Who may live on Your holy hill? Then David answers this question.	Suggested by Edersheim. Although I believe that David wrote this after the Ark was moved, I do not believe that it was written for the purpose of moving the Ark. The reason is, David intended on building a permanent house for the Ark, which we will read about in 2Sam. 7, and he speaks fo the Temple in Psalm 68, which is clearly a psalm which belongs with the moving of the Ark. On the other hand, I do not find any other time and place which is more appropriate. David does mention a tent of God and the holy hill of God in this psalm, which may be reasonably associated with the moving of the Ark of God. I originally presented this psalm as one of the psalms that David wrote when watching the sheep, and that he sang it for Saul. I placed it with 1Sam. 16.
Psalm 24	God is the Creator and Founder of all the earth. Who can know Him? A psalm of David.	Since Psalms 24–26 seem to be together, and since Psalm 26 is best placed around 1Sam. 23–24, I will add Psalms 24–25 to that time period as well. Keil and Delitzsch: David composed the 24th Psalm for the religious ceremonies connected with the removal of the ark to Mount Zion. Nothing else in context to support their view. Zodhiates makes the same statement; so I changed my mind and moved Psalm 24 with the moving of the Ark. Therefore, we will go to Psalm 24 next.
Psalm 47	God’s rule over all the nations is celebrated.	Both Robinson and the NIV Study Bible see this as one of the processional psalms.
Psalm 68	Psalm 68 gives us a history of God’s close involvement with Israel.	Then there are two psalms which, although they do not necessarily belong here, this would be a good place to put them: Psalm 8 and Psalm 68. Psalm 68 gives us a marvelous history of God’s involvement with Israel, from the exodus to His sanctuary; a perfect place for such a psalm to be sung. However, this psalm was possibly written after Solomon’s time, because the Temple of God is mentioned in v. 29 (which, obviously, causes a problem with its Davidic authorship).
Psalm 78	Psalm 78 was written by Asaph and it deals with the history of Israel.	This is a long psalm (72 verses) which I originally covered after completing the Pentateuch. However, Asaph is a contemporary with David (one of the Asaph’s is), and that David would have asked him to examine the Scriptures as well is reasonable. That Asaph may have been thus inspired to write a psalm of the history of Israel would have been reasonable, and that this psalm be sung at the moving of the Ark, absolutely appropriate. I originally placed this psalm with Ex. 40, not because it came from that time period, but because it looked back on that time period.
Psalm 118	The psalmist gives thanks to God for His grace, and gives examples of God’s grace in his own life. He speaks of himself being surrounded by enemies and how it is better to trust in the Lord than it is to trust in man. The psalmist speaks of being under discipline and being delivered from that discipline. He speaks of walking through the gates of righteousness. This is the famous psalm where the stone that the builders rejected has become the primary cornerstone.	We are not told who wrote this psalm, but many (including me) think that it is Davidic. I originally placed this psalm with 1Sam. 30 (why didn’t I choose 1Sam. 31 or 2Sam. 1?), as it sounded as if David is being delivered from his enemies and taken to a place of great blessing. This was the time that Saul died and that David became king over Israel, being the stone that the builders rejected. This psalm would have been appropriate to sing at the celebration of the moving of the Ark and there is no strong reason to exclude it from the ceremonies, even though it was probably written at a different time.
Psalm 132	This is a psalm of ascents, and the author is not named. David is spoken of several times. The psalmist speaks of finding a dwelling place for the Lord so that Israel could come and worship. At the end of the psalm, we read that God has chosen Zion for this place.	This is a difficult call. We do not know who wrote this psalm, but it speaks of David several times in the 3^rd person. To me, this sounds like a psalm which is written to look back on this time, as well as one which looks forward to the Messiah. On the other hand, one might take this material as being contemporary, and this psalm does speak of David desiring to finding a place for the Lord. Furthermore, we read Arise, O Jehovah, to Your resting place; You and the Ark of Your strength. This sounds a lot like the moving of the Ark to me. There is definitely eschatological aspects to the end of this psalm, which would seem reasonable for a psalm which celebrates this event. Whether this psalm looks back at this event or is contemporary with it is worth a discussion.
Psalm 149	This psalm is clearly eschatological and looks forward to our Lord’s being in the Millennium.	Even though this is a Millennial psalm, there is no reason to exclude it from these ceremonies of the Ark. Zion is mentioned, as well as singing and dancing. We do not know who wrote this, and placing this psalm here is reasonable, but not definite.

Let me add, I could not say for certain that all of these psalms were sung while the Ark was being transported to Jerusalem. I would not even bet money on it, quite frankly. However, there is nothing unnatural about including these psalms here, so that is what I will do. They fit with this time period as well as with any other time period.

Some of these psalms I have covered already, but there is reason to place them with the moving of the Ark. The other psalms, I will exegete before moving onto 1Chron. 16, which will require me to add 3 more psalms to this celebration.

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Originally, for a variety of reasons, there were a few psalms which I was going to exegete in association with this chapter of Chronicles, but, after looking at the psalms, I changed my mind. In at least two of these cases, I did end up exegeting the psalms anyway.
Psalms NOT to be Covered with 1Chron. 15
Psalm	Content	Explanation
Psalm 6	David is under severe discipline in Psalm 6.	Also, as I mentioned earlier, we find the term sheminith in 1Chron. 15:21 and the inscriptions of Psalms 6 and 12; however, neither of these psalms seem to be very appropriate to this occasion. Because of the content, psalm really fits with this chapter of Chronicles.
Psalm 8	Glorious God, Creator of the Universe, places the earth and the things in the earth under man’s control.	I have already placed Psalm 8 with David, after he defeated the Amalekites, when he was still living under the stars in a territory of Gath. It sounds more like something David would have written when outside, under the starry heavens. However, one might place it here as well, as something which was sung regularly.
Psalm 12	David deals with the sins of the tongue of those around him in Psalm 12	The subject matter alone seems ill-suited to this event.
Psalm 16	David speaks of his heritage, and speaks of our Lord’s soul not being left in Sheol. This would be reasonably placed near the end of David’s life (maybe after 2Sam. 21).	Originally, I was going to go back to 1Chron. 16. and add this to this portion of 1Chron. 15; however, in glancing at the subject matter, this just does not really seem to be completely appropriate (although one might draw a parallel between David not leaving the Ark at Obed-edom’s and God not leaving his soul in Sheol—although, that is a bit of a stretch.
Psalm 101	God’s grace and the removal of those who sin is covered in this psalm. It is a Davidic psalm where David speaks of removing the wicked from his house and from the land.	Edersheim especially included this psalm in his list of psalms, although I have no idea why. He writes that this psalm includes the moral bearing of the nearness of God’s ark upon the king and his kingdom. Yeah, I don’t buy it either.
Psalm 146	We are told to praise God rather than man, and reasons are given. There are prophetic verses here about the Lord opening the eyes of the blind and raising those who are bowed down.	Robinson includes this psalm with the moving of the Ark. Although Psalm 146 could certainly be sung with the procession and not be out of place, there is nothing to tie it to this procession, apart from saying that Jehovah will reign forever, Your God, O Zion, to all generations. However, that is just not strong enough to require that this psalm be included with the psalms sung at the celebration of moving the Ark.

In the comments, it is clear that some of these psalms do not belong at all with the procession of the Ark. However, Psalms 101 146 would not be out of place at such an event.

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To sum up, we will study Psalms 24 12 8 (An optional study) 47 68 132 and 149; and then we will proceed to 1Chron. 16.

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It may be helpful to see this chapter as a contiguous whole:
A Complete Translation of 1Chronicles 15
A Reasonably Literal Translation	A Reasonably Literal Paraphrase
David Summons the Levites to Transport the Ark
David [lit., he] constructed houses for himself in the City of David. He also prepared a place for the Ark of Elohim and spread out a tent for it.	David constructed royal residences for himself (and his wives) in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the Ark of God, setting up a tent for it.
David then said, “None should carry the Ark of Elohim except the Levites for Y^ehowah chose to carry the Ark of Y^ehowah by means of them so that they [might] minister [to] Him forever.”	David then said, “It is not lawful for anyone except the Levites to carry the Ark of God, for Jehovah chose them to bear the Ark of the Lord and to minister before Him forever.”
David assembled all of Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the Ark of Y^ehowah to its place that David had prepared for it. He [lit., and David] gathered the sons of Aaron and the Levites: from [lit., to, for, with regard to; and so throughout] the descendants of Kohath: Uriel, the head [of this branch] and 120 of his brothers; from the descendants of Merari: Asaiah, the head [of this branch] and 220 of his brothers; from the descendants of Gershom: Joel, the head [of this branch] and 130 of his brothers; from the descendants of Elizaphan: Shemaiah, the head [of this branch] and 200 of his brothers; from the descendants of Hebron: Eliel, the head [of this branch] and 80 of his brothers; from the descendants of Uzziel: Amminadab, the head [of this branch] and 112 of his brothers.	David assembled all of Israel at Jerusalem in order to bring up the Ark of the Lord to the place that David had prepared for it. So David assembled the sons of Aaron and the following Levites: from the sons of Kohath, 120 came (their leader is Uriel); from the sons of Merari, 220 came (their leader is Asaiah); from the sons of Gershom, 130 came (their leader is Joel); from the sons of Elizaphan, 200 came (their leader is Shemaiah); from the sons of Hebron, 80 came (their leader is Eliel); from the sons of Uzziel,112 came (their leader is Amminadab).
David Explains What Went Wrong Before
David then summoned Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, along with [lit., and] the Levite [leaders]: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab. He said to them, “You [are] the heads of the fathers, [leaders] of the Levites; consecrate yourself and your brothers so that you may bring up the Ark of Y^ehowah, Elohim of Israel, to my preparation [of a place] for it. For why previously [did] you not [or, Because you did not previously] [carry the Ark], Y^ehowah our Elohim burst forth against us, because we did not seek Him within the Law.	David then summoned the two priests, Zadok and Abiathar, along with the 6 Levite leaders: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab. He said to them, “You are the heads of your fathers’ houses; you are leaders of the Levites; consecrate yourselves and your brothers so that you may bring up the Ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. Because you did not previously carry the Ark, Jehovah our God burst out against us, as we did not seek His directives as per the Law of Moses.
The priests and Levites then consecrated themselves [in order] to bring up the Ark of Y^ehowah, Elohim of Israel.	The priests and Levites then consecrated themselves in order to bring up the Ark of Jehovah, God of Israel.
So the sons of the Levites carried the Ark of Elohim—as Moses had commanded according to the Word of Y^ehowah—by means of poles which rested on their shoulders [lit., on their shoulders by means of poles upon them].	Therefore, the Levites carried the Ark of God using poles which rested upon their shoulders, just as Moses, in the Word of Jehovah, had commanded them to do.
The Chief Levites in Attendance
Then David told the chiefs of the Levites to station their brothers—the musicians with the musical instruments (harps, lyres and cymbals)—those who cause [all] to hear [and] elevate sounds of joy—[in specific places].	David then had the chiefs of the Levites assemble their musically-inclined brothers, those with harps, lyres, and cymbals, those who made themselves heard and elevated this event with sounds of joy.
The Levites therefore appointed Heman, the son of Joel, and from his relatives, Asaph, the son of Berechiah; and from [lit., in] the sons of Merari, their relatives, Ethan, son of Kushaiah. With them [are] their brothers of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. The singers, Heman, Asaph and Ethan, sounded aloud with brass cymbals. Also [playing are] Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah with harps, [playing] over [the voices of] young women. Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel and Azaziah with lyres to be preeminent over the female chorus [lit., eight, octave].	The Levites therefore appointed Heman, the son of Joel, along with one of his relatives, Asaph, the son of Berechiah, and Ethan, son of Kushaiah, who is from the Merari branch of Levites. And with them are their brothers of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. The singers Heman, Asaph and Ethan were accompanied with brass cymbals. Also playing on harps were Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah. They played over the voices of young women. Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel and Azaziah played lyres in such a way as to be preeminent over the chorus of female singers.
Chenaniah, a leader of the Levites in music, instructs in the music, because he is perceptive [about] [or, well acquainted with] [music]. Berechiah and Elkanah [were made] doorkeepers of the Ark.	Chenaniah, a leader of the Levites in music, became their conductor, for he was perceptive, artistic and well-versed in music. Berechiah and Elkanah were made guardians for the Ark.
Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer [are] the priests who blow the trumpets before the Ark of Elohim. Also, Obed-edom and Jehiah [became] doorkeepers for the Ark.	The priests blowing the trumpets included Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer. Two additional Levites, Obed-edom and Jehiah, also became guardians of the Ark.
Highlights from the Procession
So it was [that] David and the elders of Israel along with the commanders of thousands brought up [lit., (are) those going to bring up] the Ark of the Covenant of Y^ehowah from the house of Obed-edom with [great] rejoicing.	So David and the elders of Israel and all of the military commanders went up with great joy with the Levites and others to bring the Ark of Jehovah’s Covenant from the house of Obed-edom.
And so it was, when Elohim helped the Levites—the ones carrying the Ark of the Covenant of Y^ehowah—that they slaughtered 7 bulls and 7 rams.	While God helped the Levites to carry the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah, they slaughtered 7 bulls and 7 rams as a part of the celebration.
David was clothed in a white linen robe [as were] all the Levites who carried the Ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader [of] the music [and] the singers; furthermore, upon David [was] a linen ephod.	David was clothed in a white linen robe as were all the Levites who carried the Ark, along with the singers and Chenaniah the leader. David also wore a linen ephod.
So all Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant of Y^ehowah with shouting [and rejoicing]; with the sound of horns, trumpets and cymbals, announcing [the procession] with [or, playing] harps and lyres.	So all Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah with shouting and rejoicing, with the sounds of horns and trumpets and cymbals, announcing this procession with harps and lyres.
Michal, David’s Wife, Despises David
And when [lit., and it is] the Ark of the Covenant of Yehowah came as far as the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down through [her] window and [when] she saw King David dancing and laughing, she despised him in her heart.	When the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah came to the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked out through her window, and when she saw King David dancing and laughing, she despised him in her heart.

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