Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - 1 Chronicles 15:22 - 15:22
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
“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 1Ch 15:5-10, and is called in 1Ch 15:27 הַמַּשָּׂא הַשַׂר, we must here also join בְּמַשָּׂא (as most editions punctuate the first במשׂא, while according to Norzi בַּמַּשָּׂא is the right reading even in the first case) closely with שַׂר־הַֽלְוִיִּם, with the meaning that 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 מַשָּׂא is,however, very variously interpreted. The lxx have ἄρχων τῶν ᾠδῶν, and the Vulgate, prophetiae praeerat ad praecinendam melodiam; whence Luther translates: the master in song to teach them to sing. This translation cannot, however, be linguistically upheld; the word מַשָּׂא means only the bearing of the burden (Num 4:19, Num 4:27, etc.; 2Ch 35:3), and a prophetical utterance of an oppressive or threatening character (Isa 13:1, and Isa 15:1, etc.). But from this second signification neither the general meaning prophetia, nor, if we wish to go back upon the קֹול נָשָׂא, to raise the voice, the signification master of song, supremus musicus (Lavat.), or qui principatum tenebat in cantu illo sublimiore (Vatabl.), can be derived. The meaning prophetia, 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, for which מַשָּׂא is the usual word; and (2) by the circumstance that in 1Ch 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. יָסֹר is not the inf. absol., which cannot stand directly for the verb. finit.; nor is it the imperf. of סָרַר in the signification of שָׂרַר (Bertheau and others), but a nominal formation from יָסַר (cf. on this formation as the most proper designation of the actor, Ew. §152, b), in the signification teacher, which is shown by Isa 28:26 certainly to belong to יָסַר. The clause בַּמַּשָּׂא יָסֹר gives the explanation of the preceding בְּמַשָּׂא, or it specifies what Chenaniah had to do in the procession. He had to take the lead in the bearing because he was מֵבִין in it, i.e., was instructed in that which was to be observed in it. - In 1Ch 15:23 two doorkeepers for the ark are named; and in 1Ch 15:24, at the end of the enumeration of the Levites who were busied about the transport, two additional names are mentioned as those of men who had the same duty. The business of these doorkeepers was, as Seb. Schmidt has already remarked on 2 Sam 6, non tam introitum aperire arcae, quam custodire, ne ad eam irrumperetur. Between these two pairs of doorkeepers in 1Ch 15:24, the priests, seven in number, who blew the trumpets, are named. The Kethibh מחצצרים is to be read מַחֲצֹצְרִים, a denom. from חֲצֹצְרָה; the Keri מַחְצְרִים is Hiph. of חָצַר, as in 2Ch 7:6; 2Ch 13:14, and 2Ch 29:28. In 2Ch 5:12 and 2Ch 5:13, on the contrary, מְחַצְּרִים is partic. Pi. The blowing of the silver trumpets by the priests in this solemn procession rests on the prescription in Num 10:1-10, which see. The place assigned to these trumpet-blowing priests was either immediately before the ark, like the priestly trumpeters in the march round Jericho (Jos 6:4, Jos 6:6), or immediately after it. For, that these priests entered in the immediate vicinity of the ark, may be inferred from the fact that before and behind them were doorkeepers of the ark. The procession, then, was probably arranged in this way: (1) the singers and players in front, in three division; (2) Chenaniah, the captain of the bearers; (3) two doorkeepers; (4) the priests with the trumpets immediately before or after the ark; (5) two doorkeepers; (6) the king with the elders and captains of thousands (1Ch 15:25). The two doorkeepers Obededom and Jehiah (יְחִיָּה), Rashi, Berth.,and others consider to be the same persons as the singers Obededom and Jeiel (יְעִיאֵל), 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. And 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 יְחִיָּה is correct.