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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - 1 Chronicles 16:37 - 16:37
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Division of the Levites for the management of the public worship. - At the same time as he set up the ark in the tent erected for it on Mount Zion, David had prepared a new locality for the public worship. The Mosaic tabernacle had continued, with its altar of burnt-offering, to be the general place of worship for the congregation of Israel even during the long period when the ark was separated from it, and it was even yet to be so; and it became necessary, in order to carry on the religious service in both of these sanctuaries, to divide the staff of religious officials: and this David now undertook.
1Ch 16:37-38
Before the ark he left Asaph with his brethren (לְ( nerht before the accus. obj., according to the later usage), to serve, to minister there continually. בְּיֹומֹו לִדְבַר־יֹום, “according to the matter of the day on its day,” i.e., according to the service necessary for each day; cf. for this expression, Exo 5:13, Exo 5:19; Exo 16:4, etc. “And Obed-edom and their brethren.” In these words there is a textual error: the plural suffix in אֲחֵיהֶם shows that after אֱדֹום עֹבֵד at least one name has been dropped out. But besides that, the relation in which the words, “and Obed-edom the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, to be porters,” stand to the preceding clause, “and Obed-edom and their brethren,” is obscure. Against the somewhat general idea, that the words are to be taken in an explicative sense, “and Obed-edom indeed,” etc., the objection suggests itself, that Obed-edom is here defined to be the son of Jeduthun, and would seem to be thereby distinguished from the preceding Obed-edom. In addition to that, in 1Ch 15:21 and Obed-edom is mentioned among the singers, and in 1Ch 16:24 one of the doorkeepers bears that name, and they are clearly distinguished as being different persons. On the other hand, however, the identity of the two Obed-edoms in our verse is supported by the fact that in 1Ch 26:4-8 the doorkeepers Obed-edom with his sons and brethren number sixty-two, which comes pretty nearly up to the number mentioned in our verse, viz., sixty-eight. Yet we cannot regard this circumstance as sufficient to identify the two, and must leave the question undecided, because the text of our verse is defective. Jeduthun the father of Obed-edom is different from the chief musician Jeduthun (= Ethan); for the chief musician is a descendant of Merari, while the doorkeeper Jeduthun belongs to the Korahites (i.e., Kohathites): see on 1Ch 26:4.
1Ch 16:39-40
צָדֹוק וְאֵת is still dependent on the וַיַּעֲזָב in 1Ch 16:37. The priest Zadok with his brethren he left before the tent of Jahve, i.e., the tabernacle at the Bamah in Gibeon. For בָּמָה see on 2Ch 1:13, and for Zadok on 2Ch 6:12. It is surprising here that no priest is named as superintendent or overseer of the sacrificial worship in the tent of the ark of the covenant. But the omission is accounted for by the fact that our chapter treats properly only of the arrangement of the sacred music connected with the worship, and Zadok is mentioned as overseer of the sanctuary of the tabernacle at Gibeon only in order to introduce the statement as to the Levitic singers and players assigned to that sanctuary. Without doubt Abiathar as high priest had the oversight of the sacrificial worship in the sanctuary of the tabernacle: see on 1Ch 18:16; with 1Ch 16:40 cf. Exo 29:38; Num 28:3, Num 28:6. לְכָל־הַכָּתוּב corresponds to לְהַעֲלֹות: and in reference to all, i.e., to look after all, which was written. This refers not only to the bringing of the sacrifices prescribed, in addition to the daily burnt-offering, but in general to everything that it was the priests' duty to do in the sanctuary.
1Ch 16:41-42
וְעִמָּהֶם, and with them (with Zadok and his brethren) were Heman and Jeduthun, i.e., (the two other chief musicians, 1Ch 15:19), with the other chosen famous, sc. singers (בְשֵׁמֹות נִקְּבוּ, see on 1Ch 12:31). To these belonged those of the number named in 1Ch 15:18-21, 1Ch 15:24, who are not mentioned among those assigned to Asaph in 1Ch 16:5 and 1Ch 16:6, and probably also a number of others whose names have not been handed down. In 1Ch 16:42, if the text be correct, וִידוּתוּן הֵימָן can only be in apposition to עִמָּהֶם: “and with them, viz., with Heman and Jeduthun, were trumpets,” etc. But, not to mention the difficulty that passages analogous and parallel to this statement are not to be found, the mention of these two chief musicians in the connection is surprising; for the musical instruments mentioned are not merely the מְצִלְתַּיִם (s. 1Ch 15:19) played by them, but also the חֲצֹצְרֹות which the priests blew, and other instruments. Moreover, the names Heman and Jeduthun are not found here in the lxx, and have probably been inserted in our verse by some copyist from 1Ch 16:41, which likewise begins with וְעִמָּהֶם. If we omit these names, then, the verse contains no other difficulty worthy of consideration, or any which would occasion or necessitate such violent alterations of the text as Berth. has proposed. The suffix in עִמָּהֶם refers to the persons mentioned in 1Ch 16:41, Heman, Jeduthun, and the other chosen ones. “With them were,” i.e., they had by them, trumpets, cymbals, etc. The לְ before מַשְׁמִיעִים is strange, since מַשְׁמִיעִים is in 1Ch 15:16 connected with מְצִלְתַּיִם as an adjective, and in 1Ch 15:19 we have לְהַשְׁמִיעַ. But if we compare 1Ch 16:5 of our chapter, where מַשְׁמִיעַ is predicate to Asaph, “Asaph gave forth clear notes with cymbals,” then here also לְמַשְׁמִיעִים in connection with מְצִלְתַּיִם is thoroughly justified in the signification, “and cymbals for those who gave forth the notes or the melody,” i.e., for Heman and Jeduthun. הא שִׁיר כְּלֵי are the other instruments used in the service of the song, viz., the nablia and kinnoroth. “The sons of Jeduthun for the gate,” i.e., as doorkeepers. As Obed-edom, who was doorkeeper by the ark, according to 1Ch 16:38, was likewise a son of Jeduthun, here other sons of the same Jeduthun, brothers of Obed-edom, must be meant, the number of whom, if we may judge from 1Ch 26:8, was very considerable; so that the members of this family were able to attend to the doorkeeping both by the ark and in the tabernacle at Gibeon.
1Ch 16:43
1Ch 16:43 brings the account of the transfer of the ark to a conclusion, and coincides in substance with 2Sa 6:19 and 2Sa 6:20, where, however, there follows in addition a narrative of the scene which David had with his wife Michal. This, as res domestica, the author of the Chronicle has omitted, since the reference to it in 1Ch 15:29 seemed sufficient for the design of his work. לְבָרֵךְ is not to greet, but to bless his house, just as in 1Ch 16:2 he had already pronounced a blessing on his people in the name of God.