1 Chronicles 15:2
◄  1 Chronicles 15:2  ►
New International Version (©2011)
Then David said, "No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before him forever."

New Living Translation (©2007)
Then he commanded, "No one except the Levites may carry the Ark of God. The LORD has chosen them to carry the Ark of the LORD and to serve him forever."

English Standard Version (©2001)
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.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Then David said, "No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever."

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
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."

International Standard Version (©2012)
Then David ordered that the Ark of God was to be carried by no one except the descendants of Levi, because the LORD had chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to serve him forever.

NET Bible (©2006)
Then David said, "Only the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to serve before him perpetually.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
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.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them has the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him forever.

American King James Version
Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them has the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister to him for ever.

American Standard Version
Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath Jehovah chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then David said: No one ought to carry the ark of God, but the Levites, whom the Lord hath chosen to carry it, and to minister unto himself for ever.

Darby Bible Translation
Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites, for them has Jehovah chosen to carry the ark of God, and to serve him for ever.

English Revised Version
Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister to him for ever.

World English Bible
Then David said, "No one ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites. For Yahweh has chosen them to carry the ark of God, and to minister to him forever."

Young's Literal Translation
Then said David, 'None are to carry the ark of God, except the Levites, for on them hath Jehovah fixed to carry the ark of God, and to serve Him -- unto the age.'

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

15:1-24 Wise and good men may be guilty of oversights, which they will correct, as soon as they are aware of them. David does not try to justify what had been done amiss, nor to lay the blame on others; but he owns himself guilty, with others, of not seeking God in due order

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - This verse together with vers. 12-15 show that the severe lesson of the destruction of Uzzah had been laid to heart, and had made David supremely anxious to take better counsel of the Law. Uzzah, though possibly the son of a Levite, more probably of a Hivite (Joshua 9:7, 17), was not a priest, nor is there any sufficient evidence that he was a Levite; and most distinct was the order of the Law (Numbers 1:51-53; Numbers 3:29-32; 4:15420), that "when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death." So the sons of Kohath are to come to bear the sanctuary with all its sacred vessels, "but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die." Many things were allowed to be carried on waggons under the charge of the Gershonites and Merarites, but the strict contents of the sanctuary were to be borne in a specified manner by the Kohathites.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then David said,.... Either within himself, or to his ministers and courtiers about him:

none ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites; he saw his former mistake in employing those that were not Levites in bringing up the ark from Kirjathjearim, and bringing it in a cart, and not on the shoulders of the Levites, and so miscarried in his attempt, 2 Samuel 6:1 and, perhaps, had since more diligently consulted the law of God about this matter:

for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever; as long as the Levitical dispensation lasted, as appears from Numbers 1:50.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites—After the lapse of three months (1Ch 13:14) the purpose of transporting the ark to Jerusalem was resumed. Time and reflection had led to a discovery of the cause of the painful catastrophe that marred the first attempt. In preparing for the solemn procession that was now to usher the sacred symbol into its resting-place, David took special care that the carriage should be regulated in strict conformity to the law (Nu 4:5, 15; 7:9; 10:17).

1 Chronicles 15:2 Parallel Commentaries

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Preparations to Move the Ark to Jerusalem
1And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent. 2Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them has the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister to him for ever. 3And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD to his place, which he had prepared for it. …

Numbers 4:15 "After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, only then are the Kohathites to come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the tent of meeting.
Deuteronomy 10:8 At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister and to pronounce blessings in his name, as they still do today.
2 Samuel 6:13 When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.