Wesley's Notes on the Bible And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent. 15:1 Houses - A palace consisting of many houses or apartments for his several wives and children. A tent - He did not fetch the tabernacle of Moses from Gibeon, because he intended forthwith to build the temple.
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.
And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD unto his place, which he had prepared for it.
And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites:
Of the sons of Kohath; Uriel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twenty: 15:5 The sons - Of Amram or Izhar, Kohath's sons, Numb 3:27, otherwise Elizaphan, ver.8, and Hebron, ver.9, and Uzziel, ver.10, were Kohath's children.
Of the sons of Merari; Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty:
Of the sons of Gershom; Joel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and thirty:
Of the sons of Elizaphan; Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred:
Of the sons of Hebron; Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore:
Of the sons of Uzziel; Amminadab the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twelve.
And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab, 15:11 The Priests - Abiathar the high - priest, and Zadok the second priest.
And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it.
For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.
So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.
And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.
And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.
So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;
And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters. 15:18 Second degree - The first rank of sacred musicians being those three famous persons named ver.17, next to whom were these here named. Porters - who were to keep the doors of the tabernacle and courts, but with all were instructed in musick, that when these were free from attendance upon their proper office, they might not be idle nor unprofitable in God's house.
So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass;
And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth; 15:20 Alamoth - Or, with Alamoth which is thought to be the name of an instrument of musick; or of a certain tune, or note, or part in musick. The certain signification of it is not now known; and the like may be said of Sheminith, ver.21.
And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel. 15:21 To excel - Which word may be added to note the excellency of that instrument, or part of musick; or that there was a greater extension or elevation of the voice than in the former. This way of praising God by musical instruments, had not hitherto been in use. But David instituted it by divine direction, and added it to the other ordinances of that dispensation.
And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful. 15:22 For song - He was the moderator of the musick, instructing them when and how to lift up their voices, or change their notes, or make their stops.
And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark. 15:23 Door - keepers - They were appointed to keep the door of the tent in which the ark was to be kept, that no unallowed person might press in and touch it; and in like manner they were to attend upon the ark in the way, and to guard it from the press and touch of prophane hands; for which end these two went before the ark, is their other two brethren mentioned in the close of ver.24, came after it.
And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.
So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obededom with joy.
And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams. 15:26 Helped - Encouraging them in their work with some comfortable sign of his presence with them. In all our religious exercises, we must derive help from heaven. God's ministers that bare the vessels of the Lord, have special need of divine help in their ministrations, that God may be glorified thereby, and the people edified.
And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen. 15:27 Linen - With a linen ephod. This circumstance is repeated, because it was an unusual thing for one, who was no Levite, to wear a Levitical garment.
Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.
And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart. Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible by John Wesley [1754-65] Bible Hub |
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