2 Samuel 6:5

_AND DAVID AND ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL PLAYED BEFORE THE LORD ON ALL MANNER OF INSTRUMENTS MADE OF FIR WOOD, EVEN ON HARPS, AND ON PSALTERIES, AND ON TIMBRELS, AND ON CORNETS, AND ON CYMBALS._ David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood. The quality of the wood used in the formation of musical instruments is of the greatest importance. The peculiar fitness of fir wood for that purpose was recognized in very ancient times (Wilkinson, 'Ancient Egyptians,' 2:, pp 32, 35; 'Egypt's Testimony,' p. 217), and the knowledge of it probably borrowed from Egypt by the Hebrews. Indeed, a preference still continues to be given to this wood above that of every other tree, in the fabric of musical instruments. [The Septuagint has interpolated: en oodais, with songs]. ON HARPS - (see the notes at 1 Samuel 10:5;...

1-5 God is present with the souls of his people, when they want the outward tokens of his presence; but now David is settled in the throne, the honour of the ark begins to revive. Let us learn hence, to think and to speak highly of God; and to think and speak honourably of holy ordinances, which are to us as the ark was unto Israel, the tokens of God's presence, Matthew 28:20. Christ is our Ark; in and by him God manifests his favour, and accepts our prayers and praises. The ark especially typified Christ and his mediation, in which the name of Jehovah and all his glories are displayed. The priests should have carried the ark upon their shoulders. Philistines may carry the ark in a cart without suffering for it; but if Israelites do so, it is at their peril, because this was not what God appointed....

Verse 2 Samuel 6:5. _ON ALL MANNER OF_ INSTRUMENTS MADE OF _FIR WOOD_] This place should be corrected from the parallel place, 1 Chronicles 13:8: "All Israel played before God, with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries," c. Instead of בכל עז _bechol atsey_, "with all woods" or "trees" the parallel place is _bechol oz_. "with all their strength:" this makes a good sense, the first makes none. The _Septuagint_, in this place, has the verse reading; εν ισχυΐ, _with might_....

PLAYED - i. e. danced to music vocal and instrumental (see Judges 16:25 note). CORNETS - Rather, from the etymology of the Hebrew word (to shake), and their being coupled with the cymbals, and being rendered sistra in the Vulgate, some kind of instrument with bells or rings, which gave a sound by being shaken....

EXPOSITION 2 SAMUEL 6:1 AND DAVID GATHERED TOGETHER. The long subjection to the Philistines was at an end, and David's first care is to bring the ark of Jehovah from Kirjath-jearim to Jerusalem. In this he had a twofold object. For, first, it was an act of piety, testifying David's gratitude to God, who had so quickly raised him from the condition of a despairing fugitive hiding away in the cave of Adullam to that of a victorious king reigning over an independent and free people. But David had also a political purpose. The weakness of Israel in the past was the result of its divisions, he would heal this by giving it a capital, whither the tribes would come up for worship, and where they would feel that they formed one nation. David had seen the evils of a divided sovereignty, when he and Ishbosheth were wasting the strength of Israel in

AND DAVID AND ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL PLAYED BEFORE THE LORD,.... That is, before the ark, which was a symbol of the presence of the Lord: ON ALL MANNER OF [INSTRUMENTS MADE OF] FIR WOOD: which is a general expression, the particulars follow; though instruments of different sorts are mentioned, and even some of metal, as cymbals, which were vessels of brass, they struck one against another, and gave a very acute sound, being hollow g; EVEN ON HARPS, AND ON PSALTERIES, AND ON TIMBRELS, AND ON CORNETS, AND ON CYMBALS; harps, psalteries, and timbrels, are frequently met with; cornets, according to Kimchi, are such sort of instruments, that in playing upon them it required an agitation of the whole body. Now it was that David penned the sixty eighth psalm, which begins, "let God arise", c. Psalms 68:1, words used by Moses when the ark set forward,...

3. THE ARK BROUGHT TO ZION CHAPTER 6 _ 1. The ark fetched by David (2 Samuel 6:1)_ 2. Uzzah: his error and death (2 Samuel 6:6) 3. The ark in the house of Obed-edom (2 Samuel 6:10) 4. The ark brought into David's city (2 Samuel 6:12) 5. Michal's mockery of David (2 Samuel 6:20) It is of importance to read 1 Chronicles 13 for a better understanding of how the ark was brought from Kirjathjearim to David's c

2 SAMUEL 6. DAVID BRINGS THE ARK TO JERUSALEM. MICHAL'S SCORN. HER PUNISHMENT (J). (_Cf._ p. 286.) Nothing has been heard of the Ark since 1 Samuel 7:2, before the accession of Saul. The introduction of the Ark in I S 2 Samuel 14:18, is due to corruption of the text. This silence is sometimes accounted for by supposing that the Ark was under the control of the Philistines and inaccessible to the Israelites (_cf._ Cent.B, and EBi, Ark). David's action gave added importance to the new capital; and the building of Solomon's Temple probably provided Jerusalem with the chief sanctuary in Israel. 2 SAMUEL 6:1. David and the people go to Baal, or Baalah, Judah (not Baale), to fetch the Ark. This place is

THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ App-4. INSTRUMENTS MADE OF FIR WOOD. The Septuagint reads "with all boldness and with songs". See 2 Samuel 6:14 and 1 Chronicles 13:8. According to Hebrew text "fir woods", put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Material) for instruments made from it. App-6. TIMBRELS. drums. See note on Exodus 15:20. CYMBALS. timbrels, or tambourines. Hebrew. _zilzilim._ See note on 1 Chronicles 13:8....

Removal of the Ark from Kirjath-jearim. Uzzah smitten for his irreverence 1. _Again, David gathered together_ AND DAVID GATHERED TOGETHER AGAIN. "Again" refers either to the assembly convened for David's coronation (ch. 2 Samuel 5:1-3), or to the muster for the Philistine war recorded in the verses immediately preceding (ch. 2 Samuel 5:17-25). A more elaborate account of David's preparations for this ceremony is given in 1 Chronicles 13:1-5. We are there told how David consulted with the representatives of the people, and gathered a general assembly of the whole nation. This important step towards the re-establishment of religious worship must be a _national_act. T