XVI. (1) SO THEY BROUGHT THE ARK OF GOD. — 1 Chronicles 16:1 are wrongly separated from the concluding verses of 1 Chronicles 15. The narrative is still parallel to 2 Sam. (2 Samuel 17-19 a). The differences are unimportant. GOD. — Samuel, _Jehovah._ AND SET IT. — Samuel adds, “in its place.” AN... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BURNT OFFERINGS. — Heb., _the burnt offering,_ as if one great holocaust were meant. This verse is identical with 2 Samuel 6:18, only omitting _Sabaoth_ at the end, a Divine title which was perhaps obsolete in the chronicler’s day. HE BLESSED THE PEOPLE IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. — Comp. Numbers... [ Continue Reading ]
TO EVERY ONE ... — Literally, _to every man of Israel from man unto woman._ Samuel has, “to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, from man,” &c. A LOAF (_kikkar_). — _A round cake_ (1 Samuel 2:36). The parallel in Samuel has a less common word (_hallath_)_,_ meaning a sacrificial cake pun... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE APPOINTED CERTAIN OF THE LEVITES. — Literally, _put, placed_ (Genesis 3:12). TO MINISTER. — Literally, _ministering_ — _i.e., as ministers._ The object of the appointment is defined by the words which follow: “both to remind, and to thank, and to praise Jehovah, the God of Israel.” Each verb... [ Continue Reading ]
(4-42) THE INSTITUTION OF A MINISTRY FOR THE ARK. THE ODE SUNG ON THE DAY OF INSTITUTION. This entire section is peculiar to the Chronicle. 1 Chronicles 16:43 is almost identical with 2 Samuel 6:19. Compared, then, with the older text, this relation of the chronicler’s looks like a parenthesis inte... [ Continue Reading ]
The names of the persons appointed — ten Levites and two priests — all of whom but one, Jahaziel, were in the procession described in 1 Chronicles 15:19. ASAPH THE CHIEF, AND NEXT TO HIM (his second) ZECHARIAH. — See 1 Chronicles 15:18. JEIEL. — A scribe’s error for “Jaaziel” (1 Chronicles 15:18).... [ Continue Reading ]
JAHAZIEL. — Not mentioned in 1 Chronicles 15, unless he be the Eliezer of 1 Chronicles 16:24. The number of these musicians is twelve, suggesting the twelve tribes of Israel. WITH TRUMPETS. — Clarions, or straight trumpets. CONTINUALLY. — The Hebrew term is a special one, denoting _at fixed and re... [ Continue Reading ]
(7-36) An ode of thanksgiving appropriate to the occasion. (7) THEN ON THAT DAY DAVID DELIVERED FIRST THIS PSALM. — Rather, _On that day then_ (viz., after the Ark had been placed in its tent, and the minstrels appointed) _David originally committed the giving of thanks to Jehovah into the hands of... [ Continue Reading ]
GIVE THANKS. — The same Hebrew verb as in 1 Chronicles 16:4, “to thank.” Psalms 105 is a _tôdâh,_ or thanksgiving, hence its use here. CALL UPON HIS NAME. — Invoke His help, appealing to Him by His revealed name of Jehovah. (Comp. Psalms 3:1; Psalms 5:1; Psalms 7:6, and many others.) MAKE KNOWN. —... [ Continue Reading ]
(8-22) The first four strophes of Psalms 105 (1 Chronicles 16:1.)... [ Continue Reading ]
SING PSALMS. — The word implies a musical accompaniment. TALK YE. — A third term for _singing. Chant ye._ HIS WONDROUS WORKS. — _His wonders,_ or _miracles._ The word means _things separate, distinct,_ and so _out of the common_ (Exodus 3:20).... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT SEEK THE LORD. — Comp. 1 Chronicles 13:3; 1 Chronicles 15:13, where a synonymous term is used. Both occur in 1 Chronicles 16:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS STRENGTH. — Comp. Exodus 15:2; Isaiah 26:4 : “Jah, Jehovah is a rock of ages” (Heb.). HIS FACE. — His presence, especially in the sanctuary. True devotion is the secret of moral strength.... [ Continue Reading ]
The second strophe of Psalms 105 MARVELLOUS WORKS. — _Wonders,_ as in 1 Chronicles 16:9. HIS WONDERS. — _His portents;_ τέρατα of the New Testament. THE JUDGMENTS OF HIS MOUTH. — His judicial utterances, which execute themselves. (Comp. Genesis 1:3; Exodus 12:12.) OF HIS MOUTH. — Psalms 105:5 ha... [ Continue Reading ]
SEED OF ISRAEL. — Psalms 105:6 reads, “Abraham.” “Israel” improves the parallelism, and is probably a correction. Syriac and Arabic have “Abraham.” HIS SERVANT. — LXX., “his servants.” (Comp. “servant of Jehovah” as a title of Israel in Isaiah.)... [ Continue Reading ]
The grand thought of Israel that, though Jehovah is their God, He is not theirs exclusively: He governs the wide world.... [ Continue Reading ]
BE YE MINDFUL. — Psalms 105:8, third strophe, begins, “He hath remembered,” that is, “He will certainly remember” His ancient covenant; and the exile and oppression of His people can only be transitory (Comp. Psalms 111:5.) The expression is modified here, to suit different circumstances, and perhap... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN OF THE COVENANT. — These words should be cancelled. The object is still _the word_ of promise. WHICH HE MADE. — Literally, _he cut._ Same phrase as in Haggai 2:5. WITH ABRAHAM. — Genesis 22:16. UNTO ISAAC. — Heb., _Yiçhâq._ Psalms 105:9 has the weaker form, _Yishâq_ (Amos 7:9).... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HATH CONFIRMED. — In Psalms 105 the sense is future. THE SAME. — _It_ — _i.e.,_ the word (1 Chronicles 16:15). FOR A LAW=as a fixed decree.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAND OF CANAAN. — In the Hebrew the rhythm is marred here by omission of a particle (_eth_)_,_ found in Psalms 105:11. THE LOT. — Literally, _as the measuring line_ (comp. Psalms 16:5), i.e., as your measured or apportioned domain.... [ Continue Reading ]
The fourth strophe of Psalms 105 begins here. WHEN YE WERE BUT FEW. — The psalm has “when they [that is, your fathers] were but few; “and so LXX. here. FEW. — Literally, _men of number_ = easily counted. (Comp. Genesis 34:30.) STRANGERS IN IT. — _Sojourners,_ μέτοικοι (Genesis 23:4).... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY WENT FROM NATION TO NATION. — _And they went._ This shows that the third plural (“when they were”) is original in the last verse. The reference is to the wanderings of the patriarchs. AND FROM ONE KINGDOM. — The conjunction is prosaic, and is not read in Psalms 105:13.... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse was originally the apodosis to 1 Chronicles 16:19. as in Psalms 105 : “When they were but few... and went from nation to nation... he suffered no man,” &c. HE SUFFERED NO MAN. — Heb., _he permitted to no man,_ as in 2 Samuel 16:11.Psalms 105 has the mere accusative, and a different word... [ Continue Reading ]
SAYING. — Omitted in the Hebrew, as in Psalms 2:6, and perhaps at the end of 1 Chronicles 16:7, _supra._ MINE ANOINTED (ones). — Plural of _Messiah._ Abraham and Sarah were to be progenitors of _kings_ (Genesis 17:16). (Comp. Genesis 23:6.) MY PROPHETS. — Literally, _do no harm against my prophets_... [ Continue Reading ]
(23-33) See Psalms 96. This psalm, in the Psalter, consists of five strophes or stanzas of six lines each — an artistic arrangement which has been violated here. The subject is the extension of Jehovah’s kingdom over all the world, a thought familiar to the readers of the Book of Isaiah, where most... [ Continue Reading ]
O GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD... — Several of the later psalms begin with this beautiful liturgic formula. (See Psalms 106; Psalms 107, 118, 136.; and comp. Jeremiah 33:11.) The ode thus concludes with the thought from which it started (1 Chronicles 16:8).... [ Continue Reading ]
See Psalms 106:47. (35) AND SAY YE. — Not in Psalms 106:47. The compiler or interpolator has added it here in order to connect 1 Chronicles 16:34 (Psalms 106:1) with 1 Chronicles 16:35 (Psalms 106:47). It was doubtless suggested by Psalms 96:10 : “Say ye among the nations, The Lord reigneth.” O GOD... [ Continue Reading ]
(37-42) Resumption and conclusion of the narrative suspended at 1 Chronicles 16:7. (37) SO (and) HE LEFT THERE. — Were the above ode interposed by the chronicler himself, he might better have written, “And David left.” AS EVERY DAY’S WORK REQUIRED. — Literally, _for a day’s business in its own day... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse is a duplicate of 2 Samuel 6:19 a. DEPARTED. — Plural; Samuel has singular. RETURNED. — Rather, _went round_ (1 Chronicles 10:14). Samuel has “returned,” which in Hebrew is very similar. The incident which in 2 Samuel 6:20 here follows (Michal’s encounter with David) is omitted by the... [ Continue Reading ]