Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Chronicles 16
Albert Barnes Commentary
1 Chronicles 16
Albert Barnes Commentary
1 Chronicles 16
"And they brought in the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before God." — 1 Chronicles 16:1 (ASV)
The first three verses are part of the narrative that began in 1 Chronicles 15:25. Compare this with 2 Samuel 6:17–19, where the passage is not torn from its proper context.
"And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of Jehovah, and to celebrate and to thank and praise Jehovah, the God of Israel: Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with psalteries and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud; and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually, before the ark of the covenant of God. Then on that day did David first ordain to give thanks unto Jehovah, by the hand of Asaph and his brethren. O give thanks unto Jehovah, call upon his name; Make known his doings among the peoples. Sing unto him, sing praises unto him; Talk ye of all his marvellous works. Glory ye in his holy name; Let the heart of them rejoice that seek Jehovah. Seek ye Jehovah and his strength; Seek his face evermore. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth, O ye seed of Israel his servant, Ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones. He is Jehovah our God; His judgments are in all the earth. Remember his covenant for ever, The word which he commanded to a thousand generations, [The covenant] which he made with Abraham, And his oath unto Isaac, And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a statute, To Israel for an everlasting covenant, Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, The lot of your inheritance; When ye were but a few men in number, Yea, very few, and sojourners in it; And they went about from nation to nation, And from one kingdom to another people. He suffered no man to do them wrong; Yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, [Saying], Touch not mine anointed ones, And do my prophets no harm. Sing unto Jehovah, all the earth; Show forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, His marvellous works among all the peoples. For great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised: He also is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols: But Jehovah made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before him: Strength and gladness are in his place. Ascribe unto Jehovah, ye kindreds of the peoples, Ascribe unto Jehovah glory and strength; Ascribe unto Jehovah the glory due unto his name: Bring an offering, and come before him: Worship Jehovah in holy array. Tremble before him, all the earth: The world also is established that it cannot be moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; And let them say among the nations, Jehovah reigneth. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; Let the field exult, and all that is therein; Then shall the trees of the wood sing for joy before Jehovah; For he cometh to judge the earth. O give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his lovingkindness [endureth] for ever. And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, And gather us together and deliver us from the nations, To give thanks unto thy holy name, And to triumph in thy praise. Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. And all the people said, Amen, and praised Jehovah. So he left there, before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day`s work required; and Obed-edom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obed-edom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be doorkeepers; and Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of Jehovah in the high place that was at Gibeon, to offer burnt-offerings unto Jehovah upon the altar of burnt-offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in the law of Jehovah, which he commanded unto Israel; and with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were mentioned by name, to give thanks to Jehovah, because his lovingkindness [endureth] for ever; and with them Heman and Jeduthun [with] trumpets and cymbals for those that should sound aloud, and [with] instruments for the songs of God; and the sons of Jeduthun to be at the gate." — 1 Chronicles 16:4-42 (ASV)
The writer of Chronicles inserted this passage between two sentences of the parallel passage in Samuel. It contains a detailed account of the worship service that David established at this time, a service from which the more elaborate temple service later developed. The language of much of the passage is remarkably archaic, and there can be no reasonable doubt that it is largely an extract from a record dating to the time of David.
The appearance of the name “Jeiel” twice in this list is considered suspicious. Therefore, the first “Jeiel” is thought to be a corrupt reading of “Aziel” (1 Chronicles 15:20) or “Jaaziel” (1 Chronicles 15:18).
The psalm presented here by the Chronicler, sung liturgically by Asaph and his brothers on the day of the ark’s entrance into Jerusalem, corresponds closely with the passages in the present Book of Psalms noted in the marginal references. It is, apparently, a thanksgiving service composed for the occasion from previously existing psalms.
This is the first mention of Gibeon as the place where the tabernacle of the congregation then rested. Previously, it had been at Nob (1 Samuel 21:1–6), from which it was likely removed at the time of the slaughter of the priests by Doeg (1 Samuel 22:18–19). It is uncertain whether Gibeon was regarded as a “high place” before the tabernacle was transferred there, but from that time on, until the completion of Solomon’s Temple, it was the “great high place” (1 Kings 3:4)—a second center of national worship, which for over 50 years was divided between Gibeon and Jerusalem.
Upon the altar of the burnt offering – The original altar of burnt-offering (Exodus 27:1–8) remained at Gibeon with the tabernacle (2 Chronicles 1:3, 5). David must have erected a new altar for sacrifice at Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16:1). It seems the sacrifices commanded by the Law were offered at the former place, while voluntary additional sacrifices were offered at the latter.
The rest ... – This should be read as, “the rest of the chosen ones, who were mentioned by name.” The “chosen ones” were “mentioned by name” in 1 Chronicles 15:17–24. A portion of them, namely, those named in 1 Chronicles 16:5–6, conducted the service in Jerusalem; the remainder served in the worship at Gibeon.
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