Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Chronicles 13:2

"And David said unto all the assembly of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and if it be of Jehovah our God, let us send abroad every where unto our brethren that are left in all the land of Israel, with whom the priests and Levites are in their cities that have suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us;" — 1 Chronicles 13:2 (ASV)

All the congregation of Israel. —As represented by the Council of Chiefs, who, according to the passage in Samuel, were 30,000 in number.

And that it be. —Rather, and if it be. The clause is not dependent. David says: “If before you (the thing is) good, and if (the motion comes) from Jehovah.” The former phrase recurs in Nehemiah 2:5, 7, and is late Hebrew; the latter is illustrated by Genesis 24:50.

Let us send abroad. —Literally, break we forth, send we, i.e., let us send with all dispatch.

Everywhere. —Not in the Hebrew.

Land. —Hebrew, lands or territories, i.e., of the various tribes. Compare to Genesis 26:3-4, where the same plural implies the partition of Canaan into many smaller national domains.

In their cities and Suburbs. — In the cities of their pastures. The Levites appear to have occupied themselves with pastoral pursuits when not engaged in the services of religion (compare to 1 Chronicles 6:57 and following).

That they may gather themselves to us. —The result would be a great addition to an already large gathering. However, it does not follow that every one to whom the summons came would be willing or able to obey it. The invitation was, in fact, a kind of formal proclamation to the entire people of a solemn act of national importance.