Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Chronicles 13:6

"And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, [that is], to Kiriath-jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God Jehovah that sitteth [above] the cherubim, that is called by the Name." — 1 Chronicles 13:6 (ASV)

From this point, our narrative coincides with that of 2 Samuel 6:2–11. The original text was clearly the same, whether the chronicler drew directly from the Book of Samuel or from another source. The differences that appear consist of abridgments, paraphrases, and corrections.

All Israel. Samuel has, All the people that were with him.

To Baalah.Joshua 15:60 states, Kirjath-baal, which is Kirjath-jearim. 'Baal's town' was undoubtedly the original name. 'Town of woods' describes the position of the place. Our text appears more correct than that of Samuel, which has, And David rose and went, and all the people that were with him, from BaalêJudah. The Targum, Septuagint, and Syriac translate what the Authorized Version renders as a proper name: The people that were with him of the cities lords men of Judah. If this is correct, perhaps 'Baalah' has fallen out of the text of Samuel due to its resemblance to the word baalê, meaning 'lords'. Kirjath-jearim is the modern ‘Erma, four miles east of Ain Shems (Bethshemesh) (Palestine Exploration Fund Quarterly Statement, October, 1881).

The LORD, who dwells between the cherubim. This should rather be translated, Jehovah, who sits upon the cherubim (Psalms 80:2; Isaiah 37:16).

Whose name is called on it. The Hebrew is, who (or which) is called Name. The Israelites in later times avoided any mention of the Divine name of Jehovah and substituted hashshçm, 'the Name' (Compare Leviticus 24:16 and the Third Commandment). A comparison with 2 Samuel 6:2, however, suggests that a word meaning 'upon it' (‘âlâw) has fallen out. In that case, the literal rendering will be, upon which (i.e., the Ark) the Name (of Jehovah) is called = which is called by the name (of Jehovah). The Ark was often called the Ark of Jehovah (1 Chronicles 15:3). The Hebrew text and Targum of Samuel favor this. Some manuscripts of Chronicles read 'there' (shâm) instead of 'name' (shçm). This gives the meaning, who is invoked there (at the Ark). Compare the Septuagint: οὗ ἐπεκλήθη ὄνομα αὐτοῦ.