Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Chronicles 15

And David made him houses. —Or, and he made (i.e., finished) a palace (plural, intensive) for himself, referring back to 1 Chronicles 14:1. Others think of fresh buildings required for his additional wives, which is less likely. David had the example of Egyptian and Babylonian monarchs for his palace-building.

City of David. —Castle of Zion (1 Chronicles 11:5; 1 Chronicles 11:7).

And prepared a place for the ark. —Compare to 2 Samuel 6:17.

A place. —Probably within the palace precincts.

Pitched (or spread) for it a tent (or tabernacle).—The old one was at Gibeon, and Zadok ministered as high priest there (1 Chronicles 16:39). Abiathar, of the house of Ithamar, who had until then followed the fortunes of David, probably ministered before the Ark in the new tent.

Then. —This word is here a real note of time. It seems to denote the end of the three months’ interval mentioned in 1 Chronicles 13:14.

None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites. —See Numbers 4:5-15, where the Kohathite Levites are appointed to carry the Ark and other sacred objects; and the more definite Deuteronomy 10:8: At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day. David’s enunciation of the law is a tacit acknowledgment that on the former occasion (1 Chronicles 13:7–10) it had not been observed. That the Ark was now duly carried by bearers is expressly stated in the older account (2 Samuel 6:13), though their being Levites is not noticed.

And David gathered all Israel. —Compare 2 Samuel 6:15: So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark. Samuel does not mention Jerusalem as the meeting-place. Of course, only a full representation of the people is signified. (Compare 1 Chronicles 13:2; 1 Chronicles 13:5.)

To his place. —The Ark’s. The neutral its is unknown to the Authorised Version.

And David assembled. — He confers separately with the priestly order respecting their part in the procession.

The children of Aaron. — The sons of Aaron, that is, the high priests, Zadok and Abiathar (1 Chronicles 15:11).

The Levites — that is, the six chieftains—Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, heads of the clans of Kohath, Merari, and Gershom respectively; and Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, additional Kohathite chiefs. All six were at the head of their clansmen (brethren, 1 Chronicles 15:5–10).

There were four Kohathite houses to one of Merari and Gershom because the sub-tribe of Kohath was the elder house and had special charge of the Ark and other most holy vessels of the sanctuary (Numbers 4:4).

Of the sons of Kohath. —Kohath comes first, as the senior clan, to which the priestly house of Aaron itself belonged.