Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Chronicles 16:37-42

"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 16:37-42 (ASV)

Resumption and conclusion of the narrative suspended at 1 Chronicles 16:7.

So (and) he left there. —If the above ode were inserted 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—that is, to perform the services appointed for each day. (Compare to Exodus 5:13.)

And Obed-edom with (and) their brethren. —The pronoun their shows that a word or words have fallen out. It is simplest to supply “Hosah,” and render: And (he left there) Obed-edom and Hosah and their brethren, sixty-eight persons. The construction, however, is altered from that of 1 Chronicles 16:37: “Asaph and his brethren.” (Compare to 1 Chronicles 16:39.)

Obed-edom also the son of Jeduthun. —This repetition is tautologous, but hardly obscure. 1 Chronicles 26:8 assigns sixty-two members to the house of Obed-edom.

Jeduthun. —Not the Merarite minstrel (1 Chronicles 6:44, Ethan). Obed-edom was a Korahite, that is, a Kohathite (1 Chronicles 26:1–4).

The narrative now passes from the tent on Zion to the Mosaic tabernacle at Gibeon. The establishment of the Ark in its new abode was the inauguration of a new national sanctuary. But the old one at Gibeon was not therefore abandoned. On the contrary, David either instituted or formally recognized the priesthood of Zadok there.

And Zadok. —The name is preceded in the Hebrew by the sign of the accusative case, and therefore depends on the verb he left (1 Chronicles 16:37).

The priest. —Par excellence—that is, the High Priest (1 Samuel 1:9; 1 Samuel 2:11; 2 Kings 11:9; 2 Kings 11:15).

In the high place. —See 1 Kings 3:3–4.

Continually morning and evening. —The Tamid, or regular burnt offering of a lamb at dawn and sunset, with its food offering and drink offering, as prescribed in Exodus 29:38 and following, and Numbers 28:3 and following.

And to do. —Literally, and for everything that is written, namely, all the other prescribed sacrifices and duties of the priests. Nothing is said here of similar duties of the priests before the Ark on Zion.

But it ought not to be argued from this omission that in the chronicler’s opinion only choral services took place there. If, as we have supposed, Abiathar was attached to David’s sacred tent, sacrifice must have been offered there as well as at Gibeon (Compare to 1 Chronicles 18:16). The present account says nothing of this, because the writer is mainly interested in the service of song (See 1 Kings 8:1–4).

The narrative returns to its principal topic—the Levitical minstrels.

And with them (Zadok and his brethren) Heman and Jeduthun. —These two masters of song ministered in the tabernacle at Gibeon, as their colleague Asaph did in the tent on Zion.

Who were expressed (enrolled) by name. —1 Chronicles 12:31. Their names are not given here, but they may be partially included in the list of 1 Chronicles 15:19–24. Asaph’s corps has been individually specified at 1 Chronicles 16:5, perhaps as the more important body.

To give thanks to the Lord. —In describing the chief function of the choirs stationed at Gibeon, the chronicler repeats the liturgical formula of 1 Chronicles 16:34, probably with an allusion to odes like Psalms 136, in which these words constitute a continual refrain.

And with them Heman and Jeduthun. —The last verse began with the same words, a fact which renders them suspicious here. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic omit the proper names.

With trumpets ... with musical instruments. —The prepositions are missing in the Hebrew text, which might be rendered thus: “And with them [namely, Heman and Jeduthun] were clarions and cymbals for persons playing aloud [compare to 1 Chronicles 16:5], and instruments of sacred music.”

From 1 Chronicles 15:9, compared with 1 Chronicles 16:5, it appears that the three conductors (Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun) played cymbals only, to accent the time. From 1 Chronicles 15:24 and 1 Chronicles 16:6, we also know that the clarions were blown by priests.

Omitting as spurious the names of the two leaders, who are not likely to have had the custody of the various instruments of their choirs, the meaning of the verse is simply that the Levitical minstrels were provided with proper instruments to accompany their singing.

Musical instruments of God. —Literally, instruments of song of God—that is, of sacred music. Harps and lutes are meant.

Sons of Jeduthun. —See 1 Chronicles 16:38. Obed-edom, son of Jeduthun, was a warder before the Ark. Thus the warders of both sanctuaries belonged to the same clan.