Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Chronicles · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
Verſ. 1. ANd prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.] To wit, before he fetched the ark from Kiriath-jearim, or Baalah, chap. 13.6. for then his purpoſe was (verſ. 12.) to have brought it home to his own houſe, where he had prepared a tent for it, ſee 2. Sam. 6.17.
Verſ. 2. Then David ſaid, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites, &c.] See 2. Sam. 6.12.
Verſ. 5. Of the ſonnes of Kohath: Ʋriel the chief, &c.] Thoſe mentioned afterwards, verſ. 8, 9, 10. were alſo the poſterity of Kohath; but theſe Kohathites of whom Uriel was the chief were of other families then thoſe there mentioned, perhaps of the family of Amram and Izehar, Numb. 3.27.
Verſ. 8. Of the ſonnes of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred.] This Elizaphan is thought to be the ſame that is called Elzaphan the ſonne of Uzziel, Lev. 10.4. the reſt of the ſonnes of Uzziel are mentioned verſ. 10. but the Levites of Elzaphans poſterity are here particularly mentioned, happely becauſe they were ſo many of them.
Verſ. 11. And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the prieſts, &c.] Some conceive that Abiathar here mentioned was the high prieſt, and Zadok his great deputy, the ſame that is called the ſecond prieſt, 2. Kings 25.18. and indeed certain it is that Abiathar was at this time the high prieſt, and ſo continued till Solomons reigne, 1. Kings 2.27. But I rather conceive that theſe two were the two heads (under the high prieſt) of the two families of Eleazar and Ithamar, even the ſame that are elſewhere called Zadok and Ahimelech, 2 Sam. 8.27.
Verſ. 17. Ethan the ſonne of Kuſhaiah.] Or Kiſhi. chap. 6.44.
Verſ. 18. And with them their brethren of the ſecond degree, Zachariah, &c.] Theſe Levites here mentioned are ſaid to be of the ſecond degree, either onelyonly becauſe they were inferiour in dignity to thoſe three before mentioned, verſ. 17. that were the chief of the quire; or happely becauſe thoſe three of the firſt degree went before the ark, and theſe followed after it; or thoſe three of the firſt degree began the muſick, and then theſe of the ſecond degree anſwered them. Ben the ſecond of thoſe here mentioned ſeems to be left out, verſ. 20, 21. where the reſt are named again. But I conceive rather, that he it is, that is there alſo called Azariah, verſ. 21. And whereas it is added in the cloſe of this verſe, that all theſe that were thus now appointed to play on ſeverall inſtruments, at leaſt the two laſt of them, were ſuch of the Levites, as were alſo the porters; hereby I conceive is meant, not onelyonly that their office was to keep the doores at other times; to wit, either in the Tabernacle of Moſes that was at Gibeon, chap. 16.39. or in the tent which David had prepared at his houſe, to which they were now carrying the ark; but alſo that at preſent they had the charge of keeping off thoſe that might otherwiſe have preſſed in upon the ark.
Verſ. 19. So the ſingers, Heman, Aſaph, and Ethan, were appointed to ſound with cymbals of braſſe.] Here is expreſſed what inſtruments they were ſeverally to play upon.
Verſ. 20. And Zachariah, and Aziel—with pſalteries on Alamoth.] By Alamoth is meant either ſome muſicall inſtrument, or tune ſo called; or elſe, as moſt Expoſitours hold, that part in muſick which we call the treble, we find it in the title of the fourty ſixth Pſalme, To the chief muſician for the ſonnes of Korah. A ſong upon Alamoth. The word in the originall ſignifieth young maidens, or virgins, and ſo Expoſitours do therefore the rather think it is meant of the treble, becauſe their voice is ſhrill, and fitteſt for that part in muſick.
Verſ. 21. And Mattithiah, and Eliphaleh—with harps, on the Sheminith to excell.] Hereby is meant a ſeverall tune alſo, or inſtrument of eight ſtrings: for the originall word ſignifieth the eight, it is mentioned in the title of the ſixth Pſalme, To the chief muſician on Neginoth, upon Sheminith, a Pſalm of David; but moſt hold that it was the baſe which being the moſt gracefull part of muſick, is therefore ſaid to excell.
Verſ. 23. And Berechiah, and Elkanah were doore-keepers for the ark.] That is, they were appointed to keep the doore of the tent where the ark was afterwards kept, and accordingly were imployed now in obſerving that no body ſhould preſſe in upon the ark; the like is again ſaid verſ. 24. of Obed-Edom, and Jehiah; and happely two went before the ark, and two came after it.
Verſ. 26. And it came to paſſe when God helped the Levites that bare the ark, &c.] That is, ſo ſoon as they perceived that God was with them in the buſineſſe, and did not ſtrike them with death as Uzza was, by way of thankfulneſſe they offered up ſacrifices, and this was ſo ſoon as they had gone ſix paces, 2. Sam. 6.13. yet others very probably underſtand this place thus, that when the Levites that had carried the ark, did by the Lords appointment ſet it down, that ſo others might take it up, and they might be eaſed, at every ſuch reſting place, they offered ſeven bullocks and ſeven rammes.
Verſ. 27. David alſo had upon him an ephod of linnen,] See 2. Sam. 6.14.