Bible Commentaries

And [David] made him houses in the ^a city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

(a) That was in Zion (2 Samuel 5:7,9).

And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ^b ark of the LORD unto his place, which he had prepared for it.

(b) From the house of Obed Edom, (2 Samuel 6:10) , (2 Samuel 6:12).

Of the sons of ^c Elizaphan; Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred:

(c) Who was the son of Uzziel, the fourth son of Kohath, (Exodus 6:18) , (Exodus 6:22) ; (Numbers 3:30).

Of the sons of ^d Hebron; Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore:

(d) The third son of Kohath, (Exodus 6:18).

And said unto them, Ye [are] the chief of the fathers of the Levites: ^e sanctify yourselves, [both] ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto [the place that] I have prepared for it.

(e) Prepare yourselves and be pure, abstain from all things by which you might be polluted, and so not able to come to the tabernacle.

For because ye [did it] not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due ^f order.

(f) According as he has appointed in the law.

And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren [to be] the singers with ^g instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.

(g) These instruments and other ceremonies which they observed, were instructions of their infancy, which continued to the coming of Christ.

And with them their brethren of the ^h second [degree], Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters.

(h) Which were inferior in dignity.

And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on ⁱ Alamoth;

(i) This was an instrument of music or a certain tune, to which they sang psalms.

And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the ^k Sheminith to excel.

(k) Which was the eighth tune, over which he that was most excellent had charge.

And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, ^l [was] for song: he instructed about the song, because he [was] skilful.

(l) That is, to appoint Psalms and songs to them that sang.

And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehiah [were] doorkeepers ^m for the ark.

(m) With Berechiah and Elkanah, (1 Chronicles 15:23).

And it came to pass, when God ⁿ helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered ^o seven bullocks and seven rams.

(n) That is, gave them strength to execute their office.

(o) Besides the bullock and the fat beast which David offered at every sixth pace, (2 Samuel 6:13).

And David [was] clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also [had] upon him an ^p ephod of linen.

(p) Read (2 Samuel 6:14).

And it came to pass, [as] the ark of the ^q covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart.

(q) It was so called because it reminded the Israelites of the Lord's covenant made with them.