Bible Commentaries

4. To record, and to thank and praise — The verb rendered to record is the same as that in the titles of Psalms 38, 70, where it is rendered to bring to remembrance. The contents of those psalms are a memorial to God of the penitence, sufferings, and dangers of a tempted soul. So, along with thanksgiving and praise, the Levites were also to memorialize Jehovah of Israel’s needs and sorrows by the use of such penitential psalms.

7. On that day David delivered first this psalm — This statement seems clearly to settle the question of the origin of the psalm that follows. A number of critics, in spite of this statement of the chronicler, maintain that the psalm was compiled from extracts of psalms already existing and familiar to the Israelites. 1 Chronicles 16:8-22 are found again in Psalms 105:1-15; 1 Chronicles 16:23-33 are nearly the same as Psalm cxvi; and 1 Chronicles 16:34-36 agree with Psalms 106:1; Psalms 106:47-48. A number of expressions in this book are more archaic than are the corresponding ones in the psalms named; and while some differences may seem to bespeak a greater antiquity for the psalms, they are more than counterbalanced by the above positive assertion of the chronicler. We therefore, with Keil, regard this psalm, as it stands in this book, as the original poem, from which the parts of the several psalms above mentioned were subsequently derived. Our common English version is so faithful to the Hebrew text as to call for no revision in these notes, and textual comment will be found at the corresponding passages in the notes on the psalms.

39. Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle… at Gibeon — The tabernacle had probably been removed to the high place at Gibeon soon after the slaughter of the priests at Nob, 1 Samuel 22:19; and Zadok had, perhaps, been appointed high priest during the latter years of Saul’s reign. So David did not interfere with the worship at Gibeon, but left (1 Chronicles 16:37) Zadok there to minister as high priest, and to carry on the regular tabernacle service and the offering of burnt offerings. At the same time, however, he provided for a regular service before the ark in the new tabernacle on Zion, and thus furnished a charge for Abiathar, his old friend, and faithful companion in the days of his exile. 1 Samuel 22:20-23. Thus matters continued until the time of Solomon, who deposed Abiathar, (1 Kings 2:26,) and after the building of the temple transferred all the sanctuary service thither. 1 Kings 8:4. Comp. note on 2 Samuel 6:17.

41. Jeduthun — The same as Ethan of 1 Chronicles 6:44; 1 Chronicles 15:17; 1 Chronicles 15:19. Comp. 1 Chronicles 25:1; 1 Chronicles 25:6; 2 Chronicles 5:12; 2 Chronicles 29:14; 2 Chronicles 35:15.