1 Chronicles 15

Chapter context

What is happening in 1 Chronicles 15?

memoryworshipgenealogyDavid

1 Chronicles 15 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as David’s reign and the ark. First Chronicles surveys Israel through genealogies and then retells David’s reign with special attention to worship, Levites, and preparations for the temple. Read this chapter with the wider themes of memory, worship, and genealogy in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent. ² Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever. ³ And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD unto his place, which he had prepared for it. ⁴ And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites: ⁵ Of the sons of Kohath; Uriel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twenty: ⁶ Of the sons of Merari; Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty: ⁷ Of the sons of Gershom; Joel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and thirty: ⁸ Of the sons of Elizaphan; Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred: ⁹ Of the sons of Hebron; Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore: ¹⁰ Of the sons of Uzziel; Amminadab the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twelve. ¹¹ And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab, ¹² And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: 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. ¹³ 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 order. ¹⁴ So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. ¹⁵ And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD. ¹⁶ And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy. ¹⁷ So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; ¹⁸ And with them their brethren of the 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. ¹⁹ So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass; ²⁰ And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth; ²¹ And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel. ²² And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful. ²³ And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark. ²⁴ 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 for the ark. ²⁵ So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obededom with joy. ²⁶ And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams. ²⁷ 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 ephod of linen. ²⁸ Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps. ²⁹ And it came to pass, as the ark of the 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.

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Glossary

Ark Object v. 1-3, 12, 14-15, 23-29: Noah’s ark, a building of gopher-wood, and covered with pitch, 300 cubits long, 50 cubits broad, and 30 cubits high.
City People v. 1, 29: The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain ( Gen. 4:17 ). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12).
City of David Place v. 1, 29: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: City of David.
David Person v. 1-4, 11, 16, 25, 27, 29: Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25 .
Jerusalem Place v. 3, 14, 25: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Kohath Person v. 5: Assembly, the second son of Levi, and father of Amram ( Gen. 46:11 ). He came down to Egypt with Jacob, and lived to the age of one hundred and thirty-three years ( Ex. 6:18 ).
Uriel Person v. 5, 11: God is my light. (1. ) A Levite of the family of Kohath ( 1 Chr. 6:24 ). (2. ) The chief of the Kohathites at the time when the ark was brought up to Jerusalem ( 1 Chr. 15:5 , 11).
Merari Person v. 6, 17: Sad; bitter, the youngest son of Levi, born before the descent of Jacob into Egypt, and one of the seventy who accompanied him thither ( Gen. 46:11 ; Ex. 6:16 ).
Gershom Person v. 7: Expulsion. (1. ) The eldest son of Levi ( 1 Chr. 6:16 , 17, 20, 43, 62, 71; 15:7)=GERSHON (q. v. ). (2. ) The elder of the two sons of Moses born to him in Midian ( Ex. 2:22 ; 18:3 ).
Joel Person v. 7, 11, 17: Jehovah is his God. (1. ) The oldest of Samuel’s two sons appointed by him as judges in Beersheba ( 1 Sam. 8:2 ). (See VASHNI. ) (2. ) A descendant of Reuben ( 1 Chr. 5:4 , 8). (3. ) One of David’s famous warriors.
Shemaiah Person v. 8, 11: Whom Jehovah heard. (1. ) A prophet in the reign of Rehoboam ( 1 Kings 12:22-24 ). (2. ) Neh. 3:29 . (3. ) A Simeonite ( 1 Chr. 4:37 ). (4. ) A priest ( Neh. 12:42 ). (5. ) A Levite ( 1 Chr. 9:16 ). (6. ) 1 Chr. 9:14 ; Neh. 11:15 .
Eliel Person v. 9, 11: To whom God is might. (1. ) A chief of Manasseh, on the east of Jordan ( 1 Chr. 5:24 ). (2. ) A Gadite who joined David in the hold at Ziklag ( 1 Chr. 12:11 ).
Amminadab Tribe v. 10-11: Kindred of the prince. (1. ) The father of Nahshon, who was chief of the tribe of Judah ( Num. 1:7 ; 2:3 ; 7:12 , 17; 10:14). His daughter Elisheba was married to Aaron ( Ex. 6:23 ).
Abiathar Person v. 11: Father of abundance, or my father excels, the son of Ahimelech the high priest. He was the tenth high priest, and the fourth in descent from Eli.
Zadok Person v. 11: Righteous. (1. ) A son of Ahitub, of the line of Eleazer ( 2 Sam. 8:17 ; 1 Chr. 24:3 ), high priest in the time of David ( 2 Sam. 20:25 ) and Solomon ( 1 Kings 4:4 ).
Asaph Person v. 17, 19: Convener, or collector. (1. ) A Levite; one of the leaders of David’s choir ( 1 Chr. 6:39 ). Psalms 50 and 73-83 inclusive are attributed to him. He is mentioned along with David as skilled in music, and a “seer”.
Ethan Tribe v. 17, 19: Firm. (1. ) “The Ezrahite,” distinguished for his wisdom ( 1 Kings 4:31 ). He is named as the author of the 89th Psalm. He was of the tribe of Levi.
Heman Person v. 17, 19: Faithful. (1. ) 1 Kings 4:31 ; 1 Chr. 2:6 , a son of Zerah, noted for his wisdom. (2. ) Grandson of Samuel ( 1 Chr. 6:33 ; 15:17 ), to whom the 88th Psalm probably was inscribed. He was one of the “seers” named in 2 Chr.
Benaiah Person v. 18, 20, 24: Built up by Jehovah. (1. ) The son of Jehoiada, chief priest ( 1 Chr. 27:5 ). He was set by David over his body-guard of Cherethites and Pelethites ( 2 Sam. 8:18 ; 1 Kings 1:32 ; 1 Chr. 18:17 ).
Eliab Tribe v. 18, 20: To whom God is father. (1. ) A Reubenite, son of Pallu ( Num. 16:1 , 12; 26:8, 9; Deut. 11:6 ). (2. ) A son of Helon, and chief of the tribe of Zebulun at the time of the census in the wilderness ( Num. 1:9 ; 2:7 ).
Shemiramoth Person v. 18, 20: Most high name. (1. ) A Levite in the reign of Jehoshaphat ( 2 Chr. 17:8 ). (2. ) A Levite in David’s time ( 1 Chr. 15:18 , 20).
Unni Person v. 18, 20: Afficted. (1. ) A Levite whom David appointed to take part in bringing the ark up to Jerusalem from the house of Obed-edom by playing the psaltery on that occasion ( 1 Chr. 15:18 , 20).
Zechariah Person v. 18, 20, 24: Jehovah is renowned or remembered. (1. ) A prophet of Judah, the eleventh of the twelve minor prophets. Like Ezekiel, he was of priestly extraction. He describes himself (1:1) as.
Azaziah Person v. 21: Whom Jehovah strengthened. (1. ) One of the Levitical harpers in the temple ( 1 Chr. 15:21 ). (2. ) The father of Hoshea, who was made ruler over the Ephraimites ( 1 Chr. 27:20 ).
Elkanah Person v. 23: God-created. (1. ) The second son of Korah ( Ex. 6:24 ), or, according to 1 Chr. 6:22 , 23, more correctly his grandson.
Amasai Person v. 24: Burdensome. (1. ) A Levite, son of Elkanah, of the ancestry of Samuel ( 1 Chr. 6:25 , 35). (2. ) The leader of a body of men who joined David in the “stronghold,” probably of Adullam ( 1 Chr. 12:18 ).
Jehoshaphat Person v. 24: Jehovah-judged. (1. ) One of David’s body-guard ( 1 Chr. 11:43 ). (2. ) One of the priests who accompanied the removal of the ark to Jerusalem ( 1 Chr. 15:24 ).
Nethaneel Person v. 24: Given of God. (1. ) The son of Zuar, chief of the tribe of Issachar at the Exodus ( Num. 1:8 ; 2:5 ). (2. ) One of David’s brothers ( 1 Chr. 2:14 ).
Shebaniah Person v. 24: Whom Jehovah hides, or has made grow up. (1. ) A Levite appointed to blow the trumpet before the ark of God ( 1 Chr. 15:24 ). (2. ) Another Levite ( Neh. 9:4 , 5). (3. ) A priest ( Neh. 10:12 ). (4. ) A Levite ( Neh. 10:4 ).
Saul Person v. 29: Asked for. (1. ) A king of Edom ( Gen. 36:37 , 38); called Shaul in 1 Chr. 1:48 .