1 Chronicles
Chapter 16
The Ark in the Tent
They brought the Ark of God in and put it inside the tent that David had prepared for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to God.
And when David had finished offering the sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.
He then distributed to all the Israelites, men and women, a loaf of bread each, a piece of roasted meat, and a raisin cake.
David appointed some of the Levites to minister before the Ark of the Lord, to commemorate, thank, and praise the Lord, the God of Israel:
first Asaph, second Zechariah, then Uzziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel. These were to play the harp and the lyre, while Asaph was to clash the cymbals.
The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to keep sounding the trumpet before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord.
That day, David entrusted this song of praise to Asaph and his brethren:
Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, proclaim his deeds to the people.
Sing to him, sing his praise; tell of all his marvels.
Glory in his holy name, let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his face untiringly.
Recall the wondrous deeds he has done, his miracles, the judgments from his mouth.
Descendants of Israel, his servant, sons of Jacob, his chosen one,
he is the Lord our God; he rules over all the earth.
He remembers his Covenant forever,his promises for many generations,
The Covenant he made with Abraham, his promise to Isaac,
He gave the law to Jacob an everlasting Covenant for Israel.
For he said:“I give you a land, Canaan, your possession,”
when they were easily counted, few in number, strangers to the country.
They wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.
But he let no one oppress them and punished kings for their sake:
“Do not touch my anointed ones, do not harm my prophets.”
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.Proclaim his salvation day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations and his wonders to every people.
The Lord is great and highly to be praised, more fearsome than all gods.
Nothingness are all the gods of the nations; the Lord himself made the heavens;
splendor and majesty go before him; praise and joy are in his Sanctuary.
Give to the Lord, families of the people, give to the Lord glory and praise.
Give to the Lord the glory due his name. Bring offerings, bow before him, and worship the Lord in his sacred ornaments.
Be quiet before him, all the earth! Firm has he made the world, not to be moved.
Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Say among the nations: “The Lord is King!”
Let the sea thunder and all that it holds;let the fields exult and all that is in them,
let all the trees cry out for joy and rejoice before the Lord, for he comes to rule the earth.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Say: “Save us, O God, our Savior, gather us and deliver us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in praising you.”
Blessed be the Lord,the God of Israel, from all eternity and forever! And let all the people say: “Amen! Alleluia!”
David left there before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. Asaph and his brother Levites were in permanent charge of the worship before the Ark, as each day’s ritual required.
He also left Obed-edom with his sixty-eight relatives. Obed-edom, son of Jeduthun, and Hosah were to be keepers of the gate.
He left Zadok the priest and the priests, his relatives, before the Holy Tent of the Lord at the high place in Gibeon
to offer burnt offerings to the Lord regularly, morning and evening, on the altar for burnt offerings and to carry out all that is written in the law of the Lord laid down for Israel.
With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and assigned by name to praise God, for his love is everlasting.
With them were Heman and Jeduthun, who were to sound the trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments accompanying the hymns to God. The sons of Jeduthun were assigned to guard the gate.
Then all went away, each to his own house, and David returned to bless his household.
Commentaries
Transfer of the Ark to Jerusalem.
Based on 2 Samuel 6:1-23, the Chronicler greatly expands the story of bringing the Ark to Jerusalem. The account highlights two key moments: the first attempt at transfer (13) and the final transfer of the Ark to Jerusalem (15-16). These events are separated by the story of the war against the Philistines (14). It concludes with Nathan’s prophecy (17). The focus shifts to the religious significance: the Ark, as a symbol of God’s presence; the worship in the city; and the Temple that Nathan foresees.
Final Transfer – The Ark in the Tent.
Based on the information in 2 Samuel 6:12-16, the Chronicler reconstructs an entire choral liturgy, carefully organizing names and ceremonies. The focus is on the role of the Levites, who are responsible for transporting the Ark of the Covenant. The importance of singing and music is emphasized, along with an atmosphere of joy and celebration. In 16:8-36, the Chronicler crafts a psalm of praise that emphasizes the central role of the Levites in praising God, effectively supplanting the sacrificial worship typically reserved for the priests. In reality, it is a poem composed of Psalms 105:1-15 (16:8-22), Psalm 96:1-13 (16:23-33), and Psalm 106:1.47-48 (16:34-36), which praise the Lord for His saving work. After the inauguration of worship in Jerusalem, worship in Gibeah is mentioned (16:39-42), linking to the Tent in the desert (Ex 29:38-42; Nm 28:3-8). This connection later justifies Solomon’s presence in this place (2 Chr 1:1-13).