Chapter Sixteen

1–3. The placing of the ark of the covenant in the tent and the offering. 4–6. The appointment of Levites to serve at the Zion tent. 7–36. The song sung on the day of the transfer of the ark of the covenant. 37–42. The Levites at the tent of Gibeon.

1 Chronicles 16:1. And they brought the ark of God and set it in the middle of the tent, which David had pitched for it; and they offered to God burnt offerings and peace offerings. 1 Chronicles 16:2. When David had finished the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 1 Chronicles 16:3. And he distributed to all the Israelites, both men and women, to each one a loaf of bread and a piece of meat and a cup of wine. These verses represent a literal repetition 2 Sam 6:17-19.

1 Chronicles 16:4. And he appointed some of the Levites before the ark of the Lord to minister, to invoke, to give thanks, and to praise the Lord God of Israel: 1 Chronicles 16:5. Asaph was chief, second to him was Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattaniah, Eliab, and Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel with harps and lyres, and Asaph playing on cymbals, 1 Chronicles 16:6. And Benaiah and Oziel, the priests, continually to blow the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God. Of the three leaders of the musicians mentioned in 1 Chr 15:17-18 and 1 Chr 15:19-21 and the 14 persons subject to them, in this case only Asaph and nine musicians are mentioned; likewise of the seven priests appointed to blow the trumpets 1 Chr 16:24, only two are noted. The explanation of such a phenomenon is given in 1 Chr 16:39-42. From it we see that the two other leaders of the Levite choirs—Heman and Ethan (Jeduthun), and likewise the rest of the persons mentioned in 1 Chr 16:17-18 together with the priest Zadok were appointed to serve at the tent of Gibeon. Asaph and the persons of verses 5–6 were, consequently, left at the tent of Zion.

1 Chronicles 16:8. Praise the Lord, proclaim his name; make known his deeds among the peoples; 1 Chronicles 16:9. Sing to him, play music for him; tell of all his wonders; 1 Chronicles 16:10. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice; 1 Chronicles 16:11. Seek the Lord and his strength, continually seek his face; 1 Chronicles 16:12. Remember the wonders that he has done, his signs and the judgments of his mouth, 1 Chronicles 16:13. You, the offspring of Israel, his servants, the children of Jacob, his chosen ones! 1 Chronicles 16:14. He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 1 Chronicles 16:15. Remember forever his covenant, the word he commanded for a thousand generations, 1 Chronicles 16:16. Which he made with Abraham, and his oath to Isaac, 1 Chronicles 16:17. And which he established to Jacob as a statute, and to Israel as an everlasting covenant, 1 Chronicles 16:18. Saying: “To you I will give the land of Canaan, as your inheritance portion. 1 Chronicles 16:19. When they were few in number, and as strangers in it, 1 Chronicles 16:20. And they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people; 1 Chronicles 16:21. But he did not permit anyone to oppress them, and he reproved kings because of them: 1 Chronicles 16:22. “Do not touch my anointed ones, and do no harm to my prophets. 1 Chronicles 16:23. Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation from day to day. 1 Chronicles 16:24. Declare his glory among the nations, his wonders among all peoples, 1 Chronicles 16:25. For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, he is to be feared above all gods. 1 Chronicles 16:26. For all the gods of the peoples are nothing, but the Lord made the heavens. 1 Chronicles 16:27. Glory and majesty are before him, might and joy are in his place. 1 Chronicles 16:28. Ascribe to the Lord, families of peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and honor, 1 Chronicles 16:29. Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the Lord in holy splendor. 1 Chronicles 16:30. Tremble before him, all the earth; the world is firmly established, it cannot be shaken. 1 Chronicles 16:31. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations: The Lord reigns! 1 Chronicles 16:32. Let the sea roar, and all that fills it, let the field exult, and all that is in it. 1 Chronicles 16:33. Let all the trees of the forest shout for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. 1 Chronicles 16:34. Praise the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever, 1 Chronicles 16:35. And say: Save us, O God, our Savior! Gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise! 1 Chronicles 16:36. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from eternity to eternity! And all the people said: Amen! Hallelujah! As far as can be judged from the content and character of the song set forth in these verses, it does not represent a single unified composition. Between verses 22 and 23, and 34 and 35, there is almost no connection. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that this song was composed from passages of three psalms. Namely, in verses 8–22 it is literally identical with Ps 104:1-15, in verses 23–33 with Ps 95:1-12, and in verses 34–36 with Ps 105:1.

1 Chronicles 16:8. Praise the Lord, proclaim his name; make known his deeds among the peoples; 1 Chronicles 16:9. Sing to him, play music for him; tell of all his wonders; 1 Chronicles 16:10. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice; 1 Chronicles 16:11. Seek the Lord and his strength, continually seek his face; 1 Chronicles 16:12. Remember the wonders that he has done, his signs and the judgments of his mouth, 1 Chronicles 16:13. You, the offspring of Israel, his servants, the children of Jacob, his chosen ones! 1 Chronicles 16:14. He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 1 Chronicles 16:15. Remember forever his covenant, the word he commanded for a thousand generations, 1 Chronicles 16:16. Which he made with Abraham, and his oath to Isaac, 1 Chronicles 16:17. And which he established to Jacob as a statute, and to Israel as an everlasting covenant, 1 Chronicles 16:18. Saying: “To you I will give the land of Canaan, as your inheritance portion. 1 Chronicles 16:19. When they were few in number, and as strangers in it, 1 Chronicles 16:20. And they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people; 1 Chronicles 16:21. But he did not permit anyone to oppress them, and he reproved kings because of them: 1 Chronicles 16:22. “Do not touch my anointed ones, and do no harm to my prophets. The glorification of God through the proclamation of his deeds—his wonders—should proceed from the thought that the Israeli people, the descendants of Jacob, is his chosen people, and in its history the guidance of Providence is evident. The Israeli people, in the person of their patriarchal ancestors, were promised the possession of the promised land, and therefore the Lord protected the small patriarchal family, from which this future possessor of Canaan should arise, from various dangers threatening its existence.

1 Chronicles 16:23. Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation from day to day. 1 Chronicles 16:24. Declare his glory among the nations, his wonders among all peoples, 1 Chronicles 16:25. For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, he is to be feared above all gods. 1 Chronicles 16:26. For all the gods of the peoples are nothing, but the Lord made the heavens. 1 Chronicles 16:27. Glory and majesty are before him, might and joy are in his place. 1 Chronicles 16:28. Ascribe to the Lord, families of peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and honor, 1 Chronicles 16:29. Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the Lord in holy splendor. 1 Chronicles 16:30. Tremble before him, all the earth; the world is firmly established, it cannot be shaken. 1 Chronicles 16:31. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations: The Lord reigns! 1 Chronicles 16:32. Let the sea roar, and all that fills it, let the field exult, and all that is in it. 1 Chronicles 16:33. Let all the trees of the forest shout for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. 1 Chronicles 16:34. Praise the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever, 1 Chronicles 16:35. And say: Save us, O God, our Savior! Gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise! 1 Chronicles 16:36. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from eternity to eternity! And all the people said: Amen! Hallelujah! In the glorification of God, the whole earth with all the peoples inhabiting it should take part. The foundation for such universal praise of Jehovah is his infinite greatness and power. They are especially clear when compared with the gods of the peoples: the latter are “nothing,” mere nothings without real existence, while he is the almighty Creator of the heavens, surrounded by glory and majesty partly in the heavenly sanctuary and partly in the earthly (Jerusalem). Universal praise of the Lord is the manifestation of his universal kingdom, and the happy result of this is that the world governed by him will be firm and unshakeable, for righteousness will prevail everywhere. Even creatures will find in God a righteous ruler and king, and therefore they too should rejoice in view of his coming. The verses 1 Chr 16:34-42 – see comments on 1 Chr 16:4-6.