*H He made also houses for himself in the city of David: and built a place for the ark of God, and pitched a tabernacle for it.
Ver. 1. Houses, or magnificent palaces, which afterwards caused him to be ashamed, seeing the ark was lodged under skins. 2 K. vii. 10. — For it, entirely new. The old tabernacle was left at Gabaon. C. D.
*H Then David said: No one ought to carry the ark of God, but the Levites, whom the Lord hath chosen to carry it, and to minister unto himself for ever.
Ver. 2. Levites, of the family of Caath, v. 13. Num. iv. 5. He was rendered more cautious by the death of Oza. C. — For ever, as long as this law subsists. H.
*H Of the children of Caath, Uriel was the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twenty.
Ver. 5. Brethren. Relations. D.
*H Of the sons of Elisaphan, Semeias the chief: and his brethren two hundred.
Ver. 8. Elisaphan, a Caathite, (Ex. vi. 18. 22.) as well as Hebron and Oziel. C. — Perhaps Caath was also called by the first name. D.
*H And he said to them: You that are the heads of the Levitical families, be sanctified with your brethren, and bring the ark of the Lord the God of Israel to the place, which is prepared for it:
Ver. 12. Sanctified. Free from every legal uncleanness, continent, and washed. C.
*H Lest as the Lord at first struck us, because you were not present, the same should now also come to pass, by our doing some thing against the law.
Ver. 13. Struck us. He partakes in the misfortune of Oza. H. — The law, through ignorance. You must attend and give proper directions. M. — Heb. "because we did not seek him with judgment," (D.) or, "after the due order." Prot.
* Footnote * Numbers 4 : 15
And when Aaron and his sons have wrapped up the sanctuary and the vessels thereof at the removing of the camp, then shall the sons of Caath enter in to carry the things wrapped up: and they shall not touch the vessels of the sanctuary, lest they die. These are the burdens of the sons of Caath: in the tabernacle of the covenant:*H And they appointed Levites, Hemam the son of Joel, and of his brethren Asaph the son of Barachias: and of the sons of Merari, their brethren: Ethan the son of Casaia.
Ver. 17. Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were masters of the first band of musicians, in the reign of David. They played on cymbals of brass, v. 19.
*H And with them their brethren: in the second rank, Zacharias, and Ben, and Jaziel, and Semiramoth, and Jahiel, and Ani, and Eliab, and Banaias, and Maasias, and Mathathias, and Eliphalu, and Macenias, and Obededom, and Jehiel, the porters.
Ver. 18. Ben. His name is omitted, v. 20, and in the Sept. The Syriac, &c. have "the son of Jaziel:" but we find the 9th Psalm addressed "to Ben, chief of the band of young women," who sung and played on nables, v. 20. C. — And Jaziel, called Oziel, v. 20, as the Sept. have here. H.
*H And Zacharias, and Oziel, and Semiramoth, and Jehiel, and Ani, and Eliab, and Maasias, and Banaias, sung mysteries upon psalteries.
Ver. 20. Zacharias, &c. presided over the second band, with nables, and Mathathias over the third, which had instruments of eight strings. The priests sounded the trumpets, (v. 24.) which Chonenias directed all the music, in this solemn procession. C. — Psalteries. Lit. "nables." H. — The Vulg. sometimes renders it psalterion, at other times lyra, (M.) or symphonia. S. Jer. ad Dard. T. — Some have supposed that the word denotes bagpipes; but it was a stringed instrument made of wood. C. — Heb. "with nebalim over halamoth," concerted things, or virgins, (Ps. lxvii. 26.) who sung the mysterious works of God. H.
*H And Mathathias, and Eliphalu, and Macenias and Obededom, and Jehiel and Ozaziu, sung a song of victory for the octave upon harps.
Ver. 21. Ozaziu does not occur before. Sept. have Ozias both here and v. 18, after Jehiel. H. — Of victory, such as was customary on the like occasions. — For the octave. Heb. hasheminith, according to the Jews, means an instrument of eight strings; so when ten is mentioned, the Sept. frequently supply "strings." Ps. xxxii. 2. M. — Heb. "they had guitars, and presided over the eighth band to intone. All the bands formed four choirs, distinguished by their instruments, the cymbal, nable, cinnor, (or guitar) and trumpets. C.
*H And Chonenias chief of the Levites, presided over the prophecy, to give out the tunes: for he was very skilful.
Ver. 22. The prophecy. Singing praises to God is here called prophecy: the more, because these singers were often inspired men. Ch. — Heb. Massa signifies a song, (H.) elevation, (C.) burden. Syr. So the Vulg. has onus Moab, &c. the burden or dreadful prediction against Moab. C. — Prophecy often denotes no more than a melodious canticle. 1 K. x. 10. H. — Chonenias directed all this music. Sept. simply style him "prince of the Levites, prince of the musicians" (C.) or αρχων των ωδων (who gave out the songs) "because he was intelligent." H.
*H And Sebenias, and Josaphat, and Nathanael, and Amasai, and Zacharias, and Banaias, and Eliezer the priests, sounded with trumpets, before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehias were porters of the ark.
Ver. 24. Jehias is called Jehiel, v. 18. and 21. He, Obededom, Barachias, and Elcana, (v. 23.) were probably the four chief porters who attended the ark in arms; and others were, afterwards, stationed at the temple. C. ix. 17. The two former took part also in the music, v. 21. C. — Perhaps two preceded and two went behind the ark, to keep off the crowd. M.
* Footnote * 2_Kings 6 : 12
And it was told king David, that the Lord had blessed Obededom, and all that he had, because of the ark of God. So David went, and brought away the ark of God out of the house of Obededom into the city of David with joy. And there were with David seven choirs, and calves for victims.*H And when God had helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they offered in sacrifice seven oxen, and seven rams.
Ver. 26. Rams, in thanksgiving, that they had not been treated like Oza. C. — The Jews pretend that the ark was no burden to the Levites. T. — Love makes all duties easy. H.
*H And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that carried the ark, and the singing men, and Chonenias the ruler of the prophecy among the singers: and David also had on him an ephod of linen.
Ver. 27. Linen. Heb. "a cloak of byssus," or of the finest white linen. D. — Byssus has often occurred before in the Vulg. but we find the Heb. buts, here for the first time. It probably denotes the brilliant yellow silk taken from the fish pinna, of which S. Basil speaks. Hexa. vii. Justinian was clothed with it, on account of its rarity and brightness. Procop. de fabric. Yet as it would hardly assume any colour but black, it was not so much sought after as the silk of Persia. Not only David, but all the Levites, were thus richly adorned; as the latter were at the dedication of the temple. 2 Par. ii. 14. There was a manufactory of this byssus established by David. C. iv. 21. That of Egypt was white, and is called schesch, or "cotton." Ex. xvi. 4. C. — Ephod. Sept. "a stole of byssus," or a long silken robe, (H.) which has been already expressed; (T.) or rather, the ephod was only a girdle, which was not peculiar to the sacred ministers. 1 K. ii. 18. C. — Samuel, though a child, wore one. W.
*H And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord was come to the city of David, Michol the daughter of Saul looking out at a window, saw king David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.
Ver. 29. Heart, and reproached him for appearing without his regal ornaments, (H. 2 K. vi. 20.) as if he had been naked. No reproach could have been more unfounded, as we see David had on a robe of byssus, with the ephod. C.