1 Chronicles16
New King James Version
1So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.
2And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.
3Then he distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins.
4And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord God of Israel:
5Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed-Edom: Jeiel with stringed instruments and harps, but Asaph made music with cymbals;
6Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests regularly blew the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God.
7On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord:
8Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!
9Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!
10Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
11Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!
12Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
13O seed of Israel His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
14He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth.
15Remember His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
16The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac,
17And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel for an everlasting covenant,
18Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan As the allotment of your inheritance,”
19When you were few in number, Indeed very few, and strangers in it.
20When they went from one nation to another, And from one kingdom to another people,
21He permitted no man to do them wrong; Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,
22Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.”
23Sing to the Lord, all the earth; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
24Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.
25For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods.
26For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens.
27Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and gladness are in His place.
28Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Give to the Lord glory and strength.
29Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
30Tremble before Him, all the earth. The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved.
31Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
32Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it.
33Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord, For He is coming to judge the earth.
34Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
35And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation; Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles, To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise.”
36Blessed be the Lord God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.
37So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister before the ark regularly, as every day’s work required;
38and Obed-Edom with his sixty-eight brethren, including Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, to be gatekeepers;
39and Zadok the priest and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place that was at Gibeon,
40to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the Law of the Lord which He commanded Israel;
41and with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the Lord, because His mercy endures forever;
42and with them Heman and Jeduthun, to sound aloud with trumpets and cymbals and the musical instruments of God. Now the sons of Jeduthun were gatekeepers.
43Then all the people departed, every man to his house; and David returned to bless his house.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 1 Chronicles 16.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The solemnity with which the ark was fixed. (1–6). David's psalm of praise. (7–36). Setting in order the worship of God. (37–43).
vv1-6
Though God's word and ordinances may be clouded and eclipsed for a time, they shall shine out of obscurity. This was but a tent, a humble dwelling, yet this was the tabernacle which David, in his psalms, often speaks of with so much affection. David showed himself generous to his subjects, as he had found God gracious to him. Those whose hearts are enlarged with holy joy, should show it by being open-handed.
vv7-36
Let God be glorified in our praises. Let others be edified and taught, that strangers to him may be led to adore him. Let us ourselves triumph and trust in God. Those that give glory to God's name are allowed to glory in it. Let the everlasting covenant be the great matter of our joy his people of old, be remembered by us with thankfulness to him. Show forth from day to day his salvation, his promised salvation by Christ. We have reason to celebrate that from day to day; for we daily receive the benefit, and it is a subject that can never be exhausted. In the midst of praises, we must not forget to pray for the servants of God in distress.
vv37-43
The worship of God ought to be the work of every day. David put it into order. At Jerusalem, where the ark was, Asaph and his brethren were to minister before the ark continually, with songs of praise. No sacrifices were offered there, nor incense burnt, because the altars were not there; but David's prayers were directed as incense, and the lifting up of his hands as the evening sacrifice. So early did spiritual worship take place of ceremonial. Yet the ceremonial worship, being of Divine institution, must by no means be omitted; therefore at Gibeon, at the altars, the priests attended; for their work was to sacrifice and burn incense; and that they did continually, morning and evening, according to the law of Moses. As the ceremonies were types of the mediation of Christ, the observance of them was of great consequence. The attendance of his appointed ministers is right in itself, and encourages the people.
Key Words
בּוֹא: to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
אָרוֹן: a box
אֱלֹהִים: gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
יָצַג: to place permanently
תָּוֶךְ: a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centre
אֹהֶל: a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance)
אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
דָּוִד: David, the youngest son of Jesse
נָטָה: to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application
קָרַב: to approach (causatively, bring near) for whatever purpose
Cross References
1 Chronicles 16The psalm David delivers here (v. 8-22) is verbatim the opening of Psalm 105.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The next major movement of David's song (v. 23-33) corresponds directly to Psalm 96.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The prayer 'Save us, O God... gather us together' is a direct quotation of Psalm 106:47.
Supported by JFB
The parallel historical account of setting up the ark in the tent and sacrificing.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The concluding doxology and the people's 'Amen' directly mirrors Psalm 106:48.
Supported by JFB
Identical verbal warning: 'Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.'
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Zadok's offerings at Gibeon were to fulfill the morning and evening sacrifice law of Moses.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Cross-references the specific appointments of Asaph, Zechariah, and Jeiel to their musical instruments.
Supported by JFB
Confirms the tabernacle of the Lord remained at Gibeon while the ark was in Jerusalem.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Links to the everlasting covenant with Abraham mentioned in David's psalm.
Supported by Matthew Henry
God's historical warning to Abimelech regarding Abraham, illustrating 'do my prophets no harm.'
Supported by Matthew Poole
The parallel account where David returns to bless his own household after blessing Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Illustrates God reproving Pharaoh for Sarah's sake when the patriarchs were strangers.
Supported by Matthew Poole
God's warning to Laban in a dream, showing how He suffered no man to do them wrong.
Supported by Matthew Poole