1 Chronicles 15: David prepares for the ark, and the Levites carry it to Jerusalem
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What happens?
David builds houses in his city, prepares a place and a tent for the ark, and says that only the Levites may carry it. He gathers the sons of Aaron and the Levites, names the heads of their houses with the numbers of their brothers, and tells them to sanctify themselves and bring up the ark; he says that Yahweh broke out in anger against "us" because they did not carry it the first time and "we" did not seek him according to the ordinance. The Levites carry the ark on their shoulders with poles, singers and doorkeepers are appointed, and the priests blow trumpets. David, the elders and the captains bring the ark up from the house of Obed-Edom with joy, they sacrifice seven bulls and seven rams, and Michal the daughter of Saul sees David dancing and despises him in her heart.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold: God speaks no words of his own in this chapter. David speaks in verse 2, saying who may carry the ark and that Yahweh has chosen the Levites. In verses 12 and 13 David speaks to the heads of the Levites; his words in verse 13 about Yahweh breaking out in anger against them are his own words, not God's. In verse 16 David tells the chiefs of the Levites to appoint singers (reported, not quoted). Verse 15, that the Levites carried the ark "as Moses commanded according to Yahweh's word", and verse 26, that God helped the Levites, are the narrator's words. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1David made himself houses in David’s city; and he prepared a place for God’s ark, and pitched a tent for it.
In plain English: David made himself houses in David's city. He prepared a place for God's ark and pitched a tent for it.
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2Then David said, “No one ought to carry God’s ark but the Levites. For Yahweh has chosen them to carry God’s ark, and to minister to him forever.”
In plain English: Then David said, "No one is to carry God's ark except the Levites. For Yahweh has chosen them to carry Yahweh's ark and to serve him forever."
Good to know: says that Yahweh "set apart the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of Yahweh's covenant". In the ark was set on a new cart. David's words here do not mention the cart.
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3David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up Yahweh’s ark to its place, which he had prepared for it.
In plain English: David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up Yahweh's ark to its place, which he had prepared for it.
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4David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites:
In plain English: David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites:
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5of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brothers one hundred twenty;
In plain English: of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brothers (or: relatives), one hundred twenty;
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6of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred twenty;
In plain English: of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and his brothers, two hundred twenty;
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7of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brothers one hundred thirty;
In plain English: of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brothers, one hundred thirty;
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8of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred;
In plain English: of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and his brothers, two hundred;
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9of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and his brothers eighty;
In plain English: of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and his brothers, eighty;
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10of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brothers one hundred twelve.
In plain English: of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brothers, one hundred twelve.
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11David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab,
In plain English: David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab,
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12and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both you and your brothers, that you may bring the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, up to the place that I have prepared for it.
In plain English: and said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' households of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves (or: Make yourselves holy), you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.
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13For because you didn’t carry it at first, Yahweh our God broke out in anger against us, because we didn’t seek him according to the ordinance.”
In plain English: Because you did not carry it the first time (the Hebrew says only: because at the first, not you), Yahweh our God broke out in anger against us, because we did not seek him according to the ordinance."
Good to know: David says Yahweh "broke out in anger against us". In English this is the same "broke out" as in the name Perez Uzza (), where Yahweh "had broken out against Uzza". David does not name Uzza here; he says "you did not carry it the first time" and "we did not seek him according to the ordinance".
14So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel.
In plain English: So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel.
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15The children of the Levites bore God’s ark on their shoulders with its poles, as Moses commanded according to Yahweh’s word.
In plain English: The sons of the Levites carried God's ark on their shoulders with the poles on them, as Moses had commanded according to Yahweh's word.
Good to know: says to "put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark", and says they "shall not be taken from it". This verse says only that they carried it "on their shoulders with the poles on them".
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16David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers with instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up their voices with joy.
In plain English: David told the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers, with instruments of music: stringed instruments, harps and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up their voices with joy.
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17So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;
In plain English: So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;
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18and with them their brothers of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers.
In plain English: and with them their brothers of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel, the doorkeepers (or: gatekeepers).
Good to know: Obed-Edom is named here among the "brothers of the second rank", in with the harps, and in as a doorkeeper for the ark. The ark was in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months (). The text does not say whether these are one man or more than one.
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19So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were given cymbals of bronze to sound aloud;
In plain English: The singers Heman, Asaph and Ethan were to sound aloud with cymbals of bronze;
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20and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with stringed instruments set to Alamoth;
In plain English: and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah with stringed instruments set to Alamoth (see the note);
The Hebrew words: "Alamoth" is alamot, which the dictionary gives as "properly, girls, i.e. the soprano or female voice, perhaps falsetto". "Sheminith" in verse 21 is sheminit, which the dictionary gives as "probably an eight-stringed lyre". The text does not explain either word.
Good to know: The names in this verse and verse 21 are the names of verse 18 with a few differences: Jaaziel in verse 18 is Aziel here, Ben is not named again, and Azaziah in verse 21 is not in verse 18. The text does not say why.
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21and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps tuned to the eight-stringed lyre, to lead.
In plain English: and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah with harps tuned to the Sheminith (this Bible: the eight-stringed lyre), to lead (or: to act as overseers).
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22Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the singing. He taught the singers, because he was skillful.
In plain English: Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the singing (or: over the carrying; see the note). He taught the singers (or: He gave instruction in it; the Hebrew does not say "the singers"), because he was skillful (literally: he understood).
The Hebrew word: "Singing" is massa, which the dictionary gives as "a burden; specifically, tribute, or porterage; figuratively, an utterance, chiefly doom, especially singing". This Bible says "burden" or a longer form in 40 of the 59 verses that use the word. Verse 27 has the same word.
What changes: Read as "singing", Chenaniah led the music, and the next words say he gave instruction. Read as "carrying", he was in charge of the carrying of the ark. The text does not say which.
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23Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.
In plain English: Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.
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24Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before God’s ark; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.
In plain English: Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before God's ark. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.
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25So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring the ark of Yahweh’s covenant up out of the house of Obed-Edom with joy.
In plain English: So David, the elders of Israel and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of Yahweh's covenant from the house of Obed-Edom with joy.
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26When God helped the Levites who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.
In plain English: When God helped the Levites who carried the ark of Yahweh's covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.
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27David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the choir master with the singers; and David had an ephod of linen on him.
In plain English: David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who carried the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the chief of the singing (or: of the carrying; this Bible: choir master) with the singers. David also had a linen ephod on him.
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28Thus all Israel brought the ark of Yahweh’s covenant up with shouting, with sound of the cornet, with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding aloud with stringed instruments and harps.
In plain English: So all Israel brought up the ark of Yahweh's covenant with shouting, with the sound of the ram's horn (this Bible: cornet), with trumpets and cymbals, sounding aloud with stringed instruments and harps.
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29As the ark of Yahweh’s covenant came to David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.
In plain English: As the ark of Yahweh's covenant came to David's city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked down through the window. She saw King David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.
The Hebrew word: "Dancing" is raqad, which the dictionary gives as "properly, to stamp, i.e. to spring about (wildly or for joy)". "Playing" is the word translated "played" in , which the dictionary gives as "to laugh (in pleasure or detraction); by implication, to play".
Good to know: has the same story in nearly the same words, but says David was "leaping and dancing before Yahweh". This verse says "dancing and playing" and does not say before Yahweh.
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