2 Chronicles 5: The ark is brought into the house, and the cloud fills it
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What happens?
The work on the house is finished, and Solomon brings in what David had dedicated. In the seventh month he gathers Israel's elders and all the men of Israel, and the Levites and priests bring the ark of Yahweh's covenant into the inner sanctuary under the wings of the cherubim, with great sacrifices. When the singers and trumpeters praise Yahweh together, a cloud fills the house, and the priests cannot stand to serve because Yahweh's glory fills God's house.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold: God speaks no words of his own in this chapter. In verse 13 the singers and trumpeters praise Yahweh with the words "For he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever", which are theirs, not God's. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Thus all the work that Solomon did for Yahweh’s house was finished. Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, even the silver, the gold, and all the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of God’s house.
In plain English: So all the work that Solomon did for Yahweh's house was finished. Solomon brought in the things his father David had dedicated, the silver, the gold and all the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of God's house.
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2Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ households of the children of Israel, to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Yahweh’s covenant out of David’s city, which is Zion.
In plain English: Then Solomon called together the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' households of the children of Israel, to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Yahweh's covenant from David's city, which is Zion.
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3So all the men of Israel assembled themselves to the king at the feast, which was in the seventh month.
In plain English: So all the men of Israel gathered to the king at the feast, which was in the seventh month.
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4All the elders of Israel came. The Levites took up the ark.
In plain English: All the elders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the ark.
Good to know: This verse says "the Levites took up the ark". says "the priests picked up the ark". The text does not explain the two words.
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5They brought up the ark, the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent. The Levitical priests brought these up.
In plain English: They brought up the ark, the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent. The Levitical priests (or: the priests, the Levites) brought them up.
The Hebrew words: "The Levitical priests" is two words side by side, "the priests, the Levites", with no "and" between them. It can mean priests who are Levites, or the priests and the Levites as two groups. has "The priests and the Levites".
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6King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled to him were before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle that could not be counted or numbered for multitude.
In plain English: King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who were gathered with him were before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle too many to be counted or numbered.
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7The priests brought in the ark of Yahweh’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim.
In plain English: The priests brought the ark of Yahweh's covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubim.
The Hebrew words: "Inner sanctuary" is devir, which the dictionary gives as "the shrine or innermost part of the sanctuary". "The most holy place" is word for word "the holy place of the holy places". has the same verse almost word for word.
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8For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above.
In plain English: The cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles from above.
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9The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the ark in front of the inner sanctuary, but they were not seen outside; and it is there to this day.
In plain English: The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the ark in front of the inner sanctuary, but they were not seen outside. And it is there to this day.
Good to know: "To this day" is in the text. has the same words, but says "they are there" where this verse has "it is there", and says the ends of the poles were seen "from the holy place before the inner sanctuary" where this verse says "from the ark in front of the inner sanctuary". The text does not say which day "this day" is.
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10There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, when Yahweh made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.
In plain English: There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses put there at Horeb, when Yahweh made a covenant with the children of Israel as they came out of Egypt.
Good to know: has the same verse and says "the two stone tablets" where this verse says "the two tablets", and "the land of Egypt" where this verse says "Egypt".
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11When the priests had come out of the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, and didn’t keep their divisions;
In plain English: When the priests came out of the holy place (for all the priests who were present had made themselves holy and did not keep to their divisions;
The Hebrew word: "Divisions" is machloqeth, which the dictionary gives as "a section (of Levites, people or soldiers)". speaks of "the divisions of the sons of Aaron".
Good to know: The words in brackets, which go on to verse 13, are only here. goes straight from the priests coming out of the holy place to the cloud filling the house.
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12also the Levites who were the singers, all of them, even Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brothers, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them one hundred twenty priests sounding with trumpets);
In plain English: and the Levites who were the singers, all of them, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brothers, dressed in fine linen, with cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, stood east of the altar, and with them one hundred twenty priests blowing trumpets),
Good to know: says David and the captains of the army set apart some of "the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun" for the service, "to prophesy with harps, with stringed instruments, and with cymbals". The singers and the one hundred twenty priests with trumpets are not in .
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13when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking Yahweh; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised Yahweh, saying, “For he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever!” then the house was filled with a cloud, even Yahweh’s house,
In plain English: the trumpeters and singers were as one, making one sound to be heard in praising and thanking Yahweh. When they lifted up their voice with the trumpets, cymbals and instruments of song, and praised Yahweh, saying, "For he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever!", then the house was filled with a cloud, Yahweh's house,
The Hebrew word: "Loving kindness" is chesed, which the dictionary gives as "kindness; by implication (towards God) piety".
How it is translated: Chesed is in 241 verses of the Bible, and this Bible's English has "loving kindness" in 165 of them, about 2 times in 3. In 2 Chronicles it is in 10 verses, 6 of them with "loving kindness".
Good to know: The words "his loving kindness endures forever" are also in , and , and in and .
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14so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for Yahweh’s glory filled God’s house.
In plain English: and the priests could not stand to serve because of the cloud, for Yahweh's glory filled God's house.
Good to know: has the same verse, with "Yahweh's house" where this verse has "God's house". says in similar words that the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and Yahweh's glory filled it. The text speaks of the cloud and of Yahweh's glory and does not say whether they are the same thing.
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