1Ch 15:17-28 | KD | STEP | David gave the princes of the Levites a further charge to appoint singers with musical instruments for the solemn procession, which they accordingly did. שׁיר כּלי, instruments to accompany the song. In three kinds of these are named: נבלים, nablia , ψαλτήρια, which Luther has translated by psalter, corresponds to the Arabic santir, which is an oblong box with a broad bottom and a somewhat convex sounding-board, over which strings of wire are stretched; an instrument something like the cithara . כּנּרות, harps, more properly lutes, as this instrument more resembled our lute than the harp, and corresponded to the Arabic catgut instrument el ‛ûd ( l - c ûd ); cf. Wetzstein in Delitzsch, Isaiah , S. 702, der 2 Aufl., where, however, the statement that the santir is essentially the same as the old German cymbal, vulgo Hackebrett, is incorrect, and calculated to bring confusion into the matter, for the cymbal was an instrument provided with a small bell. מצלתּים, the later word for צלצלים, cymbals, castanets; see on 2Sa 6:5. משׁמיעים does not belong to the three before-mentioned instruments (Berth.), but, as is clear from , , , , undoubtedly only to מצלתּים (Böttcher, Neue krit. Aehrenlese , iii. S. 223); but the meaning is not “modulating,” but “sounding clear or loud,” - according to the proper meaning of the word, to make to hear. The infinitive clause וגו להרים belongs to the preceding sentence: “in order to heighten the sound (both of the song and of the instrumental music) to joy,” i.e., to the expression of joy. לשׂימחה is frequently used to express festive joy: cf. , ; ; but also as early as in ; ; Jdg 16:23, etc. - In , the names of the singers and players are introduced; then in they are named in connection with the instruments they played; and finally, in , the other Levites and priests who took part in the celebration are mentioned. The three chief singers, the Kohathite Heman, the Gershonite Asaph, and the Merarite Ethan, form the first class. See on , , and 1Ch 6:44. To the second class (המּשׁנים, cf. המּשׁנה, 2Ki 23:4) belonged thirteen or fourteen persons, for in an Azaziah is named in the last series who is omitted in ; and it is more probable that his name has been dropped out of than that it came into our text, , by an error. In בּן comes in after זכריהוּ by an error or transcription, as we learn from the w before the following name, and from a comparison of and 1Ch 15:25. The name יעזיאל is in written עזיאל, Yodh being rejected; and in it is יעיאל, which is probably only a transcriber’s error, since יעיאל occurs along with it both in and in 1Ch 16:5. The names Benaiah and Maaseiah, which are repeated in , have been there transposed. All the other names in vv.18 and 20 coincide.

‏ 1 Chronicles 15:17-28

David gave the princes of the Levites a further charge to appoint singers with musical instruments for the solemn procession, which they accordingly did. שׁיר כּלי, instruments to accompany the song. In 1Ch 15:16 three kinds of these are named: נבלים, nablia, ψαλτήρια, which Luther has translated by psalter, corresponds to the Arabic santir, which is an oblong box with a broad bottom and a somewhat convex sounding-board, over which strings of wire are stretched; an instrument something like the cithara. כּנּרות, harps, more properly lutes, as this instrument more resembled our lute than the harp, and corresponded to the Arabic catgut instrument el ‛ûd (l - c ûd); cf. Wetzstein in Delitzsch, Isaiah, S. 702, der 2 Aufl., where, however, the statement that the santir is essentially the same as the old German cymbal, vulgo Hackebrett, is incorrect, and calculated to bring confusion into the matter, for the cymbal was an instrument provided with a small bell. מצלתּים, the later word for צלצלים, cymbals, castanets; see on 2Sa 6:5. משׁמיעים does not belong to the three before-mentioned instruments (Berth.), but, as is clear from 1Ch 15:19, 1Ch 15:28, 1Ch 16:5, 1Ch 16:42, undoubtedly only to מצלתּים (Böttcher, Neue krit. Aehrenlese, iii. S. 223); but the meaning is not “modulating,” but “sounding clear or loud,” - according to the proper meaning of the word, to make to hear. The infinitive clause וגו להרים belongs to the preceding sentence: “in order to heighten the sound (both of the song and of the instrumental music) to joy,” i.e., to the expression of joy. לשׂימחה is frequently used to express festive joy: cf. 1Ch 15:25, 2Ch 23:18; 2Ch 29:30; but also as early as in 2Sa 6:12; 1Sa 18:6; Jdg 16:23, etc. - In 1Ch 15:17, 1Ch 15:18 the names of the singers and players are introduced; then in 1Ch 15:19-21 they are named in connection with the instruments they played; and finally, in 1Ch 15:22-24, the other Levites and priests who took part in the celebration are mentioned. The three chief singers, the Kohathite Heman, the Gershonite Asaph, and the Merarite Ethan, form the first class. See on 1Ch 6:33, 1Ch 6:39, and 1Ch 6:44. To the second class (המּשׁנים, cf. המּשׁנה, 2Ki 23:4) belonged thirteen or fourteen persons, for in 1Ch 15:21 an Azaziah is named in the last series who is omitted in 1Ch 15:18; and it is more probable that his name has been dropped out of 1Ch 15:18 than that it came into our text, 1Ch 15:21, by an error. In 1Ch 15:18 בּן comes in after זכריהוּ by an error or transcription, as we learn from the w before the following name, and from a comparison of 1Ch 15:20 and 1Ch 15:25. The name יעזיאל is in 1Ch 15:20 written עזיאל, Yodh being rejected; and in 1Ch 16:5 it is יעיאל, which is probably only a transcriber’s error, since יעיאל occurs along with it both in 1Ch 15:18 and in 1Ch 16:5. The names Benaiah and Maaseiah, which are repeated in 1Ch 15:20, have been there transposed. All the other names in vv.18 and 20 coincide. 1Ch 15:19-21

These singers formed three choirs, according to the instruments they played. Heman, Asaph, and Ethan played brazen cymbals להשׁמיע (1Ch 15:19); Benaiah and the seven who follow played nablia (psalteria) עלמות על (1Ch 15:20); while the last six played lutes (harps) לנצּח השּׁמינית על (1Ch 15:21). These three Hebrew words plainly denote different keys in singing, but are, owing to our small acquaintance with the music of the Hebrews, obscure, and cannot be interpreted with certainty. נצּח, going over from the fundamental signification glitter, shine, into the idea of outshining and superior capacity, overwhelming ability, might also, as a musical term, denote the conducting of the playing and singing as well as the leading of them. The signification to direct is here, however, excluded by the context, for the conductors were without doubt the three chief musicians or bandmasters (Capellenmeister), Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, with the cymbals, not the psaltery and lute players belonging to the second rank. The conducting must therefore be expressed by להשׁמיע, and this word must mean “in order to give a clear tone,” i.e., to regulate the tune and the tone of the singing, while לנצּח signifies “to take the lead in playing;” cf. Del. on Psa 4:1. This word, moreover, is probably not to be restricted to the singers with the lutes, the third choir, but must be held to refer also to the second choir. The meaning then will be, that Heman, Asaph, and Ethan had cymbals to direct the song, while the other singers had partly psalteries, partly lutes, in order to play the accompaniment to the singing. The song of these two choirs is moreover distinguished and defined by עלמות על and השּׁמינית על. These words specify the kind of voices; עלמות על after the manner of virgins, i.e., in the soprano; השּׁמינית על, after the octave, i.e., in bass - al ottava bassa. See Del. on Psa 6:1; Psa 46:1. In 1Ch 15:22-24 the still remaining priests who were engaged in the solemn procession are enumerated. 1Ch 15:22-24 “Chenaniah, the prince of the Levites, for the bearing, teacher in bearing; for he was instructed in it.” Since Chenaniah does not occur among the six princes of the Levites in 1Ch 15:5-10, and is called in 1Ch 15:27 המּשּׂא השׂר, we must here also join בּמשּׂא (as most editions punctuate the first במשׂא, while according to Norzi בּמּשּׂא is the right reading even in the first case) closely with שׂר־הלויּם, with the meaning that Chenaniah was captain of the Levites who had charge of the bearing of the ark, a chief of the Levites who bore it. The word משּׂא is,however, very variously interpreted. The lxx have ἄρχων τῶν ᾠδῶν, and the Vulgate, prophetiae praeerat ad praecinendam melodiam; whence Luther translates: the master in song to teach them to sing. This translation cannot, however, be linguistically upheld; the word משּׂא means only the bearing of the burden (Num 4:19, Num 4:27, etc.; 2Ch 35:3), and a prophetical utterance of an oppressive or threatening character (Isa 13:1, and Isa 15:1, etc.). But from this second signification neither the general meaning prophetia, nor, if we wish to go back upon the קול נשׂא, to raise the voice, the signification master of song, supremus musicus (Lavat.), or qui principatum tenebat in cantu illo sublimiore (Vatabl.), can be derived. The meaning prophetia, moreover, does not suit the context, and we must consequently, with Bertheau and others, hold fast the signification of bearing. We are determined in favour of this, (1) by the context, which here treats of the bearing of the ark, for which משּׂא is the usual word; and (2) by the circumstance that in 1Ch 26:29 Chenaniah is mentioned as the chief of the Levites for the external business, which goes to show, if the persons are identical, that he here had the oversight of the external business of the transport. יסר is not the inf. absol., which cannot stand directly for the verb. finit.; nor is it the imperf. of סרר in the signification of שׂרר (Bertheau and others), but a nominal formation from יסר (cf. on this formation as the most proper designation of the actor, Ew. §152, b), in the signification teacher, which is shown by Isa 28:26 certainly to belong to יסר. The clause בּמּשּׂא יסר gives the explanation of the preceding בּמשּׂא, or it specifies what Chenaniah had to do in the procession. He had to take the lead in the bearing because he was מבין in it, i.e., was instructed in that which was to be observed in it. - In 1Ch 15:23 two doorkeepers for the ark are named; and in 1Ch 15:24, at the end of the enumeration of the Levites who were busied about the transport, two additional names are mentioned as those of men who had the same duty. The business of these doorkeepers was, as Seb. Schmidt has already remarked on 2 Sam 6, <, non tam introitum aperire arcae, quam custodire, ne ad eam irrumperetur. Between these two pairs of doorkeepers in 1Ch 15:24, the priests, seven in number, who blew the trumpets, are named. The Kethibh מחצצרים is to be read מחצצרים, a denom. from חצצרה; the Keri מחצרים is Hiph. of חצר, as in 2Ch 7:6; 2Ch 13:14, and 2Ch 29:28. In 2Ch 5:12 and 2Ch 5:13, on the contrary, מחצּרים is partic. Pi. The blowing of the silver trumpets by the priests in this solemn procession rests on the prescription in Num 10:1-10, which see. The place assigned to these trumpet-blowing priests was either immediately before the ark, like the priestly trumpeters in the march round Jericho (Jos 6:4, Jos 6:6), or immediately after it. For, that these priests entered in the immediate vicinity of the ark, may be inferred from the fact that before and behind them were doorkeepers of the ark. The procession, then, was probably arranged in this way: (1) the singers and players in front, in three division; (2) Chenaniah, the captain of the bearers; (3) two doorkeepers; (4) the priests with the trumpets immediately before or after the ark; (5) two doorkeepers; (6) the king with the elders and captains of thousands (1Ch 15:25). The two doorkeepers Obededom and Jehiah (יחיּה), Rashi, Berth.,and others consider to be the same persons as the singers Obededom and Jeiel (יעיאל), supposing that the latter name is wrongly written in one of the passages. This, however, is incorrect, for the identity of the name Obededom is no sufficient ground for supposing the persons to be the same, since in 1Ch 16:38 the singer Obededom and the doorkeeper Obededom the son of Jeduthun seem to be distinguished. And besides that, Obededom and his colleagues could not possibly at the same time as porters precede, and as singers come after, the priests and the ark, and there is consequently no reason to doubt that the name יחיּה is correct. 1Ch 15:25 narrate the further proceedings connected with the bring of the ark to Jerusalem; cf. 2Sa 6:12-19. By the words וגו דויד ויהי the account of the execution of the design is connected with the statements as to the preparations (vv. 2-24): “And so were David ... who went to bring up the ark.” 1Ch 15:26

When God had helped the Levites who bare the ark of the covenant of Jahve, they offered seven bullocks and seven rams, i.e., after the journey had been happily accomplished. Instead of this, in 2Sa 6:13, the offering which was made at the commencement of the journey to consecrate it is mentioned; see on the passage. 1Ch 15:27

The discrepancy between 1Ch 15:27 and 2Sa 6:14 is more difficult of explanation. Instead of the words יהוה לפני בּכל־אז מכרכּר דּוד, David danced with all his might before Jahve, we read in the Chronicle בּוּץ בּמעיל מכרבּל דויד, David was clothed with a robe of byssus. But since מכרכר differs from מכרבל only in the last two letters, and כר might be easily exchanged for בל, we may suppose that מכרבל has arisen out of מכרכר. Bertheau accordingly says: “Any one who remembered that in this verse David’s clothing was spoken of might write מכרכר as מכרבל, while the words עז בכל, which were probably illegible,were conjecture to be בוץ במעיל.” This opinion would be worthy of consideration, if only the other discrepancies between the Chronicle and Samuel were thereby made more comprehensible. That, besides David, the bearers of the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah are mentioned, Bertheau thinks can be easily explained by what precedes; but how can that explain the absence of the יהוה לפני of Samuel from our text? Bertheau passes this over in silence; and yet it is just the absence of these words in our text which shows that בוץ במעיל מכרבל cannot have arisen from an orthographical error and the illegibility of עז בכל, since יהוה לפני must have been purposely omitted. Böttcher’s opinion (N. kr. Aehrenl. iii. S. 224), that the Chaldaizing מכרבל can scarcely have been written by the chronicler, because it is not at all like his pure Hebrew style, and that consequently a later reader, who considered it objectionable that a Levite should dance, and perhaps impossible that the bearers should (forgetting that they were released in turn from performing their office), while holding as closely to the letter of the text as possible, corrected עז בכל מכרכר into בוץ במעיל מכרבל, and that the same person, or perhaps a later, added besides וּכנניה והמשׁררים, is still less probable. In that way, indeed, we get no explanation of the main difficulty, viz., how the words from הלויּם to המּשׁררים came into the text of the Chronicle, instead of the יהוה לפני of Samuel. The supposition that originally the words from וכל־הלויּם בּכל־עז מכרכּר ודויד to והמשׁררים stood in the text, when of course the statement would be, not only that David danced with all his might, but also that all the Levites who bore the ark danced, is in the highest degree unsatisfactory; for this reason, if for no other, that we cannot conceive how the singers could play the nebel and the kinnor and dance at the same time, since it is not alternations between singing and playing, and dancing and leaping that are spoken of.

The discrepancy can only be got rid of by supposing that both narratives are abridged extracts from a more detailed statement, which contained, besides David’s dancing, a completer account of the clothing of the king, and of the Levites who took part in the procession. Of these the author of the books of Samuel has communicated only the two characteristic facts, that David danced with all his might before the Lord, and wore an ephod of white; while the author of the Chronicle gives us an account of David’s clothing and that of the Levites, while he omits David’s dancing. This he does, not because he was scandalized thereby, for he not only gives a hint of it in 1Ch 15:29, but mentions it in 1Ch 13:8, which is parallel to 2Sa 6:5; but because the account of the king’s clothing, and of that of the Levites, in so far as the religious meaning of the solemn progress was thereby brought out, appeared to him more important for his design of depicting at length the religious side of the procession. For the clothing of the king had a priestly character; and not only the ephod of white (see on 2Sa 6:14), but also the me‛il of בּוּץ, white byssus, distinguished the king as head of a priestly people. The me‛il as such was,it is true, an outer garment which every Israelite might wear, but it was worn usually only by persons of rank and distinction (cf. 1Sa 2:19; 1Sa 15:27; 1Sa 18:4; 1Sa 24:5; Ezr 9:3; Job 29:14), and white byssus was the material for the priests’ garments. Among the articles of clothing which the law prescribed for the official dress of the simple priest (Exo 28:40) the מעיל was not included, but only the כּתונת, a tight close-fitting coat; but the priests were not thereby prevented from wearing a me‛il of byssus on special festive occasions, and we are informed in 2Ch 5:12 that even the Levites and singers were on such occasions clad in byssus. In this way the statement of our verse, that David and all the Levites and bearers of the ark, the singers, and the captain Chenaniah, had put on me‛ilim of byssus, is justified and shown to be in accordance with the circumstances. The words therefore are to be so understood. The words from וכל־הלויּם to המּשּׂא השּׂר are co-ordinate with ודויד, and may translate the verse thus: “David was clothed in a me‛il of byssus, as also were all the Levites,” etc. No objection can be taken to the המּשּׂא השּׂר when we have the article with a nomen regens, for cases of this kind frequently occur where the article, as here, has a strong retrospective force; cf. Ew. §290, d. On the contrary, המּשׁררים after המּשּׂא is meaningless, and can only have come into the text, like בּן in 1Ch 15:18, by an error of the transcriber, although it was so read as early as the time of the lxx. For the last clause, cf. 2Sa 6:14. 1Ch 15:28 1Ch 15:28 is, as compared with 2Sa 6:5, somewhat enlarged by the enumeration of the individual instruments.