And all the congregation said that they would do so ,.... They unanimously agreed to the motion: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people ; they saw the propriety, necessity, and usefulness of it. read more
Before viewing this chapter in any detail, there is a general impression which it makes, and that , though general, yet not vague, but of a commanding sort. Here is, so to put it, a certain day in a man's life, an important day, one looked for and consecrated to high end. It rose bright and its joy spread. With intense activity the work is set about, and it is at all events designed and superintended by a good man, though it is not possible that he should, in his own person, carry out... read more
1 Chronicles 13:4-5. The thing was right in the eyes of all the people Their consciences smiting them for their former negligence, and being fully convinced of the piety and reasonableness of this proposal. So David gathered all Israel together All the chosen men of Israel, as it is expressed 2 Samuel 6:1, their elders and representatives. From Shihor of Egypt By which the Targum, and most of the Jews, understood the river Nile. It here stands for the southern bounds of the land of... read more
The ark comes to Jerusalem (13:1-16:7)David knew that part of the reason for Israel’s previous weakness was Saul’s lack of interest in its religious life. Even the ark of the covenant, symbol of God’s presence, lay forgotten in a country house. David set out to restore the ark to its rightful place at the centre of the nation’s religious life. In bringing the ark to Jerusalem, his aim was to make Jerusalem the religious, as well as the political, centre of Israel. But his plans suffered an... read more
1. The removal of the ark from Kiriath-jearim ch. 13The lesson the writer intended this incident to teach the readers is that Yahweh is holy and His people should not take His presence among them lightly (cf. Leviticus 10:1-11; Numbers 16). God’s presence is real, and His people must deal with it in harmony with His character (cf. Exodus 25-31). It would have been tempting to regard the rituals and physical objects used in worship as common. The writer warned his readers not to make this fatal... read more
D. David and the Ark chs. 13-16"In the Chronicler’s eyes David’s reign consisted of two great religious phases, his movement of the ark to Jerusalem (chs. 13-16) and his preparations for the building of the temple (chs. 17-19 or at least 17-22, 28, 29). The intent of the parallelism seems to be to mark the ends of these two phases with praise and prayer that both glorified Yahweh and spelled out his relationship to his people in theological terms appropriate to the Chronicler and his... read more
The Removal of the Ark from Kirjath-jearimThis chapter merely expands 2 Samuel 6:1-11, with some unimportant differences.3. We enquired not at it] perhaps, better, ’we did not seek it,’ i.e. to convey it to a place of honour: cp. 1 Chronicles 15:13.5. Shihor of Egypt] usually employed to designate the Nile (Isaiah 23:3; Jeremiah 2:18), but here applied to the ’brook of Egypt’ (Joshua 15:4), the modern El Arish, a small stream on the borders of Egypt flowing into the Mediterranean. The entering... read more
(4) All the assembly said, So should we do (comp. for the construction 1 Chronicles 5:5; 1 Chronicles 9:25). The thing, the proposal. read more
DAVID1. HIS TRIBE AND DYNASTYKING and kingdom were so bound up in ancient life that an ideal for the one implied an ideal for the other: all distinction and glory possessed by either was shared by both. The tribe and kingdom of Judah were exalted by the fame of David and Solomon: but, on the other hand, a specially exalted position is accorded to David in the Old Testament because he is the representative of the people of Jehovah. David himself had been anointed by Divine command to be king of... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Chronicles 13:1-8
Here is, I. David's pious proposal to bring up the ark of God to Jerusalem, that the royal city might be the holy city, 1 Chron. 13:1-3. This part of the story we had not in Samuel. We may observe in this proposal, 1. That as soon as David was well seated on his throne he had thoughts concerning the ark of God: Let us bring the ark to us, 1 Chron. 13:3. Two things he aimed at herein:?(1.) To do honour to God, by showing respect to his ark, the token of his presence. As soon as he had power in... read more