The Histories · Old Testament

1 Chronicles 15

1 Chronicles 15: the Levites carry the ark to the city of David

General context

David builds houses in his city, prepares a place for the ark and pitches a tent for it. He declares that none but the Levites ought to carry the ark, since the Lord chose them to carry it and minister for ever. He gathers all Israel and assembles the sons of Aaron and the Levites by families, each with a named chief and a number: Kohath 120, Merari 220, Gershom 130, Elizaphan 200, Hebron 80, Uzziel 112. He tells Zadok and Abiathar and the six chiefs to sanctify themselves, explaining that the earlier breach came "for that we sought him not after the due order". The Levites carry the ark on their shoulders with staves "as Moses commanded". David has the chief Levites appoint singers with instruments; they appoint Heman the son of Joel, Asaph the son of Berechiah and Ethan the son of Kushaiah, with brethren of the second degree. Heman, Asaph and Ethan sound cymbals of brass, others play psalteries on Alamoth and harps on the Sheminith, and Chenaniah instructs about the song "because he was skilful". Doorkeepers and seven trumpet-blowing priests are named. David, the elders and the captains bring the ark from Obed–edom's house with joy; when God helps the Levites, seven bullocks and seven rams are offered. David wears a linen robe and ephod, and all Israel brings up the ark with shouting and music. As it enters the city, Michal the daughter of Saul sees David dancing and playing from a window "and she despised him in her heart".

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 15:1, 1 Chronicles 15:2, 1 Chronicles 15:5, 1 Chronicles 15:10, 1 Chronicles 15:11, 1 Chronicles 15:12, 1 Chronicles 15:13, 1 Chronicles 15:15, 1 Chronicles 15:16, 1 Chronicles 15:17, 1 Chronicles 15:19, 1 Chronicles 15:20, 1 Chronicles 15:21, 1 Chronicles 15:22, 1 Chronicles 15:24, 1 Chronicles 15:25, 1 Chronicles 15:26, 1 Chronicles 15:27, 1 Chronicles 15:28, 1 Chronicles 15:29

1 Chronicles 15 (KJV)

¹And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

²Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

³And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord unto his place, which he had prepared for it.

⁴And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites:

⁵Of the sons of Kohath; Uriel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twenty:

⁶Of the sons of Merari; Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty:

⁷Of the sons of Gershom; Joel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and thirty:

⁸Of the sons of Elizaphan; Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred:

⁹Of the sons of Hebron; Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore:

¹⁰Of the sons of Uzziel; Amminadab the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twelve.

¹¹And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,

¹²And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it.

¹³For because ye did it not at the first, the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.

¹⁴So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.

¹⁵And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the Lord.

¹⁶And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.

¹⁷So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;

¹⁸And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the porters.

¹⁹So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass;

²⁰And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth;

²¹And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.

²²And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful.

²³And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁴And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed-edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁵So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of Obed-edom with joy.

²⁶And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

²⁷And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen.

²⁸Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.

²⁹And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart.

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Historical context

David, not the narrator, supplies the explanation for Uzza's death: the Levites did not carry the ark "at the first", and the breach came from not seeking God "after the due order". The text ties the correct method to Moses' command. Asaph is here "the son of Berechiah", spelled Berachiah in chapter 6, and Ethan is "the son of Kushaiah", whom chapter 6 called Kishi; the text does not remark on either spelling. Both Zadok and Abiathar are named as priests. Obed–edom appears among the second-degree singers, then among the doorkeepers, and the ark is brought from "the house of Obed-edom"; the chapter does not say whether these are one man. The musical terms Alamoth and Sheminith are given without explanation. The offering of seven bullocks and seven rams is tied to the moment "when God helped the Levites". Michal's contempt is reported as an inward state; she speaks no words here and no consequence is recorded in this book.

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 15:13, 1 Chronicles 15:15, 1 Chronicles 15:17, 1 Chronicles 15:11, 1 Chronicles 15:18, 1 Chronicles 15:24, 1 Chronicles 15:25, 1 Chronicles 15:20, 1 Chronicles 15:26, 1 Chronicles 15:29

Literary context

The chapter replays chapter 13 with the method corrected. Where the earlier attempt used a cart, this one begins with a prepared place and a rule about who may carry. Preparation takes twenty-four verses, procession five, so the weight of the chapter is on order: families counted, chiefs named, singers, instruments, doorkeepers and trumpeters each assigned. The words "joy" and "with joy" recur, and the final procession verse piles up instruments in one sentence. David's own speech names the failure of the first attempt in the first person plural, "we sought him not". The last verse cuts against the celebration: a window, a watching woman, and contempt "in her heart", which the narrator reports without reply. That closing note, from Saul's daughter, keeps the old house present at the moment David's city receives the ark. The singers named here will be given their duties in the next chapter.

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 15:1, 1 Chronicles 15:2, 1 Chronicles 15:6, 1 Chronicles 15:16, 1 Chronicles 15:25, 1 Chronicles 15:28, 1 Chronicles 15:13, 1 Chronicles 15:29

Key moments

A place and a tent prepared (1 Chronicles 15:1). David prepares a place for the ark in his city and pitches a tent for it.
Only Levites may carry (1 Chronicles 15:2). David states that the Lord chose the Levites to carry the ark.
The breach explained (1 Chronicles 15:13). David tells the priests and Levites the earlier failure came from not following due order.
Carried on shoulders (1 Chronicles 15:15). The Levites bear the ark with staves as Moses commanded.
Heman, Asaph and Ethan appointed (1 Chronicles 15:17). The Levites appoint three singers from the three Levite families.
Seven bullocks and seven rams (1 Chronicles 15:26). When God helps the Levites carrying the ark, sacrifices are offered.
Michal despises David (1 Chronicles 15:29). Saul's daughter watches David dance from a window and despises him in her heart.

For reflection

David says the first attempt failed because "we sought him not after the due order", and this time the order takes most of the chapter. Where is the line between reverent care and mere procedure, and does the text let a reader tell?