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1 Paralipomenon xv.
Notes & Commentary:
Ver. 1. Houses,
or magnificent palaces, which afterwards caused him to be ashamed, seeing the ark was lodged under skins, 2 Kings vii. 10.
--- For it, entirely new. The old tabernacle was left at Gabaon. (Calmet) (Du Hamel)
Ver. 2. Levites,
of the family of Caath, ver. 13., and Numbers iv. 5. He was rendered more cautious by the death of Oza. (Calmet) --- For
ever, as long as this law subsists. (Haydock)
Ver. 5. Brethren.
Relations. (Du Hamel)
Ver. 8. Elisaphan,
a Caathite, (Exodus vi. 18, 22.) as well as Hebron and Oziel. (Calmet) --- Perhaps Caath was also called by the first name.
(Du Hamel)
Ver. 12. Sanctified.
Free from every legal uncleanness, continent, and washed. (Calmet)
Ver. 13. Struck
us. He partakes in the misfortune of Oza. (Haydock) --- The law, through ignorance. You must attend and give proper
directions. (Menochius) --- Hebrew, "because we did not seek him with judgment," (Du Hamel) or, "after the due order." (Protestants)
Ver. 17. Heman,
Asaph, and Ethan were masters of the first band of musicians, in the reign of David. They played on cymbals of
brass, ver. 19.
Ver. 18. Ben.
His name is omitted, ver. 20, and in the Septuagint. The Syriac, &c., have "the son of Jaziel:" but we find the 9th Psalm
addressed "to Ben, chief of the band of young women," who sung and played on nables, ver. 20. (Calmet) --- And Jaziel,
called Oziel, ver. 20, as the Septuagint have here. (Haydock)
Ver. 20. Zacharias,
&c., presided over the second band, with nables, and Mathathias over the third, which had instruments of eight
strings. The priests sounded the trumpets, (ver. 24.) which Chonenias directed all the music, in this solemn procession. (Calmet)
--- Psalteries. Literally, "nables." (Haydock) --- The Vulgate sometimes renders it psalterion, at other times lyra,
(Menochius) or symphonia. (St. Jerome, ad Dard.) (Tirinus) --- Some have supposed that the word denotes bagpipes; but it was
a stringed instrument made of wood. (Calmet) --- Hebrew, "with nebalim over halamoth," concerted things, or
virgins, (Psalm lxvii. 26.) who sung the mysterious works of God. (Haydock)
Ver. 21. Ozaziu
does not occur before. Septuagint have Ozias both here and [in] ver. 18, after Jehiel. (Haydock) --- Of victory, such
as was customary on the like occasions. --- For the octave. Hebrew hasheminith, according to the Jews, means
an instrument of eight strings; so when ten is mentioned, the Septuagint frequently supply "strings," Psalm xxxii.
2. (Menochius) --- Hebrew, "they had guitars, and presided over the eighth band to intone. All the bands formed four choirs,
distinguished by their instruments, the cymbal, nable, cinnor, (or guitar) and trumpets. (Calmet)
Ver. 22. The
prophecy. Singing praises to God is here called prophecy: the more, because these singers were often inspired men.
(Challoner) --- Hebrew Massa signifies a song, (Haydock) elevation, (Calmet) burden. (Syriac) So the Vulgate has onus
Moab, &c., the burden or dreadful prediction against Moab. (Calmet) --- Prophecy often denotes no more than a melodious
canticle, 1 Kings x. 10. (Haydock) --- Chonenias directed all this music. Septuagint simply style him "prince of the Levites,
prince of the musicians" (Calmet) or archon ton odon (who gave out the songs) "because he was intelligent."
(Haydock)
Ver. 24. Jehias
is called Jehiel, ver. 18., and 21. He, Obededom, Barachias, and Elcana, (ver. 23.) were probably the four chief porters who
attended the ark in arms; and others were, afterwards, stationed at the temple, chap. ix. 17. The two former took part also
in the music, ver. 21. (Calmet) --- Perhaps two preceded and two went behind the ark, to keep off the crowd. (Menochius)
Ver. 26. Rams,
in thanksgiving, that they had not been treated like Oza. (Calmet) --- The Jews pretend that the ark was no burden to the
Levites. (Tirinus) --- Love makes all duties easy. (Haydock)
Ver. 27. Linen.
Hebrew, "a cloak of byssus," or of the finest white linen. (Du Hamel) --- Byssus has often occurred before in the Vulgate,
but we find the Hebrew buts, here for the first time. It probably denotes the brilliant yellow silk taken from the
fish pinna, of which St. Basil speaks. (Hexa. vii.) Justinian was clothed with it, on account of its rarity and brightness.
(Procopius, de fabric. Yet as it would hardly assume any colour but black, it was not so much sought after as the silk of
Persia. Not only David, but all the Levites, were thus richly adorned; as the latter were at the dedication of the temple,
2 Paralipomenon ii. 14. There was a manufactory of this byssus established by David, chap. iv. 21. That of Egypt was white,
and is called schesch, or "cotton," Exodus xvi. 4. (Calmet) --- Ephod. Septuagint, "a stole of byssus," or a
long silken robe, (Haydock) which has been already expressed; (Tirinus) or rather, the ephod was only a girdle, which was
not peculiar to the sacred ministers, 1 Kings ii. 18. (Calmet) --- Samuel, though a child, wore one. (Worthington)
Ver. 29. Heart,
and reproached him for appearing without his regal ornaments, (Haydock; 2 Kings vi. 20.) as if he had been naked. No reproach
could have been more unfounded, as we see David had on a robe of byssus, with the ephod. (Calmet)
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Bible Text & Cross-references:
The ark is brought into the city of David, with great solemnity.
Michol derideth David's devotion.
1 He made also houses for himself in the city of David: and built a place
for the ark of God, and pitched a tabernacle for it.
2 Then David said: No one ought to carry the ark of God, but the Levites;
whom the Lord hath chosen to carry it, and to minister unto himself for ever.
3 And he gathered all Israel together into Jerusalem, that the ark of God
might be brought into its place, which he had prepared for it.
4 And the sons of Aaron also, and the Levites.
5 Of the children of Caath, Uriel was the chief: and his brethren a hundred
and twenty.
6 Of the sons of Merari, Asaia, the chief: and his brethren two hundred
and twenty.
7 Of the sons of Gersom, Joel, the chief: and his brethren a hundred and
thirty.
8 Of the sons of Elisaphan, Semeias, the chief: and his brethren two hundred.
9 Of the sons of Hebron, Eliel, the chief: and his brethren eighty.
10 Of the sons of Oziel, Aminadab, the chief: and his brethren a hundred
and twelve.
11 And David called Sadoc, and Abiathar, the priests, and the Levites,
Uriel, Asaia, Joel, Semeia, Eliel, and Aminadab.
12 And he said to them: You that are the heads of the Levitical families,
be sanctified with your brethren, and bring the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place which is prepared for it.
13 *Lest as the Lord at first struck us, because you were not present,
the same should now also come to pass, by our doing some thing against the law.
14 So the priests and the Levites were sanctified, to carry the ark of
the Lord, the God of Israel.
15 *And the sons of Levi took the ark of God, as Moses had commanded, according
to the word of the Lord, upon their shoulders, with the staves.
16 And David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites, to appoint some of their
brethren to be singers with musical instruments; to wit, on psalteries, and harps, and cymbals, that the joyful noise might
resound on high.
17 And they appointed Levites, Heman, the son of Joel, and of his brethren
Asaph, the son of Barachias: and of the sons of Merari, their brethren, Ethan, the son of Casaia.
18 And with them their brethren: in the second rank, Zacharias, and Ben,
and Jaziel, and Semiramoth, and Jahiel, and Ani, and Eliab, and Banaias, and Maasias, and Mathathias, and Eliphalu, and Macenias,
and Obededom, and Jehiel, the porters.
19 Now the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, sounded with cymbals of brass.
20 And Zacharias, and Oziel, and Semiramoth, and Jehiel, and Ani, and Eliab,
and Maasias, and Banaias, sung mysteries upon psalteries.
21 And Mathathias, and Eliphalu, and Macenias, and Obededom, and Jehiel,
and Ozaziu, sung a song of victory for the octave upon harps.
22 And Chonenias, chief of the Levites, presided over the prophecy, to
give out the tunes: for he was very skilful.
23 And Barachias, and Elcana, were door-keepers of the ark.
24 And Sebenias, and Josaphat, and Nathanael, and Amasai, and Zacharias,
and Banaias, and Eliezer, the priests, sounded with trumpets, before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehias, were porters
of the ark.
25 *So David, and all the ancients of Israel, and the captains over thousands,
went to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, out of the house of Obededom, with joy.
26 And when God had helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant
of the Lord, they offered in sacrifice seven oxen, and seven rams.
27 And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites
that carried the ark, and the singing men, and Chonenias, the ruler of the prophecy among the singers: and David also had
on him an ephod of linen.
28 And all Israel brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord, with joyful
shouting, and sounding with the sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and cymbals, and psalteries, and harps.
29 And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord was come to the city of
David, Michol, 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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*
13: 1 Paralipomenon xiii. 10.
15: Numbers iv. 15.
25: 2 Kings vi. 12.
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