“And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.”
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)
“Then 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. None: Heb. It is not to carry the ark of God, but for the Levites”
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)
“Of the sons of Kohath; Uriel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twenty: brethren: or, kinsmen”
Brethren. Relations. (Du Hamel)
“Of the sons of Elizaphan; Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred:”
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)
“And 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.”
Sanctified. Free from every legal uncleanness, continent, and washed. (Calmet)
“For 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.”
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)
“So 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;”
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.
“And 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 Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters.”
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)
“And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth;”
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)
“And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel. on the: or, on the eighth to oversee”
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)
“And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful. was for: or, was for the carriage: he instructed about the carriage song: Heb. lifting up”
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)
“And 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 Obededom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.”
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)
“And 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.”
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)
“And 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. song: or, carriage”
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)
“And 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.”
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)