David having prepared a place for the ark, the priests and Levites bring it from Obed-edom, 1-24. He performs the solemnity thereof with great joy, 25-28. Michal despises him, 29.
1 And David made himself houses in the city of David and prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said, "No one ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister to him forever." 3 And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to its place, which he had prepared for it. 4 And David assembled the children of Aaron and the Levites. 5 Of the sons of Kohath: Uriel the chief and his brothers one hundred and twenty. 6 Of the sons of Merari: Asaiah the chief and his brothers two hundred and twenty. 7 Of the sons of Gershom: Joel the chief and his brothers one hundred and thirty. 8 Of the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the chief and his brothers two hundred. 9 Of the sons of Hebron: Eliel the chief and his brothers eighty. 10 Of the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab the chief and his brothers one hundred and twelve.
11 And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, 12 And said to them, "You are the chief of the fathers of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves—both you and your brothers—so that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it. 13 For because you did not do it at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for we did not seek him after the due order." 14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. 15 And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staffs on it, as Moses commanded, according to the word of the LORD.
16 And David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers to be the singers with instruments of music—psalteries, harps, and cymbals—sounding aloud and lifting up the voice with joy. 17 So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; 18 And with them their brothers of the second degree: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. 19 So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass; 20 And Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah with psalteries on Alamoth; 21 And Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah with harps on the Sheminith to excel. 22 And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the music. He directed the music because he was skillful. 23 And Berechiah and Elkanah were door-keepers for the ark. 24 And Shebaniah, Jehoshaphat, Nethaneel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests blew with the trumpets before the ark of God. And Obed-edom and Jehiah were door-keepers for the ark.
25 So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom with joy. 26 And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bulls and seven rams. 27 And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, along with all the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers. David also had upon him an ephod of linen. 28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, with the sound of the horn, with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.
29 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.
Matthew Henry Commentary - 1st Chronicles, Chapter 15[➚]