XVI.
(1) So they brought the ark of God.—1 Chronicles 16:1-3 are wrongly separated from the concluding verses of 1 Chronicles 15. The narrative is still parallel to 2 Sam. (2 Samuel 17-19 a). The differences are unimportant.
God.—Samuel, Jehovah.
And set it.—Samuel adds, “in its place.”
And they offered burnt sacrifices.—Samuel, “and David offered [a different word] burnt sacrifices before Jehovah.” Our narrative takes care to make it clear that the priests and Levites ministered in the sacrifices.

(2) The burnt offerings.—Heb., the burnt offering, as if one great holocaust were meant. This verse is identical with 2 Samuel 6:18, only omitting Sabaoth at the end, a Divine title which was perhaps obsolete in the chronicler’s day.
He blessed the people in the name of the Lord.—Comp. Numbers 6:22-27; 1 Kings 8:14; 1 Kings 8:55; Deuteronomy 33:1.

(3) To every one . . .—Literally, to every man of Israel from man unto woman. Samuel has, “to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, from man,” &c.
A loaf (kikkar).—A round cake (1 Samuel 2:36). The parallel in Samuel has a less common word (hallath), meaning a sacrificial cake punctured all over. (Comp. Exodus 29:23.)
A good piece of flesh.—A single Hebrew term, found only here and in Samuel (’eshpâr). It seems to mean “a portion,” i.e., of the victims slain for the “peace offerings.” (The “burnt offerings” were wholly consumed on the altar.) Syriac, “a portion.” Arabic, “a slice of flesh.” Others interpret, “a measure of wine.”
A flagon of wine.—Rather, a raisin-cake—i.e., a mass of dried grapes (Hosea 3:1); Isaiah 16:7, “raisin-cakes of Kir-hareseth.”

(4) And he appointed certain of the Levites.—Literally, put, placed (Genesis 3:12).
To minister.—Literally, ministering—i.e., as ministers. The object of the appointment is defined by the words which follow: “both to remind, and to thank, and to praise Jehovah, the God of Israel.” Each verb expresses a distinct kind of duty in the service of song.
To record is the technical term for chanting the psalms which accompanied the sacrificial burning of the Azkârâh, that is, the part of the meat offering that was presented on the altar (Leviticus 2:2). (Comp. the use of the cognate verb in the titles of Psalms 38, 70)
To thank was to perform psalms of invocation, and confession of benefits received.
To praise was to sing and play hymns of hallelujah such as Psalms 146-150.
These Levites were to minister thus before the Ark in the sacred tent of Mount Zion.

(6) Jahaziel.—Not mentioned in 1 Chronicles 15, unless he be the Eliezer of 1 Chronicles 16:24. The number of these musicians is twelve, suggesting the twelve tribes of Israel.
With trumpets.—Clarions, or straight trumpets.
Continually.—The Hebrew term is a special one, denoting at fixed and regularly recurring services.

(7-36) An ode of thanksgiving appropriate to the occasion.
(7) Then on that day David delivered first this psalm.—Rather, On that day then (viz., after the Ark had been placed in its tent, and the minstrels appointed) David originally committed the giving of thanks to Jehovah into the hands of Asaph and his brethren. Thus understood, the verse merely asserts that this was the occasion when “Asaph and his brethren” were first charged with the duties described in 1 Chronicles 16:4-6. But the words seem really intended to introduce the long ode which follows, and therefore we should perhaps render, “On that day, then David gave for the first time into the hands of Asaph and his brethren, for giving thanks to Jehovah, Give thanks unto the Lord,’” &c., the whole psalm being regarded as the object of the verb. It may be that this composite hymn was sung in the time of the compiler, on the anniversary of the removal of the Ark, which may in after-times have been commemorated by a special service. Hence it was easy to infer that it was the ode sung at the original service under David. The words “then” (’âz) and “on that day” certainly seem to introduce the psalm. (Comp, their use, Exodus 15:1, and Judges 5:1. Comp. also 2 Chronicles 7:6.)
But the ambiguity of 1 Chronicles 16:7 may be taken along with other considerations to indicate that this ode does not constitute an original part of the Chronicles, but has been inserted by a later hand. For (1) the Psalm is clearly a cento consisting of portions of three others extant in the Psalter, and so loosely patched together that the seams are quite visible; (2) the Psalter itself does not refer the three psalms in question to David; if, however, the editors of the Psalter had read in the Chronicles a clear assertion of Davidic authorship, they would hardly have left them anonymous; (3) all critics agree that it is not here expressly said that David composed this ode, and, in fact, its ideas and language betray a later origin than the Davidic age; and (4) it contains no specific allusion to the occasion for which it purports to have been written. If no record was preserved of the psalms actually sung at the festival, it was natural that some editor should attempt to supply the apparent lacuna from the Psalter.

(8) Give thanks.—The same Hebrew verb as in 1 Chronicles 16:4, “to thank.” Psalms 105 is a tôdâh, or thanksgiving, hence its use here.
Call upon his name.—Invoke His help, appealing to Him by His revealed name of Jehovah. (Comp. Psalms 3:1-7; Psalms 5:1; Psalms 7:6, and many others.)
Make known.—Israel’s mission.
Deeds.—Feats, exploits, deeds of wonder; a poetic word.
People.—Peoples.

(9) Sing psalms.—The word implies a musical accompaniment.
Talk ye.—A third term for singing. Chant ye.
His wondrous works.—His wonders, or miracles. The word means things separate, distinct, and so out of the common (Exodus 3:20).

(10) That seek the Lord.—Comp. 1 Chronicles 13:3; 1 Chronicles 15:13, where a synonymous term is used. Both occur in 1 Chronicles 16:11.

(11) And his strength.—Comp. Exodus 15:2, Isaiah 26:4 : “Jah, Jehovah is a rock of ages” (Heb.).
His face.—His presence, especially in the sanctuary. True devotion is the secret of moral strength.

(12) The second strophe of Psalms 105
Marvellous works.—Wonders, as in 1 Chronicles 16:9.
His wonders.—His portents; τέρατα of the New Testament.
The judgments of his mouth.—His judicial utterances, which execute themselves. (Comp. Genesis 1:3; Exodus 12:12.)
Of his mouth.—Psalms 105:5 has a different form of the pronoun.

(13) Seed of Israel.—Psalms 105:6 reads, “Abraham.” “Israel” improves the parallelism, and is probably a correction. Syriac and Arabic have “Abraham.”
His servant.—LXX., “his servants.” (Comp. “servant of Jehovah” as a title of Israel in Isaiah.)

(14) The grand thought of Israel that, though Jehovah is their God, He is not theirs exclusively: He governs the wide world.

(15) Be ye mindful.—Psalms 105:8, third strophe, begins, “He hath remembered,” that is, “He will certainly remember” His ancient covenant; and the exile and oppression of His people can only be transitory (Comp. Psalms 111:5.) The expression is modified here, to suit different circumstances, and perhaps in view of 1 Chronicles 16:12.
The word which he commanded to . . . Rather, the promise which he established for . . .

(16) Even of the covenant.—These words should be cancelled. The object is still the word of promise.
Which he made.—Literally, he cut. Same phrase as in Haggai 2:5.
With Abraham.—Genesis 22:16.
Unto Isaac.—Heb., Yiçhâq. Psalms 105:9 has the weaker form, Yishâq (Amos 7:9).

(17) And hath confirmed.—In Psalms 105 the sense is future.
The same.—It—i.e., the word (1 Chronicles 16:15).
For a law=as a fixed decree.

(18) The land of Canaan.—In the Hebrew the rhythm is marred here by omission of a particle (eth), found in Psalms 105:11.
The lot.—Literally, as the measuring line (comp. Psalms 16:5), i.e., as your measured or apportioned domain.

(19) The fourth strophe of Psalms 105 begins here.
When ye were but few.—The psalm has “when they [that is, your fathers] were but few; “and so LXX. here.
Few.—Literally, men of number = easily counted. (Comp. Genesis 34:30.)
Strangers in it.—Sojourners, μέτοικοι (Genesis 23:4).

(20) And when they went from nation to nation.—And they went. This shows that the third plural (“when they were”) is original in the last verse. The reference is to the wanderings of the patriarchs.
And from one kingdom.—The conjunction is prosaic, and is not read in Psalms 105:13.

(21) This verse was originally the apodosis to 1 Chronicles 16:19. as in Psalms 105 : “When they were but few . . . and went from nation to nation . . . he suffered no man,” &c.
He suffered no man.—Heb., he permitted to no man, as in 2 Samuel 16:11.Psalms 105 has the mere accusative, and a different word for “man” (’âdâm).

(22) Saying.—Omitted in the Hebrew, as in Psalms 2:6, and perhaps at the end of 1 Chronicles 16:7, supra.
Mine anointed (ones).—Plural of Messiah. Abraham and Sarah were to be progenitors of kings (Genesis 17:16). (Comp. Genesis 23:6.)
My prophets.—Literally, do no harm against my prophets—a construction unparalleled elsewhere. Psalms 105 has the usual expression, “to my prophets.” (See Genesis 12:20, 26 for the passages of patriarchal history to which allusion is here made.)
We have now reached the first “seam” in this composite ode. Psalms 105 naturally continues its historic proof of Jehovah’s faithfulness, by reference to the sojourn in Egypt, the Exodus, the wanderings, and the occupation of Canaan. Here, however, this train of thought is abruptly broken off, and a fresh start made in 1 Chronicles 16:23 with Psalms 96. The author, or authors, who compiled this hymn of praise “strung together familiar psalms as a sort of mosaic, to give approximate expression to the festive strains and feelings of the day (Delitzsch).

(34) O give thanks unto the Lord . . .—Several of the later psalms begin with this beautiful liturgic formula. (See Psalms 106; Psalms 107, 118, 136.; and comp. Jeremiah 33:11.) The ode thus concludes with the thought from which it started (1 Chronicles 16:8).

(43) This verse is a duplicate of 2 Samuel 6:19-20 a.
Departed.—Plural; Samuel has singular.
Returned.—Rather, went round (1 Chronicles 10:14). Samuel has “returned,” which in Hebrew is very similar.
The incident which in 2 Samuel 6:20-23 here follows (Michal’s encounter with David) is omitted by the chronicler as a matter of purely domestic interest, and therefore out of place in his history, which is mainly concerned with the sacred institutions. 1 Chronicles 15:29, however, plainly implies the story.