1 Chronicles 15:16
in 1 Chronicles 15David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers, with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up the voice with joy.
KJV
And 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.
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 15
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The singers - Singing had long been recognized as appropriate to religious ceremonies Exo 15:21; Jdg 5:1; 1Ch 13:8; but this is the first occasion on which we find the duty of conducting musical services expressly laid on the Levites. Henceforth, the services of the tabernacle and the temple were regularly choral, and a considerable section of the Levites was trained in musical knowledge, and set apart to conduct this portion of the national worship.
This site's exposition
appoint their relatives as singers
on 1 Chronicles 15:16-19
Three are named in Psalm titles: Asaph at Psalms 50 and 73 to 83, Heman at Psalm 88 and Ethan at Psalm 89. The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals, which John Gill ties to 1 Corinthians 13:1.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And David spake to the chief of the Levites,.... The six before mentioned, 1Ch 15:11. to appoint their brethren to be the singers; before the ark, as they brought it up: with instruments of music, psalteries, and harps, and cymbals; which were used in those times, see 2Sa 6:5. sounding by lifting up the voice with joy; the instrumental music was to be attended with vocal music, and that very sonorous and loud, and performed with all tokens of inward joy and gladness, as the occasion required.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint . . . the singers with instruments--These eminent Levites were instructed to train the musicians and singers who were under them, for the solemn procession. The performers were ranged in three choirs or bands, and the names of the principal leaders are given (1Ch 15:17, 18, 21), with the instruments respectively used by each.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
according to the word of the Lord, on their shoulders to carry it, not actually on their shoulders, but with staves upon them.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| דָּוִיד֮ | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| לְשָׂרֵ֣י | lesarei | to [the] leaders of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| הַלְוִיִּם֒ | halviyim | the Levites | H3881 → | 291 times |
| לְהַֽעֲמִ֗יד | lehaamid | to appoint | H5975 → | 521 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲחֵיהֶם֙ | ʾacheihem | relatives their | H251 → | 630 times |
| הַמְשֹׁ֣רְרִ֔ים | hamshorerim | the singers | H7891 → | 86 times |
| בִּכְלֵי־ | bikhlei- | with instruments of | H3627 → | 325 times |
| שִׁ֛יר | shir | song | H7892 → | 59 times |
| נְבָלִ֥ים | nevalim | lyres | H5035 → | 38 times |
| וְכִנֹּר֖וֹת | vekhinorot | and harps | H3658 → | 42 times |
| וּמְצִלְתָּ֑יִם | umetziltayim | and cymbals | H4700 → | 13 times |
| מַשְׁמִיעִ֥ים | mashmiim | sounding aloud | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| לְהָרִֽים־ | leharim- | to raise | H7311 → | |
| בְּק֖וֹל | bekol | <in> a sound | H6963 → | 506 times |
| לְשִׂמְחָֽה׃ פ | lesimchah | of joy | H8057 → | 94 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
דָּוִיד֮David
davidH1732 →999 times
לְשָׂרֵ֣יto [the] leaders of
lesareiH8269 →421 times
הַלְוִיִּם֒the Levites
halviyimH3881 →291 times
לְהַֽעֲמִ֗ידto appoint
lehaamidH5975 →521 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲחֵיהֶם֙relatives their
ʾacheihemH251 →630 times
הַמְשֹׁ֣רְרִ֔יםthe singers
hamshorerimH7891 →86 times
בִּכְלֵי־with instruments of
bikhlei-H3627 →325 times
שִׁ֛ירsong
shirH7892 →59 times
נְבָלִ֥יםlyres
nevalimH5035 →38 times
וְכִנֹּר֖וֹתand harps
vekhinorotH3658 →42 times
וּמְצִלְתָּ֑יִםand cymbals
umetziltayimH4700 →13 times
מַשְׁמִיעִ֥יםsounding aloud
mashmiimH8085 →1159 times
לְהָרִֽים־to raise
leharim-H7311 →
בְּק֖וֹל<in> a sound
bekolH6963 →506 times
לְשִׂמְחָֽה׃ פof joy
lesimchahH8057 →94 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Chronicles 5:13The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: “For He…
it leads to
- Ezra 3:11
And they sang responsively with praise and thanksgiving to the LORD: “For He is good; for His loving devotion to Israel endures forever.” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to…
- 2 Chronicles 7:3
When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and…
- Jeremiah 33:11
the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of the bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those bringing thank offerings into the house of the LORD, saying: ‘Give thanks to the LORD of…
- Revelation 5:8–14
When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which…
- Isaiah 52:8
Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, together they shout for joy. For every eye will see when the LORD returns to Zion.
- Ezra 3:11
Through
1 Chronicles 23:54,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the LORD with the instruments I have made for giving praise.”
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 8:14
In keeping with the ordinances of his father David, Solomon appointed the divisions of the priests over their service, and the Levites for their duties to offer praise and to minister before the priests…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Chronicles 8:14
Through
Nehemiah 12:36and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani—with the musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession.
it leads to
- Nehemiah 12:24
The leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, along with their associates, who stood across from them to give praise and thanksgiving as one section alternated with the other,…
- Nehemiah 12:24
Through
1 Chronicles 16:42Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals for the music and instruments for the songs of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were stationed at the gate.
it leads to
- Psalms 84:10
For better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
- Psalms 84:10
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Chronicles
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).