1 Chronicles 15:2
in 1 Chronicles 15Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath Jehovah chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 15
Commentary
6 notes on this verseNone ought to carry the ark - but the Levites - It was their business; and he should have thought of this sooner, and then the unfortunate breach on Uzza would have been prevented; see 1Ch 15:13.
This site's exposition
and pitched for it a tent
on 1 Chronicles 15:1-3
This chapter follows the disaster of chapter 13, and David begins by building himself houses in the city of David and preparing a tent for the ark, a first step taken before the theology behind it is even stated. He then states the corrected doctrine himself, unprompted: none ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the LORD chose them to carry it and to minister to him for ever. Only after that correction does he gather all Israel to bring the ark up, the summons following the doctrine rather than repeating the presumption that failed in chapter 13. Chronicles alone preserves David's confession in these terms; the parallel in 2 Samuel 6 has no equivalent to this verse.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
This rule was express, and yet David himself forgot it, and put the ark upon a cart. Note, Even those that are very knowing in the word of God, yet have it not always so ready to them as were to be wished when they have occasion to use it. Wise and good men may be guilty of an oversight, which, as soon as they are aware of, they will correct.
Then David said,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites--After the lapse of three months (1Ch 13:14) the purpose of transporting the ark to Jerusalem was resumed.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites - Compare marginal references. We can easily understand that David, after the “breach upon Uzza” 1Ch 13:11, had carefully considered all the legal requirements with respect to moving the ark, and was anxious that they should be strictly observed (compare 1Ch 15:13).
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אָ֚ז | ʾaz | then | H227 → | 141 times |
| אָמַ֣ר | ʾamar | he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| דָּוִ֔יד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| לָשֵׂאת֙ | laset | to carry | H5375 → | 656 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲר֣וֹן | ʾaron | [the] ark of | H727 → | 202 times |
| הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| כִּ֖י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | except | H518 → | 1069 times |
| הַלְוִיִּ֑ם | halviyim | the Levites | H3881 → | 291 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בָ֣ם׀ | vam | <in> them | ||
| בָּחַ֣ר | bachar | he had chosen | H977 → | 171 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לָשֵׂ֞את | laset | to carry | H5375 → | 656 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲר֧וֹן | ʾaron | [the] ark of | H727 → | 202 times |
| יְהוָ֛ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וּֽלְשָׁרְת֖וֹ | uleshareto | and to serve him | H8334 → | 97 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| עוֹלָֽם׃ ס | olam | perpetuity | H5769 → | 438 times |
אָ֚זthen
ʾazH227 →141 times
אָמַ֣רhe said
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
דָּוִ֔ידDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
לָשֵׂאת֙to carry
lasetH5375 →656 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲר֣וֹן[the] ark of
ʾaronH727 →202 times
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
כִּ֖יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
אִם־except
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
הַלְוִיִּ֑םthe Levites
halviyimH3881 →291 times
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
בָ֣ם׀<in> them
vam
בָּחַ֣רhe had chosen
bacharH977 →171 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לָשֵׂ֞אתto carry
lasetH5375 →656 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲר֧וֹן[the] ark of
ʾaronH727 →202 times
יְהוָ֛הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וּֽלְשָׁרְת֖וֹand to serve him
ulesharetoH8334 →97 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
עוֹלָֽם׃ סperpetuity
olamH5769 →438 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
Deuteronomy 10:8At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in…
it leads to
- Numbers 4:15
When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all their equipment, as soon as the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites shall come and do the carrying. But they…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 21:5
And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve Him and pronounce blessings in His name and to give a ruling in every…
- Deuteronomy 18:5
For the LORD your God has chosen Levi and his sons out of all your tribes to stand and minister in His name for all time.
- Numbers 6:23–26
“Tell Aaron and his sons: This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
- Numbers 3:6
“Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him.
- Numbers 4:15
Through
Deuteronomy 31:9So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.
it leads to
- Joshua 3:3
and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it.
- Joshua 6:12
Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests took the ark of the LORD.
- John 1:45
Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
- Joshua 3:3
About 1 Chronicles
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Chronicles and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.