Christian Standard Bible
1 Chronicles 15:16
16Then David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers and to have them raise their voices with joy accompanied by musical instruments — harps, lyres, and cymbals.
1 Chronicles 15:16 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.
- English Standard Version (ESV)David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on musical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy.
Context of 1 Chronicles 15:16
14So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. 15Then the Levites carried the ark of God the way Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord: on their shoulders with the poles. Then David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers and to have them raise their voices with joy accompanied by musical instruments — harps, lyres, and cymbals. 17So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah. 18With them were their relatives second in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.
Read all of 1 Chronicles 151 Chronicles 15:16 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִיד֮ לְשָׂרֵ֣י הַלְוִיִּם֒ לְהַֽעֲמִ֗יד אֶת־אֲחֵיהֶם֙ הַמְשֹׁ֣רְרִ֔ים בִּכְלֵי־שִׁ֛יר נְבָלִ֥ים וְכִנֹּר֖וֹת וּמְצִלְתָּ֑יִם מַשְׁמִיעִ֥ים לְהָרִֽים־בְּק֖וֹל לְשִׂמְחָֽה׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- spakeאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- to the chiefשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- of the Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
- to appointעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: appointH5975
- their brethrenאָח'âch · brother: male-relativeH251
- the singersשִׁירshîyr shûr · to singH7891
- with instrumentsכְּלִיkelîy · article/utensilH3627
- of musickשִׁירshîyr shîyrâh · songH7892
- psalteriesנֵ֫בֶלnebel nêbel · harpH5035
- and harpsכִּנּוֹרkinnôr · lyreH3658
- and cymbalsמְצִלְתַּיִםmetsêleth · cymbalH4700
- soundingשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: proclaimH8085
- by lifting upרוּםrûm · to exaltH7311
- the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: soundH6963
- with joyשִׂמְחָהώimchâh · joyH8057
Cross-references for 1 Chronicles 15:16
- 2 Chronicles 30:12Also, the power of God was at work in Judah to unite them to carry out the command of the king and his officials by the word of the Lord.
- Ezra 7:24Be advised that you do not have authority to impose tribute, duty, and land tax on any priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
- Isaiah 49:23Kings will be your guardians and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who put their hope in me will not be put to shame.
- 1 Chronicles 15:12He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levite families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it.
- Acts 14:23When they had appointed elders for them in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
- 1 Timothy 3:1This saying is trustworthy: “If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work.”
- 2 Timothy 2:2What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
- 1 Chronicles 15:27Now David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah, the music leader of the singers. David also wore a linen ephod.
- 1 Chronicles 6:31These are the men David put in charge of the music in the Lord’s temple after the ark came to rest there.
- 1 Chronicles 13:8David and all Israel were dancing with all their might before God with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.
- 1 Chronicles 16:43Then all the people went home, and David returned home to bless his household.
- 1 Chronicles 23:5four thousand are to be gatekeepers, and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the instruments that I have made for worship.”
- 1 Chronicles 25:1David and the officers of the army also set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, who were to prophesy accompanied by lyres, harps, and cymbals. This is the list of the men who performed their service:
- 2 Chronicles 29:28The whole assembly was worshiping, singing the song, and blowing the trumpets — all this continued until the burnt offering was completed.
- Nehemiah 12:36as well as his relatives — Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David, the man of God. Ezra the scribe went in front of them.
- Nehemiah 12:46For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there were heads of the singers and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
Commentaries on 1 Chronicles 15:16
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16The singers - Singing had long been recognized as appropriate to religious ceremonies Exodus 15:21; Judges 5:1; 1 Chronicles 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-18This is the first of three lists of Levitical musicians (see 1 Chronicles 15:19–22; 16:4–6). This list provides the names of the three leaders (Heman, Asaph, and Ethan; see 1 Chronicles 6:33–47) along with their assistants.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-2416-24. 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. "Ben" (1Ch 15:18) is omitted (1Ch 15:20). Either it was used merely as a…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Chronicles 15:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Chronicles 15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
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