2 Chronicles 5 commentary

The ark was a type of Christ, and, as such, a token of the presence of God. That gracious promise, Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world, does, in effect, bring the ark into our religious assemblies, if we by faith and prayer plead that promise; and this we should be most earnest for. When Christ is formed in a soul, the law written in the heart, the ark of the covenant settled there, so that it becomes the temple of the Holy Ghost, there is true satisfaction in that soul.

God took possession of the temple; he filled it with a cloud. Thus he signified his acceptance of this temple, to be the same to him that the tabernacle of Moses was, and assured his people that he would be the same in it. Would we have God dwell in our hearts, we must leave room for him; every thing else must give way. The Word was made flesh; and when he comes to his temple, like a refiner's fire, who may abide the day of his coming? May he prepare us for that day.

CHAPTER 5

2Ch 5:1. The Dedicated Treasures.

1. Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated--the immense sums and the store of valuable articles which his father and other generals had reserved and appropriated for the temple (1Ch 22:14; 26:26).

2Ch 5:2-13. Bringing Up of the Ark of the Covenant.

2-3. Then Solomon assembled ... in the feast which was in the seventh month--The feast of the dedication of the temple was on the eighth day of that month. This is related, word for word, the same as in 1Ki 8:1-10.

9. there it is unto this day--that is, at the time when this history was composed; for after the Babylonish captivity there is no trace of either ark or staves.

11. all the priests that were present ... did not then wait by course--The rotation system of weekly service introduced by David was intended for the ordinary duties of the priesthood; on extraordinary occasions, or when more than wonted solemnity attached to them, the priests attended in a body.

12. the Levites which were the singers--On great and solemn occasions, such as this, a full choir was required, and their station was taken with scrupulous regard to their official parts: the family of Heman occupied the central place, the family of Asaph stood on his right, and that of Jeduthun on his left; the place allotted to the vocal department was a space between the court of Israel and the altar in the east end of the priests' court.

with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets--The trumpet was always used by the priests, and in the divine service it was specially employed in calling the people together during the holy solemnities, and in drawing attention to new and successive parts of the ritual. The number of trumpets used in the divine service could not be less than two (Nu 10:2), and their greatest number never exceeded the precedent set at the dedication of the temple. The station where the priests were sounding with trumpets was apart from that of the other musicians; for while the Levite singers occupied an orchestra east of the altar, the priests stood at the marble table on the southwest of the altar. There both of them stood with their faces to the altar. The manner of blowing the trumpets was, first, by a long plain blast, then by one with breakings and quaverings, and then by a long plain blast again [Brown, Jewish Antiquities].

13. the house was filled with a cloud--(See on 1Ki 8:10).

Brought in all the things - See the note on 1Kgs 7:51.

The feast - "That is, the feast of tabernacles, which was held in the seventh month." - Targum. See 1Kgs 8:2.

They drew out the staves - As the ark was no longer to be carried about, these were unnecessary.

There was nothing in the ark save - The Chaldee paraphrases thus: "There was nothing put in the ark but the two tables which Moses placed there, after the first had been broken on account of the calf which they made in Horeb, and the two other tables had been confirmed which were written with writing expressed in the Ten Words."

When the priests were come out - After having carried the ark into the holy of holies, before the sacred service had commenced.

A hundred and twenty priests - Cymbals, psalteries, and harps, of any kind, in union with a hundred and twenty trumpets or horns, could not produce much harmony; as to melody, that must have been impossible, as the noise was too great.

For he is good - This was either the whole of the song, or the burden of each verse. The Hebrew is very short: - כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו

Ki tob ki leolam chasdo.

For he is good; for his mercy is endless.

The priests could not stand - What a proof of the being of God, and of the Divine presence! What must those holy men have felt at this time!

The gold - The remainder of those vast sums mentioned, 1Chron 22:14.

The ark - The ark was a type of Christ, and a token of the presence of God. That gracious promise, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world, does in effect bring the ark into our religious assemblies, if we claim it by faith and prayer. And this we should be earnest for: the temple itself, if Christ leave it, is a desolate place. Those &c. - As many of them as were fit for use, it is probable, were still used. The rest were carefully laid up, as monuments of antiquity.

To this day - When this history was first written; not when it was reviewed by Ezra: for after the return from Babylon, neither staves nor ark were any more seen.

By course - According to David's appointment, 1Chron 24:1 - 31, 25:1 - 22, which was only for the ordinary service, but in extraordinary solemnities, such as this, they all came together.

Glory of the Lord - And this beautified it more than all the gold with which it was overlaid, or the precious stones with which it was garnished. Yet even that was no glory, in comparison of the glory of the gospel - dispensation.

1 THus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: And Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold , and all the Instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.

Or, even (as that particle is oft understood) the Silver, and the Gold, the Remainder of those vast Sums mentioned 1 Chron. 22. 14.

Marginal references: 1 Kin. 7. 51.

2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel , and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD, out of the city of David, which is Zion.

Of this and the following Verses see the Notes on 1 King. 8 1, &c.

Marginal references: 1 King. 8. 2, &c.; Or, rulers of the families. So Gr.

9 And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle, but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day .

When this History was first written; not when it was reviewed by Ezra, who made some Additions to it: For after the Return from Babylon neither Staves nor Ark were any more seen or heard of.

Marginal references: Or, [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word], [illegible: 1 word], 1 Kin. [illegible: 1+ letters]. [illegible: 1+ letters].

11 And it came to pass when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course .

According to Davids Appointment, 1 Chron. 24. & 25. which was onely for the Ordinary Service, but in Extraordinary Solemnities, such as this eminently was, they all came together.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word]

2Ch 5:1 2Ch 5:1 contains the conclusion of the account of the preparation of the sacred utensils as in 1Ki 7:51, and with it also the whole account of the building of the temple is brought to an end. The ו before את־הכּסף and את־הזּהב corresponds to the Lat. et - et, both - and also. As to David’s offerings, cf. 1Ch 18:10 and 1Ch 18:11; and on the whole matter, compare also the remarks on 1Ki 7:51.

2Ch 5:2-3

The first part of the celebration was the transfer of the ark from Mount Zion to the temple (2Ch 5:2-14), and in connection with this we have the words in which Solomon celebrates the entry of the Lord into the new temple (2Ch 6:1-11). This section has been already commented on in the remarks on 1 Kings 8:1-21, and we have here, consequently, only to set down briefly those discrepancies between our account and that other, which have any influence upon the meaning. - In 2Ch 5:3 the name of the month, האתנים בּירח (1Ki 8:2), with which the supplementary clause, “that is the seventh month,” is there connected, is omitted, so that we must either change החדשׁ into בּחרשׁ, or supply the name of the month; for the festival is not the seventh month, but was held in that month.

2Ch 5:4-9

Instead of הלויּם, we have in 2 Kings הכּהנים, the priests bare the ark; and since even according to the Chronicle (2Ch 5:7) the priests bare the ark into the holy place, we must understand by הלויּם such Levites were also priests. - In 2Ch 5:5, too the words הלויּם הכּהנים are inexact, and are to be corrected by 1Ki 8:4, והלויּם הכּהנים. For even if the Levitic priests bare the ark and the sacred utensils of the tabernacle into the temple, yet the tabernacle itself (the planks, hangings, and coverings of it) was borne into the temple, to be preserved as a holy relic, not by priests, but only by Levites. The conj. ו before הלוים has probably been omitted only by a copyist, who was thinking of הלוים הכהנים (Jos 3:3; Deu 17:9, Deu 17:18, etc.). - In 2Ch 5:8 ויכסּוּ is an orthographical error for ויּסכּוּ,   1Ki 8:7; cf. 1Ch 28:18; Exo 25:20. - In 2Ch 5:9, too, מן־הארון has probably come into our text only by a copyist’s mistake instead of מן־הקּדשׁ   (1Ki 8:8).

2Ch 5:10 נתן אשׁר, who had given, i.e., laid in, is not so exact as שׁם הנּיח אשׁר (1Ki 8:9), but may be justified by a reference to Exo 40:20.

2Ch 5:11 2Ch 5:11-13 describe the part which the priests and Levitical singers and musicians took in the solemn act of transferring the ark to the temple-a matter entirely passed over in the narrative in 1Ki 8:11, which confines itself to the main transaction. The mention of the priests gives occasion for the remark, 2Ch 5:11, “for all the priests present had sanctified themselves, but the courses were not to be observed,” i.e., the courses of the priests (1 Chron 24) could not be observed. The festival was so great, that not merely the course appointed to perform the service of that week, but also all the courses had sanctified themselves and co-operated in the celebration. In reference to the construction לשׁמור אין, cf. Ew. §321, b.

2Ch 5:12

All the Levitic singers and musicians were also engaged in it, to make the festival glorious by song and instrumental music: “and the Levites, the singers, all of them, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, and their sons and brethren, clad in byssus, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, stood eastward from the altar, and with them priests to 120, blowing trumpets.” The ל before כּלּם and the following noun is the introductory ל: “as regards.” On the form מחצררים, see on 1Ch 15:24; on these singers and musicians, their clothing, and their instruments, see on 1Ch 15:17-28 and 2Ch 25:1-8.

2Ch 5:13 2Ch 5:13 runs thus literally: “And it came to pass, as one, regarding the trumpeters and the singers, that they sang with one voice to praise and thank Jahve.” The meaning is: and the trumpeters and singers, together as one man, sang with one voice to praise. כּאחד is placed first for emphasis; stress is laid upon the subject, the trumpeters and singers, by the introductory ל; and היה is construed with the following infinitive (להשׁמיע): it was to sound, to cause to hear, for they were causing to hear, where ל c. infin. is connected with היה, as the participle is elsewhere, to describe the circumstances; cf. Ew. §237. But in order to express very strongly the idea of the unisono of the trumpet-sound, and the singing accompanied by the harp-playing, which lies in כּאחד, אחד קול is added to להשׁמיע. By וגו קול וּכהרים all that was to be said of the song and music is drawn together in the form of a protasis, to which is joined מלא והבּית, the apodosis both of this latter and also of the protasis which was interrupted by the parenthesis in 2Ch 5:11 : “When the priests went forth from the holy place, for...(2Ch 5:11), and when they lifted up the voice with trumpets and with cymbals, and the (other) instruments of song, and with the praise of Jahve, that He is good, that His mercy endureth for ever (cf. 1Ch 16:34), then was the house filled with the cloud of the house of Jahve.” The absence of the article before ענן requires us thus to connect the יהוה בּית at the close of the verse with ענן (stat. constr.), since the indefinite ענן (without the article) is not at all suitable here; for it is not any cloud which is here spoken of, but that which overshadowed the glory of the Lord in the most holy place.

2Ch 5:14 2Ch 5:14, again, agrees with 1Ki 8:6, and has been there commented upon.

The Ark Placed in the Temple. (b. c. 1004.)

1 Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the Lord was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God. 2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. 3 Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month. 4 And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark. 5 And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up. 6 Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude. 7 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims: 8 For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above. 9 And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day. 10 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

This agrees with what we had 1 Kings viii. 2, &c., where an account was given of the solemn introduction of the ark into the new-erected temple. 1. There needed no great solemnity for the bringing in of the dedicated things, v. 1. They added to the wealth, and perhaps were so disposed as to add to the beauty of it; but they could not add to the holiness, for it was the temple that sanctified the gold, Matt. xxiii. 17. See how just Solomon was both to God and to his father. Whatever David had dedicated to God, however much he might have liked it himself, he would by no means alienate it, but put it among the treasures of the temple. Those children that would inherit their godly parents' blessing must religiously pursue their pious intentions and not defeat them. When Solomon had made all the vessels of the temple in abundance (ch. iv. 18), many of the materials were left, which he would not convert to any other use, but laid up in the treasury for a time of need. Dedicated things must not be alienated. It is sacrilege to do it. 2. But it was fit that the ark should be brought in with great solemnity; and so it was. All the other vessels were made new, and larger, in proportion to the house, than they had been in the tabernacle. But the ark, with the mercy-seat and the cherubim, was the same; for the presence and the grace of God are the same in little assemblies that they are in large ones, in the poor condition of the church that they are in its prosperous estate. Wherever two or three are gathered together in Christ's name there is he as truly present with them as if there were 2000 or 3000. The ark was brought in attended by a very great assembly of the elders of Israel, who came to grace and solemnity; and a very sumptuous appearance no doubt they made, v. 2-4. It was carried by the priests (v. 7), brought into the most holy place, and put under the wings of the great cherubim which Solomon had set up there, v. 7, 8. There they are unto this day (v. 9), not the day when this book was written after the captivity, but when that was written out of which this story was transcribed. Or they were there (so it might be read) unto this day, the day of Jerusalem's desolations, that fatal day, Ps. cxxxvii. 7. The ark was a type of Christ, and, as such, a token of the presence of God. That gracious promise, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world, does in effect bring the ark into our religious assemblies if we by faith and prayer put that promise in suit; and this we should be most solicitous and earnest for. Lord, if thy presence go not up with us, wherefore should we go up? The temple itself, if Christ leave it, is a desolate place, Matt. xxiii. 38. 3. With the ark they brought up the tabernacle and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, v. 5. Those were not alienated, because they had been dedicated to God, were not altered or melted down for the new work, though there was no need of them; but they were carefully laid up as monuments of antiquity, and probably as many of the vessels as were fit for use were still used. 4. This was done with great joy. They kept a holy feast upon the occasion (v. 3), and sacrificed sheep and oxen without number, v. 6. Note, (1.) The establishment of the public worship of God according to his institution, and with the tokens of his presence, is, and ought to be, matter of great joy to any people. (2.) When Christ is formed in a soul, the law written in the heart, the ark of the covenant settled there, so that it becomes the temple of the Holy Ghost, there is true satisfaction in that soul. (3.) Whatever we have the comfort of we must, by the sacrifice of praise, give God the glory of, and not be straitened therein; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. If God favour us with his presence, we must honour him with our services, the best we have.

The Temple Filled with Glory. (b. c. 1004.)

11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course: 12 Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) 13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord ; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord , saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord ; 14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.

Solomon, and the elders of Israel, had done what they could to grace the solemnity of the introduction of the ark; but God, by testifying his acceptance of what they did, put the greatest honour upon it. The cloud of glory that filled the house beautified it more than all the gold with which it was overlaid or the precious stones with which it was garnished; and yet that was no glory in comparison with the glory of the gospel dispensation, 2 Cor. iii. 8-10. Observe,

I. How God took possession of the temple: He filled it with a cloud, v. 13. 1. Thus he signified his acceptance of this temple to be the same to him that the tabernacle of Moses was, and assured them that he would be the same in it; for it was by a cloud that he made his public entry into that, Exod. xl. 34. 2. Thus he considered the weakness and infirmity of those to whom he manifested himself, who could not bear the dazzling lustre of the divine light: it would have overpowered them; he therefore spread his cloud upon it, Job xxvi. 9. Christ revealed things unto his disciples as they were able to bear them, and in parables, which wrapped up divine things as in a cloud. 3. Thus he would affect all that worshipped in his courts with holy reverence and fear. Christ's disciples were afraid when they entered into a cloud, Luke ix. 34. 4. Thus he would intimate the darkness of that dispensation, by reason of which they could not stedfastly look to the end of those things which were now abolished, 2 Cor. iii. 13.

II. When he took possession of it. 1. When the priests had come out of the holy place, v. 11. This is the way of giving possession. All must come out, that the rightful owner may come in. Would we have God dwell in our hearts? We must leave room for him; let every thing else give way. We are here told that upon this occasion the whole family of the priests attended, and not any one particular course: All the priests that were present were sanctified (v. 11), because there was work enough for them all, when such a multitude of sacrifices were to be offered, and because it was fit that they should all be eye-witnesses of this solemnity and receive the impressions of it. 2. When the singers and musicians praised God, then the house was filled with a cloud. This is very observable; it was not when they offered sacrifices, but when they sang the praises of God, that God gave them this token of his favour; for the sacrifice of praise pleaseth the Lord better than that of an ox or bullock, Ps. lxix. 31. All the singers and musicians were employed, those of all the three families; and, to complete the concert, 120 priests, with their trumpets, joined with them, all standing at the east end of the altar, on that side of the court which lay outmost towards the people, v. 12. And, when this part of the service began, the glory of God appeared. Observe, (1.) It was when they were unanimous, when they were as one, to make one sound. The Holy God descended on the apostles when they met with one accord, Acts ii. 1-4. Where unity is the Lord commands the blessing. (2.) It was when they were lively and hearty, and lifted up their voice to praise the Lord. Then we serve God acceptably when we are fervent in spirit serving him. (3.) It was when they were, in their praises, celebrating the everlasting mercy and goodness of God. As there is one saying oftener repeated in scripture than this, his mercy endureth for ever (twenty-six times in one psalm, Ps. cxxxvi., and often elsewhere), so there is none more signally owned from heaven; for it was not the expression of some rapturous flights that the priests were singing when the glory of God appeared, but this plain song, He is good, and his mercy endureth for ever. God's goodness is his glory, and he is pleased when we give him the glory of it.

III. What was the effect of it. The priests themselves could not stand to minister, by reason of the cloud (v. 14), which, as it was an evidence that the law made men priests that had infirmity, so (as bishop Patrick observes) it was a plain intimation that the Levitical priesthood should cease, and stand no longer to minister, when the Messiah should come, in whom the fulness of the godhead should dwell bodily. In him the glory of God dwelt among us, but covered with a cloud. The Word was made flesh; and when he comes to his temple, like a refiner's fire, who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? Mal. iii. 1, 2.