How did the Levites carry the ark into David’s city, and why did David call them to prepare?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

They were sanctified and carried it on their shoulders with staves as Moses commanded; David said the Lord had struck them earlier because these men were absent and warned against again doing something against the law.

Chapter breakdown

The ark is brought into the city of David with great solemnity, and Michol derides David’s devotion.

David made houses for himself in the city of David, built a place for the ark of God and pitched a tabernacle for it. He said that only the Levites ought to carry the ark: the Lord had chosen them to carry it and minister to him for ever. He gathered all Israel into Jerusalem to bring the ark to its prepared place, including the sons of Aaron and the Levites.

The families were listed with their chiefs and brethren. Caath had Uriel as chief and 120 brethren; Merari had Asaia and 220; Gersom had Joel and 130; Elisaphan had Semeias and 200; Hebron had Eliel and eighty; and Oziel had Aminadab and 112.

David called the priests Sadoc and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaia, Joel, Semeia, Eliel and Aminadab. He told the heads of the Levitical families to be sanctified with their brethren and bring the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to its prepared place. He said that the Lord had struck them at first because these men were absent, and warned against the same happening again through doing something against the law. The priests and Levites were sanctified to carry the ark. The sons of Levi carried it on their shoulders with the staves, as Moses had commanded according to the Lord’s word.

David told the Levite chiefs to appoint brethren as singers with psalteries, harps and cymbals, so that the joyful sound would resound on high. They appointed Hemam, son of Joel; Asaph, son of Barachias, from his brethren; and Ethan, son of Casaia, from the sons of Merari. With them were brethren in the second rank: Zacharias, Ben, Jaziel, Semiramoth, Jahiel, Ani, Eliab, Banaias, Maasias, Mathathias, Eliphalu, Macenias, Obededom and Jehiel, the porters.

The singers Heman, Asaph and Ethan sounded brass cymbals. Zacharias, Oziel, Semiramoth, Jehiel, Ani, Eliab, Maasias and Banaias sang mysteries upon psalteries. Mathathias, Eliphalu, Macenias, Obededom, Jehiel and Ozaziu sang a song of victory for the octave upon harps. Chonenias, chief of the Levites, presided over the prophecy to give out the tunes, because he was very skilful.

Challoner’s note explains that singing praises to God is called prophecy here, especially because these singers were often inspired men. This explanation belongs to the note.

Barachias and Elcana were doorkeepers of the ark. The priests Sebenias, Josaphat, Nathanael, Amasai, Zacharias, Banaias and Eliezer sounded trumpets before the ark of God. Obededom and Jehias were porters of the ark.

David, all Israel’s ancients and the captains over thousands went joyfully to bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Obededom’s house. When God helped the Levites carrying it, they sacrificed seven oxen and seven rams. David wore a robe of fine linen, as did the Levites carrying the ark, the singers and Chonenias, the ruler of the prophecy among them. David also wore a linen ephod.

All Israel brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant with joyful shouting and the sounds of cornet, trumpets, cymbals, psalteries and harps. As it came into the city of David, Michol, Saul’s daughter, looked from a window and saw king David dancing and playing. She despised him in her heart.

The story inside

David prepares a place and tabernacle for the ark and declares that the Levites are the people chosen to carry it and minister to the Lord. The family roster then names six chiefs and their brethren. David calls the priests and chiefs, asks for their sanctification and explains his warning through the earlier striking and their absence. The account records their sanctification and carrying on shoulders with staves according to Moses’s command. It next gives the musical appointments in detail, distinguishing the second rank, instruments, singers, Chonenias’s skill, priests and porters. Challoner’s explanation of prophecy is kept apart from the verses. David, the ancients and captains bring the ark from Obededom’s house with joy; after God helps its bearers, seven oxen and seven rams are sacrificed. The linen clothing, instruments and shouting accompany the arrival. Michol sees David dancing and playing from a window and despises him in her heart; the chapter records her reaction without explaining its motive.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The carrying follows a specified choice, preparation and method. David says the Lord chose the Levites to carry the ark and minister for ever. He calls for sanctification, warns against another act against the law, and the sons of Levi carry on shoulders with staves according to Moses’s command. The separate family figures are not a statement that every person listed carried the ark.
2
The music has named people, roles and reasons. Singers use distinct instruments, priests sound trumpets, and porters serve the ark. Chonenias gives out the tunes because he is skilful. Challoner explains prophecy as singing praises, saying singers were often inspired; the qualifier does not say that every named singer was always inspired.
3
The ending keeps the reported joy and Michol’s reaction. Israel brings the ark with shouting and instruments; David dances and plays. Michol sees this from a window and despises him in her heart. Her relationship to Saul is named, but the verse does not label her motive as vanity or worldly pride, or add a later consequence.

Test your recall

David prepares a place and declares the Levites chosen to carry → he calls priests and chiefs to sanctify themselves and warns against repeating an act against the law → the sons of Levi carry on shoulders with staves. Musical appointments give singers, priests and porters their roles → David, the ancients and captains bring the ark with joy → God helps the Levites and they sacrifice seven oxen and seven rams. The ark reaches David’s city → Michol sees him dancing and playing → she despises him in her heart.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 42873–42876
1 Paralipomenon Chapter 15 The ark is brought into the city of David, with great solemnity. Michol derideth David’s devotion.
Lines 42878–42888
15:1. He made also houses for himself in the city of David: and built a place for the ark of God, and pitched a tabernacle for it. 15:2. Then David said: No one ought to carry the ark of God, but the Levites, whom the Lord hath chosen to carry it, and to minister unto himself for ever. 15:3. And he gathered all Israel together into Jerusalem, that the ark of God might be brought into its place, which he had prepared for it. 15:4. And the sons of Aaron also, and the Levites.
Lines 42890–42905
15:5. Of the children of Caath, Uriel was the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twenty. 15:6. Of the sons of Merari, Asaia the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty. 15:7. Of the sons of Gersom, Joel the chief, and his brethren a hundred and thirty. 15:8. Of the sons of Elisaphan, Semeias the chief: and his brethren two hundred. 15:9. Of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief: and his brethren eighty. 15:10. Of the sons of Oziel, Aminadab the chief: and his brethren a hundred and twelve.
Lines 42907–42923
15:11. And David called Sadoc, and Abiathar the priests, and the Levites, Uriel, Asaia, Joel, Semeia, Eliel, and Aminadab: 15:12. And he said to them: You that are the heads of the Levitical families, be sanctified with your brethren, and bring the ark of the Lord the God of Israel to the place, which is prepared for it: 15:13. Lest as the Lord at first struck us, because you were not present, the same should now also come to pass, by our doing some thing against the law. 15:14. So the priests and the Levites were sanctified, to carry the ark of the Lord the God of Israel. 15:15. And the sons of Levi took the ark of God as Moses had commanded, according to the word of the Lord, upon their shoulders, with the staves.
Lines 42925–42937
15:16. And David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites, to appoint some of their brethren to be singers with musical instruments, to wit, on psalteries, and harps, and cymbals, that the joyful noise might resound on high. 15:17. And they appointed Levites, Hemam the son of Joel, and of his brethren Asaph the son of Barachias: and of the sons of Merari, their brethren: Ethan the son of Casaia. 15:18. And with them their brethren: in the second rank, Zacharias, and Ben, and Jaziel, and Semiramoth, and Jahiel, and Ani, and Eliab, and Banaias, and Maasias, and Mathathias, and Eliphalu, and Macenias, and Obededom, and Jehiel, the porters.
Lines 42939–42949
15:19. Now the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, sounded with cymbals of brass. 15:20. And Zacharias, and Oziel, and Semiramoth, and Jehiel, and Ani, and Eliab, and Maasias, and Banaias, sung mysteries upon psalteries. 15:21. And Mathathias, and Eliphalu, and Macenias and Obededom, and Jehiel and Ozaziu, sung a song of victory for the octave upon harps. 15:22. And Chonenias chief of the Levites, presided over the prophecy, to give out the tunes: for he was very skilful.
Lines 42951–42953
The prophecy, to give out the tunes.... Singing praises to God is here called prophecy: the more, because these singers were often inspired men.
Lines 42955–42959
15:23. And Barachias, and Elcana, were doorkeepers of the ark. 15:24. And Sebenias, and Josaphat, and Nathanael, and Amasai, and Zacharias, and Banaias, and Eliezer the priests, sounded with trumpets, before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehias were porters of the ark.
Lines 42961–42972
15:25. So David and all the ancients of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of Obededom with joy. 15:26. And when God had helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they offered in sacrifice seven oxen, and seven rams. 15:27. And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that carried the ark, and the singing men, and Chonenias the ruler of the prophecy among the singers: and David also had on him an ephod of linen.
Lines 42974–42982
15:28. And all Israel brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord with joyful shouting, and sounding with the sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and cymbals, and psalteries, and harps. 15:29. And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord was come to the city of David, Michol the daughter of Saul looking out at a window, saw king David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.