What ongoing duties did David assign after the ark was placed in its tent?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Asaph and his brethren were to minister before the ark continually, day by day in their courses, while Sadoc and his fellow priests offered morning and evening holocausts at Gabaon according to the Lord’s written law; named musicians and porters also received duties.

Chapter breakdown

The ark is placed in the tabernacle, sacrifices are offered, and David blesses the people, assigns Levite duties and makes a psalm of praise.

They brought the ark of God into the middle of the tent David had pitched for it and offered holocausts and peace offerings before God. When David finished offering, he blessed the people in the Lord’s name. He gave every person, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a piece of roasted beef and flour fried with oil.

David appointed Levites to minister before the ark, remember the Lord’s works, and glorify and praise the Lord God of Israel. Asaph was chief, with Zacharias next, followed by Jahiel, Semiramoth, Jehiel, Mathathias, Eliab, Banaias and Obededom. Jehiel was over the psaltery and harp instruments, and Asaph sounded cymbals. The priests Banaias and Jaziel were to sound trumpets continually before the ark of the Lord’s covenant. That day David made Asaph the chief to give praise with his brethren.

The praise calls on the people to praise the Lord, call on his name and make his deeds known among the nations. They are to sing to him, tell of all his wondrous works and praise his holy name. Those seeking him are to rejoice in heart, seek the Lord and his power, and seek his face evermore. They are to remember his wonderful works, signs and spoken judgments. The address names Israel’s descendants as his servants and Jacob’s children as his chosen. He is the Lord their God, whose judgments are in all the earth.

They are to remember his covenant for ever, the word he commanded to a thousand generations: his covenant with Abraham and oath to Isaac, made a precept for Jacob and an everlasting covenant for Israel. He promised Chanaan as their allotted inheritance. When they were very few and sojourners there, they went from nation to nation and from one kingdom to another people. He allowed no one to wrong them and reproved kings for their sake, commanding that his anointed not be touched and his prophets not be harmed.

All the earth is called to sing to the Lord and show his salvation day by day, declaring his glory among the Gentiles and his wonders among all peoples. The Lord is great, greatly to be praised and feared above all gods. The nations’ gods are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Praise and magnificence are before him, with strength and joy in his place. The families of the nations are called to bring him glory and dominion, give glory to his name, bring sacrifice, come before him and worship him in fitting holiness. All the earth is to be moved at his presence, for he founded the world immoveable.

The heavens are to rejoice and the earth be glad, with the nations declaring that the Lord reigns. The sea and all it contains are to roar; the fields and all in them are to rejoice. The trees of the wood are to praise before the Lord because he comes to judge the earth. The people are to give him glory because he is good and his mercy endures for ever. They are to ask God their savior to save them, gather them and deliver them from the nations, so that they can glorify his holy name and rejoice in singing his praises. The praise blesses the Lord God of Israel from eternity to eternity and calls all the people to say Amen and a hymn to God.

David left Asaph and his brethren before the ark of the Lord’s covenant to minister continually, day by day and in their courses. Obededom was there with sixty-eight brethren. Obededom, son of Idithun, and Hosa were appointed porters. Sadoc the priest and his fellow priests were before the Lord’s tabernacle at the high place in Gabaon. They were to offer holocausts continually on the altar of holocausts, morning and evening, according to all that was written in the Lord’s law commanded to Israel.

After Sadoc came Heman, Idithun and the rest chosen by name to praise the Lord because his mercy endures for ever. Heman and Idithun sounded trumpets and played cymbals and all kinds of instruments to sing God’s praises. Idithun’s sons were made porters. All the people returned to their houses, and David returned to bless his own house.

The story inside

The ark’s placement is followed by offerings, David’s blessing and food for every man and woman. David appoints Levites for service, remembrance and praise, with named musicians and priests. The chapter then gives the words of praise: remember God’s works and covenant, tell his deeds to the nations, honor the Creator above idols, and call creation to rejoice before the judge of the earth. Its ending asks for salvation, gathering and deliverance from the nations so that the people may praise God. The account returns to the appointments, distinguishing continual service before the ark from the morning and evening offerings at Gabaon. It keeps the named porters and musicians and closes with the people going home and David returning to bless his house.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The praise gives remembrance a specific content. It names God’s works, signs and judgments, the covenant with Abraham, oath to Isaac, precept for Jacob, promise of Chanaan and protection while the people were few and wandering. Keeping these details explains what the people are called to remember rather than replacing them with a general statement about gratitude.
2
The call to the nations includes reasons and a request. The Lord deserves praise because he is great and made the heavens, while their gods are idols. The song also calls heaven, earth, sea, fields and trees to rejoice before him as judge. It asks for gathering and deliverance so the people can glorify his name; it does not report that this requested deliverance has already happened.
3
The ongoing duties have people, places and timing. Asaph’s brethren minister before the ark day by day in their courses. Sadoc’s priests offer at Gabaon morning and evening according to the written law. Obededom’s sixty-eight brethren, the named porters and the musicians remain part of the account. The chapter does not specify an altar material or say how long these arrangements lasted.

Test your recall

The ark is placed in David’s tent → offerings are made → David blesses the people and distributes food to every man and woman. Levites are appointed to remember and praise → the praise recalls the covenant and calls nations and creation to honor God → it asks for salvation and gathering so the people may praise. David leaves named servants before the ark and at Gabaon with ongoing duties → the people go home and David returns to bless his house.

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 42983–42987
1 Paralipomenon Chapter 16 The ark is placed in the tabernacle. Sacrifice is offered. David blesseth the people, disposeth the offices of Levites, and maketh a psalm of praise to God.
Lines 42989–42997
16:1. So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent, which David had pitched for it: and they offered holocausts, and peace offerings before God. 16:2. And when David had made an end of offering holocausts, and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 16:3. And he divided to all and every one, both men and women, a loaf of bread, and a piece of roasted beef, and flour fried with oil.
Lines 42999–43012
16:4. And he appointed Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, and to remember his works, and to glorify, and praise the Lord God of Israel. 16:5. Asaph the chief, and next after him Zacharias: moreover Jahiel, and Semiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mathathias, and Eliab, and Banaias, and Obededom: and Jehiel over the instruments of psaltery, and harps: and Asaph sounded with cymbals: 16:6. But Banaias, and Jaziel the priests, to sound the trumpet continually before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 16:7. In that day David made Asaph the chief to give praise to the Lord with his brethren.
Lines 43014–43031
16:8. Praise ye the Lord, and call upon his name: make known his doings among the nations. 16:9. Sing to him, yea, sing praises to him: and relate all his wondrous works. 16:10. Praise ye his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice, that seek the Lord. 16:11. Seek ye the Lord, and his power: seek ye his face evermore. 16:12. Remember his wonderful works, which he hath done: his signs, and the judgments of his mouth. 16:13. O ye seed of Israel his servants, ye children of Jacob his chosen. 16:14. He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth.
Lines 43033–43053
16:15. Remember for ever his covenant: the word, which he commanded to a thousand generations. 16:16. The covenant which he made with Abraham: and his oath to Isaac. 16:17. And he appointed the same to Jacob for a precept: and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: 16:18. Saying: To thee will I give the land of Chanaan: the lot of your inheritance. 16:19. When they were but a small number: very few and sojourners in it. 16:20. And they passed from nation to nation: and from a kingdom to another people. 16:21. He suffered no man to do them wrong: and reproved kings for their sake. 16:22. Touch not my anointed: and do no evil to my prophets.
Lines 43055–43077
16:23. Sing ye to the Lord, all the earth: shew forth from day to day his salvation. 16:24. Declare his glory among the Gentiles: his wonders among all people. 16:25. For the Lord is great and exceedingly to be praised: and he is to be feared above all gods. 16:26. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. 16:27. Praise and magnificence are before him: strength and joy in his place. 16:28. Bring ye to the Lord, O ye families of the nations: bring ye to the Lord glory and empire. 16:29. Give to the Lord glory to his name, bring up sacrifice, and come ye in his sight: and adore the Lord in holy becomingness. 16:30. Let all the earth be moved at his presence: for he hath founded the world immoveable.
Lines 43079–43096
16:31. Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth be glad: and let them say among the nations: The Lord hath reigned. 16:32. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all things that are in them. 16:33. Then shall the trees of the wood give praise before the Lord: because he is come to judge the earth. 16:34. Give ye glory to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 16:35. And say ye: Save us, O God our savior: and gather us together, and deliver us from the nations, that we may give glory to thy holy name, and may rejoice in singing thy praises. 16:36. Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel from eternity to eternity: and let all the people say Amen, and a hymn to God.
Lines 43098–43110
16:37. So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, Asaph and his brethren to minister in the presence of the ark continually day by day, and in their courses. 16:38. And Obededom, with his brethren sixty-eight: and Obededom the son of Idithun, and Hosa he appointed to be porters. 16:39. And Sadoc the priest, and his brethren priests, before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place, which was in Gabaon. 16:40. That they should offer holocausts to the Lord upon the altar of holocausts continually, morning and evening, according to all that is written in the law of the Lord, which he commanded Israel.
Lines 43112–43123
16:41. And after him Heman, and Idithun, and the rest that were chosen, every one by his name to give praise to the Lord: because his mercy endureth for ever. 16:42. And Heman and Idithun sounded the trumpet, and played on the cymbals, and all kinds of musical instruments to sing praises to God: and the sons of Idithun he made porters. 16:43. And all the people returned to their houses: and David to bless also his own house.