in the solemn transfer of the ark of God (1 Chron 15), but he sets forth minutely the arrangements which David made, after the ark had been brought into the capital of the kingdom, for the restoration of a permanent worship about that sanctuary (1 Chron 16). Both the narratives are taken from an original document which related the matter more at length; and from it the author of 2 Samuel has excerpted only what was important for his purpose, while the author of the Chronicle gives a more detailed account. The opinion held by de Wette and others, that the narrative in the Chronicle is merely an expansion by the author of the Chronicle, or by the author of the original document followed by our chronicler, of the account in 2 Sam 6, for the purpose of glorifying the Levitic cultus, is shown to be incorrect and untenable by the multitude of historical statements peculiar to 1 Chron 15 and 16, which could not possibly have been invented.The removal of the ark from Kirjath-jearim. Cf. 2Sa 6:1-11, with the commentary on the substance of the narrative there given.
Chap. 13
Verses 1-3
The introduction to this event is in 2Sa 6:1 and 2Sa 6:2 very brief; but according to our narrative, David consulted with the chief men over thousands and hundreds (1Ch 15:25), viz., with all the princes. The preposition ל before כּל־נגּיד groups together the individual chiefs of the people just named. He laid his purpose before “all the congregation of Israel,” i.e., before the above-mentioned princes as representatives of the whole people. “If it seem good to you, and if it come from Jahve our God,” i.e., if the matter be willed of and approved by God, we will send as speedily as possible. The words נשׁלחה נפרצה without the conjunction are so connected that נשׁלחה defines the idea expressed by נפרצה, “we will break through, will send,” for “we will, breaking through,” i.e., acting quickly and energetically, “send thither.” The construction of שׁלח with על is accounted for by the fact that the sending thither includes the notion of commanding (צוּה על). כּל־ארצות, all the provinces of the various tribal domains, is used for כּל־חארץ, 1Sa 13:19, here, and 2Ch 11:23 and 2Ch 34:33; in all which places the idea of the division of the land into a number of territories is prominent. This usage is founded upon Gen 26:3 and Gen 26:4, where the plural points to the number of small tribes which possessed Canaan. After ועמּהם, על or על נשׁלחה is to be repeated. The words דרשׁנהוּ לא in 1Ch 13:3, we have not sought it, nor asked after it, are meant to include all.
Verses 4-14
As the whole assembly
