Give thanks to the LORD;
This phrase emphasizes the importance of gratitude towards God, a recurring theme throughout the Bible. In the context of 1 Chronicles 16, David is celebrating the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, a significant event symbolizing God's presence among His people. Thanksgiving is a central aspect of worship, as seen in Psalms 100:4, which encourages entering God's presence with thanksgiving. The act of giving thanks is not only a response to God's blessings but also a recognition of His sovereignty and goodness.

call upon His name;
Calling upon the name of the LORD signifies invoking His presence and power. In ancient Israel, names held significant meaning and were often associated with one's character and authority. To call upon God's name is to seek His intervention and acknowledge His authority. This practice is seen throughout the Old Testament, such as in Genesis 4:26, where people began to call on the name of the LORD. It reflects a relationship of trust and dependence on God.

make known His deeds among the nations.
This phrase highlights the missional aspect of Israel's faith, which is to proclaim God's mighty works to all peoples. The historical context of Israel as a chosen nation was to be a light to the Gentiles, as seen in Isaiah 49:6. The deeds of God, including creation, deliverance, and covenant faithfulness, were to be shared beyond Israel's borders. This foreshadows the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19, where Jesus commands His followers to make disciples of all nations, spreading the knowledge of God's salvation through Christ.

1. David
The king of Israel who organized the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and led the people in worship and thanksgiving to God.

2. Ark of the Covenant
A sacred chest that held the tablets of the Ten Commandments, representing God's presence with His people.

3. Jerusalem
The city where the Ark was brought, symbolizing the central place of worship and the heart of Israel's spiritual life.

4. Asaph and his brothers
Levites appointed by David to minister before the Ark, leading the people in songs of thanksgiving and praise.

5. The Nations
Refers to all peoples outside of Israel, highlighting the call to proclaim God's deeds beyond the borders of Israel.The Importance of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a vital part of worship and acknowledges God's sovereignty and goodness.

Calling on God's Name
Invoking God's name signifies trust and reliance on His power and character.

Proclaiming God's Deeds
Believers are called to share testimonies of God's work in their lives, spreading His glory to all people.

Evangelism and Witness
The call to make God's deeds known among the nations is a precursor to the Great Commission, emphasizing the global mission of the Church.

Community Worship
Corporate worship, as seen in David's assembly, strengthens the faith community and encourages collective thanksgiving and praise.(8-22) The first four strophes of Psalms 105 (1Chronicles 16:1-15.)

(8) Give thanks.--The same Hebrew verb as in 1Chronicles 16:4, "to thank." Psalms 105 is a tod?h, or thanksgiving, hence its use here.

Call upon his name.--Invoke His help, appealing to Him by His revealed name of Jehovah. (Comp. Psalm 3:1-7; Psalm 5:1; Psalm 7:6, and many others.) . . .

Verses 8-36. - These verses, then, provide the form of praise which David wished to be used on this, and probably in grateful repetition on some succeeding occasions. David makes selections from four psalms already known; for it cannot be supposed that the verses we have here were the original, and that they were afterwards supplemented. The first fifteen verses (viz. 8-22) are from Psalm 105:1-15. The next eleven verses (23-33) are from Psalm 96:1-13; but a small portion of the first and last of these verses is omitted. Our thirty-fourth verse is identical with Psalm 107:1; Psalm 118:1; Psalm 136:1; and forms the larger part of Psalm 106:1. It is, in fact, a doxology. And our thirty-fifth and thirty-sixth verses consist of a short responsive ("and say ye") invocation, followed by another doxology. These are taken from Psalm 106:47, 48. Hereupon "all the people" are directed to find the final outburst of praise to Jehovah, and "Amen." In the first of these selections (vers. 8-23) there is no material variation from the language of the psalm itself. Yet the original psalm has Abraham, where our own thirteenth verse reads Israel. And the original psalm uses the third person, where our fifteenth and nineteenth verses have the second person. In the second selection it is worthy of note that our ver. 29, "Come before him," probably preserves the ante-temple reading, while Psalm 96:8 was afterwards, to fit temple times, altered into, "Come into his courts." The arrangement of all the succeeding clauses does not exactly agree with the arrangement of them found in the psalm, as for instance in the latter half of our ver. 30 and in ver. 31, compared with the clauses of vers. 10,11 of the psalm. Again, one clause of the tenth verse of the psalm, "He shall judge the people righteously," is not found in either alternative position open to it through the inversion of clauses, in our vers. 80, 81. The rhythm and metre of the psalm are, however, equally unexceptionable. The whole of the twenty-nine verses of this Psalm of praise (vers. 8-36 inclusive) are divided into portions of three verses each, except the portion vers. 23-27 inclusive which consists of five verses. As regards the matter of it, it may be remarked on as breaking into two parts, in the first of which (vers. 8-22) the people are reminded of their past history and of the marvellous providence which had governed their career from Abraham to the time they were settled in Canaan, but in the second (vers. 23-36) their thought is enlarged, their sympathies immensely widened, so as to include all the world, and their view is borne on to the momentous reality of judgment. Verses 8-10. - These verses are an animated invocation to thanks and praise.

Parallel Commentaries ...


“Give thanks
הוֹד֤וּ (hō·w·ḏū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 3034: To throw, at, away, to revere, worship, to bemoan

to the LORD;
לַֽיהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

call
קִרְא֣וּ (qir·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

upon His name;
בִשְׁמ֔וֹ (ḇiš·mōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8034: A name

make known
הוֹדִ֥יעוּ (hō·w·ḏî·‘ū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 3045: To know

His deeds
עֲלִילֹתָֽיו׃ (‘ă·lî·lō·ṯāw)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5949: An exploit, a performance, an opportunity

among the nations.
בָעַמִּ֖ים (ḇā·‘am·mîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock


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OT History: 1 Chronicles 16:8 Oh give thanks to Yahweh (1 Chron. 1Ch iCh i Ch 1 chr 1chr)