1 Chronicles 15:1

And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(1) And David made him houses.—Or, and he made (i.e., finished) a palace (plural, intensive) for himself, referring back to 1Chronicles 14:1. Others think of fresh buildings required for his additional wives, which is less likely. David had the example of Egyptian and Babylonian monarchs for his palace-building.

City of David.—Castle of Zion (1Chronicles 11:5; 1Chronicles 11:7).

And prepared a place for the ark.—Comp. 2Samuel 6:17.

A place.—Probably within the palace precincts.

Pitched (or spread) for it a tent (or tabernacle).—The old one was at Gibeon, and Zadok ministered as high priest therein (1Chronicles 16:39). Abiathar, of the house of Ithamar, who had hitherto followed the fortunes of David, probably ministered before the Ark in the new tent.

Benson Commentary

1 Chronicles 15:1. David made him houses in the city of David — A palace consisting of many houses or apartments for his several wives and children. And prepared a place for the ark of God — He did not fetch the tabernacle of Moses from Gibeon, because he intended forthwith to build the temple. See note on 2 Samuel 6:17.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

15:1-24 Wise and good men may be guilty of oversights, which they will correct, as soon as they are aware of them. David does not try to justify what had been done amiss, nor to lay the blame on others; but he owns himself guilty, with others, of not seeking God in due order

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And pitched for it a tent - The old "tent" or "tabernacle" was still in existence at Gibeon 1 Chronicles 16:39; 2 Chronicles 1:3; but the ark had long been separated from it, and David probably thought that something newer and more magnificent was requisite. He therefore allowed the former tabernacle to keep its place, and had another made and erected.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 15

1Ch 15:1-24. David Brings the Ark from Obededom.

1. David made him houses in the city of David—Through the liberality of his Tyrian ally (1Ch 14:1), David was enabled to erect not only a palace for himself, but to furnish suitable accommodation for his numerous family. Where polygamy prevails, each wife has a separate house or suite of apartments for herself and children.

prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent—that is, made an entirely new one upon the model of the former. The old tabernacle, which Moses had constructed in the wilderness and which had hitherto served the purpose of a sacred covering, was to be left at Gibeon, either because of the unwillingness of the inhabitants to part with such a venerable relic, or because there was no use for it in Jerusalem, where a more solid and sumptuous edifice was contemplated. If it appear surprising that David "made him houses" before he prepared this new tabernacle, it should be remembered that he had received no divine intimation respecting such a work.David, having prepared a place for the ark, ordereth the priests and Levites to bring it from Obed-edom, 1 Chronicles 15:1-24. He performeth the solemnity thereof with great joy, 1 Chronicles 15:25-28. Michal despiseth him, 1 Chronicles 15:29.

Houses; a palace consisting of many houses or apartments for his several wives and children. Pitched for it a tent.

Quest. Why did he not first fetch the tabernacle of Moses from Gibeon, where it now was that so he might put the ark into its proper place?

Answ. Partly because he had no motion or direction from God concerning the tabernacle, as he had concerning the ark; and partly because he thought the tabernacle was not so necessary for that end as formerly, seeing he intended forthwith to set upon the building of the temple, as appears from 1Ch 12.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And David made him houses in the city of David,.... With the help of the masons and carpenters Hiram sent him, 1 Chronicles 14:1, the royal palace is meant, with all the apartments in it, which were many and large, as so great a family he had required, and with all the out houses to it necessary for his servants, and their offices:

and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent; see 2 Samuel 6:17.

Geneva Study Bible

And David made him houses in the {a} city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.

(a) That was in Zion 2Sa 5:7,9.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

1. made him houses] Cp. 2 Samuel 5:9.

a tent] a new tent, not the old tabernacle (1 Chronicles 16:39). Cp. the prefatory note to ch. 13.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 1. - The contents of this verse and the following verses up to the twenty-fifth have no parallel in the Book of Samuel, and excite suggestion respecting the different objects with which the compiler of Chronicles wrote, as compared with those of the author of the former work. They also direct fresh attention to the sources upon which they drew. The history of the preparations made for the reception of the ark, and for its safe and religious escort into the city, is now proceeded with. These preparations occupied the three months, or part of the three months, spoken of in 1 Chronicles 13:14. The houses may have been both his own (1 Chronicles 14:1) and the buildings referred to in 1 Chronicles 11:8 and 2 Samuel 5:9. The old tent, or tabernacle, is repeatedly alluded to, as in 1 Chronicles 16:39; 2 Chronicles 1:3. It will be remembered that the tabernacle established by Joshua at Shiloh remained there till the time of Eli, and the ark within it (1 Samuel 3:3). Afterwards we find it removed to Nob, for there David ate the shewbread (1 Samuel 21:6). From thence, very possibly after the savage slaughter of the priests by the order of Saul, it was removed, and we find it at Gibeon, according to the above references. Here at Gibeon was an altar and "high place," which, in the earlier time of Solomon, formed the chief religious centre. The wanderings of the ark already given from Shiloh, through Philistia to Beth-she-mesh, Kirjath-jearim, Perez-uzzah, now land it in this tent in Jerusalem. It is no more sheltered in the tabernacle. But the tabernacle, as well as the ark, was ultimately brought to the new-built temple of Solomon (1 Kings 8:4; 1 Chronicles 9:19; 2 Chronicles 1:4). 1 Chronicles 15:1

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

In 2 Samuel 6:12 the whole matter is introduced by a statement that the motive which had determined the king to bring the ark to Jerusalem, was his having heard of the blessing which the ark had brought upon the house of Obed-edom. In our narrative (1 Chronicles 15:1), the remark that David, while building his house in Jerusalem, prepared a place for the ark of God, and erected a tent for it, forms the transition from the account of his palace-building (1 Chronicles 14:1.) to the bringing in of the ark. The words, "he made unto himself houses," do not denote, as Bertheau thinks, the building of other houses besides the palaces built with the help of King Hiram (1 Chronicles 14:1). For עשׂה is not synonymous with בּנה, but expresses the preparation of the building for a dwelling, and the words refer to the completion of the palace as a dwelling-place for the king and his wives and children. In thus making the palace which had been built fit for a habitation, David prepared a place for the ark, which, together with its tent, was to be placed in his palace. As to the reasons which influenced David in determining to erect a new tabernacle for the ark, instead of causing the old and sacred tabernacle to be brought from Gibeon to Jerusalem for the purpose, see the remarks introductory to 2 Samuel 6.