1 Chronicles 16:42

And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

1 Chronicles 16:42. With musical instruments of God — Appropriated to the worship of God; not such as they used on other occasions. Between common mirth and holy joy, there is a vast difference; and the limits and distances between them must be carefully kept up.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

16:37-43 The worship of God ought to be the work of every day. David put it into order. At Jerusalem, where the ark was, Asaph and his brethren were to minister before the ark continually, with songs of praise. No sacrifices were offered there, nor incense burnt, because the altars were not there; but David's prayers were directed as incense, and the lifting up of his hands as the evening sacrifice. So early did spiritual worship take place of ceremonial. Yet the ceremonial worship, being of Divine institution, must by no means be omitted; therefore at Gibeon, at the altars, the priests attended; for their work was to sacrifice and burn incense; and that they did continually, morning and evening, according to the law of Moses. As the ceremonies were types of the mediation of Christ, the observance of them was of great consequence. The attendance of his appointed ministers is right in itself, and encourages the people.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The rest ... - Rather, "the rest of the chosen ones, who were mentioned by name." The "chosen ones" were "mentioned by name" in 1 Chronicles 15:17-24. A portion of them, namely, those named in 1 Chronicles 16:5-6, conducted the service in Jerusalem; the remainder were employed in the worship at Gibeon.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

40. continually morning and evening—as the law enjoined (Ex 29:38; Nu 28:3, 6).

and do according to all that is written in the law—(See Nu 28:1-31). Thus, in the time of David, the worship was performed at two places, where the sacred things that had been transmitted from the age of Moses were preserved. Before the Ark in Jerusalem, Asaph and his brethren officiated as singers, Obed-edom and Hosah served as doorkeepers, and Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets. While at the tabernacle and burnt offering in Gibeon, Heman and Jeduthun presided over the sacred music, the sons of Jeduthun were door keepers, and Zadok, with his suite of attendant priests, offered the sacrifices.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Musical instruments of God, i.e. appointed and appropriated to the worship and honour of God.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And with them Heman and Jeduthun, with trumpets and cymbals,.... Or with them were the trumpets and cymbals, as Kimchi; or, as Piscator supplies it, with them he "left" the trumpets and cymbals:

for those that should make a sound; by striking upon them:

and with musical instruments of God; sacred ones, such as were devoted to his service, as psalteries and harps; the Syriac and Arabic versions carry the sense of the words quite differently, that these men did not sing with those musical instruments, but with a pleasant voice, and with pure and acceptable prayers, in humility and uprightness, glorified God:

and the sons of Jeduthun were porters; at the tabernacle in Gibeon.

Geneva Study Bible

And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

42. and with them etc.] The words with them are probably repeated in error from 1 Chronicles 16:41. Render, And Heman and Jeduthun had trumpets and cymbals. For trumpets cp. 1 Chronicles 15:24 (note).

make a sound, and with musical instruments of God] R.V. sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God; 1 Chronicles 23:5; 2 Chronicles 7:6; 2 Chronicles 29:27 (all R.V.).

sons of Jeduthun] Cp. 1 Chronicles 16:38.

were porters] R.V. to be at the gate. David’s organisation of the doorkeepers is given in 1 Chronicles 26:1-19.

1 Chronicles 16:42

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

ועמּהם, and with them (with Zadok and his brethren) were Heman and Jeduthun, i.e., (the two other chief musicians, 1 Chronicles 15:19), with the other chosen famous, sc. singers (בשׁמות נקּבוּ, see on 1 Chronicles 12:31). To these belonged those of the number named in 1 Chronicles 15:18-21, 1 Chronicles 15:24, who are not mentioned among those assigned to Asaph in 1 Chronicles 16:5 and 1 Chronicles 16:6, and probably also a number of others whose names have not been handed down. In 1 Chronicles 16:42, if the text be correct, וידוּתוּן הימן can only be in apposition to עמּהם: "and with them, viz., with Heman and Jeduthun, were trumpets," etc. But, not to mention the difficulty that passages analogous and parallel to this statement are not to be found, the mention of these two chief musicians in the connection is surprising; for the musical instruments mentioned are not merely the מצלתּים (s. 1 Chronicles 15:19) played by them, but also the חצצרות which the priests blew, and other instruments. Moreover, the names Heman and Jeduthun are not found here in the lxx, and have probably been inserted in our verse by some copyist from 1 Chronicles 16:41, which likewise begins with ועמּהם. If we omit these names, then, the verse contains no other difficulty worthy of consideration, or any which would occasion or necessitate such violent alterations of the text as Berth. has proposed. The suffix in עמּהם refers to the persons mentioned in 1 Chronicles 16:41, Heman, Jeduthun, and the other chosen ones. "With them were," i.e., they had by them, trumpets, cymbals, etc. The ל before משׁמיעים is strange, since משׁמיעים is in 1 Chronicles 15:16 connected with מצלתּים as an adjective, and in 1 Chronicles 15:19 we have להשׁמיע. But if we compare 1 Chronicles 16:5 of our chapter, where משׁמיע is predicate to Asaph, "Asaph gave forth clear notes with cymbals," then here also למשׁמיעים in connection with מצלתּים is thoroughly justified in the signification, "and cymbals for those who gave forth the notes or the melody," i.e., for Heman and Jeduthun. הא שׁיר כּלי are the other instruments used in the service of the song, viz., the nablia and kinnoroth. "The sons of Jeduthun for the gate," i.e., as doorkeepers. As Obed-edom, who was doorkeeper by the ark, according to 1 Chronicles 16:38, was likewise a son of Jeduthun, here other sons of the same Jeduthun, brothers of Obed-edom, must be meant, the number of whom, if we may judge fRomans 1 Chronicles Romans 26:8, was very considerable; so that the members of this family were able to attend to the doorkeeping both by the ark and in the tabernacle at Gibeon.