1 ChroniquesChapitre 15

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David built houses for himself in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

Then David said, "No one is to carry the ark of God except the Levites, for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to serve him forever."

David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it.

David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites:

of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief and one hundred twenty of his relatives;

of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief and two hundred twenty of his relatives;

of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief and one hundred thirty of his relatives;

of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief and two hundred of his relatives;

of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief and eighty of his relatives;

of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief and one hundred twelve of his relatives.

Then David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

He said to them, "You are the heads of the Levite families. Consecrate yourselves, you and your relatives, so that you may bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.

Because you were not there the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, for we did not seek him according to the ordinance."

So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel.

And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.

David told the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers, to sound aloud with instruments of music—harps, lyres, and cymbals—lifting their voices in joy.

So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from among his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; and from the sons of Merari, their relatives, Ethan son of Kushaiah;

and with them their relatives of the second rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and Obed-Edom and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals;

Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps set to alamoth;

and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres set to sheminith.

Chenaniah, the chief of the Levites, was in charge of the singing; he directed it, because he was skillful.

Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark.

Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also gatekeepers for the ark.

So David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands went with rejoicing to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-Edom.

Because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the director of the singing. David also wore a linen ephod.

So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouts, with the sound of the ram's horn, with trumpets and cymbals, and with harps and lyres sounding out.

As the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked down from the window, and when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.

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Résumé2

Chapitre 15

Main Theme: David organizes the Levites to carry the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem in the proper manner, after the first attempt failed.

Content: David prepares a place and a tent for God's ark in Jerusalem and gathers the Levites, who alone have the right to carry it. He reminds them that God broke out against them the first time because they did not follow the instruction. The priests and Levites consecrate themselves, and the Levites carry the ark on their shoulders with carrying poles, just as Moses had commanded. The procession is accompanied by musicians and singers, and when the ark arrives in the City of David, David dances while Michal, Saul's daughter, despises him in her heart.

Key Words/Images:

The Levites' Task: Only the Levites are to carry the ark—God has chosen them for this service forever (v. 2).
Consecration: The priests and Levites must consecrate themselves before they can carry the ark, unlike the first attempt (vv. 12–14).
Carrying Poles on Shoulders: The ark is carried according to Moses' instruction, on the Levites' shoulders with poles (v. 15).
Music and Joy: Singers and musicians with cymbals, harps, and lyres accompany the procession (vv. 16, 28).
Michal's Contempt: Saul's daughter sees David dancing and despises him—a contrast to the people's joy (v. 29).

Contexte historique

Historical and Cultural Context for 1 Chronicles 15

People

The chapter introduces an extensive list of Levitical leaders and musicians. Zadok and Abiathar are mentioned as the two high priests who served side by side during David’s reign—Zadok from the line of Eleazar and Abiathar from the line of Ithamar. The six Levitical clan leaders (Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab) represent the three main branches of the tribe of Levi (Kohath, Merari, and Gershon), as well as three sub-clans of the Kohathites.

Heman, Asaph, and Ethan (Ethan is often identified with Jeduthun in other texts) are established here as the three chief singers in temple service. According to 1 Chronicles 6:18–23, Heman was a descendant of Samuel through several generations. These three families came to dominate the musical traditions of the temple for many centuries. Kenaiah is given a special role as leader over the massa—a Hebrew word that can mean both "carrying/transport" and "singing/lifting up the voice," possibly referring to both the physical transport and the musical performance.

Places

The City of David (Ir David) was the original Jebusite fortress on the southeastern hill of Jerusalem, which David captured and made his capital. It was here that David set up a tent for the ark—not the original tabernacle from the wilderness wanderings, but a new tent specifically built for this purpose.

Events and Customs

The chapter describes David’s theological correction following the failed transport in chapter 13. His recognition that "we did not seek him in the proper way" (kammishpat) points back to Numbers 4 and 7:9, where only Levites from the Kohathite clan were to carry the most holy objects—and then on their shoulders with carrying poles, never on a cart. The required consecration (hitqaddesh) involved ritual cleansing through washings and abstinence.

The offering of seven bulls and seven rams (verse 26) marked that God now accepted the process. The number seven symbolizes completeness in Israelite culture. That the offering was made "when God helped the Levites" may indicate it was brought after the first successful steps, as a thanksgiving gift.

Key Terms

The chapter contains several technical musical terms. "Alamoth" (verse 20) literally means "young women" and likely refers to a high vocal register or pitch. "Sheminit" (verse 21) means "the eighth" and probably indicates a lower register or an eight-stringed lyre. The "nebel" was a larger stringed instrument (often translated as "harp"), while the "kinnor" was a smaller lyre—David’s preferred instrument.

"Ephod of linen" that David wore was a simple liturgical garment made of linen, different from the more ornate ephod worn by the high priest. By wearing this, David identified himself with Levitical service, which provoked Michal. Her contempt may reflect a conflict between royal dignity according to Saulite tradition and David’s more popular, theocratic approach to worship.

Personnages43

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Mots-clés8

Ark — A chest that contained the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments, and was a symbol of God's presence among the Israelites.
David — The second king of Israel, a central figure in the Old Testament, known for his faith in God and his military victories.
Levites — Members of the tribe of Levi, who were responsible for serving in the temple and carrying out religious duties.
Bearers — Persons chosen to carry the Ark on their shoulders using poles, as described in the law given by Moses.
Singers — Persons chosen to sing and play music during religious ceremonies and worship.
Offering — A gift or act that is given to God, often as thanks or to seek his favor.
Feast — A celebration or gathering where people come together to honor God and rejoice in his blessings.
Holy — Something that is set apart from the ordinary and dedicated to God, and thus has a special meaning and value.