I Chronicles 15:26
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And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen,.... For though a king, he, being among the singers, was clothed as they; for so it follows: and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song; or of those that bore the burden, the ark, as the Targum: with the singers; all were clothed in robes of fine linen: David also had upon him an ephod of linen; which he had besides his linen robe, and was over it; and being a shorter and tighter garment, it bound the other closer to him; though some think this is explanative of the former, and designs the same, and is what others, besides priests, were, on occasion, allowed to wear, see Sa1 2:18.
Open source ↗The bringing in of the ark to the city of David was a very good work; it was resolved upon (Ch1 13:4), and attempted, but not perfected; it lay by the way in the house of Obed-edom. Now this chapter gives us an account of the completing of that good work. I. How it was done more regularly than before. 1. A place was prepared for it (Ch1 15:1). 2. The priests were ordered to carry it (Ch1 15:2-15). 3. The Levites had their offices assigned them in attending on it (Ch1 15:16-24). II. How it was done more successfully than before (Ch1 15:25). 1. The Levites made no mistake in their work (Ch1 15:26). 2. David and the people met with no damp upon their joy (Ch1 15:27, Ch1 15:28). As for Michal's despising David, it was nothing (Ch1 15:29).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and from Your own hand we have given to You.
So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.”
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:
On the seventh day you are to present seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old, all unblemished,
Each day during the seven days of the feast, he shall provide seven bulls and seven rams without blemish as a burnt offering to the LORD, along with a male goat for a sin offering.
To the one, we are an odor of death and demise; to the other, a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task?
Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
When those carrying the ark of the LORD had advanced six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.