II Chronicles 5:4
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When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark,
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Instead of הלויּם, we have in 2 Kings הכּהנים, the priests bare the ark; and since even according to the Chronicle (Ch2 5:7) the priests bare the ark into the holy place, we must understand by הלויּם such Levites were also priests. - In Ch2 5:5, too the words הלויּם הכּהנים are inexact, and are to be corrected by Kg1 8:4, והלויּם הכּהנים. For even if the Levitic priests bare the ark and the sacred utensils of the tabernacle into the temple, yet the tabernacle itself (the planks, hangings, and coverings of it) was borne into the temple, to be preserved as a holy relic, not by priests, but only by Levites. The conj. ו before הלוים has probably been omitted only by a copyist, who was thinking of הלוים הכהנים (Jos 3:3; Deu 17:9, Deu 17:18, etc.). - In Ch2 5:8 ויכסּוּ is an orthographical error for ויּסכּוּ, Kg1 8:7; cf. Ch1 28:18; Exo 25:20. - In Ch2 5:9, too, מן־הארון has probably come into our text only by a copyist's mistake instead of מן־הקּדשׁ (Kg1 8:8).
Open source ↗The temple being built and furnished for God, we have here, I. Possession given to him, by bringing in the dedicated things (Ch2 5:1), but especially the ark, the token of his presence (Ch2 5:2-10). II. Possession taken by him, in a cloud (Ch2 5:11-14). For if any man open the door of his heart to God he will come in, Rev 3:20.
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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When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark,
And he said to the priests, “Take the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.” So they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of them.
Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever.”
When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all their equipment, as soon as the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites shall come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy objects, or they will die. These are the transportation duties of the Kohathites regarding the Tent of Meeting.
So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the LORD.”
Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, beneath the wings of the cherubim.