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Selected Verse: 2 Chronicles 5:11 - King James

Verse	Translation	Text
2Ch 5:11	King James	And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
all the priests that were present . . . did not then wait by course--The rotation system of weekly service introduced by David was intended for the ordinary duties of the priesthood; on extraordinary occasions, or when more than wonted solemnity attached to them, the priests attended in a body.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

all the priests that were present . . . did not then wait by course--The rotation system of weekly service introduced by David was intended for the ordinary duties of the priesthood; on extraordinary occasions, or when more than wonted solemnity attached to them, the priests attended in a body.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
Ch2 5:11-13 describe the part which the priests and Levitical singers and musicians took in the solemn act of transferring the ark to the temple-a matter entirely passed over in the narrative in Kg1 8:11, which confines itself to the main transaction. The mention of the priests gives occasion for the remark, Ch2 5:11, "for all the priests present had sanctified themselves, but the courses were not to be observed," i.e., the courses of the priests (1 Chron 24) could not be observed. The festival was so great, that not merely the course appointed to perform the service of that week, but also all the courses had sanctified themselves and co-operated in the celebration. In reference to the construction לשׁמור אין, cf. Ew. 321, b. Ch2 5:12 All the Levitic singers and musicians were also engaged in it, to make the festival glorious by song and instrumental music: "and the Levites, the singers, all of them, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, and their sons and brethren, clad in byssus, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, stood eastward from the altar, and with them priests to 120, blowing trumpets." The ל before כּלּם and the following noun is the introductory ל: "as regards." On the form מחצררים, see on Ch1 15:24; on these singers and musicians, their clothing, and their instruments, see on Ch1 15:17-28 and Ch2 25:1-8. Ch2 5:13 Ch2 5:13 runs thus literally: "And it came to pass, as one, regarding the trumpeters and the singers, that they sang with one voice to praise and thank Jahve." The meaning is: and the trumpeters and singers, together as one man, sang with one voice to praise. כּאחד is placed first for emphasis; stress is laid upon the subject, the trumpeters and singers, by the introductory ל; and היה is construed with the following infinitive (להשׁמיע): it was to sound, to cause to hear, for they were causing to hear, where ל c. infin. is connected with היה, as the participle is elsewhere, to describe the circumstances; cf. Ew. 237. But in order to express very strongly the idea of the unisono of the trumpet-sound, and the singing accompanied by the harp-playing, which lies in כּאחד, אחד קול is added to להשׁמיע. By וגו קול וּכהרים all that was to be said of the song and music is drawn together in the form of a protasis, to which is joined מלא והבּית, the apodosis both of this latter and also of the protasis which was interrupted by the parenthesis in Ch2 5:11 : "When the priests went forth from the holy place, for...(Ch2 5:11), and when they lifted up the voice with trumpets and with cymbals, and the (other) instruments of song, and with the praise of Jahve, that He is good, that His mercy endureth for ever (cf. Ch1 16:34), then was the house filled with the cloud of the house of Jahve." The absence of the article before ענן requires us thus to connect the יהוה בּית at the close of the verse with ענן (stat. constr.), since the indefinite ענן (without the article) is not at all suitable here; for it is not any cloud which is here spoken of, but that which overshadowed the glory of the Lord in the most holy place.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

Ch2 5:11-13 describe the part which the priests and Levitical singers and musicians took in the solemn act of transferring the ark to the temple-a matter entirely passed over in the narrative in Kg1 8:11, which confines itself to the main transaction. The mention of the priests gives occasion for the remark, Ch2 5:11, "for all the priests present had sanctified themselves, but the courses were not to be observed," i.e., the courses of the priests (1 Chron 24) could not be observed. The festival was so great, that not merely the course appointed to perform the service of that week, but also all the courses had sanctified themselves and co-operated in the celebration. In reference to the construction לשׁמור אין, cf. Ew. 321, b.

Ch2 5:12

All the Levitic singers and musicians were also engaged in it, to make the festival glorious by song and instrumental music: "and the Levites, the singers, all of them, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, and their sons and brethren, clad in byssus, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, stood eastward from the altar, and with them priests to 120, blowing trumpets." The ל before כּלּם and the following noun is the introductory ל: "as regards." On the form מחצררים, see on Ch1 15:24; on these singers and musicians, their clothing, and their instruments, see on Ch1 15:17-28 and Ch2 25:1-8.

Ch2 5:13

Ch2 5:13 runs thus literally: "And it came to pass, as one, regarding the trumpeters and the singers, that they sang with one voice to praise and thank Jahve." The meaning is: and the trumpeters and singers, together as one man, sang with one voice to praise. כּאחד is placed first for emphasis; stress is laid upon the subject, the trumpeters and singers, by the introductory ל; and היה is construed with the following infinitive (להשׁמיע): it was to sound, to cause to hear, for they were causing to hear, where ל c. infin. is connected with היה, as the participle is elsewhere, to describe the circumstances; cf. Ew. 237. But in order to express very strongly the idea of the unisono of the trumpet-sound, and the singing accompanied by the harp-playing, which lies in כּאחד, אחד קול is added to להשׁמיע. By וגו קול וּכהרים all that was to be said of the song and music is drawn together in the form of a protasis, to which is joined מלא והבּית, the apodosis both of this latter and also of the protasis which was interrupted by the parenthesis in Ch2 5:11 : "When the priests went forth from the holy place, for...(Ch2 5:11), and when they lifted up the voice with trumpets and with cymbals, and the (other) instruments of song, and with the praise of Jahve, that He is good, that His mercy endureth for ever (cf. Ch1 16:34), then was the house filled with the cloud of the house of Jahve." The absence of the article before ענן requires us thus to connect the יהוה בּית at the close of the verse with ענן (stat. constr.), since the indefinite ענן (without the article) is not at all suitable here; for it is not any cloud which is here spoken of, but that which overshadowed the glory of the Lord in the most holy place.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
By course - According to David's appointment, 1Ch. 24:1-31, 25:1-22, which was only for the ordinary service, but in extraordinary solemnities, such as this, they all came together.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
When the priests were come out - After having carried the ark into the holy of holies, before the sacred service had commenced.

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³⁴ O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

¹¹ And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:

¹³ It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;

¹ Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.
² And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.
³ Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established to him, that he slew his servants that had killed the king his father.
⁴ But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.
⁵ Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield.
⁶ He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel for an hundred talents of silver.
⁷ But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the LORD is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim.
⁸ But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to help, and to cast down.

¹⁷ So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;
¹⁸ And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters.
¹⁹ So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass;
²⁰ And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth;
²¹ And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.
²² And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful.
²³ And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.
²⁴ And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.
²⁵ So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obededom with joy.
²⁶ And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.
²⁷ And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen.
²⁸ Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.

²⁴ And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

¹² Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)

¹¹ And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:

¹¹ So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

¹¹ And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:
¹² Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)
¹³ It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;