David Leads in Worship
1 They brought the ark of God and put it in the middle of the tent David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offeringstn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV “fellowship offerings.” before God.
2 When David finished offering burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the Lord’s name.
3 He then handed out to each Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.
4 He appointed some of the Levites to serve before the ark of the Lord, to offer prayers, songs of thanks, and hymns to the Lord God of Israel.
5 Asaph was the leader and Zechariah second in command, followed by Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They were to play stringed instruments; Asaph was to sound the cymbals;
6 and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of God’s covenant.
David Thanks God
7 That day David first gave to Asaph and his colleagues this song of thanks to the Lord:
8 Give thanks to the Lord!
Call on his name!
Make known his accomplishments among the nations!
9 Sing to him! Make music to him!
Tell about all his miraculous deeds!
10 Boast about his holy name!
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
11 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives!
Seek his presencetn Heb “face.” continually!
12 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,
his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed,tn Heb “and the judgments of his mouth.”
13 O childrentn Heb “seed.” of Israel, God’stn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity. servant,
you descendants of Jacob, God’stn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity. chosen ones!
14 He is the Lord our God;
he carries out judgment throughout the earth.tn Heb “in all the earth [are] his judgments.”
15 Remembertn The Hebrew text has a masculine plural imperative, addressed to the people. Some LXX mss harmonize the wording here to Ps 105:8, which has זָכַר (zakhar), the perfect third masculine singular form of the verb, “He (the Lord) remembers” (so NIV; NEB reads “He called to mind his covenant”). continually his covenantal decree,
the promise he madetn Heb “[the] word he commanded.” The text refers here to God’s unconditional covenantal promise to Abraham and the patriarchs, as vv. 16-18 make clear. to a thousand generations –
16 the promisetn Heb “which.” he made to Abraham,
the promise he made by oath to Isaac!tn Heb “his oath to Isaac.”
17 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as a lasting promise,tn Or “eternal covenant.”
18 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion of your inheritance.”
19 When they were few in number,
just a very few, and foreign residents within it,
20 they wandered from nation to nation,
and from one kingdom to another.tn Heb “and from a kingdom to another nation.”
21 He let no one oppress them,
he disciplined kings for their sake,
22 saying,tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons. “Don’t touch my anointed ones!
Don’t harm my prophets!”
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Announce every daytn Heb “from day to day.” how he delivers!
24 Tell the nations about his splendor,
telltn The verb “tell” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line). all the nations about his miraculous deeds!
25 For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise,
he is more awesome thantn Or “feared above.” all gods.
26 For all the gods of the nations are worthless,tn The Hebrew word אֱלִילִים (’elilim, “worthless”) sounds like אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “gods”). The sound play draws attention to the statement. Many modern English translations render this term as “idols” here.
but the Lord made the heavens.tn Or “the sky” (also in v. 31). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
27 Majestic splendor emanates from him,tn Heb “majesty and splendor [are] before him.”
he is the source of strength and joy.tn Heb “strength and joy [are] in his place.”
28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,
ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!
Bring an offering and enter his presence!
Worship the Lord in holy attire!tn Or “in holy splendor.”
30 Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is established, it cannot be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth be happy!
Let the nations say,tn Heb “let them say among the nations.” ‘The Lord reigns!’
32 Let the sea and everything in it shout!
Let the fields and everything in them celebrate!
33 Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth!
34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
and his loyal love endures.tn Or “is eternal.”
35 Say this prayer:tn The words “this prayer” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons. “Deliver us, O God who delivers us!
Gather us! Rescue us from the nations!
Then we will give thankstn Heb “to give thanks.” The infinitive construct indicates result after the imperative. to your holy name,
and boast about your praiseworthy deeds.”tn Heb “to boast in your praise.”
36 May the Lord God of Israel be praised,
in the future and forevermore.tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.”
Then all the people said, “We agree!tn This is the Hebrew term אָמֵן (’amen, “surely”), traditionally transliterated “amen.” Praise the Lord!”
David Appoints Worship Leaders
37 Davidtn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity. left Asaph and his colleagues there before the ark of the Lord’s covenant to serve before the ark regularly and fulfill each day’s requirements,tn Heb “according to the matter of the day in its day.”
38 including Obed-Edom and sixty-eight colleagues. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were gatekeepers.
39 Zadok the priest and his fellow priests servedtn The word “served” is supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons. before the Lord’s tabernacle at the worship centertn Or “high place.” in Gibeon,
40 regularly offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord on the altar for burnt sacrifice, morning and evening, according to what is prescribed in the law of the Lord which he charged Israel to observe.tn Heb “which he commanded Israel.”
41 Joining them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord. (For his loyal love endures!)tn Perhaps this refers to the refrain of their songs of praise (see Ps 136). In this case one could translate, “to give thanks to the Lord with songs using the refrain, ‘For his loyal love endures.’”
42 Heman and Jeduthun were in charge of the music, including the trumpets, cymbals, and the other musical instruments used in praising God. The sons of Jeduthun guarded the entrance.tn Heb “and with them, Heman and Jeduthun, trumpets and cymbals for sounding, and the instrument of song of God, and the sons of Jeduthun [were] at the gate.”
43 Then all the people returned to their homes, and David went to pronounce a blessing on his family.tn Heb “to bless his house.” Elsewhere when “house” is the object of “bless,” it refers to a household or family. See, for example, 1 Chr 13:14; 17:27. However, since בֵּית (bet, “house”) refers to a literal house or home earlier in the verse and to David’s palace in 17:1, one might translate here, “David went to pronounce a blessing on [i.e., dedicate] his house [i.e., palace].”
1996 - 2007 by Biblical Studies Press, LLC
Used by permission, All rights reserved.
