7 Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.   8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.   9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.   10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.   11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.   12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;   13 O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.   14 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.   15 Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations;   16 Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac;   17 And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,   18 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance;   19 When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.   20 And when they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people;   21 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,   22 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.   23 Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation.   24 Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations.   25 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.   26 For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.   27 Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.   28 Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.   29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.   30 Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.   31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.   32 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.   33 Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he cometh to judge the earth.   34 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.   35 And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.   36 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD.

      We have here the thanksgiving psalm which David, by the Spirit, composed, and delivered to the chief musician, to be sung upon occasion of the public entry the ark made into the tent prepared for it. Some think he appointed this hymn to be daily used in the temple service, as duly as the day came; whatever other psalms they sung, they must not omit this. David had penned many psalms before this, some in the time of his trouble by Saul. This was composed before, but was now first delivered into the hand of Asaph, for the use of the church. It is gathered out of several psalms (from the beginning to v. 23 is taken from Ps. cv. 1, c. and then v. 23 to v. 34 is the whole 96th psalm, with little variation; v. 34 is taken from Ps. cxxxvi. 1 and divers others; and then the 1Ch 16:35; 1Ch 16:36 are taken from the close of Psa 106:47; Psa 106:48), which some think warrants us to do likewise, and make up hymns out of David’s psalms, a part of one and a part of another put together so as may be most proper to express and excite the devotion of Christians. These psalms will be best expounded in their proper places (if the Lord will); here we take them as they are put together, with a design to thank the Lord (v. 7), a great duty, to which we need to be excited and in which we need to be assisted. 1. Let God be glorified in our praises; let his honour be the centre in which all the lines meet. Let us glorify him by our thanksgivings (Give thanks to the Lord), by our prayers (Call on his name, v. 8), by our songs (Sing psalms unto him), by our discourse–Talk of all his wondrous works, v. 9. Let us glorify him as a great God, and greatly to be praised (v. 25), as supreme God (above all gods), as sole God, for all others are idols, v. 26. Let us glorify him as most bright and blessed in himself (Glory and honour are in his presence, v. 27), as creator (The Lord made the heavens), as the ruler of the whole creation (His judgments are in all the earth, v. 14), and as ours–He is the Lord our God. Thus must we give unto the Lord the glory due to his name (1Ch 16:28; 1Ch 16:29), and own it, and much more, his due. 2. Let other be edified and instructed: Make known his deeds among the people (v. 8), declare his glory among the heathen (v. 24), that those who are strangers to him may be led into acquaintance with him, allegiance to him, and the adoration of him. Thus must we serve the interests of his kingdom among men, that all the earth may fear before him, v. 30. 3. Let us be ourselves encouraged to triumph and trust in God. Those that give glory to God’s name are allowed to glory in it (v. 10), to value themselves upon their relation to God and venture themselves upon his promise to them. Let the heart of those rejoice that seek the Lord, much more of those that have found him. Seek him, and his strength, and his face: that is, seek him by the ark of his strength, in which he manifests himself. 4. Let the everlasting covenant be the great matter of our joy and praise (v. 15): Be mindful of his covenant. In the parallel place it is, He will be ever mindful of it, Ps. cv. 8. Seeing God never will forget it, we never must. The covenant is said to be commanded, because God has obliged us to obey the conditions of it, and because he has both authority to make the promise and ability to make it good. This covenant was ancient, yet never to be forgotten. It was made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were long since dead (v. 16-18), yet still sure to the spiritual seed, and the promises of it pleadable. 5. Let God’s former mercies to his people of old, to our ancestors and our predecessors in profession, be commemorated by us now with thankfulness to his praise. Let it be remembered how God protected the patriarchs in their unsettled condition. When they came strangers to Canaan and were sojourners in it, when they were few and might easily have been swallowed up, when they were continually upon the remove and so exposed, when there were many that bore them ill-will and sought to do them mischief, yet no man was suffered to do them wrong–not the Canaanites, Philistines, Egyptians. Kings were reproved and plagued for their sakes. Pharaoh was so, and Abimelech. They were the anointed of the Lord, sanctified by his grace, sanctified by his glory, and had received the unction of the Spirit. They were his prophets, instructed in the things of God themselves and commissioned to instruct others (and prophets are said to be anointed,1Ki 19:16; Isa 61:1); therefore, if any touch them, they touch the apple of God’s eye; if any harm them, it is at their peril, v. 19-22. 6. Let the great salvation of the Lord be especially the subject of our praises (v. 23): Show forth from day to day his salvation, that is (says bishop Patrick), his promised salvation by Christ. We have reason to celebrate that from day to day; for we daily receive the benefits of it, and it is a subject that can never be exhausted. 7. Let God be praised by a due and constant attendance upon him in the ordinances he has appointed: Bring an offering, then the fruit of the ground, now the fruit of the lips, of the heart (Heb. xiii. 15), and worship him in the beauty of holiness, in the holy places and in a holy manner, v. 29. Holiness is the beauty of the Lord, the beauty of all sanctified souls and all religious performances. 8. Let God’s universal monarchy be the fear and joy of all people. Let us reverence it: Fear before him, all the earth. And let us rejoice in it: Let the heavens be glad and rejoice, because the Lord reigns, and by his providence establishes the world, so that, though it be moved, it cannot be removed, nor the measures broken which Infinite Wisdom has taken in the government of it, 1Ch 16:30; 1Ch 16:31. 9. Let the prospect of the judgment to come inspire us with an awful pleasure, Let earth and sea, fields and woods, though in the great day of the Lord they will all be consumed, yet rejoice that he will come, doth come, to judge the earth,1Ch 16:32; 1Ch 16:33. 10. In the midst of our praises we must not forget to pray for the succour and relief of those saints and servants of God that are in distress (v. 35): Save us, gather us, deliver us from the heathen, those of us that are scattered and oppressed. When we are rejoicing in God’s favours to us we must remember our afflicted brethren, and pray for their salvation and deliverance as our own. We are members one of another; and therefore when we mean, “Lord, save them,” it is not improper to say, “Lord, save us.” Lastly, Let us make God the Alpha and Omega of our praises. David begins with (v. 8), Give thanks to the Lord; he concludes (v. 36), Blessed be the Lord. And whereas in the place whence this doxology is taken (Ps. cvi. 48) it is added, Let all the people say, Amen, Hallelujah, here we find they did according to that directory: All the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord. When the Levites had finished this psalm or prayer and praise, then, and not till then, the people that attended signified their consent and concurrence by saying, Amen, And so they praised the Lord, much affected no doubt with this newly instituted way of devotion, which had been hitherto used in the schools of the prophets only, 1 Sam. x. 5. And, if this way of praising God please the Lord better than an ox or a bullock that has horns and hoofs, the humble shall see it and be glad,Psa 69:31; Psa 69:32.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

Praise the God of Israel, vs. 7-22

David wrote the psalm which is recorded here in celebration of the ark’s successful removal and to give thanks to the Lord. Probably it was the first song produced by the musicians of the new order. It begins with a commendation of the Lord and counsel to men to worship Him. Several verbs are used: 1) He is to be thanked by calling on His name and making Him known to others; 2) He is to be praised by voice of singing and talking of His songs and works; 3)Men are to glory in His name and rejoice in Him; 4) He is to be continually sought for strength and consolation; 5) His marvelous works in behalf of His people are to be always remembered and His judgments respected.

Israel is to do these things, but remembering that He is Judge of all the earth. This recalls the covenant the Lord had made with Israel’s fathers, which they are never to forget. It is His law to them and it is everlasting. By it they possessed Canaan. The Lord had promised it to them through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, even when they were very few in the land, and strangers. He had protected them when they were going about in their pilgrimage from nation to nation and kingdom to kingdom. He protected them from those who would harm them, even rebuking kings (Gen 12:17; Gen 20:3). This passage is almost identical to Psa 105:1-15.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

(7-36) An ode of thanksgiving appropriate to the occasion.
(7) Then on that day David delivered first this psalm.Rather, On that day then (viz., after the Ark had been placed in its tent, and the minstrels appointed) David originally committed the giving of thanks to Jehovah into the hands of Asaph and his brethren. Thus understood, the verse merely asserts that this was the occasion when Asaph and his brethren were first charged with the duties described in 1Ch. 16:4-6. But the words seem really intended to introduce the long ode which follows, and therefore we should perhaps render, On that day, then David gave for the first time into the hands of Asaph and his brethren, for giving thanks to Jehovah, Give thanks unto the Lord, &c., the whole psalm being regarded as the object of the verb. It may be that this composite hymn was sung in the time of the compiler, on the anniversary of the removal of the Ark, which may in after-times have been commemorated by a special service. Hence it was easy to infer that it was the ode sung at the original service under David. The words then (z) and on that day certainly seem to introduce the psalm. (Comp, their use, Exo. 15:1, and Jdg. 5:1. Comp. also 2Ch. 7:6.)

But the ambiguity of 1Ch. 16:7 may be taken along with other considerations to indicate that this ode does not constitute an original part of the Chronicles, but has been inserted by a later hand. For (1) the Psalm is clearly a cento consisting of portions of three others extant in the Psalter, and so loosely patched together that the seams are quite visible; (2) the Psalter itself does not refer the three psalms in question to David; if, however, the editors of the Psalter had read in the Chronicles a clear assertion of Davidic authorship, they would hardly have left them anonymous; (3) all critics agree that it is not here expressly said that David composed this ode, and, in fact, its ideas and language betray a later origin than the Davidic age; and (4) it contains no specific allusion to the occasion for which it purports to have been written. If no record was preserved of the psalms actually sung at the festival, it was natural that some editor should attempt to supply the apparent lacuna from the Psalter.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

7. On that day David delivered first this psalm This statement seems clearly to settle the question of the origin of the psalm that follows. A number of critics, in spite of this statement of the chronicler, maintain that the psalm was compiled from extracts of psalms already existing and familiar to the Israelites. 1Ch 16:8-22 are found again in Psa 105:1-15; 1Ch 16:23-33 are nearly the same as Psalm cxvi; and 1Ch 16:34-36 agree with Psa 106:1; Psa 106:47-48. A number of expressions in this book are more archaic than are the corresponding ones in the psalms named; and while some differences may seem to bespeak a greater antiquity for the psalms, they are more than counterbalanced by the above positive assertion of the chronicler. We therefore, with Keil, regard this psalm, as it stands in this book, as the original poem, from which the parts of the several psalms above mentioned were subsequently derived. Our common English version is so faithful to the Hebrew text as to call for no revision in these notes, and textual comment will be found at the corresponding passages in the notes on the psalms.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

David’s Psalm of Praise

v. 7. Then, on that day, David delivered first this psalm, to thank the Lord, into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, for use in the public worship at the Tabernacle (the hymn, as here recorded, is almost identical with Psalms 96; Cf also Psa 105:1-15; Psa 106:47-48):

v. 8. Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, in acknowledgment of His Godhead, make known His deeds among the people.

v. 9. Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him, talk ye of all His wondrous works.

v. 10. Glory ye in His holy name, in proud praise; let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.

v. 11. Seek the Lord and His strength, in firm trust and confidence; seek His face continually. So this first strophe is a summons to praise the Lord and to seek His face.

v. 12. Remember His marvelous works that He hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, in dealing justly both with His own people and with His enemies,

v. 13. O ye seed of Israel, His servant, ye children of Jacob, His chosen ones.

v. 14. He is the Lord, our God; His judgments are in all the earth, unmistakably plain to everyone that cares to see them, the strophe being a summons to consider the Lord’s ways and judgments.

v. 15. Be ye mindful always of His covenant, the Word which He commanded to a thousand generations, as it was given from Mount Sinai and, before that, to the patriarchs;

v. 16. even of the covenant which He made with Abraham, and of His oath unto Isaac;

v. 17. and hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,

v. 18. saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance (there is a Messianic element in these lines, and the entire strophe is a summons to keep His wonderful covenant in mind, to trust in the Messiah and His work),

v. 19. when ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it, namely, the families of the patriarchs.

v. 20. And when they went from nation to nation and from one kingdom to another people, as in the journeys of Abraham and Isaac to Philistia and Egypt, and that of Jacob to Mesopotamia,

v. 21. He suffered no man to do them wrong, as the history of each of the patriarchs shows; yea, He reproved kings for their sakes, Gen 12:17; Gen 20:3,

v. 22. saying, Touch not Mine anointed, and do My prophets no harm; for everyone of the patriarchs was, at the same time, a prophet of Jehovah, and the remembrance of the Lord’s protection afforded to their fathers was to keep the descendants in the fear of Jehovah.

v. 23. Sing unto the Lord, all the earth, His praise should not be confined to the children of Israel; show forth from day to day His salvation, the deliverance wrought through the Messiah.

v. 24. Declare His glory among the heathen, His marvelous works among all nations; for the missionary spirit has actuated the believers of all times.

v. 25. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods, ever thing that bears that name.

v. 26. For all the gods of the people, of the heathen nations far and wide, are idols, literally, “vanities, nothingnesses”; but the Lord made the heavens.

v. 27. Glory and honor are in His presence; strength and gladness are in His place, strength and beauty in His Sanctuary, for which reason all the world should join in the praise of His greatness.

v. 28. Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.

v. 29. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; bring an offering, and come before Him; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, in a manner harmonizing with the majesty of His holiness.

v. 30. Fear before Him, all the earth, in the veneration due to His glorious Godhead; the world also shall be stable, firmly established, that it be not moved.

v. 31. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; and let men say among the nations, The Lord reigneth, this being the message which the believers of all times are to bring to all men.

v. 32. Let the sea roar and the fulness thereof; let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein, the very forces of inanimate nature being appealed to in properly picturing the glory of the Lord.

v. 33. Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord, because He cometh to judge the earth, and even the inanimate things of creation will exult before His coming to Judgment, since it will result in their being delivered from the bondage of sin, Romans 8.

v. 34. O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever, this again being a summons addressed to the believers in particular.

v. 35. And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to Thy holy name, and glory in Thy praise, for the elect of the Lord will be assembled from every nation and tongue and people.

v. 36. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel forever and ever. The same doxology is found at the close of the fourth book of the Psalter, Psa 116:19. And all the people, signifying their glad assent to the entire hymn in all its parts, just as believers do today, said, Amen, and praised the Lord.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

1Ch 16:7. ThenDavid delivered first this psalm, &c. On that same day David delivered this psalm, that Asaph and his brethren might praise the Lord by it. Houbigant. See the 96th and 105th Psalms.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

DISCOURSE: 385
DAVIDS THANKSGIVING AT THE CARRYING UP OF THE ARK

1Ch 16:7-15. Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord into the hand of Asaph and his brethren. Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones. He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. Be ye mindful always of his covenant.

IF any one entertain a doubt whether the ways of religion be ways of pleasantness and peace, he needs only look to the history before us, and his doubts will vanish in an instant. It may be thought indeed, that, because the former attempt of David to carry up the ark was attended with sorrow, the general effect of Gods service is not such as has been represented: but it must be remembered, that, on that occasion, though David meant well, he was criminally negligent respecting the mode of carrying his purposes into effect; and that God on that account had frowned upon him [Note: 1Ch 14:10-11. with 15:13.]. But when he was duly observant of Gods commands respecting the ark, his soul was filled with unutterable joy, to which he gave vent in the Psalm before us.

This Psalm is taken out of several others. As far as the 21st verse, it occurs in the 105th Psalm; the greater part of the remainder is found in the 96th. It was given by David for the use of the Church, on occasion of carrying up the ark to Jerusalem. In the part which we have just read, we behold religion in its full exercise: we see exhibited in the brightest colours,

I.

The general frame of mind that it requires

We have not now to speak of moral actions, but rather of spiritual affections. We are to contemplate the Christian now in the dispositions of his mind and the exercises of his soul towards God. And here we observe,

1.

That God should be the supreme object of his regard

[The worldly man rises no higher than the world: he minds and savours nothing but what is earthly and carnal [Note: Rom 8:5. Php 3:18-19.]. But the spiritual man minds the things of the Spirit, and endeavours to set God, as it were, always before him. In the Psalm before us, there was evidently but one object in Davids mind. The world, and all that is in it, was forgotten; and God was all in all. Mark every sentence, or member of a sentence; and this will instantly appear. And should not this be the general frame and habit of our minds? Undoubtedly it should. We need not indeed be always occupied in religious exercises; for there are many other duties to be performed: but we should never for a moment lose the habit of holy and heavenly affections: a sense of Gods unbounded love and mercy should be wrought, as it were, into the very constitution and frame of our minds, so that we should no more cease to feel a supreme regard for him, than a worldly man does for the things of this world. In a word, his perfections, his word, and his works, should be ever so present to our mind, as it was to David on this occasion, or to Adam in paradise ]

This, whatever it may be called by ungodly men, is truly rational religion

[A supreme delight in God is by many deemed enthusiasm: and the religion that consists in speculation, and theory, and form, is supposed to be exclusively entitled to the appellation of rational. But, if God be so infinitely glorious, that even angels themselves are in comparison of him no more than a glow-worm to the sun, he ought to be proportionably elevated in our hearts: and if the wonders he has wrought for us are beyond the powers of language to express, or of imagination to conceive, we should shew our sense of them by thinking of them, and speaking of them, and living continually under a sense of our obligations to him on account of them. Were the Jews required to testify their gratitude in this manner for the mercies vouchsafed to them? How much more should we labour to express our gratitude for that infinitely greater work of redemption which he has wrought out for us by the blood of his only dear Son!

Again; if Christ our Saviour be now in heaven, should not our affections be there [Note: Col 3:1-4.]; and our conversation be there also [Note: Php 3:20.]? I say, that, provided we be not led to neglect our worldly duties, (which are in no respect incompatible with heavenly affections,) it is not possible to have our minds too much filled with love to God: on the contrary, the total surrender of all our faculties and powers to him is a reasonable service [Note: Rom 12:1.].]

But we shall see yet more clearly the excellency of religion, if we consider,

II.

The particular duties it enjoins

St. Paul gives us a short summary of duties, very similar to those that are enjoined in the text: Rejoice evermore; pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you [Note: 1Th 5:16-18.]. Thus David exhorts us,

1.

To thank the Lord for all his past mercies

[Were this exhortation addressed to the most miserable and the most abandoned of the human race, it would be highly reasonable, since the long-suffering which God has exercised towards him is itself a great salvation [Note: 2Pe 3:15.]. But it is addressed to the children of Israel, even the chosen ones of the Lord: and who can ever find cause for praise, if they do not? If they fill not the air with their hosannahs, the very stones will cry out against them. Do but reflect on your unnumbered mercies, especially the gift of Gods only dear Son for you, and the gift of salvation by him to you. Surely you should sing to him, yea, be singing his praises from day to day: you should be already anticipating the employment of heaven, and be singing day and night, Salvation to God and to the Lamb for ever and ever.]

2.

To pray to him for future blessings

[The ark, as being the symbol of the Deity, was that before which the prayers of the high-priest were to be made, and from whence Jehovah was pleased to communicate his answers. Hence, in our text it is called his strength. This ark was a type of Christ, in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and who is the fountain from whence all spiritual blessings must flow [Note: Joh 1:16; Joh 14:13-14. with Eph 1:22-23.]. To him therefore the Psalmist points, when he says, Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually. There is not any occasion whereon it is not our duty and our privilege to seek him. Nothing should be regarded as too small, nothing too great, to ask at his hands. The command is, In every thing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the promise for our encouragement is, Ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. O that we could go thus to God continually, as children to their parent! Surely, however wide we opened our mouths, he would fill them.]

3.

To glory in him as our God and portion

[In our text, David observes, He is the Lord our God: and elsewhere he says, O Lord, thou art my God. This it is which elevates the soul to the highest state of bliss that it can enjoy on earth. The man of this world glories not in wealth, or honour, unless he can call them his. It is the property which we have in them that produces the feelings of joyous exultation. We should therefore strive to the uttermost to ascertain this point, that we are interested in the Saviour, and are authorized on good grounds to say, My Beloved is mine, and I am his. As for all other objects of glorying, we should renounce them all, as incompatible with the Saviours honour; and should determinately say with the Apostle, God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.]

4.

To be always mindful of his covenant

[The covenant here spoken of, is the covenant made with Abraham, and confirmed with an oath unto Isaac [Note: ver. 1618.]. In its literal sense it refers to the land of Canaan as the inheritance of Abrahams descendants: but in its mystical import it refers to all the spiritual seed of Abraham, who are made partakers of an infinitely nobler inheritance in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed the other was a mere shadow: and this is the substance. This was the covenant made with Christ before the foundation of the world [Note: Gal 3:17 an Heb 6:13-14; Heb 6:17-18. 2Ti 1:2.]; a covenant ordered in all things and sure, an everlasting covenant that shall never be annulled. This covenant should be for ever in our minds: we should regard it as the one source of all the blessings we enjoy, and our great security for the continuance of them. This it is that will keep the mind firm and stable amidst all the difficulties and temptations that we have to encounter; since the execution and fulfilment of all its provisions depends on the faithfulness of an unchanging God [Note: Jer 32:40. Mal 3:6.]. We should therefore contemplate this covenant, and trust in it, and plead it before God, and rejoice in an assured hope, that we shall in due time inherit the Kingdom provided for us before the foundation of the world [Note: In treating this subject, care should be taken, as much as possible, to preserve the life and spirit of the text.].]

To improve this subject, we will add a few words,
1.

Of reproof

[How little is there of such religion as this in the midst of us! The generality know nothing of it by actual experience and many, of whom we may hope that they are Gods chosen ones, scarcely ever rise higher than to a state of mourning for their sins, and of trust in God for his mercy. They are occupied so much about themselves, as almost to forget their God: that is, they do not contemplate as they ought, his unbounded excellencies, or delight themselves in him as their God and portion. O let not any of you rest in a state so unprofitable, and destitute of comfort as this! but seek to attain the full enjoyment of God in this world, as the best preparation for enjoying him in the world to come.]

2.

Of encouragement

[That which in our text is an exhortation, Be mindful always of his covenant, is, in the Psalm from whence it is taken, a declaration respecting God, that He hath remembered his covenant for ever [Note: Psa 105:8.]. Yes; he has remembered it, and ever will remember it; nor will he ever suffer one jot or tittle of it to fail. In that covenant he has made ample provision for all our necessities: so that, if we are ready to despond, (as if this elevated state of mind could never be attained, nor these duties ever be performed,) we need only look to that covenant, and all our fears will be dispelled. It is, as has been before observed, ordered in all things, and sure; and therefore the weakest shall have grace sufficient for him, and the most timid find security in the arms of an unchanging God.]

Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)

This is a proof of the bent of David’s mind, in the composition of this beautiful and devout Psalm. If the Reader will critically examine it, he will discover that it is a compilation from several other Psalms. Some of the first verses of it are gathered from Psa 105 . The 23rd to 34th (1Ch 16:23-34 ) are taken from, or rather are the whole of Psa 96 . And another part is take from Psa 136 , and the two last verses of Psa 106 . Some from hence have thought, and there seems a great propriety in the opinion, that the way to praise God with the spirit and with the understanding also is to gather our songs of praise from various parts of the Book of God. It is evident, I confess, to me, that whether in prayer or praise, the best words we have to take with us to turn unto the Lord are the words of the Lord. The hymns and compositions of men, however beautifully turned in period or in the jingle of rhyme, cannot be so proper to draw nigh to God with, as the words which the Lord hath himself given us.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

1Ch 16:7 Then on that day David delivered first [this psalm] to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.

Ver. 7. David delivered. ] David, “the sweet psalmist of Israel.” 2Sa 23:1

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

this psalm. Supply the Ellipsis thus: “Delivered first [the following words] to thank”, &c. Other Psalms were Pro 5:11; Pro 5:68. Originally provided for this event, Psa 68 was afterward divided up and incorporated in Psa 105:1-15; Psa 96:1-13; Psa 106:1, Psa 106:47, Psa 106:48. Exactly the same has been done since then by many human authors. It is those who say they “treat the Bible like any other book” who deny to the Divine Author this right to do as He will with His own.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

1Ch 16:7

1Ch 16:7

DAVID ESTABLISHES REGULAR WORSHIP IN JERUSALEM

“Then on that Day delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.” (KJV)

We have, in this one verse, returned to the rendition in the Authorized Version, as that version seems better to convey the real meaning.

Barker gave the meaning of this verse as follows:

“On that day did David first commit to the hand of Asaph and his brethren to render praises to Jehovah; after the following manner and words. The word first marks the solemn establishment of set public worship in the metropolis.”

Payne agreed with this meaning, rendering the first clause here, “David delivered first this Psalm.” He added that, “The following model song (psalm) that David provided them consists, with slight modifications, of Psa 105:1-15; Psalms 96, and Psa 106:1; Psa 106:47-48. All three Psalms are listed anonymously in the Psalter, but upon the basis of David’s use of them here, it would appear that David was indeed the author of all three.”

E.M. Zerr:

1Ch 16:7. Smith’s Bible Dictionary says this of Asaph: “A Levite, son of Berechiah, one of the leaders of David’s choir.” According to 2Ch 29:30 Asaph was a composer also. David gave him and his brethren the assignment to express the words of 1Ch 16:8-36. Psalm is not in the original because the passage to follow is too general to be covered by the definition of the Hebrew word for Psalm. That word is MIZMOUR, and Strong’s definition is, “from ZAMAR; properly, instrumental music; by implication a poem set to notes.” While on the subject I shall give the reader Strong’s definition of ZAMAR, referred to in the preceding definition. “A primitive root; properly to touch the strings or parts of a musical instrument, i. e. play upon it; to make music, accompanied by the voice; hence to celebrate in song and music.” We can see why the writer of 1 Chronicles did not call the passage a psalm. It contains so much “doctrine” and historical information that he made an indefinite introduction and allowed the subject matter to speak for itself.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

on that day: 2Sa 22:1, 2Sa 23:1, 2Sa 23:2, 2Ch 29:30, Neh 12:24

into the hand: Psa 12:1, Psa 18:1, *titles

Reciprocal: 1Ch 6:39 – Asaph Psa 68:26 – Bless Psa 105:1 – Give Psa 137:3 – the songs of Zion Pro 28:12 – righteous

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1Ch 16:7. Then David delivered first this psalm, &c. Or, as Houbigant renders it, On that same day David delivered this psalm, that Asaph and his brethren might praise the Lord by it That is, on the day in which David appointed the Levites to sing before God, he gave them the song or hymn which follows. There is, however, nothing in the Hebrew for psalm. And the translation of the LXX. is perfectly accurate, save that they have rendered , he gave, by , he appointed. It is, Then, in that day David appointed at first ( , in the beginning) to praise the Lord, by the hand of Asaph and his brethren. The Hebrew expression, , barosh, at first, or in the beginning, seems to imply that David, after this, delivered many other psalms successively into their hands to be sung by them to the praise of God in his public service: see 2Sa 23:1; 2Ch 29:30. The reader will find some explanatory observations on the following verses, Psalms 96. and 105., in which they occur with little or no variation, all but the three last verses of the Psalm.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

16:7 Then on that day David {c} delivered first [this psalm] to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.

(c) David gave them this Psalm to praise the Lord, signifying that in all our enterprises the Name of God should be praised and called upon.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

5. David’s concern for the universal worship of Yahweh 16:7-43

This hymn (1Ch 16:8-36) was probably one of many that the people sang on this occasion. It expressed the hopes and thoughts of the Israelites assembled that the returned exiles needed to emulate. This thanksgiving song is a medley of several psalms (Psa 96:1-13; Psa 105:1-15; Psa 106:1; Psa 106:47-48). It stresses that the intended result of Israel’s worship was the salvation of the nations so that they, too, might come and worship Yahweh (cf. Exo 19:5-6; Isa 42:6; Zec 2:10-11).

The hymn began with a call to worship that embraced the nations (1Ch 16:8-13; cf. Isa 12:4). Then the people extolled God’s greatness and glory (1Ch 16:14-22). They stressed God’s unmerited favor toward Israel’s patriarchs in this section. Another call to worship (1Ch 16:23-24) led to another section of praise that emphasizes Yahweh’s superiority over the nations’ gods (1Ch 16:25-26) and His creative power (1Ch 16:27-30). The final part of the hymn called on all people to turn to Yahweh in trust and obedience in view of His coming to judge and save (1Ch 16:31-36). Throughout this hymn the emphasis rests on God’s deeds, God’s words, God’s greatness, and God’s worth.

David let the sanctuary remain at Gibeon and provided for worship and sacrifice to continue there (1Ch 16:39-40). He appointed Zadok as the priest in charge of that tabernacle. Throughout Israel’s history, the ark was a symbol of God’s grace and the altar was a symbol of human response to that grace. Normally they were together, but in Saul’s day they were separate. [Note: See Wilcock, p. 73.] The ark was in Philistia, Bethshemesh, or Kiriath-jearim, and the tabernacle was at Shiloh or Gibeon.

Chapters 13-16 help the reader focus on the presence of God as what is essential, rather than on ritual that, though important, is only a means to an end. Worship is appropriate in view of who God is, but for worship to be acceptable, God’s people must worship Him as He has prescribed. Furthermore, worship must be God-centered rather than man-centered.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)