Bible Commentaries
1 Chronicles 16

Verse 2

16:2 And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he {a} blessed the people in the name of the LORD.

(a) He called upon the Name of God, desiring him to prosper the people, and give good success to their beginnings.

Verse 4

16:4 And he appointed [certain] of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to {b} record, and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel:

(b) That is, God’s benefits to his people.

Verse 7

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.

Verse 8

16:8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his {d} deeds among the people.

(d) Of which this is the chiefest, that he has chosen himself a Church to call upon his name.

Verse 9

16:9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his {e} wondrous works.

(e) Who of his wonderful providence has chosen a few of the stock of Abraham to be his children.

Verse 12

16:12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the {f} judgments of his mouth;

(f) In overcoming Pharaoh, which judgments were declared by God’s mouth to Moses.

Verse 13

16:13 O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his {g} chosen ones.

(g) Meaning by this that the promise of adoption only belongs to the Church.

Verse 19

16:19 When ye were but {h} few, even a few, and strangers in it.

(h) Meaning, from the time that Abraham entered, to the time that Jacob went into Egypt for famine.

Verse 21

16:21 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved {i} kings for their sakes,

(i) As Pharaoh and Abimelech.

Verse 22

16:22 [Saying], Touch not mine {k} anointed, and do my {l} prophets no harm.

(k) My elect and those whom I have sanctified.

(l) To whom God declared his word and they declared it to their posterity.

Verse 26

16:26 For all the gods of the people [are] {m} idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

(m) His strong faith appears in this, though all the world would follow idols, yet he would cleave to the living God.

Verse 30

16:30 {n} Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.

(n) Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God.

Verse 31

16:31 Let the {o} heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let [men] say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.

(o) He exhorts the dumb creatures to rejoice with him in considering the greatness of the grace of God.

Verse 33

16:33 Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he cometh to {p} judge the earth.

(p) To restore all things to their estate.

Verse 35

16:35 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] {q} glory in thy praise.

(q) He esteems this to be the chiefest happiness of man.

Verse 36

16:36 Blessed [be] the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, {r} Amen, and praised the LORD.

(r) He wills all the people both in heart and mouth to consent to those praises.

Verse 41

16:41 And with {s} them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because his mercy [endureth] for ever;

(s) With Zadok and the rest of the priests.

Verse 43

16:43 And all the people departed every man to his house: and David returned to {t} bless his house.

(t) Declaring that after our duty to God we are chiefly bound to our own house, for which as for all other things we should pray to God, and instruct our families to praise his Name.