Bible Commentaries
2 Chronicles 5

Verse 1

Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.

Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated - the immense sums and the store of valuable articles which his father and other generals had reserved and appropriated for the temple (1 Chronicles 22:14; 1 Chronicles 26:26).

Verse 2

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.

Then Solomon assembled ...

Verse 3

Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.

In the feast which was in the seventh month. The feast of the dedication of the temple was on the eighth day of that month. This is related word for word the same as in 1 Kings 8:1-10.

Verses 4-8

And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark.

No JFB commentary on these verses.

Verse 9

And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day.

There it is unto this day - i:e., at the time when this history was composed; for after the Babylonian captivity there is no trace of either ark or staves.

Verse 10

There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

No JFB commentary on this verse.

Verse 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:

All the priests ... 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.

Verse 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:)

The Levites which were the singers. On great and solemn occasions, such as this, a full choir was required, and their station was taken with scrupulous regard to their official parts: the family of Heman occupied the central place, the family of Asaph stood on his right, and that of Jeduthun on his left; the place allotted to the vocal department being a space between the court of Israel and the altar in the east end of the priests' court.

With them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets. The trumpet was always used by the priests, and in the divine service it was specially employed in calling the people together during the holy solemnities, and in drawing attention to new and successive parts of the ritual. The number of trumpets used in the divine service could not be less than two (Numbers 10:2), and their greatest number never exceeded the precedent set at the dedication of the temple. The station where the priests were sounding with trumpets was apart from that of the other musicians; for while the Levite singers occupied an orchestra east of the altar, the priests stood at the marble table on the southwest of the altar. There both of them stood with their faces to the altar. The manner of blowing the trumpets was, first, by a long plain blast, then by one with breakings and quaverings, and then by a long plain blast again (Brown's 'Jewish Antiquities').

Verse 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;

The house was filled with a cloud - (see the notes at 1 Kings 8:10-11.)