Bible Commentaries
1 Chronicles 13

Verses 1-14

1 Chronicles 13:1-14 . The Bringing up of the Ark from Kiriath-jearim to the House of Obed-Edom ( cf. 2 Samuel 6:1-11).— The event here mentioned is put in its wrong place by the Chronicler (see 2 Samuel 5:11-25) with the object of emphasizing David’ s zeal for the worship of Yahweh, which is represented as his first care after being made king and the taking of Jerusalem.

1 Chronicles 13:1-4 . An introduction inserted by the Chronicler setting forth his own point of view.

1 Chronicles 13:5 . Shihor: conceived of as the southern boundary of ancient Israel; there is, of course, no mention of this in the parallel account in 2 S.— the entering in of Hamath: the northern boundary ( cf. Numbers 13:21, Joshua 13:5, Judges 3:3).

1 Chronicles 13:6-14. See notes on 2 Samuel 6:1-11.

1 Chronicles 13:14 . The RV rendering here is misleading; the words should run, following the Hebrew text as it stands: “ And the ark of God abode among the people (lit. ‘ house’ ) of Obed-edom in its house . . .” ; it is possible, in view of 2 Samuel 6:10 f., that “ in its house” is a textual error for “ the Gittite.” If, however, the Hebrew text as it stands is correct, the difference between this passage and its parallel 2 Samuel 6:11 is significant, for in the latter the Ark is stated to have been placed in the house of Obed-edom, while the Chronicler, regarding the Ark as too holy to abide in an ordinary house, supposes a special one (presumably a tent; cf. 1 Chronicles 15:1), to have been erected for it.