11And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, (for all the priests that were present had sanctified themselves, and did not keep their courses; 12also the Levites which were the singers, all of them, even Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brethren, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) 13it came even to pass, when 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 [1]of music, 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, 14so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.
11—14 (= 1 Kin. viii. 10, 11). The Descent of the
Glory of the Lord.
11. out of the holy place] The priests could remain neither in the Holy of Holies where they had deposited the Ark, nor even in the Holy Place, but were driven altogether out of the Temple building into the Temple court (cp. ver. 14).
11—13 a. for all . . . his mercy endureth for ever] a long parenthesis added by the Chronicler to intimate that the whole body and not merely the monthly "course" of priests and of Levitical singers were present (vv. 11 b—12); and to suggest the grandeur of the musical service (ver. 13 a).
11. their courses] Cp. 1 Chr. xxiv. 1—19.
12. Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons] Cp. 1 Chr. xxv. 1—7.
psalteries . . . harps] See 1 Chr. xiii. 8, notes.
at the east end of the altar] Looking westward, facing the Holy of Holies. To face the east was to turn the back upon the sanctuary; Ezek. viii. 16.
trumpets] See 1 Chr. xv. 24, note.
13. of music] Rather, as mg., for song.
for his mercy endureth for ever] 1 Chr. xvi. 41.
was filled with a cloud] Ex. xl. 34, 35.
- ↑ Or, for song
