2 Chronicles 5

2Ch 5:1.

THE

DEDICATED

TREASURES.

1. 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

(1Ch 22:14; 26:26).

2Ch 5:2-13.

BRINGING

UP OF THE

ARK OF THE

COVENANT.

2, 3. Then Solomon assembled . . . 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

1Ki 8:1-10.

9. there it is unto this day--that is, at the time when this history

was composed; for after the Babylonish captivity there is no trace of

either ark or staves.

11. all the priests that were 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.

12. 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 was 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

(Nu 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, Jewish Antiquities].

13. the house was filled with a

cloud--(See on

1Ki 8:10).