1 Chronicles 15:12

And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) Chief of the fathers.—Heads of the father- houses. They were the heads of the chief divisions in each sub-group of the tribe.

Sanctify yourselves.—Special purifications appear to have been prescribed in connection with all sacrifice and worship. (Comp. Genesis 35:2; Exodus 19:10; Exodus 19:15; Exodus 30:17-21.) Bathing the person, and washing or changing the garments, and keeping oneself aloof from whatever was regarded as defiling, were the main requisites. And all this was needful to teach Israel that the All-pure requires purity in His worshippers. (Comp. 2Chronicles 30:3.)

The ark of the Lord (Jehovah) God of Israel.—Contrast the simpler expression, “ark of God” (1 Chronicles 13 and 1Chronicles 14:1-2). Here David uses a specially solemn title, by way of warning. Further, the term “God of Israel” suggests that the undertaking is national, and that the nation’s future welfare depends on its due performance (1Samuel 2:30). Israel’s vocation was to be “a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (Exodus 19:6), as the chronicler has well understood.

Unto the place that I have prepared for it.—Unto (that) I have prepared for it. The relative is omitted. (Comp. 1Chronicles 29:3 and 2Chronicles 1:4.)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

15:1-24 Wise and good men may be guilty of oversights, which they will correct, as soon as they are aware of them. David does not try to justify what had been done amiss, nor to lay the blame on others; but he owns himself guilty, with others, of not seeking God in due order

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The sons of Kohath - The order of the sons of Levi according to primogeniture is, Gershom, Kohath, Merari Genesis 46:11; Exodus 6:16. But the Kohathites, of whom came the priestly family of the Aaronites, had precedence in all respects. To them especially was committed the attendance upon the ark and the bearing of it. Of the six Levitical families mentioned 1 Chronicles 15:5-10 one only was descended from Gershom, one from Merari, and four (Uriel, Elizaphan, Hebron, and Uzziel) from Kohath.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

12. sanctify yourselves—This special sanctification, which was required on all grave and important occasions, consisted in observing the strictest abstinence, as well as cleanliness, both in person and dress (see on [380]Ge 35:2; Ex 19:10, 15); and in the neglect of these rules no step could have been taken (2Ch 30:3).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Sanctify yourselves, by solemn purification and preparation of yourselves, both in soul and body. See Poole "Exodus 19:10,15".

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he said unto them, ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites,.... Of the families of the Levites, heads of their fathers' houses:

sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren; respectively under each, whose numbers are before given, by washing their bodies and clothes, and abstaining from their wives:

that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it; 2 Samuel 6:17.

Geneva Study Bible

And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: {e} sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it.

(e) Prepare yourselves and be pure, abstain from all things by which you might be polluted, and so not able to come to the tabernacle.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12. the chief of the fathers of the Levites] R.V. the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites.

sanctify yourselves] Cp. 2 Chronicles 29:5. For the method of sanctifying cp. Exodus 19:10; Exodus 19:15.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 12. - Sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren. Nothing of the appointed observances of the Law are to be omitted this time, as in the haste and want of premeditation of the former occasion (Exodus 19:22; Exodus 28:41; Exodus 40:13; Leviticus 8:12; Leviticus 20:7; Leviticus 21:8; 2 Chronicles 5:11; 2 Chronicles 29:15). These "sanctifyings" consisted of different observances, according to the person and the occasion, but largely of ablutions of the body, washing of the clothes, and keeping separate from all natural and ceremonial causes of uncleanness in ordinary cases of Levitical service. That ye may bring up the ark. The word here employed for "bring" is not the same with the "carry" of vers 1 and 2. But the following verses (13-15) seem to intimate that, whatever the exact reason for which Uzzah had been peremptorily cut off, the Levites had also been to blame in not sanctifying themselves to carry the ark by its staves in the way originally appointed. 1 Chronicles 15:12

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Zadok of the line of Eleazar (1 Chronicles 6:1-15), and Abiathar of the line of Ithamar, were the heads of the two priestly lines, and at that time both held the office of high priest (1 Chronicles 24:3; cf. 2 Samuel 15:24., 2 Samuel 20:25). These priests and the six princes of the Levites just enumerated were charged by David to consecrate themselves with their brethren, and to bring up the ark of God to the place prepared for it. התקדּשׁ, to consecrate oneself by removal of all that is unclean, washing of the body and of the clothes (Genesis 35:2), and careful keeping aloof from every defilement, avoiding coition and the touching of unclean things; cf. Exodus 19:10, Exodus 19:15. לו אל־כינותי, to (the place) which I have prepared for it. לו הכינותי is a relative clause with אשׁר, construed with a preposition as though it were a substantive: cf. similar constructions, 1 Chronicles 29:3; 2 Chronicles 16:9; 2 Chronicles 30:18; Nehemiah 8:10; and Ew. 33, b.