1 Chronicles 15 · Verse 16

1 Chronicles 15:16

And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.
1 Chronicles 15:16, King James Version

1 Chronicles 15:16 in other translations

BSBDavid also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals.
WEBDavid spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers with instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up their voices with joy.
ASVAnd David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers, with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up the voice with joy.
YLTAnd David saith to the heads of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers, with instruments of song, psalteries, and harps, and cymbals, sounding, to lift up with the voice for joy.
DARBYAnd David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren, the singers, with instruments of music, lutes, and harps, and cymbals, that they should sound aloud, lifting up the voice with joy.
BBEAnd David gave orders to the chief of the Levites to put their brothers the music-makers in position, with instruments of music, corded instruments and brass, with glad voices making sounds of joy.
WebsterAnd David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of music, psalteries, and harps, and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.

What does 1 Chronicles 15:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Chronicles 15:16-24
16-24. David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint ... the singers with instruments--These eminent Levites were instructed to train the musicians and singers who were under them, for the solemn procession. The performers were ranged in three choirs or bands, and the names of the principal leaders are given (1Ch 15:17, 18, 21), with the instruments respectively used by each. "Ben" (1Ch 15:18) is omitted (1Ch 15:20). Either it was used merely as a common noun, to intimate that Zechariah was the son of Jaaziel or Aziel, or Ben is the same as Azaziah [1Ch 15:21].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Chronicles 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

Read the full comment on 1 Chronicles 15:1-24 →

1 Chronicles 15:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
דָּוִיד֮da.VidDavidH1732
לְשָׂרֵ֣יle.sa.Reito [the] leaders ofH8269
הַלְוִיִּם֒hal.vi.Yimthe LevitesH3881
לְהַֽעֲמִ֗ידle.ha.'a.Midto appointH5975
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אֲחֵיהֶם֙'a.chei.Hemrelatives theirH251
הַמְשֹׁ֣רְרִ֔יםham.Sho.re.Rimthe singersH7891
בִּכְלֵי\־bikh.lei-with instruments ofH3627
שִׁ֛ירshirsongH7892
נְבָלִ֥יםne.va.LimlyresH5035
וְכִנֹּר֖וֹתve.khi.no.Rotand harpsH3658
וּמְצִלְתָּ֑יִםu.me.tzil.Ta.yimand cymbalsH4700
מַשְׁמִיעִ֥יםmash.mi.'Imsounding aloudH8085
לְהָרִֽים\־le.ha.rim-to raiseH7311
בְּק֖וֹלbe.Kol<in> a soundH6963
לְשִׂמְחָֽה\׃\ \פle.sim.Chahof joyH8057

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Chronicles 15:16

  • 1 Chronicles 13:8

    And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

  • 1 Chronicles 16:42

    And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters.

  • 1 Chronicles 23:5

    Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the Lord with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.

  • 2 Chronicles 5:13

    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;

  • Nehemiah 12:36

    And his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them.

  • Isaiah 49:23

    And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

  • Psalms 87:7

    As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.

  • Titus 1:5

    For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

  • 2 Chronicles 29:28-30

    And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped. Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.

  • 2 Chronicles 30:12

    Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord.

  • Nehemiah 12:43

    Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.

  • 1 Timothy 3:1-15

    This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
And David.
2Ch 30:12; Ezr 7:24-28; Isa 49:23
chief.
12; Ac 14:23; 1Ti 3:1-15; 2Ti 2:2; Tit 1:5
the singers.
27,28; 6:31-38; 13:8; 16:42; 23:5; 25:1-6; 2Ch 29:28-30; Ne 12:36,46
Ps 87:7; 149:3; 150:3,4
lifting up.
2Ch 5:13; Ezr 3:10,11; Ne 12:43; Ps 81:1; 92:1-3; 95:1; 100:1
Jer 33:11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Chronicles 15:15

    And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the Lord.

  • 1 Chronicles 15:16

    And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.

  • 1 Chronicles 15:17

    So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;

Read all of 1 Chronicles 15

1 Chronicles 15:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Asimismo dijo David á los principales de los Levitas, que constituyesen de sus hermanos cantores, con instrumentos de música, con salterios, y arpas, y címbalos, que resonasen, y alzasen la voz con alegría.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et David dit aux chefs des Lévites d’établir leurs frères, les chantres, avec des instruments de musique, des luths, et des harpes, et des cymbales, qu’ils feraient retentir en élevant leur voix avec joie.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und David befahl den Obersten der Leviten, ihre Brüder, die Sänger, mit Musikinstrumenten, Harfen und Lauten und Cymbeln zu bestellen, damit sie laut spielten, indem sie die Stimme erhöben mit Freude.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Dixitque David principibus Levitarum, ut constituerent de fratribus suis cantores in organis musicorum, nablis videlicet, et lyris, et cymbalis, ut resonaret in excelsis sonitus lætitiæ.