Thematic Bible: In david's popular methods


Thematic Bible



Then David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers and to have them raise their voices with joy accompanied by musical instruments-harps, lyres, and cymbals. So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah. With them were their relatives second in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel. read more.
The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to Alamoth; and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to the Sheminith. Chenaniah, the leader of the Levites in music, was to direct the music because he was skillful. Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers for the ark. The priests, Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, were to blow trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were also to be gatekeepers for the ark.


David heard [about it] later and said: "I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. May it hang over Joab's head and his father's whole house, and may the house of Joab never be without someone who has an infection or leprosy or a man who can only work a spindle or someone who falls by the sword or starves." Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon. read more.
David then ordered Joab and all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn over Abner." And King David walked behind the funeral procession. When they buried Abner in Hebron, the king wept aloud at Abner's tomb. All the people wept, and the king sang a lament for Abner: Should Abner die as a fool dies? Your hands were not bound, your feet not placed in bronze [shackles]. You fell like one who falls victim to criminals. And all the people wept over him even more. Then they came to urge David to eat bread while it was still day, but David took an oath: "May God punish me and do so severely if I taste bread or anything else before sunset!" All the people took note of this, and it pleased them. In fact, everything the king did pleased them. On that day all the troops and all Israel were convinced that the king had no part in the killing of Abner son of Ner.


David consulted with all his leaders, the commanders of hundreds and of thousands. Then he said to the whole assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you, and if this is from the Lord our God, let us spread out and send the message to the rest of our relatives in all the districts of Israel, including the priests and Levites in their cities with pasturelands, that they should gather together with us. Then let us bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of Him in Saul's days." read more.
Since the proposal seemed right to all the people, the whole assembly agreed to do it.


Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.