1 Chronicles 15:16

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.

a. NLT: David also ordered the Levite leaders to appoint a choir of Levites who were singers and musicians to sing joyful songs to the accompaniment of harps, lyres, and cymbals.

b. NIV: David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.

c. YLT: And 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.

d. Amplified Bible Classic: David told the chief Levites to appoint their brethren the singers with instruments of music—harps, lyres, and cymbals—to play loudly and lift up their voices with joy.

e. Septuagint: And David said to the chiefs of the Levites, Set your brethren the singers with musical instruments, lutes, harps, and cymbals, to sound aloud with a voice of joy.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: David instructed the officers of the Levites to set up their kinsmen who made music with musical instruments—lyres; harps and cymbals—making themselves heard, to raise their voices in joy.

1. “And David spake to the chief of the Levites…”

a. David [Strong: 1732 * David daw-veed' rarely (fully); Daviyd {daw-veed'}; from the same as 1730; loving; David, the youngest son of Jesse:--David.]

b. spake [Strong: 559 * 'amar aw-mar' a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

c. chief [Strong: 8269 * sar sar from 8323; a head person (of any rank or class):--captain (that had rule), chief (captain), general, governor, keeper, lord, ((-task- ))master, prince(-ipal), ruler, steward.]

d. of the Levites [Strong: 3881 * Leviyiy lay-vee-ee' or Leviy {lay-vee'}; patronymically from 3878; a Levite or descendant of Levi:--Leviite.]

2. “…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.”

a. to appoint [Strong: 5975 * `amad aw-mad' a primitive root; to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive):--abide (behind), appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue, dwell, be employed, endure, establish, leave, make, ordain, be (over), place, (be) present (self), raise up, remain, repair, + serve, set (forth, over, -tle, up), (make to, make to be at a, with-)stand (by, fast, firm, still, up), (be at a) stay (up), tarry.]

b. their brethren [Strong: 251 * 'ach awkh a primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like 1)):--another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other.]

c. the singers [Strong: 7891 * shiyr sheer or (the original form) shuwr (1 Sam. 18:6) {shoor}; a primitive root (identical with 7788 through the idea of strolling minstrelsy); to sing:--behold (by mistake for 7789), sing(-er, -ing man, - ing woman).]

d. with instruments [Strong: 3627 * kliy kel-ee' from 3615; something prepared, i.e. any apparatus (as an implement, utensil, dress, vessel or weapon):--armour ((-bearer)), artillery, bag, carriage, + furnish, furniture, instrument, jewel, that is made of, X one from another, that which pertaineth, pot, + psaltery, sack, stuff, thing, tool, vessel, ware, weapon, + whatsoever.]

e. of musick [Strong: 7892 * shiyr sheer or feminine shiyrah {shee-raw'}; from 7891; a song; abstractly, singing:--musical(-ick), X sing(-er, -ing), song.]

f. psalteries [Strong: 5035 * nebel neh'-bel or nebel {nay'-bel}; from 5034; a skin-bag for liquids (from collapsing when empty); hence, a vase (as similar in shape when full); also a lyre (as having a body of like form):--bottle, pitcher, psaltery, vessel, viol.]

g. and harps [Strong: 3658 * kinnowr kin-nore' from a unused root meaning to twang; a harp: -harp.]

h. and cymbals [Strong: 4700 * mtseleth mets-ay'-leth from 6750; (only dual) double tinklers, i.e. cymbals:--cymbals.]

i. sounding [Strong: 8085 * shama` shaw-mah' a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.):--X attentively, call (gather) together, X carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.]

j. by lifting [Strong: 7311 * ruwm room a primitive root; to be high actively, to rise or raise (in various applications, literally or figuratively):--bring up, exalt (self), extol, give, go up, haughty, heave (up), (be, lift up on, make on, set up on, too) high(-er, one), hold up, levy, lift(-er) up, (be) lofty, (X a-)loud, mount up, offer (up), + presumptuously, (be) promote(-ion), proud, set up, tall(-er), take (away, off, up), breed worms.]

k. the voice [Strong: 6963 * qowl kole or qol {kole}; from an unused root meaning to call aloud; a voice or sound:--+ aloud, bleating, crackling, cry (+ out), fame, lightness, lowing, noise, + hold peace, (pro-)claim, proclamation, + sing, sound, + spark, thunder(-ing), voice, + yell.]

l. with joy [Strong: 8057 * simchah sim-khaw' from 8056; blithesomeness or glee, (religious or festival):--X exceeding(-ly), gladness, joy(-fulness), mirth, pleasure, rejoice(-ing).]