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When Solomon had finished constructing the Lord’s temple, he put the holy items that belonged to his father David (the silver, gold, and all the other articles) in the treasuries of God’s temple.

Solomon Moves the Ark into the Temple

Then Solomon convened Israel’s elders—all the leaders of the Israelite tribes and families—in Jerusalem, so they could witness the transferal of the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David[a] (that is, Zion).[b] All the men of Israel assembled before the king during the festival[c] in the seventh month.[d] When all Israel’s elders had arrived, the Levites lifted the ark. The priests and Levites carried the ark, the tent where God appeared to his people,[e] and all the holy items in the tent.[f] Now King Solomon and all the Israelites who had assembled with him went on ahead of the ark and sacrificed more sheep and cattle than could be counted or numbered.[g]

The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its assigned[h] place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, in the Most Holy Place under the wings of the cherubim. The cherubim’s wings extended over the place where the ark sat; the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles.[i] The poles were so long their ends extending out from the ark were visible from in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from beyond that point.[j] They have remained there to this very day. 10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets Moses had placed there in Horeb.[k] (It was there that[l] the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after he brought them out of the land of Egypt.)

11 The priests left the Holy Place.[m] All the priests who participated had consecrated themselves, no matter which division they represented.[n] 12 All the Levites who were musicians, including Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives, wore linen. They played cymbals and stringed instruments as they stood east of the altar. They were accompanied by 120 priests who blew trumpets. 13 The trumpeters and musicians played together, praising and giving thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they loudly praised the Lord, singing:[o] “Certainly he is good; certainly his loyal love endures!” Then a cloud filled the Lord’s temple.[p] 14 The priests could not carry out their duties[q] because of the cloud; the Lord’s splendor filled God’s temple.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 5:2 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
  2. 2 Chronicles 5:2 tn Heb “Then Solomon convened the elders of Israel, the heads of the tribes, the chiefs of the fathers belonging to the sons of Israel to Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David (it is Zion).”
  3. 2 Chronicles 5:3 sn This festival in the seventh month was the Feast of Tabernacles, see Lev 23:34.
  4. 2 Chronicles 5:3 sn The seventh month would be September-October in modern reckoning.
  5. 2 Chronicles 5:5 tn Heb “the tent of assembly.”sn See Exod 33:7-11.
  6. 2 Chronicles 5:5 tn Heb “and they carried the ark of the Lord…. The priests and the Levites carried them.”
  7. 2 Chronicles 5:6 tn Heb “And King Solomon and all the assembly of Israel, those who had been gathered to him, [were] before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle which could not be counted or numbered because of the abundance.”
  8. 2 Chronicles 5:7 tn The word “assigned” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
  9. 2 Chronicles 5:8 sn These poles were used to carry the ark. The Levites were to carry it with the poles on their shoulders. See Exod 25:13-15; 1 Chr 15:15.
  10. 2 Chronicles 5:9 tn Heb “they could not be seen outside.”
  11. 2 Chronicles 5:10 sn Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai (cf. Exod 3:1).
  12. 2 Chronicles 5:10 tn Heb “in Horeb where.”
  13. 2 Chronicles 5:11 tn Heb “and when the priests went from the holy place.” The syntactical relationship of this temporal clause to the following context is unclear. Perhaps the thought is completed in v. 14 after a lengthy digression.
  14. 2 Chronicles 5:11 tn Heb “Indeed [or “for”] all the priests who were found consecrated themselves without guarding divisions.”
  15. 2 Chronicles 5:13 tn Heb “like one were the trumpeters and the musicians, causing one voice to be heard, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, and while raising a voice with trumpets and with cymbals and with instruments of music, and while praising the Lord.”
  16. 2 Chronicles 5:13 tn Heb “and the house was filled with a cloud, the house of the Lord.”
  17. 2 Chronicles 5:14 tn Heb “were not able to stand to serve.”

Finally all the work Solomon did for the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord was finished. He brought in everything his father David had ·set apart [dedicated] for the ·Temple [L house]—all the silver and gold and other ·articles [utensils]. And he ·put [stored] everything in the treasuries of God’s ·Temple [L house].

The Ark Is Brought into the Temple(A)

Solomon ·called for [summoned; assembled; convened] the elders of Israel, the heads of the tribes, and the ·leaders [chiefs] of the ·families [clans] to come to him in Jerusalem. He wanted them to bring the Ark of the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty; L Testimony] with the Lord from ·the older part of the city [L the city of David, that is, Zion]. So all the Israelites came together with the king during the festival in the seventh month [C the Festival of Shelters or Tabernacles or Booths held in early autumn].

When all the ·elders [men] of Israel arrived, the Levites ·lifted [picked; took] up the Ark. They ·carried [brought up] the ·Ark of the Agreement [L ark; Ex. 25:10], the ·Meeting Tent [Tabernacle], and the ·holy utensils [sacred furnishings] in it; the ·priests and the Levites [Levitical priests] brought them up. King Solomon and all the ·Israelites [L congregation/community of Israel] gathered before the ·Ark of the Agreement [L ark] and sacrificed so many sheep and ·bulls [oxen] no one could count or record them.

Then the priests put the Ark of the ·Agreement [covenant; treaty; L Testimony] with the Lord in its place inside the inner sanctuary of the ·Temple [L house], the ·Most Holy Place [T Holy of Holies], under the wings of the ·golden creatures [L cherubim]. The wings of ·these creatures [L cherubim] were spread out over the place for the Ark, ·covering [forming a canopy over] it and its carrying poles. The carrying poles were so long that anyone standing in the ·Holy Place [inner sanctuary] in front of the ·Most Holy Place [T Holy of Holies] could see the ends of the poles. But no one could see them from outside the Holy Place. The poles are still there today. 10 The only things inside the Ark were two stone tablets [C inscribed with the Ten Commandments] that Moses had put in the Ark at ·Mount Sinai [L Horeb]. That was where the Lord made his ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

11 Then all the priests ·left [came out of; withdrew from] the Holy Place. (All the priests ·from each group [regardless of their divisions/orders; or whether they were serving that day or not] had ·made themselves ready to serve the Lord [consecrated/purified/sanctified themselves].) 12 All the Levite ·musicians [singers]—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun [C all associated with certain psalms; see titles of Ps. 50, 73–83 (Asaph), 88 (Heman), 39, 62, 77 (Jeduthun)], and all their sons and ·relatives [kinsmen; L brothers]—stood on the east side of the altar. They were dressed in ·white [fine] linen and played cymbals, harps, and lyres. ·With [Accompanying] them were one hundred twenty priests who blew trumpets. 13 Those who blew the trumpets and those who sang ·together sounded like one person [performed in unison] as they praised and thanked the Lord. They sang ·as others played their [accompanied by] trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments. They praised the Lord with this song:

“He is good;
    his ·love [unfailing love; lovingkindness; loyalty] ·continues [endures] forever [Ps. 136:1].”

Then the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord was filled with a cloud. 14 The priests could not continue their ·work [service] because of the cloud, because the Lord’s ·glory [splendor] filled the ·Temple [L house] of God.