1 Chronicles 13:8

David and all the Israelites were celebrating before God with all their might, with songs and on harps and lyres, with tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — David and the assembled Israelites celebrate before God while transporting the ark on a new cart, an event that immediately precedes Uzzah’s fatal intervention at the threshing floor of Chidon.

The words — The Hebrew מְשַׂחֲקִ֛ים (me.sa.cha.Kim) means "making merry," coupled with בְּ/כָל\־ עֹ֑ז (be./khol 'Oz) for "with all strength," which the text uses to describe the collective vigor of the procession.

The thread — This procession mirrors the parallel account in 2 Samuel 6:5 and aligns with the instrumental praise categories listed in Psalms 150:3.

Why it lands — The text records a moment of unified, high-intensity worship that directly sets up the subsequent divine judgment, requiring readers to note the contrast between human enthusiasm and divine protocol.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְדָוִ֣ידve./da.Vidand/ David וְכָל־ve./kholand/ all יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לYis.ra.'ElIsrael מְשַׂחֲקִ֛יםme.sa.cha.Kim[were] making merry לִפְנֵ֥יli/f.Nei<to>/ before הָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha./'E.lo.Him<the>/ God בְּכָל־be./kholwith/ all עֹ֑ז'Ozstrength וּבְשִׁירִ֤יםu./ve./shi.Rimand/ with/ songs וּבְכִנֹּרוֹת֙u./ve./khi.no.rOtand/ with/ harps וּבִנְבָלִ֣יםu./vi/n.va.Limand/ with/ lyres וּבְתֻפִּ֔יםu./ve./tu.Pimand/ with/ tambourines וּבִמְצִלְתַּ֖יִםu./vi/m.tzil.Ta.yimand/ with/ cymbals וּבַחֲצֹצְרֽוֹת׃u./va./cha.tzo.tze.Rotand/ with/ trumpets

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

2 Samuel 6:5 David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with all kinds of wood instruments, harps, stringed instruments, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.
Psalms 150:3 Praise Him with the sound of the horn; praise Him with the harp and lyre.
1 Samuel 10:5 After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistines have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.
2 Kings 3:15 But now, bring me a harpist.” And while the harpist played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha
1 Chronicles 15:10 and from the Uzzielites, Amminadab the chief and 112 of his relatives.
1 Chronicles 15:28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and with cymbals and the music of harps and lyres.
1 Chronicles 16:5 Asaph was the chief, Zechariah was second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They were to play the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals
1 Chronicles 16:42 Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals for the music and instruments for the songs of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were stationed at the gate.
1 Chronicles 23:5 4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the LORD with the instruments I have made for giving praise.”
1 Chronicles 25:1 Additionally, David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy with the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The following is the list of the men who performed this service:

People named

David