And he said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.
Parallel translations
- WEB and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both you and your brothers, that you may bring the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, up to the place that I have prepared for it.
- KJV And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it.
- NKJV He said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it.
- NASB and he said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites; consecrate yourselves, you and your relatives, so that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it.
- NLT He said to them, “You are the leaders of the Levite families. You must purify yourselves and all your fellow Levites, so you can bring the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David charged the leaders to consecrate themselves so they could bring up the ark. Holiness in the worshipers, not just correct method, was required.
Overview
David instructed the Levite heads to sanctify themselves and their brothers before handling the ark. This call to personal consecration shows that approaching God demands not only the right procedure but also purity in those who serve. The combination of right method and right heart reflects the comprehensive reverence God requires, anticipating the holiness needed to draw near to Him, ultimately provided in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- 2 Chr 35:6Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make preparations for your fellow countrymen to carry out the word of the LORD given by Moses.”
- Exod 19:14–15When Moses came down from the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.
- 1 Chr 15:14So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel.
- Rom 12:1–2Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
- 2 Chr 30:15And on the fourteenth day of the second month they slaughtered the Passover lamb. The priests and Levites were ashamed, and they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of the LORD.
- Rev 5:9–10And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
- John 17:17Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.
- 1 Chr 9:34All these were heads of Levite families, chiefs according to their genealogies, and they lived in Jerusalem.
- 1 Chr 24:31As their brothers the descendants of Aaron did, they also cast lots in the presence of King David and of Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the families of the priests and Levites—the family heads and their younger brothers alike.
- 1 Chr 15:1David constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.
- 2 Chr 5:11Now all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves regardless of their divisions. And when the priests came out of the Holy Place,
- 2 Chr 29:4–5Then he brought in the priests and Levites and gathered them in the square on the east side.
- Ezek 48:11It will be for the consecrated priests, the descendants of Zadok, who kept My charge and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray.
- 1 Chr 15:3And David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it.
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Christ at the center
The genealogies and the everlasting covenant with David trace the single thread of promise running through the generations straight to the Christ in whom the line reaches its goal.
How 1 Chronicles 15:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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