(16) David spake to the chief.--Ordered the chiefs (s?rim).

To appoint their brethren to be the singers.--To station or assign places to their clansmen, the minstrels.

Psalteries and harps.--Harps and lutes, or guitars (n?b?lim and kinnoroth).

Sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.--So far as grammar goes, the participle sounding (Heb., causing to hear--i.e., making a loud noise) might refer to the musicians, or to all the instruments mentioned, or to the last kind (the cymbals) only. The third reference is the best, because of the special sense of the verb. (Comp. 1Chronicles 15:19 and Psalm 150:5 : "loud cymbals," i.e., cymbals of sound or hearing.) Translate: "harps and lutes and clashing cymbals, in order to swell the sound for gladness:" that is, to express and enhance the rejoicing. (Comp. 2Chronicles 5:13.)

Verses 16, 17. - To appoint their brethren to be the singers. This was the first step towards what we have already read in 1 Chronicles 6:31-39, 44; 1 Chronicles 9:33, 34 (where see notes).

15:1-24 Wise and good men may be guilty of oversights, which they will correct, as soon as they are aware of them. David does not try to justify what had been done amiss, nor to lay the blame on others; but he owns himself guilty, with others, of not seeking God in due orderAnd David spake to the chief of the Levites,.... The six before mentioned, 1 Chronicles 15:11.

to appoint their brethren to be the singers; before the ark, as they brought it up:

with instruments of music, psalteries, and harps, and cymbals; which were used in those times, see 2 Samuel 6:5.

sounding by lifting up the voice with joy; the instrumental music was to be attended with vocal music, and that very sonorous and loud, and performed with all tokens of inward joy and gladness, as the occasion required.