2 Chronicles Chapter 5

Commentary

The Ark Enters the Temple

(1 Kings 8:1-11)

1Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.

2Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion. 3Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month. 4And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark. 5And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up. 6Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude. 7And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims: 8For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above. 9And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day. 10There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

God's Glory Fills the Temple

11And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course: 12Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) 13It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; 14So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

King James Bible

Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

The Ark Enters the Temple
(1 Kings 8:1–11)

1 Thus all the work that Solomon did for the house of Yahweh was finished. Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, even the silver, and the gold, and all the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of the house of God.

2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ households of the children of Israel, to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of the city of David, which is Zion. 3 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves to the king at the feast, which was in the seventh month. 4 All the elders of Israel came: and the Levites took up the ark; 5 and they brought up the ark, and the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; these the priests the Levites brought up. 6 King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled to him, were before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle, that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude. 7 The priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. 8 For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above. 9 The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen outside: and there it is to this day. 10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tables which Moses put at Horeb, when Yahweh made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

11 It happened, when the priests had come out of the holy place, (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, and didn’t keep their divisions; 12 also the Levites who were the singers, all of them, even Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brothers, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them one hundred twenty priests sounding with trumpets;) 13 it happened, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking Yahweh; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised Yahweh, saying, “For he is good; for his loving kindness endures forever!” that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of Yahweh, 14 so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of God.

The Ark Enters the Temple
(1 Kings 8:1–11)

1 So all the work that Solomon had performed for the house of the LORD was completed.

Then Solomon brought in the items his father David had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and all the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of the house of God.

2 At that time Solomon assembled in Jerusalem the elders of Israel—all the tribal heads and family leaders of the Israelites—to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Zion, the City of David. 3 So all the men of Israel came together to the king at the feast in the seventh month. a

4 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark, 5 and they brought up the ark and the Tent of Meeting with all its sacred furnishings. The Levitical priests carried them up.

6 There, before the ark, King Solomon and the whole congregation of Israel who had assembled with him sacrificed so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered.

7 Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, b beneath the wings of the cherubim. 8 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its poles.

9 The poles of the ark extended far enough that their ends were visible from in front of the inner sanctuary, c but not from outside the Holy Place; d and they are there to this day.

10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, e where the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites after they had come out of Egypt.

11 Now all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves regardless of their divisions. And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, 12 all the Levitical singers—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps, and lyres, accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. 13 The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD:

“For He is good;

His loving devotion endures forever.”

And the temple, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud 14 so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.

 

Footnotes:

3 a That is, the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths or Shelters); see Leviticus 23:33–36.
7 b Or the Holy of Holies
9 c Some Hebrew manuscripts and LXX The poles extended far enough that their ends were visible from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary ; see 1 Kings 8:8.
9 d Literally not from outside
10 e That is, Mount Sinai, or possibly a mountain in the range containing Mount Sinai

The Ark Enters the Temple

(1 Kings 8:1-11)

1And all the work that Solomon made for the house of Jehovah is finished, and Solomon bringeth in the sanctified things of David his father, and the silver, and the gold, and all the vessels he hath put among the treasures of the house of God.

2Then doth Solomon assemble the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, princes of the fathers of the sons of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah from the city of David -- it is Zion. 3And assembled unto the king are all the men of Israel in the feast -- it is the seventh month; 4and all the elders of Israel come in, and the Levites lift up the ark, 5and they bring up the ark, and the tent of meeting, and all the vessels of the sanctuary that are in the tent; brought them up have the priests, the Levites; 6and king Solomon and all the company of Israel who are convened unto him before the ark are sacrificing sheep and oxen, that are not counted nor numbered from multitude. 7And the priests bring in the ark of the covenant of Jehovah unto its place, unto the oracle of the house, unto the holy of holies, unto the place of the wings of the cherubs; 8and the cherubs are spreading out wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubs cover over the ark, and over its staves, from above; 9and they lengthen the staves, and the heads of the staves are seen out of the ark on the front of the oracle, and they are not seen without; and it is there unto this day. 10There is nothing in the ark but the two tables that Moses gave in Horeb, where Jehovah covenanted with the sons of Israel, in their going out from Egypt.

God's Glory Fills the Temple

11And it cometh to pass, in the going out of the priests from the sanctuary -- for all the priests who are present have sanctified themselves, there is none to watch by courses, 12and the Levites, the singers, to all of them, to Asaph, to Heman, to Jeduthun, and to their sons, and to their brethren, clothed in white linen, with cymbals, and with psalteries, and harps, are standing on the east of the altar, and with them priests, to a hundred and twenty, blowing with trumpets -- 13yea, it cometh to pass, as one are trumpeters and singers, to sound -- one voice -- to praise and to give thanks to Jehovah, and at the lifting up of the sound with trumpets, and with cymbals, and with instruments of song, and at giving praise to Jehovah, for good, for to the age is His kindness, that the house is filled with a cloud -- the house of Jehovah, 14and the priests have not been able to stand to minister from the presence of the cloud, for the honour of Jehovah hath filled the house of God.

The F.O.G Commentary:

1What is the meaning of 2 Chronicles 5?
2Introduction to 2 Chronicles 5
3Context of 2 Chronicles 5
4Ancient Key Word Study
5Compare & Contrast
62 Chronicles 5 Unique Insights
72 Chronicles 5 Connections to Yeshua
82 Chronicles 5 Scriptural Echoes
92 Chronicles 5 Devotional
10Did You Know

What is the meaning of 2 Chronicles 5?

Introduction to 2 Chronicles 5

The fifth chapter of 2 Chronicles stands as a pivotal moment in Israel’s history, marking the completion of Solomon’s Temple and the installation of the Ark of the Covenant in its permanent home. This chapter captures one of the most magnificent scenes in biblical history – the moment when the glory of God so filled the Temple that the priests could not stand to minister. It represents the culmination of David’s dream and Solomon’s labor, where heaven and earth meet in unprecedented splendor.

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The events recorded here paint a vivid picture of ancient Jewish worship and demonstrate the awe-inspiring reality of God’s presence among His people. This chapter serves as a powerful reminder of God’s faithfulness to His covenant promises and the importance of proper worship.

Context of 2 Chronicles 5

Within the immediate context of 2 Chronicles, this chapter follows the detailed accounts of Temple construction in chapters 3-4. It represents the transition from the physical building process to the spiritual consecration of the Temple. This pivotal moment bridges the gap between the preparation and the actual use of the Temple as Israel’s central place of worship.

In the broader biblical narrative, this chapter echoes back to the tabernacle of Moses in Exodus 40:34-35, where God’s glory also filled the sacred space. It also points forward to the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, where God’s presence would fill not a building, but His people. The chapter stands as a crucial link in the progressive revelation of God’s dwelling place – from tabernacle to temple to human hearts.

The events described here also fulfill the promises made to David in 2 Samuel 7, where God promised that David’s son would build Him a house. This fulfillment demonstrates God’s faithfulness across generations and His perfect timing in bringing His words to pass.

Ancient Key Word Study

  • Ark (אָרוֹן – aron): More than just a box, this word carries the concept of a royal throne or meeting place. It represents God’s footstool on earth, where heaven’s authority touches earth’s domain. Its root connects to gathering or harvesting, suggesting it as a gathering point between God and man.
  • Glory (כָּבוֹד – kavod): Literally meaning “weight” or “heaviness,” this term describes the manifest presence of God. Its usage here implies a tangible, weighty presence that could be felt and seen, emphasizing the reality of God’s presence.
  • Cloud (עָנָן – anan): This word carries dual significance – both concealing and revealing God’s presence. It serves as a visible manifestation of the invisible God, while also protecting people from His overwhelming presence.
  • Musicians (מְשֹׁרְרִים – meshorerim): Derived from the root “to minister,” this term suggests these were not mere performers but ministers leading in spiritual warfare and worship. Their role was considered prophetic and priestly.
  • Trumpets (חֲצֹצְרוֹת – chatsotserot): These specific instruments were different from the shofar, used exclusively by priests for sacred occasions. Their sound symbolized the voice of God and royal proclamations.
  • One Sound (קוֹל-אֶחָד – qol echad): This phrase emphasizes perfect unity in worship. The root suggests not just acoustic harmony but spiritual alignment with God’s purposes.
  • Covenant (בְּרִית – brit): Beyond a mere agreement, this word implies a binding relationship sealed in blood. It carries the concept of cutting, referring to ancient covenant-making practices.
  • House (בַּיִת – bayit): More than a building, this term encompasses the concepts of family, dynasty, and divine presence. It represents both the physical structure and the spiritual reality it contains.
  • Levites (לְוִיִּם – Leviim): Their name connects to the root “to join,” highlighting their role in joining God and people together through worship and service.

Compare & Contrast

  • Verse 1: The phrase “brought up” (וַיַּעַל – vaya’al) was chosen instead of “carried” (נָשָׂא – nasa) to emphasize the spiritual elevation involved in moving the Ark, not just its physical transportation. This reflects the ascending nature of approaching God’s presence.
  • Verse 3: The specific mention of “seventh month” connects this event to the Feast of Tabernacles, suggesting divine timing rather than mere chronological recording. The Hebrew word for “feast” (חַג – chag) here implies joyful celebration rather than solemn observance.
  • Verse 6: The description “could not be counted” uses the Hebrew word לֹא-יִסָּפְרוּ (lo-yissaferu) rather than a specific number, emphasizing the overwhelming magnitude of the sacrifice rather than its precise quantity.
  • Verse 11: The phrase “did not follow the divisions” (לֹא לִשְׁמוֹר לְמַחְלְקוֹת – lo lishmor l’machlekot) was chosen to emphasize the extraordinary nature of this event, where normal priestly rotations were suspended due to the magnitude of the occasion.
  • Verse 12: The positioning of the priests “at the east end of the altar” carries theological significance, as east represents meeting God, being the direction from which His glory was expected to appear.
  • Verse 13: The phrase “as one” (כְּאֶחָד – k’echad) was chosen over other Hebrew words for unity to emphasize complete spiritual harmony rather than mere coordinated action.
  • Verse 14: The inability of priests to stand and minister uses the verb עָמַד (amad – to stand) rather than קוּם (qum – to rise), emphasizing their complete submission to God’s overwhelming presence.
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2 Chronicles 5 Unique Insights

The arrangement of the musical instruments and singers in this chapter follows a specific pattern that ancient Jewish sources suggest corresponded to the layout of the heavenly temple. The 120 priests with trumpets, combined with the singers and other musicians, created what the Talmud calls “the song of the Lord” – a earthly echo of heavenly worship.

The timing of this event during the seventh month (Tishri) coincided with multiple biblical festivals, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. Early rabbinical commentary suggests this timing was deliberately chosen to represent the perfect completion of God’s dwelling with man, as the number seven symbolizes divine perfection and completion.

The cloud that filled the temple mirrors the cloud that led Israel in the wilderness, but with a significant difference. While the wilderness cloud moved, this cloud remained stationary, suggesting God’s permanent dwelling among His people. This prefigures the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers after Pentecost.

The mention that all the holy vessels of the tabernacle were brought into the temple represents what Jewish scholars call “the gathering of the sparks” – the idea that all previous manifestations of God’s presence were being consolidated into this new, more glorious expression of His dwelling place.

2 Chronicles 5 Connections to Yeshua

The glory cloud filling the temple foreshadows the incarnation of Yeshua, where God’s glory would dwell in human form. Just as the cloud prevented the priests from ministering, the revelation of Yeshua’s glory on the Mount of Transfiguration caused the disciples to fall on their faces (Matthew 17:1-8).

The placement of the Ark under the wings of the cherubim prophetically points to Yeshua’s role as our mercy seat, where heaven and earth meet in perfect harmony. The blood-sprinkled mercy seat of the Ark prefigures His atoning sacrifice, while the tablets of the law within represent His perfect fulfillment of God’s commands.

2 Chronicles 5 Scriptural Echoes

This chapter resonates deeply with Exodus 40:34-35, where the glory cloud filled the tabernacle. It also connects to 1 Kings 8, which records the same event from a different perspective, emphasizing different theological aspects.

The unity of the musicians and singers echoes Psalm 133, where unity is compared to the anointing oil running down Aaron’s beard. This prefigures the unity of believers described in Acts 2, where the Holy Spirit’s presence created supernatural harmony among God’s people.

The theme of God’s glory filling His dwelling place finds its ultimate fulfillment in Revelation 21:22-23, where no temple is needed because God’s glory fills the entire new creation.

2 Chronicles 5 Devotional

This chapter challenges us to consider the reality of God’s presence in our worship. Just as the priests prepared meticulously for God’s presence, we too should approach worship with careful preparation and reverent hearts. The unity of the musicians and singers reminds us that true worship requires harmony with fellow believers.

The overwhelming nature of God’s presence, which prevented the priests from standing to minister, should inspire us to maintain a healthy sense of awe in our approach to God. While we have bold access through Yeshua, we must never lose sight of the magnificent holiness of the One we worship.

Did You Know

  • The gold used to overlay the Temple’s interior would be worth billions in today’s currency, making it one of the most expensive buildings ever constructed.
  • The musical instruments mentioned in this chapter were specifically crafted for Temple use and were different from those used in regular celebrations.
  • The Ark’s journey to its final resting place covered approximately 3/4 of a mile from the City of David to the Temple Mount.
  • The number of singers and musicians mentioned (288) is divisible by 12, representing perfect governmental authority in Hebrew numerical symbolism.
  • The cherubim’s wings spanned 20 cubits (approximately 30 feet), creating a massive canopy over the Ark.
  • The timing of this dedication during the seventh month aligned with three major festivals, making it a triple celebration.
  • According to Jewish tradition, this was one of only nine occasions in biblical history where the glory cloud manifested in this particular way.
  • The arrangement of musicians and singers followed a specific pattern that some scholars believe represented the divine council in heaven.
  • The Levitical choir included both male and female singers, contrary to common misconceptions about gender roles in Temple worship.

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Jean Paul Joseph
Jean Paul Joseph

After a dramatic early morning encounter with King Jesus, I just couldn’t put my Bible down. The F.O.G took a hold of me and this website was born. What is the F.O.G?

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