1 Chronicles 16:3

1Ch 16:3 And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon [of wine].

Ver. 3. And he dealt to every one of Israel.] Clemency and liberality are kingly virtues. See 2Sa 6:19.

A good piece of flesh.] Of roast beef, as some gather from the notation of the word here used.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ch_16:3

And He dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman.

Individuality

I. The great event itself does not absorb all. We can easily understand how the bringing of the ark to Jerusalem would have absorbed all minor considerations, but it does not. Israel is not generalised into simply the male heads of the families; the bread and flesh are distributed to both man and woman. God was being glorified, and simultaneously the people blessed. Diffusion is what God delights in; He connects the blessing of many with His own glory.

II. There was a special provision here for personal enjoyment. The placing of the ark in its tent of rest was not to be a mere historical fact, involving no personal enjoyments. It is not in bare abstractions that God delights, but in their bearing upon individuals. Perhaps one reason why the future glory of Christ is so unsubstantial to many, and operates so little on their feelings, and raises so few thoughts of joyousness in them, is the fact that they see so little of its bearing upon themselves. The beams of this glory are to light up every individual; every believer has actually a personal interest in them. Each man has his own independent existence with its longings and aspirations, and no generality will satisfy them. He must have for his own very self. This is not selfishness; it is a law grounded on the very constitution of our nature. No future lies before Gods people in which God Himself absorbs everything. He will pervade all, which is a very different thing.

III. We are struck with the distinct individuality of each. We cannot be too particular in preserving our individuality. It is the foundation of our responsibility, of His closest dealings with us, of all our capacity for happiness or sorrow in the time to come. Every man is to give account of himself to God; every man is to receive according to his works.

IV. The consciousness of individual life is the foundation of individual effort. Let us be encouraged, then, to have individual expectations. Let us link ourselves individually with the great events of God. Both man and woman triumphed in the bringing up of the ark; and both had the portion of bread and flesh and wine. (P. B. Power, M. A.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

flagon of wine--The two latter words are a supplement by our translators, and the former is, in other versions, rendered not a "flagon," but a "cake," a confection, as the Septuagint renders it, made of flour and honey.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 3. To every one a loaf of bread] A whole cake. A good piece of flesh; "the sixth part of an ox, and the sixth part of a hin of wine." - T. See 2Sa 6:18-20; see Jarchi also.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(3) To every one . . .—Literally, to every man of Israel from man unto woman. Samuel has, “to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, from man,” &c.

A loaf (kikkar).—A round cake (1Sa_2:36). The parallel in Samuel has a less common word (hallath), meaning a sacrificial cake punctured all over. (Comp. Exo_29:23.)

A good piece of flesh.—A single Hebrew term, found only here and in Samuel (’eshpâr). It seems to mean “a portion,” i.e., of the victims slain for the “peace offerings.” (The “burnt offerings” were wholly consumed on the altar.) Syriac, “a portion.” Arabic, “a slice of flesh.” Others interpret, “a measure of wine.”

A flagon of wine.—Rather, a raisin-cake—i.e., a mass of dried grapes (Hos_3:1); Isa_16:7, “raisin-cakes of Kir-hareseth.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. a loaf of bread] A flat round cake such as is still made in Egypt is meant.

a good piece of flesh] R.V. a portion of flesh (mg. “of wine”). The meaning of the Heb. word is unknown. Of flesh is rightly in italics here as in 2Sa_6:19.

a flagon of wine] R.V. a cake of raisins. Cp. Isa_16:7 (R.V.) where the same Heb. word is used.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Oil. The precise signification of the Hebrew Ashisha, is not known. (Calmet) --- Protestants, "a flagon of wine." (Haydock) --- It denotes any thing "exhilarating." (Tirinus) (Du Hamel)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Each little clause of this verse is replete with interest. The royal giver, who now dealt to every one of Israel, was, after all, but a channel; yes, and only one channel, through which the fulness and the bounty of the royal Giver of every good and perfect gift, of all good whatsoever, of all things necessary to life and godliness, are supplied to every one of his creature-subjects. But it is highest honour, as servant and instrument alone, to figure forth him in any way. The second little clause tells us either that women took a recognized place on occasion of this joyous festival, or that the hospitality of such an occasion did not forget them and their homes. And the following three little clauses require closer examination. The word here translated "loaf" in the expression loaf of bread is rK"ki, for which in this sense we may turn to Exo_29:23; Jud_1:8:5; 1Sa_2:36 1Sa_10:3; Pro_6:26; j Jer_37:21. The corresponding word, however, in the parallel place is jl (for which see Exo_29:2, Exo_29:23; Lev_2:4 Lev_7:12, 13 8:26 24:5; Num_6:15, 19 15:20) The essential meaning of the former word is a circle, hence applied to the cake because of its shape, and of the latter word perforation, hence applied to the cake because it was perforated. A good piece of flesh. This is the Authorized Version rendering of rP; v]a, which occurs only in the parallel place and here. The Vulgate translates assatura bubulae carnis; the Septuagint, ejscarith. The imagined derivation of the word from rP (ox) and vae (fire), or from dpv (to burn), seems to be what has led to these translations, helped, perhaps, by the apparent convenience of adapting meat from the sacrifice to the bread. But Gesenius, Rodiger, Keil, and others prefer the derivation rpv (to measure), and they would render "a measure" of wine. And a flagon. This is the Authorized Version rendering of the original hvyvia found in the parallel place as well as here, and also in the only other places (two in number, and in the plural) where it occurs Song of Son_2:5; Hos_3:1). But there is no doubt, or but little, that the rendering should rather be "dried, pressed cakes of raisins or grapes." It is then to be derived from the root vva (to press). The substantive has both masculine and feminine form in plural. The Vulgate translates similam frixam oleo, which means a "baked cake of flour and oil;" and the Septuagint, la>ganon ajponou in the parallel places.

But here the Septuagint reads a]rton ena ajrtokopikoas the whole account of the loaf, the good piece of flesh, and the flagon.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

and a portion of meat - Heb. אֶשְּׁפָּר, one sixth of a bull.

and a flask of wine - Heb. וַאֲשִּׁישָּׁה one sixth of a “hin,” similar to (Hos. 3:1): “goblets (אֲשִּׁישֵּׁי) of grapes,” a flask.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.