2 Samuel 6:5

2Sa 6:5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of [instruments made of] fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.

Ver. 5. Played before the Lord.] According to the custom of that country, and the condition of those times.

Before the Lord,] i.e., Before the ark, which is called God’s face; {Psa 105:4} yea, God himself. {Psa 132:5}

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.

2Sa_6:5

David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord.

Joy in religion

The orchestra was probably as rustic and rude as the procession. Instruments made of fir-wood sounds strange, and probably the text should be emended from the account in 1 Chronicles, which reads, with all their might, even with songs. The instruments specified are two-stringed, and three of percussion. Castanets should be sistra, which were much used in religious ceremonies, and consisted of rings hung on iron or other metal rods, which made a harsh noise when shaken. Like Eastern music in general, it would have struck our ears as being a joyful noise, rather than a concord of sweet sounds. But it meant gladness and praise, and that was the main thing. His felt nearness should be, as the Psalmist says, the gladness of my joy. Much of our modern religion is far too gloomy, and it is thought to be a sign of devotion and spiritual-mindedness to be sad and of a mortified countenance. Unquestionably, Christianity brings men into the continual presence of very solemn truths about themselves and the world which may well sober them, and make what the world calls mirth incongruous.

There is no music in the life

That rings with idiot laughter solely.

But the Man of Sorrows said that His purpose for us was that His joy might remain in us, and that our joy might be full; and we but imperfectly apprehend the Gospel if we do not feel that its joys much more abound than its sorrows, and that they even burn brightest, like the lights on safety-buoys, when drenched by stormy seas. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)

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

6:5 The musical instruments were played by Levites (1 Chr 16:4-6).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Praised God, and sang Psalms.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 5. On all manner of instruments made of fir wood] This place should be corrected from the parallel place, 1Ch 13:8: "All Israel played before God, with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries," c. Instead of בכל עז bechol atsey, "with all woods" or "trees" the parallel place is bechol oz. "with all their strength:" this makes a good sense, the first makes none. The Septuagint, in this place, has the verse reading; εν ισχυΐ, with might.

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

(5) Played.—This word means dancing accompanied by music. (See 1Sa_18:7; 1Sa_21:11, 1Ch_13:8; 1Ch_15:29, &c.)

On all manner of instruments made of fir wood.—Instead of this strange expression, the parallel passage in 1Ch_13:8 has “with all their might and with songs.” The difference between the two is very slight in the Hebrew, and it is generally thought that the latter is the correct reading. The variation, however, mast have been ancient, since the LXX. combines the two.

Cornets.—This word occurs only here, and is thought from its etymology to mean some kind of metal instrument with bells or rings, which gave forth its sound on being shaken. The Vulg. translates sistra. Instead of it Chronicles has “trumpets.”

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

5. played] The word denotes a dance accompanied by music, such as frequently formed part of a religious festival. Cp. 1Sa_18:7.

on all manner of instruments made of fir wood] The expression is a strange one, and the text seems to be corrupt. Probably we should adopt the reading of the parallel passage in 1 Chron., with all their might and with songs. The Hebrew words are very similar, and the Sept. text here, though interpolated in its present form, supports the change.

even on harps, &c.] The harp (Heb. kinnôr) and psaltery (Heb. nebel) were stringed instruments, the exact form of which is unknown; the timbrel, also called the tabret, (Heb. tôph) was a tambourine or hand drum. The etymology of the word translated cornet, which occurs here only, shews that it denotes some kind of instrument which was played by being shaken, perhaps similar to the sistrum of the Egyptians, which consisted of rings hung loosely on iron rods, so as to make a tinkling sound when shaken. See the engravings in Wilkinson’s Ancient Egyptians, Vol. 1. p. 497 ff. Chron. reads “trumpets” which probably suggested the misrendering of the E. V. Cymbals were plates of metal, held in each hand, and played by being clashed together.

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.

And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor,.... Who is called Chidon, Ch1 13:9; he seems to have had two names; or it was a place that had two names, as say the Jews (h); according to a tradition of theirs (i), Chidon is the name of the place where it was said to Joshua, stretch out the spear or shield in thine hand towards Ai, Jos 8:18; so indeed the word signifies, nor was it unusual to stretch out the shield as a signal on occasion. Thus Aeneas lifted up his shield in his left hand, as a token to his Trojans that he was come to relieve them (k): where this threshingfloor was is not said; some say (l) it was the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite; it could not be far from Jerusalem, since Baalejudah or Kirjathjearim was but about a mile from it, according to Bunting (m), from whence they fetched the ark:

Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; to keep it from falling: the reason was:

for the oxen shook it; the same word is used in Ch1 13:9; and there it is rendered, "for the oxen stumbled"; and by their stumbling the cart was shaken, and the ark in it, and in danger of falling, as Uzzah thought: or "the oxen shook", for the word "it" is a supplement; they shook as if their members were plucking asunder and parting, as Kimchi expresses it, because of the holiness of the ark; as if they were sensible it was wrong for them to draw it, when it ought to have been carried on the shoulders of Levites; and by this way, as well as by the death of Uzzah the error committed was pointed out: but others render it, "for the oxen stuck in the clay" (n), and could not go on; which Uzzah observing, and fearing that in their struggle to get out the cart should be overturned, or that the procession would be retarded too much, took hold of the ark to take it out, and carry it the remainder of the way, it not being far from Jerusalem.

(h) T. Bab Sotah, fol. 35. 2. (i) Hieron. Trad. Heb. in lib. Paralipom. fol. 83. G. (k) Virgil. Aeneid. 10. ver. 261, 262. Vid. Diodor. Sic. l. 20. p. 787. (l) Gloss. in T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 35. 3. (m) Travels, &c. p. 138. (n) "nam luto haeserunt boves", Noldius, p. 396. No. 1343. so Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 37. col. 374. ex Arabica Lingua.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Played - i. e. danced to music vocal and instrumental (see Jdg 16:25 note).

Cornets - Rather, from the etymology of the Hebrew word (to shake), and their being coupled with the cymbals, and being rendered sistra in the Vulgate, some kind of instrument with bells or rings, which gave a sound by being shaken.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Wood. Hebrew specifies "fir wood," of which the instruments were, perhaps, usually made.

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).

5. Played before the Lord — Danced, and sang, and played on the musical instruments here mentioned.

All manner of instruments… of fir wood — This is properly regarded by most commentators as a corruption of the more correct reading of 1Ch_13:8 : with all their might and with songs.

Harps… psalteries… timbrels — See note on 1Sa_10:5.

Cornets — Rather, sistra; for the original Hebrew word occurs here only, and seems clearly to mean the sistrum, an instrument of Egyptian origin, which was used by taking it in the right hand and shaking it. The cornet was a sort of horn.

Cymbals — Instruments consisting of two convex pieces of metal, which when struck together made a loud clanging sound.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Played. The word does not mean "played on a musical instrument," but "danced and rejoiced." On all manner of fir wood. The Hebrew literally is, with all cypress woods. In 1Ch_13:8 we find "with all their might, even with songs," etc. Gesenius, in his "History of the Hebrew Language," describes this as a mere guess at a misunderstood text, and Maurer ridicules it as a stupid emendation. More sensibly Thenius regards it as the right reading, and the words here as a corruption of it, caused by some scribe misspelling the words, which are nearly identical. In our version the ambiguous meaning of the word "played" makes the passage less startling. For "they danced with all cypress woods" is unintelligible. The musical instruments mentioned here are the harp, Hebrew chinnor, a guitar; the psaltery, Hebrew nebel, a kind of harp of a triangular shape, with the point downwards; the timbrel, Hebrew tof, a tambourine or small drum; the cornet, Hebrew mena"na", a bar on which were a number of loose metal rings, which were shaken in time to the music, but others think that "castanets" are meant, which are pieces of wood beaten in time. The Revised Version adopts this rendering. And finally cymbals. For "cornets" we find in the parallel place "trumpets," whence the translators of the Authorized Version took their rendering; but the Hebrew word means "things to shake."

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

Played before the Lord - Public joy should always be as before the Lord, with an eye to him, and terminating in him. Otherwise it is no better than public madness, and the source of all manner of wickedness.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

With all [instruments made of] cypress wood. Musical instruments manufactured from [cypress wood].

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.