John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 1. Again, David gathered together all [the] chosen [men] of Israel, thirty thousand .] Which was done by the advice of his officers, ( <131301> Chronicles 13:1); the word “again” refers either to the gathering of them when they made him king in Hebron, as the Jewish writers generally observe; but then they gathered themselves, and not David: or rather to his gathering them to fight the Philistines a little while ago; and as they were the choice and young men that were gathered for war, as being the fittest, so now to fetch up the ark with dancing and singing, and to protect it; the Septuagint version says they were about seventy thousand; but the Targum, Syriac, and Arabic versions, have thirty thousand, agreeably to the Hebrew text.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - God is present with the souls of his people, when they want the outwar tokens of his presence; but now David is settled in the throne, the honour of the ark begins to revive. Let us learn hence, to think and to speak highly of God; and to think and speak honourably of holy ordinances, which are to us as the ark was unto Israel, the tokens of God's presence, Mt 28:20. Christ is our Ark; in and by him God manifests his favour, and accepts our prayers and praises. The ar especially typified Christ and his mediation, in which the name of Jehovah and all his glories are displayed. The priests should have carried the ark upon their shoulders. Philistines may carry the ark in a cart without suffering for it; but if Israelites do so, it is a their peril, because this was not what God appointed.
Original Hebrew ויסף3254 עוד5750 דוד1732 את853 כל3605 בחור970 בישׂראל3478 שׁלשׁים7970 אלף׃505
