(13) It came even to pass . . . thanking the Lord.--And the trumpeters and the minstrels were to sound aloud, as one man, with one sound, in order to praise and thank the Lord. This ends the parenthesis-

Their voice with the trumpets.--Rather, A sound with trumpets, &c.

And praised the Lord, saying, For he is good.--For this common liturgical formula see 1Chronicles 16:34; 1Chronicles 16:41.

That then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord.--Omit that (1Kings 8:10). "Then the cloud filled the house of the Lord." The LXX. reads, "with the cloud of the glory of the Lord; "the Vulg. simply, "so that the house of God was filled with a cloud." (The Syriac and Arabic omit 2Chronicles 5:12-13.) The unpointed Heb. text might be rendered, "the house was filled with the cloud of the house of the Lord;" but the Authorised Version is preferable; the phrase, "the house of the Lord," being added as a sort of climax. (Comp. 2Chronicles 4:21, ad fin.) So Reuss, "Le temple se remplit d'une nuee, le temple de l' Eternel." The emphatic word is Jehovah, of whose presence the bright cloud was the standing token.

Verse 13. - It cannot but be that it was intended in this verse that attention should be rivetted to the fact of the splendid consentaneity of all singers and all musicians, of hearts and voices and instruments. The suggestion is as significant as it is impressive, a suggestion to the Church of all time, and supremely asking notice now. Even the house. The close of ver. 14, as also the parallel (1 Kings 8:11 ), justifies the supposition that the Septuagint showing the word δόξης, guides us rightly in restoring the word "glory" (כְבוד) here, in place of the word "house" (בֵּית). For he is good (so 1 Chronicles 16:34; Psalm 136:1; 2 Chronicles 7:3; Ezra 3:11).

5:11-14 God took possession of the temple; he filled it with a cloud. Thus he signified his acceptance of this temple, to be the same to him that the tabernacle of Moses was, and assured his people that he would be the same in it. Would we have God dwell in our hearts, we must leave room for him; every thing else must give way. The Word was made flesh; and when he comes to his temple, like a refiner's fire, who may abide the day of his coming? May he prepare us for that day.See Chapter Introduction