1 Chronicles 16:7 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Then David delivered first this psalm, &c. Or, as Houbigant renders it, On that same day David delivered this psalm, that Asaph and his brethren might praise the Lord by it That is, on the day in which David appointed the Levites to sing before God, he gave them the song or hymn which follows. There is, however, nothing in the Hebrew for psalm. And the translation of the LXX. is perfectly accurate, save that they have rendered נתן, he gave, by εταξε, he appointed. It is, Then, in that day David appointed at first (εν αρχη, in the beginning) to praise the Lord, by the hand of Asaph and his brethren. The Hebrew expression, בראשׁ, barosh, at first, or in the beginning, seems to imply that David, after this, delivered many other psalms successively into their hands to be sung by them to the praise of God in his public service: see 2 Samuel 23:1; 2 Chronicles 29:30. The reader will find some explanatory observations on the following verses, Psalms 96. and 105., in which they occur with little or no variation, all but the three last verses of the Psalm.