David spake to the chief. — Ordered the chiefs (sârîm).
To appoint their brethren to be the singers. — To station or assign places to their clansmen, the minstrels.
Psalteries and harps. — Harps and lutes, or guitars (nĕbâlîm and kinnôrôth).
Sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy. — So far as grammar goes, the participle sounding (Heb., causing to hear — i.e., making a loud noise) might refer to the musicians, or to all the instruments mentioned, or to the last kind (the cymbals) only. The third reference is the best, because of the special sense of the verb. (Comp. 1 Chronicles 15:19 and Psalms 150:5 : “loud cymbals,” i.e., cymbals of sound or hearing.) Translate: “harps and lutes and clashing cymbals, in order to swell the sound for gladness:” that is, to express and enhance the rejoicing. (Comp. 2 Chronicles 5:13.)