From here, starting with verse 23, a new psalm begins. This psalm appears in the Book of Tehillim as Chapter 96. We have already discussed this division above, noting that these were two psalms recited in the Beit HaMikdash. The Radak explains that David composed and recited this psalm on that very same day as well. Therefore, Chazal teach that "Hodu LaHashem" was recited in the morning, while "Sing to Hashem, all the earth" was recited in the afternoon toward evening. This practice was maintained throughout all those years before the Ark: "Hodu" in the morning and "Sing to Hashem, all the earth" in the afternoon, corresponding to the two daily offerings - the morning Tamid and the afternoon Tamid. This continued until Shlomo brought the Ark into the eternal sanctuary, the Beit HaMikdash.
שִׁירוּ לַה' כׇּל הָאָרֶץ, בַּשְּׂרוּ מִיּוֹם אֶל יוֹם יְשׁוּעָתוֹ׃ - Sing to Hashem, all the earth; proclaim His salvation from day to day.
The Radak explains: "Proclaim from day to day" means day in and day out; every single day you should proclaim His salvation. Why? Because "God is our salvation day by day" - the Holy One, blessed be He, saves us each and every day. There are salvations that we witness with our own eyes, and there are salvations that we do not see, regarding which we recite daily, "and for Your miracles that are with us every day." Every day brings miracles and salvations of which a person remains unaware: "A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand," yet a person often does not sense it at all. It is for precisely this that one must give thanks. This is the meaning of "proclaim His salvation from day to day" - giving thanks for the daily salvations.
At that time, this was also said regarding the salvation of the Ark itself. This entire psalm was composed concerning the salvation of the Ark, which the Philistines captured and were forced to return. They thought they had captured the Ark, as if the God of Israel were subordinate before them and unable to rescue it from their hands. But then they came in the morning and found their idol, Dagon, fallen upon the threshold with its hands and feet severed. Following that, Hashem struck them with tumors and hemorrhoids and plagued them with mice, until they were compelled to return the Ark and even send a tribute offering along with it. The return of the Ark was itself miraculous as well.
סַפְּרוּ בַגּוֹיִם אֶת כְּבוֹדוֹ, בְּכׇל הָעַמִּים נִפְלְאֹתָיו׃ - Recount His glory among the nations, His wonders among all the peoples.
The return of the Ark brought tremendous glory to the Ark of Hashem and to the people of Israel among the nations. And who would recount this? Who would be awe-struck by it? The nations themselves are the ones who recount Hashem's glory, for they witnessed these events before their very eyes, and through this, they too recognized the glory of the Creator, blessed be He. "His wonders among all the peoples" - the wondrous deeds performed with the Ark would be recounted among all the nations.
The Malbim notes: I have already explained this psalm at length in the Book of Tehillim, and here I come only to address the textual variations. These differences stem from the fact that here the psalm was specifically dedicated to the Ark. The Malbim provides several examples and adds, "and the rest, go and learn" - meaning: I will explain a few variations to you, and based on them you will understand the principle and know how to interpret the rest. The thanksgiving here was for the wondrous miracle Hashem performed when the Ark returned from the Philistines, at which point all recognized His kingdom, blessed be He.
In Tehillim it says, "Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary," whereas here it says, "Strength and gladness are in His place." The Ark embodies the aspect of strength (oz), and anyone who touches it inappropriately dies immediately, as when Hashem struck Uzza. In Tehillim, this strength is revealed in His sanctuary, but here the focus is on recounting the wonders performed with the Ark when the Philistines placed it in their own temple beside their idol. Therefore, it does not say "in His sanctuary" but "in His place" - in the place where they set it down, in the house of the god Dagon, where the Ark demonstrated its might. And what is "gladness"? It is the joy over the downfall of the enemies, when their idol fell with severed hands and feet, bowing before the Ark.
Another variation: In Tehillim it says, "Bring an offering and come into His courtyards," whereas here it says, "Bring an offering and come before Him." There, the reference is to the sanctified place, the courtyards of Hashem; but here, the Ark was not in its rightful sanctuary, but rather among the Philistines in their temple. Therefore, the verse indicates that Hashem's presence was right there, wherever the Ark stood: "come before Him." And they indeed brought an offering to atone for having taken the Ark. The Malbim concludes: in this manner you will be able to explain the remaining variations when you study my commentary there and reflect upon the matter. We do not repeat here what the Malbim has already elucidated in its place, but rather focus on these variations and the insights of the other commentators.
כִּי גָדוֹל ה' וּמְהֻלָּל מְאֹד, וְנוֹרָא הוּא עַל כׇּל אֱלֹהִים׃ - For Hashem is great and exceedingly praised, and He is awesome above all gods.
What is the meaning of "He is awesome above all gods"? Heaven forbid that someone should deduce from this that there are other deities and independent forces in creation. For if so, we would have to ask: why do we ourselves say "Elokim" in the plural form? We should have said "El." On the contrary, we constantly declare the absolute oneness of His blessed Name, "Hashem is our God, Hashem is One." Rather, the meaning of the name "Elokim" is the Master of all forces. All those powers we witness in nature, which the nations and idolaters perceived as a multiplicity of independent powers, a multiplicity of constellations, and a pantheon of gods - Scripture comes to teach you: know that Hashem our God, Hashem is One. Even though we say "our God" [Elokeinu], which denotes a multiplicity of forces, everything originates from a single source, and that is the dimension of "One."
Accordingly, "He is awesome above all gods" means above all those powers within creation, which are the supernal ministers of the nations. And the word "gods" [elohim] in this verse is used in a mundane sense, referring to subordinate forces. That is to say: over all the forces in nature Hashem is awesome, and all of them revere Him, for He created them all.
כִּי כׇּל אֱלֹהֵי הָעַמִּים אֱלִילִים, וַה' שָׁמַיִם עָשָׂה׃ - For all the gods of the nations are idols, but Hashem made the heavens.
The commentary attributed to Rashi explains: vanity, the work of human hands. We find the same idea expressed in the prophecy of Chavakuk (Chapter 2, Verse 18), which we have already studied: "What did a graven image profit, that its maker fashioned it, a molten image and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his creation trusts in it to make mute idols? Woe to him who says to wood, 'Awaken!' to a silent stone, 'Arise!' Behold, can it teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no spirit whatsoever within it." "What did a graven image profit, that its maker fashioned it" - what benefit have you derived from an idol that a human being finished crafting just a moment ago, and why do you imagine that it can save you? "A molten image" refers to idols cast from metal. "A teacher of lies" - for they would consult them for instruction on how to act and conduct themselves, yet Scripture declares that these are false directives. "That the maker of his creation trusts in it" - the very artisan who made it places his trust in it, and what did he actually produce? A mute idol, lacking the power of speech and the capacity for action.
And what does that person do when the idol fails to respond? He shouts at it even louder: to the idol fashioned from wood he cries "Awaken!" and to the idol made of stone he cries "Arise!" The prophet then challenges: "Behold, can it teach?" Do you truly expect this idol to instruct you how to conduct yourself, to guide you and serve as your god? "Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver" - they would drape chains and ornaments of gold and silver upon them, "yet there is no spirit whatsoever within it."
And what is the meaning of "elilim" [idols]? Metzudat David explains that it is a compound word, "el" [god] and "lo" [not] - meaning "not a god," a thing devoid of substance, as in "worthless shepherds" [ro'ei ha'elil] and "physicians of no value" [rofeh elil]; it possesses no real power. Scripture is precise here: regarding idols, it implies that they were manufactured by human hands, whereas "Hashem made the heavens" - He created the entirety of the heavens and all they contain, the whole universe. Observe the contrast between what you worship and what we worship.
Radak adds: even those who worship the host of heaven engage in futility. In light of this, the continuation of the verse becomes crystal clear. For what do idolaters revere? They worship the celestial bodies - one bows to the moon, another to the sun, serving the powers of the heavens. Scripture therefore declares: "Hashem made the heavens." That very power you worship was created by my God - meaning He is not merely "my God," but the God of all of us, for He brought that power into being as well. This connects directly to the image of Dagon collapsing with severed hands and feet; Scripture here conveys a profound moral lesson: see what it is that you worship, whereas Hashem is the living God, and observe how all those idols bend the knee and collapse before Him, utterly powerless.
הוֹד וְהָדָר לְפָנָיו, עֹז וְחֶדְוָה בִּמְקֹמוֹ׃ - Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and gladness are in His place.
With Hashem there are splendor, majesty, strength, and gladness, while the others lie like corpses - just as we saw that Dagon fell like a corpse, there they fall and there they lie. The Radak explains: since there was wailing and weeping among the Philistines the entire time the Ark remained in the field of the Philistines, Scripture comes to say that with Hashem this is not so; on the contrary, with Him there are splendor, majesty, strength, and gladness, and there is none of that wailing that was among the Philistines.
הָבוּ לַה' מִשְׁפְּחוֹת עַמִּים, הָבוּ לַה' כָּבוֹד וָעֹז׃ - Ascribe to Hashem, families of the peoples, ascribe to Hashem honor and strength.
"Ascribe to Hashem" - what? Scripture does not leave this obscure, but immediately clarifies: "honor and strength." The Radak explains: all the nations who see and hear of this matter will give Him honor and majesty. This is the meaning of all these verses: since they heard and saw the power of the Ark and the greatness of the Creator, they will ascribe honor and strength to Hashem.
The Radak adds: although the psalm was composed concerning the Ark, it also contains a statement about the future, about the departure from exile. When Hashem shows His wonders, delivers us from exile, and gathers us, all the nations will ascribe honor and strength to Him, as it is written: "And Hashem will be King over all the earth," and as stated here: "And they shall say among the nations: Hashem has reigned." Just as Hashem demonstrated His power then among the Philistines, so He will demonstrate His power in the future. Likewise, "Let the sea roar and its fullness, let the field exult" speaks of what will occur at the ingathering of the exiles, as it is written: "The mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." Then they will say to one another, "Give thanks to Hashem, for He is good," and there will be complete thanksgiving to Hashem, blessed be He, for His kindnesses toward us.
הָבוּ לַה' כְּבוֹד שְׁמוֹ, שְׂאוּ מִנְחָה וּבֹאוּ לְפָנָיו, הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַה' בְּהַדְרַת קֹדֶשׁ׃ - Ascribe to Hashem the glory of His Name; bring an offering and come before Him; prostrate yourselves to Hashem in the beauty of holiness.
What is "the glory of His Name"? The commentary attributed to Rashi explains: His Name is Adonut - Aleph-Dalet-Nun-Yud. And what does this express? That Hashem is Master of all. With what do we honor Hashem? With His Name, that He is our Master and we accept His mastery over us. "As Your Name is, so is Your praise" - give Hashem that very honor reflected in His Name. And what is "in the beauty of holiness" (be-hadrat kodesh)? The Metzudat David explains: in the tent of the Ark, which is adorned with holiness. That is, "in the beauty of holiness" denotes a place: Where shall they prostrate themselves to Him? In that tent where the Ark was placed when brought back from the Philistines, which is a magnificent place, adorned by the sanctity within it.
חִילוּ מִלְּפָנָיו כׇּל הָאָרֶץ, אַף תִּכּוֹן תֵּבֵל בַּל תִּמּוֹט׃ - Tremble before Him, all the earth; the world also is firmly established, that it cannot be moved.
The commentary attributed to Rashi explains: when an earthly king sees that people fear and dread him, he realizes that power is in his hands and intensifies his intimidation and terror. This is how all totalitarian regimes operate: the moment a regime sees it has power, it wields it with full force, out of fear of rebellion. A revolution in Iran could have happened long ago, so why hasn't it? Because whenever anything begins to stir there, they send soldiers with submachine guns to spray gunfire, and then throw hundreds and thousands into prison under horrific torture. The world is not truly interested in this. If a British citizen is killed on some ship, the entire world is in an uproar, but the atrocities they commit there are ignored, and nations even make deals with them - like those agreements that are regretted to this day.
Such is the way of absolute rulers: out of a constant fear of being overthrown, they add more force, more control, and more intimidation, and the people dread them, fearful that they will destroy their homes. In a single moment, they can wipe out entire villages and entire cities. Anyone who doubts this need only look at what has happened in Syria - how entire cities were flattened with napalm bombs and barrel bombs dropped on their own citizens.
However, the way of the Holy One, Blessed be He, is not like that. When the world fears Him, "the world also is firmly established, that it cannot be moved." He executes vengeance, yet the upright endure, and the earth endures and is not shaken. "Tikon" (firmly established) comes from the root meaning to be on its foundation, set firmly in its place, not collapsing. This is the opposite of earthly kings, who, when people fear them, tear down all the foundations of the earth so that people will fear them even more. Therefore, "tremble before Him, all the earth" - do not fear, Hashem does not come to wipe out the world, but to settle the world. The Divine revelation that we anticipate is not a revelation to be dreadfully feared; rather, if you do Hashem's will and walk in His ways, you will be among those who merit reward in its wake. But if, Heaven forbid, the opposite is true, then the outcome is the opposite. Those will rise to everlasting contempt and reproach, while the people of Israel will rise to eternal life. It all depends on which side of the divide you were on.
יִשְׂמְחוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְתָגֵל הָאָרֶץ, וְיֹאמְרוּ בַגּוֹיִם ה' מָלָךְ׃ - Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad, and let them say among the nations: Hashem reigns.
The commentary attributed to Rashi explains: when a mortal man reigns, everyone is on edge, as no one knows in what mood he will hand down his rulings. But when Hashem reigns, the heavens and the earth rejoice, because Hashem's kingdom is always governed with justice and uprightness. With the Holy One, Blessed be He, there is never any injustice - "a God of faithfulness and without iniquity." Therefore, when Hashem reigns there will be great joy, unlike under the rule of a human king where we dread how he might treat us. Hashem's judgment is upright and just, and all the upright will say, "Hashem reigns," meaning that Hashem has returned the Ark to us and He is the True Sovereign.
יִרְעַם הַיָּם וּמְלוֹאוֹ, יַעֲלֹץ הַשָּׂדֶה וְכׇל אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ׃ - Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; let the field exult, and all that is in it.
"Let the sea roar" refers to the creatures of the sea, just as "Sing, O heavens, for Hashem has done it" refers to the beings in the heavens - or to the celestial bodies, the sun, moon, and stars, or to the Ofanim, Seraphim, and the Chayot HaKodesh. Similarly, "let the field exult" means that the beasts of the field will rejoice. And why? Because Hashem returned the Ark to us and sent angels of destruction to execute judgment upon the Philistines.
אָז יְרַנְּנוּ עֲצֵי הַיָּעַר מִלִּפְנֵי ה', כִּי בָא לִשְׁפּוֹט אֶת הָאָרֶץ׃ - Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before Hashem, for He comes to judge the earth.
The Metzudat David explains that this is a poetic, metaphorical expression. When one wishes to express immense joy, people say that even the trees began to dance; it is a vivid figure of speech conveying that the joy will be boundless. And that joyful song will be before Hashem when He comes to judge the earth and repay each person according to their deeds. Today we have oppressors and tormentors, and they are riding high, but "riches are not forever." Wait patiently; the Holy One, Blessed be He, will come to judge the earth, and then there will truly be reason to sing, for then Hashem will judge all the wicked, the oppressors, the tormentors, the persecutors, the destroyers, and the annihilators, and He will eradicate them: "And saviors shall ascend Mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau, and the kingdom shall be Hashem's" - and then the joy will be immense.
הוֹדוּ לַה' כִּי טוֹב, כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ׃ - Give thanks to Hashem, for He is good, for His kindness endures forever.
"For He is good" - Hashem is good to all. "For His kindness endures forever" - His kindness is continual and constant, forever, and not a temporary kindness.
וְאִמְרוּ הוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעֵנוּ, וְקַבְּצֵנוּ וְהַצִּילֵנוּ מִן הַגּוֹיִם, לְהֹדוֹת לְשֵׁם קׇדְשֶׁךָ, לְהִשְׁתַּבֵּחַ בִּתְהִלָּתֶךָ׃ - And say: Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us and deliver us from the nations, to give thanks to Your holy name, to glory in Your praise.
Why specifically these two psalms did King David recite when he brought up the Ark? It is cited in the Midrash in Bereishit Rabbah regarding the return of the Ark: when the Pelishtim took cows and placed the Ark upon a new wagon, the cows drew the wagon. The verse says, vayisharna haparot ("and the cows went straight"), whose simple meaning is that they walked straight ahead, but Chazal expound that the cows sang (sharu). And what did they sing? These very psalms. Similarly, in the Gemara in Avodah Zarah 24b: Rabbi Yishmael bar Nachmani said, "Vayisharna haparot - what song did they recite? 'Give thanks to Hashem, call upon His Name' (Psalm 105). Rabbi Eliezer said: 'Sing to Hashem, all the earth' (Psalm 96)." Since the cows sang these psalms, when King David established psalms for the Ark, he specifically instituted these: one psalm for Shacharit and one psalm for Arvit. This is taught in the name of Rabbeinu Elazar bar Meshullam z"l.
And what is the meaning of "to glory in Your praise" (lehishtabe'ach bithilatekha)? Metzudat David explains: to praise ourselves through Your praise. That is, whoever clings to Hashem gains renown thereby. When a person walks with the Holy One, Blessed be He, he finds glory in this: "I am with the Master of the World." This is our plea: Master of the World, we ask to give thanks to Your holy Name and to glory in Your praise, that it may be our own glory and honor that we cling to Hashem, Who is exceedingly praised.
בָּרוּךְ ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן הָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעֹלָם, וַיֹּאמְרוּ כׇל הָעָם אָמֵן וְהַלֵּל לַה'׃ - "Blessed be Hashem, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!" And all the people said, "Amen," and praised Hashem.
Radak explains that this verse marks the conclusion of the praises, songs, and prayers offered by the singers in these psalms. At the end, "And all the people said, 'Amen,' and praised Hashem" - all the people proclaimed praise and gave thanks to Hashem, blessed be He. And what is meant by "from world to world" (min ha'olam ve'ad ha'olam)? Chazal expound: from this world to the World to Come, for this refers to two worlds.
King David commands everyone to respond "Amen." What does "Amen" signify? Amen relates to emet (truth). The term "Amen" or "emunah" (faith) always serves to verify and affirm a matter. In halachah, there are three dimensions to this response: there is an Amen whose meaning is "may it be so" (ken yehi ratzon), an Amen whose meaning is "it is true" (emet), and an Amen that means both "it is true" and "may it be so." When one says, "Blessed are You, Hashem, the holy God," and listeners respond Amen, what does that Amen mean? It is true. There is no concept of "may it be so" regarding His holiness; He is already holy! On the other hand, when a blessing is purely a petition with no element of praise, the Amen signifies "may it be so" - may the request be fulfilled. And when a blessing contains both praise and petition, such as "Blessed are You, Hashem, Healer of the sick of His people Israel," the Amen means both: it is true that You heal the sick of Your people Israel, and may it be Your will that "Heal us, Hashem, and we shall be healed; save us, and we shall be saved" be fulfilled. Many siddurim today spare us the uncertainty by printing in parentheses next to Amen: "true," "true and may it be so," or "may it be so," so that one knows what to have in mind. Open a siddur and see.
Malbim explains: the verses we read, "Give thanks to Hashem for He is good, for His kindness endures forever" and "And say, 'Save us, God of our salvation,'" are the conclusion of Psalm 106, while "Blessed be Hashem, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting" is its beginning. This implies that in the morning they recited all of Psalm 105, and in the evening all of Psalm 106. Alternatively, one could say they did not necessarily recite the entire psalm; since only the beginning and the end of Psalm 106 are recorded here, they may have recited just the opening and closing verses as a reference to the whole psalm.
Why specifically these two psalms? Because in Psalm 105, he recounts the lovingkindness that Hashem bestowed upon the people of Israel during the Exodus from Egypt and in the wilderness. In Psalm 106, by contrast, he describes how they rebelled against the word of Hashem, how their enemies ruled over them and they went into captivity before the foe, ending with a plea that Hashem gather them from the nations where they were exiled. All the people answered, "Blessed be Hashem, the God of Israel," in order to bless both the good and the bad: both for the good, that Hashem will redeem us, and for the hardship, as Psalm 106 portrays the difficult reality of Israel in captivity with enemies dominating them. By proclaiming "Blessed be Hashem, the God of Israel," they gave thanks and blessed God for the good alongside the bad.
Malbim further adds: in Tehillim it does not say "And say: 'Save us,'" but simply "Save us," as noted earlier. The explanation is that here David states it as an instruction to the people to recite these last two verses. According to Malbim, during the daily service they recited only the first and last verses rather than the entire psalms; therefore, David tells them, "And say" - recite this part specifically.
וַיַּעֲזׇב שָׁם לִפְנֵי אֲרוֹן בְּרִית ה' לְאָסָף וּלְאֶחָיו, לְשָׁרֵת לִפְנֵי הָאָרוֹן תָּמִיד לִדְבַר יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ׃ - "So he left there, before the Ark of the Covenant of Hashem, Asaph and his brothers, to minister before the Ark continually, as each day's work required."
David left Asaph and the rest of the singers there to stand continually before the Ark, and "to minister" refers to singing and chanting praise. "Left" means that he stationed them and established the order of their service, so that they would recite the required song continually according to the theme of the day, each day with its fitting psalm. Radak notes that on the other hand, there were also Tzadok the Kohen and his fellow kohanim, whom he sent to Giv'on before the Mishkan of Hashem to offer the morning and evening burnt offerings. Why the difference? Because the Great Bamah was located there, and upon the Great Bamah they offered the morning and afternoon Tamid offerings. By contrast, at the site of the Ark there was no Great Bamah and the Mishkan was not there; it had been placed inside a tent at that time, and they sacrificed there on a minor bamah, just as any individual was permitted to sacrifice and build an altar outside his home.
וְעֹבֵד אֱדֹם וַאֲחֵיהֶם שִׁשִּׁים וּשְׁמוֹנָה, וְעֹבֵד אֱדֹם בֶּן יְדִיתוּן וְחֹסָה לְשֹׁעֲרִים׃ - And Oved-Edom with their brethren, sixty-eight; and Oved-Edom the son of Yeditun and Hosah to be gatekeepers.
He stationed Oved-Edom and their brethren there with Asaph to sing alongside him, and he appointed Oved-Edom the son of Yeditun to serve as the gatekeeper for the Ark. Thus, we find two individuals named Oved-Edom: Oved-Edom, and Oved-Edom the son of Yeditun. And who are "their brethren"? Radak explains that this refers to his sons, as we see later on, "they, their sons, and their brethren," and just as Chazal expounded regarding Yaakov that "his brethren" refers to his sons. And what does "gatekeepers" mean? That they would guard the tent where the Ark was housed, for it is a matter of reverence to guard the Ark just as they would guard the Beit HaMikdash.
Malbim raises a question: if this refers to his sons, here it states sixty-eight, yet later in chapter 26, verse 8, it says they were sixty-two! Malbim resolves this: six of them were lost during the plague, so out of sixty-eight, sixty-two remained. Alternatively: Oved-Edom, Hosah, and their brethren totaled sixty-eight, but Oved-Edom alone accounted for sixty-two. And if you ask that later on we find thirteen sons attributed to Hosah, the answer is that later on additional sons were born to him, but at first there were indeed only eight.
וְאֵת צָדוֹק הַכֹּהֵן וְאֶחָיו הַכֹּהֲנִים לִפְנֵי מִשְׁכַּן ה' בַּבָּמָה אֲשֶׁר בְּגִבְעוֹן׃ - And Tzadok the Kohen and his brethren the kohanim before the Mishkan of Hashem at the bamah that was in Giv'on.
He appointed Tzadok the Kohen as the head, and his brethren the kohanim were with him, and he stationed them there at the Mishkan in Giv'on. He did not assign any other kohen to remain with the Ark, and the reason is straightforward: sacrifices were not required there, since it was not the site of the Mishkan, and therefore he stationed Tzadok the Kohen there solely for honor. This is the explanation of the commentary attributed to Rashi. However, Malbim takes a different approach and does not follow Rashi's view, as we have already learned above on verse 6.
לְהַעֲלוֹת עֹלוֹת לַה' עַל מִזְבַּח הָעֹלָה תָּמִיד לַבֹּקֶר וְלָעָרֶב, וּלְכׇל הַכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרַת ה' אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - To offer burnt offerings to Hashem upon the altar of the burnt offering continually, morning and evening, and according to all that is written in the Torah of Hashem which He commanded Israel.
"To offer burnt offerings" refers to the daily Tamid offerings, and "according to all that is written" refers to the Musaf offerings.
וְעִמָּהֶם הֵימָן וִידוּתוּן וּשְׁאָר הַבְּרוּרִים אֲשֶׁר נִקְּבוּ בְשֵׁמוֹת, לְהֹדוֹת לַה' כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ׃ - And with them Heman and Yedutun and the rest of the selected ones who were designated by name, to give thanks to Hashem, for His kindness endures forever.
Together with them were Heman, Yedutun, and the rest of the selected ones. "The selected ones" refers to the chosen, elite individuals who were singled out. "Who were designated by name" refers to men distinguished by their renown, well-known figures who sang before the altar while the sacrifices were being offered.
וְעִמָּהֶם הֵימָן וִידוּתוּן חֲצֹצְרוֹת וּמְצִלְתַּיִם לְמַשְׁמִיעִים, וּכְלֵי שִׁיר הָאֱלֹהִים, וּבְנֵי יְדוּתוּן לַשָּׁעַר׃ - And with them Heman and Yedutun had trumpets and cymbals to sound aloud, and musical instruments of God; and the sons of Yedutun were for the gate.
The Malbim explains: Heman and Yeduthun were among the vocal singers, and this is the meaning of "with them" - together with the Kohanim and the rest of the chosen individuals designated by name to give thanks to Hashem in vocal song. In addition, the verse mentions Heman and Yeduthun regarding instrumental music as well, which was played with trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, because they were proficient in both vocal song and instrumental music. However, the sons of Yeduthun were unique in that they were only gatekeepers. And the commentary attributed to Rashi notes that in the fortieth year of David's reign, they were appointed as chiefs of the singers, as it is written: "To Yeduthun: the sons of Yeduthun... under the direction of their father, the prophet, giving thanks and praise to Hashem."
וַיֵּלְכוּ כׇל הָעָם אִישׁ לְבֵיתוֹ, וַיִּסֹּב דָּוִיד לְבָרֵךְ אֶת בֵּיתוֹ׃ - And all the people went, every man to his house, and David turned to bless his household.
Ezra concludes the chapter: all the people went, each to his house, and King David also returned to bless his household. This took place after he had organized the service of the Ark and the Mishkan, and the divisions of the Kohanim and Levi'im - which, as the Malbim noted earlier, is a unique addition here in Divrei HaYamim and is not mentioned in the Book of Shemuel. Only after that did all the people go, each to his house, and it was then that the incident with Michal the daughter of Shaul occurred, which is recounted there at length and was mentioned only by allusion earlier here.
In this part of the chapter, we examined the second psalm that David instituted before the Ark, "Sing to Hashem, all the earth" from Tehillim 96, which was recited in the late afternoon corresponding to "Hodu" recited in the morning, until Shlomo brought the Ark into the permanent Temple. We saw the Malbim's explanation that the variations from the text of Tehillim stem from this psalm being designated for the miracle of the Ark in the Philistine territory: "strength and gladness are in His place" rather than "in His Sanctuary," and "come before Him" rather than "into His courtyards." We learned of the nothingness of idols compared to "Hashem made the heavens," and the profound insight of "Tremble before Him, all the earth; the world also is established, that it cannot be moved": unlike mortal kings who spread terror and destabilize the world to maintain their reign, the kingdom of Hashem builds and establishes, and His judgment is uprightness and justice, and therefore "let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice." We saw the teaching of Chazal on "and the cows went straight on the way" (vayisharna) that the cows sang these two psalms, and for that reason David specifically instituted them, as well as the division of service between the Ark in Yerushalayim and the great altar in Givon. And from all of this we learned that giving thanks for Hashem's salvation is not a one-day affair: "Proclaim His salvation from day to day," anew each and every day.