· Translation: KJV

1 Chronicles 16:21He allowed no man to do them wrong. Yes, he reproved kings for their sakes,

The setting

Jerusalem, ~1000 BC. David brings the ark to Jerusalem with massive celebration, recounting God's faithfulness to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob across generations.

The emotion here: amazed at God's historical protection while celebrating in Jerusalem

The original word

yakach (יכח) — to correct with authority, to rebuke decisively

Why it matters

This psalm was sung when the ark entered Jerusalem for the first time in 400 years

Read with care

What most readers miss in 1 Chronicles 16:21

David is recounting how God rebuked actual kings — Pharaoh, Abimelech — to protect ordinary people

Common misconceptionPeople think this only applies to famous Bible characters, but David is showing how God protects ordinary believers throughout history, even confronting powerful leaders.

Bible Genome reading

1 Chronicles 16:21 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerDavid
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotiongrateful
Literary typepsalm

Emotional genome

Comfort power70%
Quotability50%
Memorability50%
Crisis relevance70%
Standalone30%
Themes:divine protectiongods advocacy

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 1 Chronicles 16

1 Chronicles 16:21 comes from the book of 1 Chronicles, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to David. The dominant emotion in this verse is grateful, with a comfort power of 70% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine protection, gods advocacy. Notable phrases: allowed no man to do them wrong; reproved kings.

Your reflection

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