The Levites took up the ark - i. e., such of the Levites as were also priests (compare 2-Chronicles 5:7; 1-Kings 8:3).

Instead of הלויּם, we have in 2 Kings הכּהנים, the priests bare the ark; and since even according to the Chronicle (2-Chronicles 5:7) the priests bare the ark into the holy place, we must understand by הלויּם such Levites were also priests. - In 2-Chronicles 5:5, too the words הלויּם הכּהנים are inexact, and are to be corrected by 1-Kings 8:4, והלויּם הכּהנים. For even if the Levitic priests bare the ark and the sacred utensils of the tabernacle into the temple, yet the tabernacle itself (the planks, hangings, and coverings of it) was borne into the temple, to be preserved as a holy relic, not by priests, but only by Levites. The conj. ו before הלוים has probably been omitted only by a copyist, who was thinking of הלוים הכהנים (Joshua 3:3; Deuteronomy 17:9, Deuteronomy 17:18, etc.). - In 2-Chronicles 5:8 ויכסּוּ is an orthographical error for ויּסכּוּ, 1-Kings 8:7; cf. 1-Chronicles 28:18; Exodus 25:20. - In 2-Chronicles 5:9, too, מן־הארון has probably come into our text only by a copyist's mistake instead of מן־הקּדשׁ (1-Kings 8:8).