2 Now I have prepared H3559 with all my might H3581 for the house H1004 of my God H430 the gold H2091 for things to be made of gold, H2091 and the silver H3701 for things of silver, H3701 and the brass H5178 for things of brass, H5178 the iron H1270 for things of iron, H1270 and wood H6086 for things of wood; H6086 onyx H7718 stones, H68 and stones to be set, H4394 glistering H6320 stones, H68 and of divers colours, H7553 and all manner of precious H3368 stones, H68 and marble H7893 stones H68 in abundance. H7230
And David H1732 prepared H3559 iron H1270 in abundance H7230 for the nails H4548 for the doors H1817 of the gates, H8179 and for the joinings; H4226 and brass H5178 in abundance H7230 without weight; H4948 Also cedar H730 trees H6086 in abundance: H369 H4557 for the Zidonians H6722 and they of Tyre H6876 brought H935 much H7230 cedar H730 wood H6086 to David. H1732 And David H1732 said, H559 Solomon H8010 my son H1121 is young H5288 and tender, H7390 and the house H1004 that is to be builded H1129 for the LORD H3068 must be exceeding H4605 magnifical, H1431 of fame H8034 and of glory H8597 throughout all countries: H776 I will therefore now make preparation H3559 for it. So David H1732 prepared H3559 abundantly H7230 before H6440 his death. H4194
Whatsoever thy hand H3027 findeth H4672 to do, H6213 do H6213 it with thy might; H3581 for there is no work, H4639 nor device, H2808 nor knowledge, H1847 nor wisdom, H2451 in the grave, H7585 whither thou goest. H1980
O thou afflicted, H6041 tossed with tempest, H5590 and not comforted, H5162 behold, I will lay H7257 thy stones H68 with fair colours, H6320 and lay thy foundations H3245 with sapphires. H5601 And I will make H7760 thy windows H8121 of agates, H3539 and thy gates H8179 of carbuncles, H68 H688 and all thy borders H1366 of pleasant H2656 stones. H68
And G2532 whatsoever G3956 G3748 G1437 ye do, G4160 do G2038 it heartily, G1537 G5590 as G5613 to the Lord, G2962 and G2532 not G3756 unto men; G444
And the fourth H7243 row H2905 a beryl, H8658 and an onyx, H7718 and a jasper: H3471 they shall be set H7660 in gold H2091 in their inclosings. H4396
Now, behold, in my trouble H6040 I have prepared H3559 for the house H1004 of the LORD H3068 an hundred H3967 thousand H505 talents H3603 of gold, H2091 and a thousand H505 thousand H505 talents H3603 of silver; H3701 and of brass H5178 and iron H1270 without weight; H4948 for it is in abundance: H7230 timber H6086 also and stone H68 have I prepared; H3559 and thou mayest add H3254 thereto. Moreover there are workmen H6213 H4399 with thee in abundance, H7230 hewers H2672 and workers H2796 of stone H68 and timber, H6086 and all manner of cunning men H2450 for every manner of work. H4399 Of the gold, H2091 the silver, H3701 and the brass, H5178 and the iron, H1270 there is no number. H4557 Arise H6965 therefore, and be doing, H6213 and the LORD H3068 be with thee.
He gave of gold H2091 by weight H4948 for things of gold, H2091 for all instruments H3627 of all manner of service; H5656 silver also for all instruments H3627 of silver H3701 by weight, H4948 for all instruments H3627 of every kind of service: H5656 Even the weight H4948 for the candlesticks H4501 of gold, H2091 and for their lamps H5216 of gold, H2091 by weight H4948 for every candlestick, H4501 and for the lamps H5216 thereof: and for the candlesticks H4501 of silver H3701 by weight, H4948 both for the candlestick, H4501 and also for the lamps H5216 thereof, according to the use H5656 of every candlestick. H4501 And by weight H4948 he gave gold H2091 for the tables H7979 of shewbread, H4635 for every table; H7979 and likewise silver H3701 for the tables H7979 of silver: H3701 Also pure H2889 gold H2091 for the fleshhooks, H4207 and the bowls, H4219 and the cups: H7184 and for the golden H2091 basons H3713 he gave gold by weight H4948 for every bason; H3713 and likewise silver by weight H4948 for every bason H3713 of silver: H3701 And for the altar H4196 of incense H7004 refined H2212 gold H2091 by weight; H4948 and gold H2091 for the pattern H8403 of the chariot H4818 of the cherubims, H3742 that spread out H6566 their wings, and covered H5526 the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of the LORD. H3068
And thus did H6213 Hezekiah H3169 throughout all Judah, H3063 and wrought H6213 that which was good H2896 and right H3477 and truth H571 before H6440 the LORD H3068 his God. H430 And in every work H4639 that he began H2490 in the service H5656 of the house H1004 of God, H430 and in the law, H8451 and in the commandments, H4687 to seek H1875 his God, H430 he did H6213 it with all his heart, H3824 and prospered. H6743
It cannot be valued H5541 with the gold H3800 of Ophir, H211 with the precious H3368 onyx, H7718 or the sapphire. H5601
For G3754 to G2596 their power, G1411 I bear record, G3140 yea, and G2532 beyond G5228 their power G1411 they were willing of themselves; G830
As G2531 every man G1538 hath received G2983 the gift, G5486 even so minister G1247 the same G846 one to another, G1519 G1438 as G5613 good G2570 stewards G3623 of the manifold G4164 grace G5485 of God. G2316 If any man G1536 speak, G2980 let him speak as G5613 the oracles G3051 of God; G2316 if any man G1536 minister, G1247 let him do it as G5613 of G1537 the ability G2479 which G3739 God G2316 giveth: G5524 that G2443 God G2316 in G1722 all things G3956 may be glorified G1392 through G1223 Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 to whom G3739 be G2076 praise G1391 and G2532 dominion G2904 for G1519 ever G165 and ever. G165 Amen. G281
And G2532 the building G1739 of the wall G5038 of it G846 was G2258 of jasper: G2393 and G2532 the city G4172 was pure G2513 gold, G5553 like G3664 unto clear G2513 glass. G5194 And G2532 the foundations G2310 of the wall G5038 of the city G4172 were garnished with G2885 all manner of G3956 precious G5093 stones. G3037 The first G4413 foundation G2310 was jasper; G2393 the second, G1208 sapphire; G4552 the third, G5154 a chalcedony; G5472 the fourth, G5067 an emerald; G4665 The fifth, G3991 sardonyx; G4557 the sixth, G1623 sardius; G4556 the seventh, G1442 chrysolite; G5555 the eighth, G3590 beryl; G969 the ninth, G1766 a topaz; G5116 the tenth, G1182 a chrysoprasus; G5556 the eleventh, G1734 a jacinth; G5192 the twelfth, G1428 an amethyst. G271 And G2532 the twelve G1427 gates G4440 were twelve G1427 pearls; G3135 every G1538 G303 several G1520 gate G4440 was G2258 of G1537 one G1520 pearl: G3135 and G2532 the street G4113 of the city G4172 was pure G2513 gold, G5553 as it were G5613 transparent G1307 glass. G5194
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 29
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 29 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 29
1Ch 29:1-9. David Causes the Princes and People to Offer for the House of God.
1, 2. Solomon … is yet young and tender—Though Solomon was very young when he was raised to the sovereign power, his kingdom escaped the woe pronounced (Ec 10:16). Mere childhood in a prince is not always a misfortune to a nation, as there are instances of the government being wisely administered during a minority. Solomon himself is a most illustrious proof that a young prince may prove a great blessing; for when he was but a mere child, with respect to his age, no nation was happier. His father, however, made this address before Solomon was endowed with the divine gift of wisdom, and David's reference to his son's extreme youth, in connection with the great national undertaking he had been divinely appointed to execute, was to apologize to this assembly of the estates—or, rather, to assign the reason of his elaborate preparations for the work.
3, 4. Moreover … I have of mine own proper good, &c.—In addition to the immense amount of gold and silver treasure which David had already bequeathed for various uses in the service of the temple, he now made an additional contribution destined to a specific purpose—that of overlaying the walls of the house. This voluntary gift was from the private fortune of the royal donor, and had been selected with the greatest care. The gold was "the gold of Ophir," then esteemed the purest and finest in the world (Job 22:24; 28:16; Isa 13:12). The amount was three thousand talents of gold and seven thousand talents of refined silver.
5. who then is willing to consecrate his service—Hebrew, "fill his hand"; that is, make an offering (Ex 32:29; Le 8:33; 1Ki 13:33). The meaning is, that whoever would contribute voluntarily, as he had done, would be offering a freewill offering to the Lord. It was a sacrifice which every one of them could make, and in presenting which the offerer himself would be the priest. David, in asking freewill offerings for the temple, imitated the conduct of Moses in reference to the tabernacle (Ex 25:1-8).
6-8. Then the chief of the fathers—or heads of the fathers (1Ch 24:31; 27:1).
princes of the tribes—(1Ch 27:16-22).
rulers of the king's work—those who had charge of the royal demesnes and other possessions (1Ch 27:25-31).
offered willingly—Influenced by the persuasive address and example of the king, they acted according to their several abilities, and their united contributions amounted to the gross sum—of gold 5,000 talents and 10,000 drams; and of silver, 10,000 talents, besides brass and iron.
7. drams—rather, darics, a Persian coin, with which the Jews from the time of the captivity became familiar, and which was afterwards extensively circulated in the countries of Western Asia. It is estimated as equal in value to 25s. of British currency.
of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron—In Scripture, iron is always referred to as an article of comparatively low value, and of greater abundance and cheaper than bronze [Napier].
8. and they with whom precious stones were found—rather, "whatever was found along with it of precious stones they gave" [Bertheau]. These gifts were deposited in the hands of Jehiel, whose family was charged with the treasures of the house of the Lord (1Ch 26:21).
1Ch 29:10-25. His Thanksgiving.
10-19. Wherefore David blessed the Lord—This beautiful thanksgiving prayer was the effusion overflowing with gratitude and delight at seeing the warm and widespread interest that was now taken in forwarding the favorite project of his life. Its piety is displayed in the fervor of devotional feeling—in the ascription of all worldly wealth and greatness to God as the giver, in tracing the general readiness in contributing to the influence of His grace, in praying for the continuance of this happy disposition among the people, and in solemnly and earnestly commending the young king and his kingdom to the care and blessing of God.
16. all this store that we have prepared—It may be useful to exhibit a tabular view of the treasure laid up and contributions stated by the historian as already made towards the erection of the proposed temple. Omitting the brass and iron, and precious stones, which, though specified partly (1Ch 29:7), are represented in other portions as "without weight" (1Ch 22:3, 14), we shall give in this table only the amount of gold and silver; and taking the talent of gold as worth £5475 (the talent being 125 pounds in weight), the value of the gold will be about 73s. per ounce. The talent of silver is given at £342 3s. 9d., or 4s. 4½d. per ounce. The total amount of the contributions will be:
Though it has been the common practice of Eastern monarchs to hoard vast sums for the accomplishment of any contemplated project, this amount so far exceeds not only every Oriental collection on record, but even the bounds of probability, that it is very generally allowed that either there is a corruption of the text in 1Ch 22:14, or that the reckoning of the historian was by the Babylonian, which was only a half, or the Syrian, which was only a fifth part, of the Hebrew talent. This would bring the Scripture account more into accordance with the statements of Josephus, as well as within the range of credibility.
20. all the congregation … worshipped the Lord, and the king—Though the external attitude might be the same, the sentiments of which it was expressive were very different in the two cases—of divine worship in the one, of civil homage in the other.
21, 22. they sacrificed … And did eat and drink—After the business of the assembly was over, the people, under the exciting influence of the occasion, still remained, and next day engaged in the performance of solemn rites, and afterwards feasted on the remainder of the sacrifices.
22. before the Lord—either in the immediate vicinity of the ark, or, perhaps, rather in a religious and devout spirit, as partaking of a sacrificial meal.
made Solomon … king the second time—in reference to the first time, which was done precipitately on Adonijah's conspiracy (1Ki 1:35).
they … anointed … Zadok—The statement implies that his appointment met the popular approval. His elevation as sole high priest was on the disgrace of Abiathar, one of Adonijah's accomplices.
23. Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord—As king of Israel, he was the Lord's vicegerent.
24. submitted themselves—Hebrew, "put their hands under Solomon," according to the custom still practised in the East of putting a hand under the king's extended hand and kissing the back of it (2Ki 10:15).
1Ch 29:26-30. His Reign and Death.
26. Thus David … reigned—(See 1Ki 2:11).