1 Chronicles 29:20

And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king.

And David {H1732} said {H559} to all the congregation {H6951}, Now bless {H1288} the LORD {H3068} your God {H430}. And all the congregation {H6951} blessed {H1288} the LORD {H3068} God {H430} of their fathers {H1}, and bowed down their heads {H6915}, and worshipped {H7812} the LORD {H3068}, and the king {H4428}.

Then David said to all the community, "Now bless ADONAI your God." All the community blessed ADONAI, the God of their ancestors, bowing their heads and prostrating themselves before ADONAI and before the king.

Then David said to the whole assembly, “Blessed be the LORD your God.” So the whole assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers. They bowed down and paid homage to the LORD and to the king.

And David said to all the assembly, Now bless Jehovah your God. And all the assembly blessed Jehovah, the God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped Jehovah, and the king.

1 Chronicles 29:20 captures a profound moment of collective worship and reverence at the close of King David's reign. This verse serves as a powerful summary of Israel's unified response to God's faithfulness and David's leadership in preparing for the Temple's construction.

Context

This verse follows a highly significant event: David's inspiring speech to the entire assembly, encouraging them to give generously for the building of God's Temple. The people responded with overwhelming willingness and joy, offering vast sums of gold, silver, and other materials. David then offered a magnificent prayer of thanksgiving and blessing to God, acknowledging His sovereignty and the people's generous hearts (see 1 Chronicles 29:10-19). Verse 20 marks the congregation's collective affirmation and worship, sealing this moment of national spiritual revival before the transition of power to Solomon.

Key Themes

  • Collective Worship and Unity: David's command for the congregation to "bless the LORD" highlights the importance of corporate worship. The unified response demonstrates a shared spiritual purpose and national solidarity, central to Israel's identity as God's chosen people.
  • Reverence and Humility: The act of "bowing down their heads, and worshipped the LORD" signifies deep reverence, humility, and submission before Almighty God. This physical posture reflects an internal attitude of awe and adoration.
  • Acknowledging Divine and Human Authority: The text carefully distinguishes between worshipping "the LORD" and bowing down to "the king." While ultimate worship is reserved for God alone, the people also honored David, recognizing his divinely appointed leadership and his role in guiding them towards God.
  • Gratitude and Blessing: The command to "bless the LORD" is an invitation to praise and thank God for His goodness, provision, and faithfulness. It's a reciprocal act where humanity responds to divine blessing with adoration.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word translated "bless" (barak, ברך) often means to kneel or to praise. When directed towards God, it signifies an act of adoration and giving thanks. The word for "worshipped" (shachah, שחה) literally means to bow down or prostrate oneself, indicating a posture of extreme respect, humility, and submission, exclusively reserved for God in the context of divine worship.

Practical Application

This verse offers timeless lessons for believers today:

  • The Power of Corporate Worship: Just as the ancient Israelites, believers are called to gather and collectively bless and worship God. There is unique strength and encouragement in worshipping together as a community.
  • Heartfelt Gratitude: We are continually called to bless the Lord for His countless mercies, even in challenging times. A posture of gratitude transforms our perspective.
  • Humility in God's Presence: Approaching God with humility and reverence, acknowledging His supreme authority and holiness, is fundamental to genuine worship.
  • Honoring God-Given Leadership: While our ultimate worship belongs to God, we are also called to respect and honor those whom God has placed in positions of leadership, both spiritual and secular, as long as their directives align with God's will.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Exodus 4:31

    And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

  • 1 Chronicles 16:36

    Blessed [be] the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD.

  • Genesis 24:48

    And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.

  • Proverbs 24:21

    ¶ My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: [and] meddle not with them that are given to change:

  • Psalms 148:13

    Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory [is] above the earth and heaven.

  • Psalms 148:14

    He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; [even] of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.

  • Psalms 95:6

    O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.

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