Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
Who {G3739} found {G2147} favour {G5485} before {G1799} God {G2316}, and {G2532} desired {G154} to find {G2147} a tabernacle {G4638} for the God {G2316} of Jacob {G2384}.
He enjoyed God’s favor and asked if he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Ya‘akov
who found favor in the sight of God and asked to provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
who found favor in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob.
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Psalms 132:1
¶ A Song of degrees. LORD, remember David, [and] all his afflictions: -
Psalms 132:5
Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty [God] of Jacob. -
Acts 13:22
And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the [son] of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. -
2 Samuel 7:1
¶ And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; -
2 Samuel 7:5
Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? -
1 Chronicles 17:1
¶ Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD [remaineth] under curtains. -
1 Chronicles 17:4
Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in:
Acts 7:46 is part of Stephen's lengthy defense before the Sanhedrin, where he recounts the history of Israel to demonstrate God's consistent work and Israel's recurrent rebellion. In this verse, Stephen highlights King David's character and intentions regarding a dwelling place for God.
Context
In his powerful sermon, Stephen meticulously traces Israel's history from Abraham through the patriarchs, Moses, the Exodus, the wilderness wanderings, and the period of the judges. He arrives at the era of King David, emphasizing the progression of God's dwelling from the portable Tabernacle (mentioned in Acts 7:44) to the desire for a permanent temple. Verse 46 specifically refers to King David, who, having received God's favor, earnestly wished to build a house for the Lord, a desire documented in the Old Testament (2 Samuel 7:2; 1 Chronicles 17:1). This sets the stage for Solomon, David's son, who would ultimately build the temple (1 Kings 6:1).
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The phrase "found favour" translates the Greek charin heuren (χάριν εὗρεν), which literally means "found grace" or "found favor." This emphasizes God's benevolent disposition towards David, not necessarily implying human merit but divine initiative and acceptance. The term "tabernacle" here (Greek skenoma, σκήνωμα) refers to a dwelling place or tent, used metaphorically for the temple David desired to build, linking it conceptually to the earlier mobile sanctuary (skene, σκηνή).
Practical Application
Acts 7:46 teaches us about the importance of a heart devoted to God. David's desire to build a physical structure for God was a manifestation of his deep love and reverence. For believers today, while we no longer seek to build a physical temple (as God's presence now dwells in believers and the church, according to passages like 1 Corinthians 6:19 and Ephesians 2:21), the principle remains: we should desire to honor God with our lives, our resources, and our actions. This verse reminds us that God looks upon the heart and blesses those who genuinely seek to please Him and manifest His glory in the world, recognizing that ultimately, as Stephen also points out, God does not dwell in temples made with hands (Acts 7:48).