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1 Chronicles 28

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David Assembles the Leaders 1–10

1
And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that served the king by course, and the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, and the rulers over all the substance and possessions of the king and of his sons, with the officers, and the mighty men, even all the mighty men of valor, unto Jerusalem. ​
2
Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: as for me, it was in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and for the footstool of our God; and I had made ready for the building. ​
3
But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build a house for my name, because thou art a man of war, and hast shed blood. ​
4
Howbeit Jehovah, the God of Israel, chose me out of all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be prince; and in the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel; ​
5
and of all my sons (for Jehovah hath given me many sons), he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of Jehovah over Israel. ​
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And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts; for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.
7
And I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and mine ordinances, as at this day. ​
8
Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of Jehovah, and in the audience of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of Jehovah your God; that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you for ever. ​
9
And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for Jehovah searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. ​
10
Take heed now; for Jehovah hath chosen thee to build a house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it. ​

The Divine Pattern for the Temple 11–19

11
Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porchof the temple, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper rooms thereof, and of the inner chambers thereof, and of the place of the mercy-seat; ​
12
and the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit, for the courts of the house of Jehovah, and for all the chambers round about, for the treasuries of the house of God, and for the treasuries of the dedicated things; ​
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also for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of Jehovah, and for all the vessels of service in the house of Jehovah;
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of gold by weight for the vessels of gold, for all vessels of every kind of service; of silver for all the vessels of silver by weight, for all vessels of every kind of service;
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by weight also for the candlesticks of gold, and for the lamps thereof, of gold, by weight for every candlestick and for the lamps thereof; and for the candlesticks of silver, silver by weight for every candlestick and for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick;
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and the gold by weight for the tables of showbread, for every table; and silver for the tables of silver;
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and the flesh-hooks, and the basins, and the cups, of pure gold; and for the golden bowls by weight for every bowl; and for the silver bowls by weight for every bowl;
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and for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot, even the cherubim, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of Jehovah. ​
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All this, said David, have I been made to understand in writing from the hand of Jehovah, even all the works of this pattern. ​

Final Charge and Assurance 20–21

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And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed; for Jehovah God, even my God, is with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until all the work for the service of the house of Jehovah be finished. ​
21
And, behold, there are the courses of the priests and the Levites, for all the service of the house of God: and there shall be with thee in all manner of work every willing man that hath skill, for any manner of service: also the captains and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Chronicles 28

Verse 1

David assembled all the princes — The roll follows ch. 27: the princes of the tribes (27:16–22), the captains of the courses that served 'by course' (27:1–15), the captains of thousands and hundreds, and the stewards over the king's substance (27:25–31). 'Assembled' is qahal, the verb behind 'congregation' in v.8.

Verse 2

an house of rest for the ark — 'Rest' is menuchah, and 'footstool' is hadom. The three come together in Ps 132:7–8: 'we will worship at his footstool', and 'Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.' The ark is the footstool of the LORD's throne, for 'the heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool' (Isa 66:1).

Verse 3

a man of war, and hast shed blood — The reason is given again in 1 Chr 22:8: 'Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars.' The builder is to be 'a man of rest', and the LORD said, 'his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days' (1 Chr 22:9). David's wish was still approved (2 Chr 6:8).

Verse 4

he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler — Nagid, 'ruler', as in 1 Chr 5:2, 'Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler'. The choice runs from Jacob's word, 'The sceptre shall not depart from Judah' (Gen 49:10), to Jesse's house, and to David, whom the LORD 'liked' (ratsah, was pleased with) among the sons.

Verse 5

the throne of the kingdom of the LORD — The throne is the LORD's, and the king sits on it as his appointed: 'Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father' (1 Chr 29:23). David names the choice out of 'many sons', the list of whom is in 1 Chr 3:1–9.

Verse 7

if he be constant — Chazaq, to be strong and hold firm. The promise was given with a condition on the son: 'If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him' (2 Sam 7:14). The LORD repeats it to Solomon: 'if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked… Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever' (1 Kings 9:4–5).

Verse 8

keep and seek for all the commandments — 'Keep' is shamar and 'seek' is darash, to enquire after. The reward matches Moses' own: 'that ye may live, and go in and possess the land' (Deut 4:1). David puts the whole people in the same position, 'in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the LORD'.

Verse 9

with a perfect heart and with a willing mind — 'Perfect' is shalem, whole. 'Willing mind' is literally a delighting soul (chaphets, nephesh). 'Searcheth' and 'seek' are one verb, darash: the LORD searches every heart, and 'if thou seek him, he will be found of thee', as Azariah told Asa (2 Chr 15:2). 'Imagination of the thoughts' recalls Gen 6:5.

Verse 10

to build an house for the sanctuary — Miqdash, the 'sanctuary' of Ex 25:8: 'let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.' 'Be strong, and do it' is the same chazaq of v.7. The charge Solomon hears from his father is the one the LORD gave Joshua, 'Be strong and of a good courage' (Josh 1:9).

Verse 11

the pattern — Tavnith, the word the LORD used for the tabernacle: 'after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof' (Ex 25:9). The list moves inward from the porch (cf. 1 Kings 6:3) through the houses, treasuries and upper chambers to the place of the mercy seat, the innermost room.

Verse 12

by the spirit — The pattern was all that David 'had by the spirit' (ruach), and v.19 adds that it came 'in writing by his hand upon me'. The tabernacle was likewise made by the pattern 'shewed thee in the mount' (Ex 25:40; Heb 8:5). 'Treasuries' is otsar, the word of 1 Chr 26:20, with its 'dedicated things'.

Verse 18

the chariot of the cherubims — Merkavah, the common word for a chariot (Gen 41:43), here for the golden cherubim whose wings 'covered the ark of the covenant'. They are the throne of Ex 25:22, where the LORD says 'I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat', and of Ps 99:1, 'he sitteth between the cherubims'.

Verse 19

in writing by his hand upon me — 'Made me understand' is sakal, to give insight, and 'writing' is ketav. The plan is the LORD's, written and given by his hand on David, as the tabernacle's was to Moses (Ex 25:40). Of Ezekiel it is said that 'the hand of the LORD was there upon him' (Ezek 1:3).

Verse 20

he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee — The words Moses said to Israel and to Joshua (Deut 31:6, 8; Josh 1:5), now given to Solomon with 'Be strong and of good courage'. Hebrews 13:5 quotes the promise to later believers: 'I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.' The assurance holds 'until thou hast finished all the work'.

Verse 21

every willing skilful man — 'Skilful' is chokmah, wisdom, and 'willing' is nadab, to offer freely. The pair is the tabernacle's: 'every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded' (Ex 35:10), and the people came whose 'spirit made willing' (Ex 35:21). The courses of the priests and Levites are those of 1 Chr 23–26.