1 Chronicles 29

1 And king David spake to all the church, (and said,) God hath chosen Solomon, my son, yet a child and tender; forsooth the work is great, and a dwelling is not made ready to man, but to God. (And King David spoke to all the congregation, and said, God hath chosen my son Solomon, yet a tender young man; and the work is great, but this dwelling place is not made for man, but for God.)

2 Soothly I in all my mights have made ready the costs of the house of my God; gold to golden vessels, silver to silveren vessels, brass to brazen vessels, iron to iron vessels, and tree to treen vessels, onyx stones, and stones as of the colour of women's ointment, and each precious stone of diverse colours, and marble of diverse colours, most plenteously. (And with all my power I have prepared the expenses and the materials for the House of my God; gold for the gold vessels, silver for the silver vessels, bronze for the bronze vessels, iron for the iron vessels, and wood for the wooden vessels, and onyx stones, and stones the colour of women's ointment, and each precious stone of diverse colour, and most plentiful marble of diverse colours.)

3 And over these things, I give gold and silver into the temple of my God, which I have offered of my proper chattel into the house of my God, besides these things which I have made ready into the holy house, (And in addition to these things, I have given gold and silver for the Temple of my God, which I have offered out of my own substance, or possessions, for the House of my God, besides these things which I have prepared for the Holy House,)

4 (namely) three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand of talents of silver most proved (and seven thousand talents of most proved silver), to overgild the walls of the temple;

5 and (for the) works (which) be made by the hands of craftsmen, wherever gold is needful, of gold, and wherever silver is needful, of silver; and if any man offereth by his free will, [full-]fill he his hand today, and offer he that that he will to the Lord. (and for the works which be made by the hands of craftsmen, yea, the gold, wherever gold is needed, and the silver, wherever silver is needed; and if anyone else will offer by his free will, open he his hand today, and offer he what he will to the Lord.)

6 Therefore the princes of [the] families, and the dukes of the lineages of Israel, and the tribunes, and the centurions, and the princes of the possessions of the king, promised to give thereto/promised to give gifts to the temple; (And so the leaders of the families, and the leaders of the tribes of Israel, and the tribunes, and the centurions, and the overseers of the king's possessions, promised to give gifts for the Temple;)

7 and they gave into the works of the house of the Lord, five thousand talents of gold, and ten thousand shillings; and ten thousand talents of silver, and eighteen thousand talents of brass, and an hundred thousand talents of iron. (and they gave for the work of the House of the Lord, five thousand talents of gold, and ten thousand shillings; and ten thousand talents of silver, and eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and a hundred thousand talents of iron.)

8 And at whomever precious stones were found, they gave (them) into the treasure/into the treasury of the house of the Lord, by the hand of Jehiel (the) Gershonite. (And whoever had precious stones, gave them to the treasury of the House of Lord, where Jehiel the Gershonite was in charge.)

9 And the people was glad, when they promised (their) avows by their free will, for with all the heart they offered those to the Lord (for with all their hearts they offered them to the Lord). But also king David was glad with great joy,

10 and he blessed the Lord before all the multitude, and said, Lord God of Israel, our father, thou art blessed from without beginning [and] into without end; (and he blessed the Lord before all the multitude, and said, Blessed art thou, Lord God of our father Israel, from without beginning, and forevermore;)

11 Lord, worthy doing is thine, that is, thy doing is worthy and great, and power, and glory, and victory, and praising is to thee; for all things that be in heaven and in earth be thine; Lord, the realm is thine, and thou art over all princes; (Lord, thy doing is worthy and great, and power, and glory, and victory, and praising be to thee; for everything that is in heaven and on earth be thine; Lord, the kingdom is thine, and thou art over all the leaders;)

12 riches be thine, and glory is thine; thou art Lord of all; in thine hand is strength, and power, and in thine hand is greatness, and lordship of all.

13 Now therefore, our God (And so now, our God), we acknowledge to thee, and we praise thy noble name.

14 Who am I, and who is my people, that we may promise all these things to thee? All things be thine, and we have (but) given (back) to thee those things, which we have taken of thine hand. (But who am I, and who be my people, that we can give anything to thee? For all things be thine, and we have only given back to thee those things, which we have received from thy own hands.)

15 For we be pilgrims and comelings before thee, as all our fathers were (For we be foreigners and newcomers before thee, as all our forefathers were); our days be as (a) shadow on the earth, and there is no tarrying.

16 Our Lord God, all this plenty of diverse goods which we have made ready, that an house should be builded to thine holy name, is of thine hand; and all things be thine. (Lord our God, all this plenty of diverse goods which we have prepared, so that a House could be built to honour thy holy name, is from thy own hands; and all things be thine.)

17 My God, I know, that thou provest hearts, and that thou lovest simpleness, that is, lowness, or meekness, of heart; wherefore in the simpleness of mine heart, I have offered gladly all these things; and I have seen with great joy thy people, which is found here, to offer gifts to thee (and so with an honest heart, I have gladly offered all these things; and I have seen with great joy thy people, who be found here, to willingly offer their gifts to thee).

18 Lord God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep thou without end this will of their hearts; and this mind dwell ever[more] into the worshipping of thee. (Lord God of our fathers Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, keep thou this desire forevermore in their hearts; and may their hearts forevermore worship thee.)

19 Also give thou to Solomon, my son, a perfect heart, that he keep thy behests, and thy witnessings, and thy ceremonies; and do all these things, and that he build the house, whose costs I have made ready. (And give thou to my son Solomon a perfect heart, that he obey thy commands, and thy testimonies, and thy statutes; and do all these things, and that he build the House, whose materials and expenses I have prepared.)

20 Soothly David commanded to all the church, that is, (to) all the people gathered together, Bless ye the Lord our God. And all the church, that is, the people, blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and they bowed themselves, and worshipped God, and [then] afterward the king. (And David commanded to all the congregation, Bless ye the Lord your God. And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and they bowed themselves, and worshipped God, and then the king.)

21 And they offered slain sacrifices to the Lord, and they offered burnt sacrifices in the day following; a thousand bulls, and a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their flowing sacrifices, and with all the custom, most plenteously, into all Israel. (And they offered slain sacrifices to the Lord, and then they offered burnt sacrifices on the following day; a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their wine offerings, by all the custom, most plentifully, for all Israel.)

22 And they ate and drank before the Lord in that day, with great gladness. And they anointed the second time Solomon, the son of David; and they anointed him into prince to the Lord, and Zadok into bishop. (And they ate and drank before the Lord on that day, with great gladness. And a second time, they anointed David's son Solomon, as king; yea, they anointed him as the Lord's prince, and Zadok as the High Priest.)

23 And Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord into king, for David, his father; and it pleased all men, and all Israel obeyed to him. (And Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king, in place of his father David; and it pleased everyone, and all Israel obeyed him.)

24 But also all [the] princes, and mighty men, and all the sons of king David, gave (the) hand, that is, (in) swearing or steadfast(ly) promising to be faithful, and were (made) subject to Solomon the king. (And all the princes/all the leaders, and the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David, raised up their hands to swear, or to steadfastly promise, to be faithful, and were made subject to King Solomon.)

25 Therefore the Lord magnified, or made great, Solomon upon all Israel, and gave to him (such) glory of the realm, what manner (of) glory no king of Israel (had ever) had before him.

26 And (so) David, the son of Jesse, reigned upon all Israel;

27 and the days in which he reigned upon Israel were forty years; in Hebron he reigned seven years, and in Jerusalem he reigned three and thirty years.

28 And he died in [a] good eld (age), and was full of days, and riches, and glory; and Solomon, his son, reigned for him.

29 Forsooth the former and the last deeds of king David (And the first and the last deeds of King David), be written in the book of Samuel, the prophet, and in the book of Nathan, the prophet, and in the book of Gad, the prophet;

30 and of all his realm, and strength, and times, that passed under him, either in Israel, either in all realms of lands. (yea, all about his kingdom, and power, and the times through which he, and Israel, and all the kingdoms of the lands, had passed.)

1 Chronicles 29 Commentary

Chapter 29

David induces the princes and people to offer willingly. (1-9) His thanksgiving and prayer. (10-19) Solomon enthroned. (20-25) David's reign and death. (26-30)

Verses 1-9 What is done in works of piety and charity, should be done willingly, not by constraint; for God loves a cheerful giver. David set a good example. This David offered, not from constraint, or for show; but because he had set his affection to the house of God, and thought he could never do enough towards promoting that good work. Those who would draw others to good, must lead the way themselves.

Verses 10-19 We cannot form a right idea of the magnificence of the temple, and the buildings around it, about which such quantities of gold and silver were employed. But the unsearchable riches of Christ exceed the splendour of the temple, infinitely more than that surpassed the meanest cottage on earth. Instead of boasting of these large oblations, David gave solemn thanks to the Lord. All they gave for the Lord's temple was his own; if they attempted to keep it, death would soon have removed them from it. They only use they could make of it to their real advantage, was, to consecrate it to the service of Him who gave it.

Verses 20-25 This great assembly joined with David in adoring God. Whoever is the mouth of the congregation, those only have the benefit who join him, not by bowing down the head, so much as by lifting up the soul. Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord. Solomon's kingdom typified the kingdom of the Messiah, whose throne is the throne of the Lord.

Verses 26-30 When we read the second book of Samuel, we could scarcely have expected to behold David appear so illustrious in his closing scene. But his repentance had been as remarkable as his sin; and his conduct during his afflictions, and towards the end of his life, appears to have had a good effect on his subjects. Blessed be God, even the chief of sinners may hope for a glorious departure, when brought to repent and flee for refuge to the Saviour's atoning blood. Let us mark the difference between the spirit and character of the man after God's own heart, living and dying, and those of worthless professors, who resemble him in nothing but their sins, and who wickedly try to excuse their crimes by his sins. Let us watch and pray, lest we be overcome by temptation, and overtaken by sin, to the dishonour of God, and the wounding of our own consciences. When we feel that we have offended, let us follow David's example of repentance and patience, looking for a glorious resurrection, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 29

This chapter relates how largely and liberally David, besides what he had before done, and his princes, offered towards defraying the expenses of building the temple, 1Ch 29:1-8 and the joy and thankfulness that he and his people expressed on that account, attended with prayers for Solomon, and offering sacrifices unto the Lord, 1Ch 29:9-21 and the chapter is closed, and so the book, with an account of the second unction of Solomon, the placing him on the throne, and the submission of all ranks of men unto him, and of the death of David, 1Ch 29:22-30.