1 Chronicles 28

David called together at Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel. This included the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of the divisions that served the king in turn, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons. The court officials came too, along with the mighty men and all the brave fighting men.

1And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem.

NoteThe "divisions that served the king in turn" were groups on a rota, each taking a month of duty at a time. "Commanders of thousands and of hundreds" were army officers over units of those nominal sizes, much as "regiment" or "company" name a rank rather than an exact head count. The "mighty men" were David's elite corps of warriors, a recognized standing body with its own roll of names.

2Then King David stood up on his feet and said, "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house where the ark of the covenant of the LORD could rest, a footstool for our God, and I had made everything ready to build it.

2Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building:

NoteThe ark of the covenant was a gold-covered wooden chest holding the stone tablets of the law. It was the most sacred object of Israel's worship, and since the time of Moses it had been kept in a tent and moved from place to place, which is why a permanent building is called a resting place for it. Calling it God's footstool draws on the picture of God enthroned above the ark, with the chest itself at his feet.

3But God said to me, 'You are not the one to build a house for my name, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.'

3But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.

Note"A house for my name" is the ordinary Hebrew way of saying a temple: a building on which God's name is placed, marking it as his and as the place where he may be addressed.

4Even so, the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me out of my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah to be the leading tribe, and out of the tribe of Judah he chose my father's family, and out of my father's sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.

4Howbeit the LORD God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all Israel:

NoteIsrael was made up of twelve tribes descended from the twelve sons of Jacob. Judah was one of them, and David's own. Choosing Judah as the leading tribe means the kingship was to come from that tribe rather than any other.

5And out of all my sons, and the LORD has given me many sons, he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the LORD's kingdom over Israel.

5And of all my sons, (for the LORD hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.

NoteThe king in Jerusalem was regarded as ruling on God's behalf, so the royal throne could be spoken of as the throne of the LORD's own kingdom.

6He said to me, 'Your son Solomon is the one who will build my house and my courtyards, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.

6And 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.

Note"I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father" is the formal language of adoption. Across the ancient Near East it was the standard wording for the relationship between a god and a reigning king, and it describes the king's office rather than his birth.

7What is more, I will make his kingdom secure forever, if he keeps on steadily doing my commands and my rules, as he is doing today.'

7Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day.

8So now, in front of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and with our God listening, keep and carefully seek out all the commands of the LORD your God. Then you will keep this good land and hand it down to your children after you as their possession forever.

8Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the LORD, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the LORD your God: that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you for ever.

Note"The assembly of the LORD" is the whole nation formally gathered. Here it serves as a legal witness to what David says, the way witnesses were called at the making of a contract or a treaty. An "inheritance" or possession is land permanently allotted to a family and handed down through it, not property that could simply be sold off.

9"And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him with a whole heart and a willing mind. The LORD searches every heart and understands everything a person thinks or plans. If you look for him, he will let you find him. But if you turn away from him, he will reject you forever.

9And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD 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.

NoteIn Hebrew, to "know" a person covers far more than knowing facts about them: it takes in recognizing them and staying loyal to them. The same verb is used of the bond between a master and a servant, or a husband and wife.

10Pay attention now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house to be his holy place. Be strong, and do it."

10Take heed now; for the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.

11Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the entrance porch of the temple, for its buildings, its storerooms, its upper rooms, its inner rooms, and the room for the mercy seat.

11Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,

NoteThe porch was a covered entrance hall across the front of the temple. The mercy seat was the solid gold lid of the ark, with a winged figure at either end; the Hebrew word simply means a cover, and the familiar English name comes from Tyndale's translation. It was the spot where blood was sprinkled on the yearly Day of Atonement.

12He gave him the plans for everything he had in his spirit: the courtyards of the house of the LORD, all the rooms around them, the storerooms of the house of God, and the storerooms for the things set apart as gifts to God.

12And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things:

NoteThe phrase behind "in his spirit" can mean the plan David had formed in his own mind, or a plan put into him by the Spirit of God; the Hebrew allows both, and translations have long differed. "Things set apart as gifts to God" were objects dedicated to the sanctuary, often plunder taken in war or goods pledged in a vow, and kept in the temple treasury.

13The plans also covered the working groups of the priests and the Levites, all the work of serving in the house of the LORD, and all the objects used in that service.

13Also for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and for all the vessels of service in the house of the LORD.

NoteThe priests were the descendants of Aaron, who alone handled the altar and the sacrifices. The Levites were the wider tribe of Levi, who did the rest of the temple work: music, guarding the gates, carrying, slaughtering, and maintenance. Both were organized into "working groups", rotas that came on duty in turn.

14He set the weight of gold for every gold object used in each kind of service, and the weight of silver for every silver object used in each kind of service.

14He gave of gold by weight for things of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service; silver also for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service:

15This included the weight for the gold lampstands and their gold lamps, giving the weight for each lampstand and its lamps, and the weight for each silver lampstand and its lamps, depending on how each lampstand was used.

15Even the weight for the candlesticks of gold, and for their lamps of gold, by weight for every candlestick, and for the lamps thereof: and for the candlesticks of silver by weight, both for the candlestick, and also for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick.

NoteThe King James "candlesticks" are lampstands: branched metal stands holding open bowls of olive oil with wicks floating in them. Candles did not exist in this setting.

16He set the weight of gold for each table that held the bread set out before God, and the weight of silver for the silver tables.

16And by weight he gave gold for the tables of shewbread, for every table; and likewise silver for the tables of silver:

NoteThe bread set out before God, older English "shewbread" and literally "bread of the presence", was twelve loaves kept on a table inside the sanctuary. They were replaced with fresh loaves each sabbath, and the old ones were eaten by the priests.

17He set the weight of pure gold for the meat forks, the sprinkling bowls, and the pitchers. He gave the weight of gold for each gold dish, and the weight of silver for each silver dish.

17Also pure gold for the fleshhooks, and the bowls, and the cups: and for the golden basons he gave gold by weight for every bason; and likewise silver by weight for every bason of silver:

NoteThe meat forks (King James "fleshhooks") were used to lift portions of sacrificial meat out of the cooking pots. The sprinkling bowls held blood or wine to be thrown against the altar, and the pitchers and dishes were for pouring out drink offerings and carrying incense or flour.

18He set the weight of refined gold for the altar where incense was burned. He also gave the plan for the chariot, that is, the gold cherubim, the winged figures that spread out their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

18And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

NoteIncense was a mixture of aromatic gums burned to make fragrant smoke; it had its own small altar inside the temple, used morning and evening. The cherubim were not chubby infants but powerful winged creatures, familiar in the art of the region as guardians standing beside a throne. Calling them a chariot reflects the picture of God riding on winged creatures, with the ark below as his seat.

19David said, "All of this the LORD made clear to me in writing, by his hand upon me, every detail of this plan."

19All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.

NoteThe Hebrew here is compressed and has been read in more than one way: either that the entire plan reached David already in writing from God's hand, or that David wrote it down himself while the LORD's hand rested on him. "The hand of the LORD upon" a person is the standard idiom for a moment of prophetic inspiration.

20David also said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and brave, and do it. Do not be afraid or lose heart, for the LORD God, my own God, will be with you. He will not let you down or leave you, until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.

20And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

Note"Be strong and brave, do not be afraid or lose heart, he will not fail you nor forsake you" is a set formula used when one leader hands a commission to his successor. Almost the same words were spoken when Moses handed his task to Joshua, and an Israelite hearer would catch the echo.

21See, here are the working groups of the priests and the Levites, ready for all the service of the house of God. Every willing man with any kind of skill will be with you for every kind of work. The leaders and all the people are fully under your command."

21And, behold, the courses of the priests and the Levites, even they shall be with thee for all the service of the house of God: and there shall be with thee for all manner of workmanship every willing skilful man, for any manner of service: also the princes and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment.