4 Howbeit the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 chose H977 me before all the house H1004 of my father H1 to be king H4428 over Israel H3478 for ever: H5769 for he hath chosen H977 Judah H3063 to be the ruler; H5057 and of the house H1004 of Judah, H3063 the house H1004 of my father; H1 and among the sons H1121 of my father H1 he liked H7521 me to make me king H4427 over all Israel: H3478
And it came to pass, when they were come, H935 that he looked H7200 on Eliab, H446 and said, H559 Surely the LORD'S H3068 anointed H4899 is before him. But the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Samuel, H8050 Look H5027 not on his countenance, H4758 or on the height H1364 of his stature; H6967 because I have refused H3988 him: for the LORD seeth not as man H120 seeth; H7200 for man H120 looketh H7200 on the outward appearance, H5869 but the LORD H3068 looketh H7200 on the heart. H3824 Then Jesse H3448 called H7121 Abinadab, H41 and made him pass H5674 before H6440 Samuel. H8050 And he said, H559 Neither hath the LORD H3068 chosen H977 this. Then Jesse H3448 made Shammah H8048 to pass by. H5674 And he said, H559 Neither hath the LORD H3068 chosen H977 this. Again, Jesse H3448 made seven H7651 of his sons H1121 to pass H5674 before H6440 Samuel. H8050 And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto Jesse, H3448 The LORD H3068 hath not chosen H977 these. And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto Jesse, H3448 Are here all H8552 thy children? H5288 And he said, H559 There remaineth H7604 yet the youngest, H6996 and, behold, he keepeth H7462 the sheep. H6629 And Samuel H8050 said H559 unto Jesse, H3448 Send H7971 and fetch H3947 him: for we will not sit down H5437 till he come H935 hither. H6311 And he sent, H7971 and brought him in. H935 Now he was ruddy, H132 and withal H5973 of a beautiful H3303 countenance, H5869 and goodly H2896 to look to. H7210 And the LORD H3068 said, H559 Arise, H6965 anoint H4886 him: for this is he. Then Samuel H8050 took H3947 the horn H7161 of oil, H8081 and anointed H4886 him in the midst H7130 of his brethren: H251 and the Spirit H7307 of the LORD H3068 came H6743 upon David H1732 from that day H3117 forward. H4605 So Samuel H8050 rose up, H6965 and went H3212 to Ramah. H7414
Judah, H3063 thou art he whom thy brethren H251 shall praise: H3034 thy hand H3027 shall be in the neck H6203 of thine enemies; H341 thy father's H1 children H1121 shall bow down H7812 before thee. Judah H3063 is a lion's H738 whelp: H1482 from the prey, H2964 my son, H1121 thou art gone up: H5927 he stooped down, H3766 he couched H7257 as a lion, H738 and as an old lion; H3833 who shall rouse him up? H6965 The sceptre H7626 shall not depart H5493 from Judah, H3063 nor a lawgiver H2710 from between his feet, H7272 until H3588 Shiloh H7886 come; H935 and unto him shall the gathering H3349 of the people H5971 be.
Now therefore so shalt thou say H559 unto my servant H5650 David, H1732 Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 I took H3947 thee from the sheepcote, H5116 from following H310 the sheep, H6629 to be ruler H5057 over my people, H5971 over Israel: H3478 And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, H1980 and have cut off H3772 all thine enemies H341 out of thy sight, H6440 and have made H6213 thee a great H1419 name, H8034 like unto the name H8034 of the great H1419 men that are in the earth. H776 Moreover I will appoint H7760 a place H4725 for my people H5971 Israel, H3478 and will plant H5193 them, that they may dwell H7931 in a place of their own, and move H7264 no more; neither shall the children H1121 of wickedness H5766 afflict H6031 them any more, H3254 as beforetime, H7223 And as since the time H3117 that I commanded H6680 judges H8199 to be over my people H5971 Israel, H3478 and have caused thee to rest H5117 from all thine enemies. H341 Also the LORD H3068 telleth H5046 thee that he will make H6213 thee an house. H1004 And when thy days H3117 be fulfilled, H4390 and thou shalt sleep H7901 with thy fathers, H1 I will set up H6965 thy seed H2233 after H310 thee, which shall proceed H3318 out of thy bowels, H4578 and I will establish H3559 his kingdom. H4467 He shall build H1129 an house H1004 for my name, H8034 and I will stablish H3559 the throne H3678 of his kingdom H4467 for H5704 ever. H5769 I will be his father, H1 and he shall be my son. H1121 If he commit iniquity, H5753 I will chasten H3198 him with the rod H7626 of men, H582 and with the stripes H5061 of the children H1121 of men: H120 But my mercy H2617 shall not depart away H5493 from him, as I took H5493 it from Saul, H7586 whom I put away H5493 before H6440 thee. And thine house H1004 and thy kingdom H4467 shall be established H539 for H5704 ever H5769 before H6440 thee: thy throne H3678 shall be established H3559 for H5704 ever. H5769
But chose H977 the tribe H7626 of Judah, H3063 the mount H2022 Zion H6726 which he loved. H157 And he built H1129 his sanctuary H4720 like high H7311 palaces, like the earth H776 which he hath established H3245 for ever. H5769 He chose H977 David H1732 also his servant, H5650 and took H3947 him from the sheepfolds: H4356 H6629 From following H310 the ewes great with young H5763 he brought H935 him to feed H7462 Jacob H3290 his people, H5971 and Israel H3478 his inheritance. H5159 So he fed H7462 them according to the integrity H8537 of his heart; H3824 and guided H5148 them by the skilfulness H8394 of his hands. H3709
In thy name H8034 shall they rejoice H1523 all the day: H3117 and in thy righteousness H6666 shall they be exalted. H7311 For thou art the glory H8597 of their strength: H5797 and in thy favour H7522 our horn H7161 shall be exalted. H7311 H7311 For the LORD H3068 is our defence; H4043 and the Holy One H6918 of Israel H3478 is our king. H4428 Then thou spakest H1696 in vision H2377 to thy holy one, H2623 and saidst, H559 I have laid H7737 help H5828 upon one that is mighty; H1368 I have exalted H7311 one chosen H977 out of the people. H5971 I have found H4672 David H1732 my servant; H5650 with my holy H6944 oil H8081 have I anointed H4886 him: With whom my hand H3027 shall be established: H3559 mine arm H2220 also shall strengthen H553 him. The enemy H341 shall not exact H5378 upon him; nor the son H1121 of wickedness H5766 afflict H6031 him. And I will beat down H3807 his foes H6862 before his face, H6440 and plague H5062 them that hate H8130 him. But my faithfulness H530 and my mercy H2617 shall be with him: and in my name H8034 shall his horn H7161 be exalted. H7311 I will set H7760 his hand H3027 also in the sea, H3220 and his right hand H3225 in the rivers. H5104 He shall cry H7121 unto me, Thou art my father, H1 my God, H410 and the rock H6697 of my salvation. H3444 Also I will make H5414 him my firstborn, H1060 higher H5945 than the kings H4428 of the earth. H776
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 28
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 28 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 28
1Ch 28:1-8. David Exhorts the People to Fear God.
1. David assembled all the princes of Israel—that is, the representatives of the people, the leading men of the kingdom, who are enumerated in this verse according to their respective rank or degree of authority.
princes of the tribes—(1Ch 27:16-22). Those patriarchal chiefs are mentioned first as being the highest in rank—a sort of hereditary noblesse.
the captains of the companies—the twelve generals mentioned (1Ch 27:1-15).
the stewards, &c.—(1Ch 27:25-31).
the officers—Hebrew, "eunuchs," or attendants on the court (1Sa 8:15; 1Ki 22:9; 2Ki 22:18); and besides Joab, the commander-in-chief of the army, the heroes who had no particular office (1Ch 11:10-12:40; 2Sa 23:8-39). This assembly, a very mixed and general one, as appears from the parties invited, was more numerous and entirely different from that mentioned (1Ch 23:2).
2. Hear me, my brethren, and my people—This was the style of address becoming a constitutional king of Israel (De 17:20; 1Sa 30:23; 2Sa 5:1).
I had in mine heart—I proposed, or designed.
to build an house of rest—a solid and permanent temple.
for the footstool of our God—God seated between the cherubim, at the two extremities of the ark, might be said to be enthroned in His glory, and the coverlet of the ark to be His footstool.
and had made ready for the building—The immense treasures which David had amassed and the elaborate preparations he had made, would have been amply sufficient for the erection of the temple of which he presented the model to Solomon.
3. thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood—The church or spiritual state of the world, of which the temple at Jerusalem was to be a type, would be presided over by One who was to be pre-eminently the Prince of Peace, and therefore would be represented not so fitly by David, whose mission had been a preparatory one of battle and conquest, as by his son, who should reign in unbroken peace.
4, 5. he hath chosen Solomon—The spirit of David's statement is this:—It was not my ambition, my valor, or my merit that led to the enthronement of myself and family; it was the grace of God which chose the tribe, the family, the person—myself in the first instance, and now Solomon, to whom, as the Lord's anointed, you are all bound to submit. Like that of Christ, of whom he was a type, the appointment of Solomon to the kingdom above all his brethren was frequently pre-intimated (1Ch 17:12; 22:9; 2Sa 7:12-14; 12:24, 25; 1Ki 1:13).
7. I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments—The same condition is set before Solomon by God (1Ki 3:14; 9:4).
8. Now … in the sight of all Israel, … keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord, &c.—This solemn and earnest exhortation to those present, and to all Israel through their representatives, to continue faithful in observing the divine law as essential to their national prosperity and permanence, is similar to that of Moses (De 30:15-20).
1Ch 28:9-20. He Encourages Solomon to Build the Temple.
9, 10. And thou, Solomon my son—The royal speaker now turns to Solomon, and in a most impressive manner presses upon him the importance of sincere and practical piety.
know thou—He did not mean head knowledge, for Solomon possessed that already, but that experimental acquaintance with God which is only to be obtained by loving and serving Him.
11. Then David gave to Solomon … the pattern—He now put into the hands of his son and successor the plan or model of the temple, with the elevations, measurements, apartments, and chief articles of furniture, all of which were designed according to the pattern given him by divine revelation (1Ch 28:19).
12. the pattern of all that he had by the spirit—rather, "with him in spirit"; that is, was floating in his mind.
15, 16. the candlesticks of silver—Solomon made them all of gold—in this and a few minor particulars departing from the letter of his father's instructions, where he had the means of executing them in a more splendid style. There was only one candlestick and one table in the tabernacle, but ten in the temple.
18, 19. the chariot of the cherubim—The expanded wings of the cherubim formed what was figuratively styled the throne of God, and as they were emblematical of rapid motion, the throne or seat was spoken of as a chariot (Ps 18:10; 99:1). It is quite clear that in all these directions David was not guided by his own taste, or by a desire for taking any existing model of architecture, but solely by a regard to the express revelation of the divine will. In a vision, or trance, the whole edifice, with its appurtenances, had been placed before his eyes so vividly and permanently, that he had been able to take a sketch of them in the models delivered to Solomon.
20. Be strong and of good courage—The address begun in 1Ch 28:9 is resumed and concluded in the same strain.
21. behold, the courses of the priests and Levites—They were, most probably, represented in this assembly though they are not named.
also the princes and all the people—that is, as well the skilful, expert, and zealous artisan, as the workman who needs to be directed in all his labors.