Chapter XXVIII

=1‒8= (compare xxii. 17‒19).
HIS CHARGE TO THE CHIEF MEN OF ISRAEL CONCERNING
THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE.

The glorious reign now reaches a fitting climax. David summons the assembly of all the princes and commanders of Israel, and, in the presence of the heir to the throne, addresses them in a final oration. He recounts his Divine election and rule over Israel and the promise that the same Divine Power will be with Solomon his son (xxviii. 1‒10). Then, handing over to Solomon the inspired plans for the Temple (11‒21), and briefly describing the treasures he has amassed for its enrichment (xxix. 1‒5) he appeals to the liberality of the people and is met by a magnificent response (6‒9). Finally, in a prayer of fine humility and faith (10‒20), he commends his son and his people to the eternal and all-powerful God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. How immense the contrast between this and the pathetically real picture of the closing days of David portrayed in 1 Kings i., ii. 1‒11! There the dying monarch is seen, exhausted in mind and body, surrounded by the intrigues of an Eastern palace. With a last flicker of his strength, he rouses himself to secure the succession of Solomon by firm but ruthless orders against the leaders of the opposing faction. Whilst the narrative in Kings is indispensable to us in preserving some record of the actual history of the last days of David, Chronicles is also of great value in its own way as a religious interpretation of history (Introduction pp. liii, lv). Rightly understood, this farewell speech is in many respects a noble and inspiring passage of Scripture: so _ought_ a perfect reign to end. Here David dies, leaving his country peaceful, powerful, and contented. He dies believing that his people’s true prosperity is in its zeal for the worship of God; and for that end, with the popular approval, he has made marvellous preparation. And lastly he dies, in no vain-glorious spirit, but conscious of the littleness of man and the majesty of God, and in humble dependence on the continuance of Grace.

¹And 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
possessions¹ of the king and of his sons, with the officers²,
and the mighty men, even all the mighty men of valour, unto
Jerusalem.

¹ Or, _cattle_.

² Or, _eunuchs_.

=1.= _the princes of the tribes_] Compare xxvii. 16‒22.

_the captains of the companies_] See xxvii. 1‒15.

_the rulers_] See xxvii. 25‒31.

_officers_] margin _eunuchs_; the earlier authorities however for David’s reign (in the books of Samuel) do not mention such persons; and they were perhaps introduced into the Israelite court at a later time. Yet compare 1 Samuel viii. 15.

²Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me,
my brethren, and my people: as for me, it was 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 I had made ready for the
building.

=2.= _stood up upon his feet_] Kings sometimes made orations sitting; compare Acts xii. 21. Here the king stands to mark the greatness of the occasion.

_my brethren_] The king is the _brother_ of his subjects; Deuteronomy xvii. 15, 20; compare Psalms xlv. 7.

_it was in mine heart_] See xvii. 1; 2 Samuel vii. 2.

_an house of rest_] Compare xvii. 5; 2 Samuel vii. 6.

_the footstool_] compare Isaiah lx. 13.

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

=3.= _thou art a man of war_] See note on xxii. 8.

⁴Howbeit the LORD, 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 prince¹; 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:

¹ Or, _leader_.

=4.= _out of all the house_] See 1 Samuel xvi. 1‒13.

_king ... for ever_] i.e. the kingdom is to abide with David and his descendants. That the promise, however, was not to be interpreted as independent of moral conditions, see below verse 9 _ad fin._

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.

=5.= _many sons_] compare iii. 1‒9.

_he hath chosen Solomon_] The earlier histories (_Samuel‒Kings_) do not thus speak of God choosing Solomon as David’s successor; but compare 2 Samuel xii. 24, 25; 1 Kings i. 11‒14.

_the throne of the kingdom of the LORD_] Compare xxix. 23, _the throne of the LORD_. The Chronicler regards the king as the deputy of Jehovah.

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.

=6.= _he shall build my house_] Compare xxii. 10.

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

=7.= _And I will establish_] Compare xvii. 11.

_if he be constant_] Literally _if he be strong_; compare verses 10, 20, _be strong_ (same word in Hebrew). Compare 1 Kings ix. 4, 5.

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

=8.= _and seek out_] The same Hebrew word is used in xiii. 3, _we sought not unto it_ (i.e. the Ark) _in the days of Saul_.

_that ye may possess this good land_] _possess_ = _inherit_. The Hebrew word connotes _three_ different ideas, which may all have been present to the mind of the speaker, viz. (1) continued holding of the land by passing it from father to son (compare Exodus xx. 12), (2) completion of the work of conquest left unfinished by Joshua (compare Genesis xxiv. 60), (3) enjoyment of the fruits of the land (compare Psalms xxv. 13).

=9‒21.=
DAVID’S CHARGE TO SOLOMON.

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.

=9.= _know thou the God of thy father_] For this use of _know_ compare Exodus v. 2; Isaiah i. 3; Jeremiah xxxi. 34.

_with a perfect heart_] i.e. with a _single, undivided heart_; compare xii. 33 “they were not of double heart.” In 2 Chronicles xv. 17 the heart of king Asa is described as _perfect_, because he took no part in the idolatrous practices which prevailed in his day. Faithfulness to Jehovah, not moral perfection, is implied in phrases of this kind.

_the LORD searcheth_] Compare Ezekiel’s vision of the Lord’s detection of secret idolatry (Ezekiel viii.).

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

=10.= _hath chosen thee_] See on verse 5.

¹¹Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the
porch _of 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 place¹ of the mercy-seat:

¹ Hebrew _house_.

=11.= _the pattern_] Compare verse 12; Exodus xxv. 9. The Temple, like the tabernacle, was to be constructed according to a pattern or model communicated by inspiration (see verse 19). A verbal description rather than a drawing is meant.

_the porch_] compare 2 Chronicles iii. 4; 1 Kings vi. 3.

_the houses thereof_] Compare 2 Chronicles xxxiv. 11. “Thereof” of course refers to the Temple as a whole, and by “houses” we must understand the various portions of the building.

_the treasuries_] A different Hebrew word from that used in verse 12. The inner treasuries mentioned here were for treasure; the outer treasuries (verse 11) were perhaps rather store-chambers.

_upper rooms_] compare 2 Chronicles iii. 9; and 1 Kings vi. 6 (where however the Hebrew word is different).

_the place of the mercy-seat_] The Holy of Holies.

¹²and the pattern of all that he had by¹ the spirit, for the
courts of the house of the LORD, and for all the chambers round
about, for the treasuries of the house of God, and for the
treasuries of the dedicated things:

¹ Or, _in his spirit_.

=12.= _that he had by the spirit_] i.e. that had come to him by revelation and rested with him waiting for realisation. Margin, _that he had in his spirit_ (i.e. in his mind) is a less likely translation.

_for the courts_] The last verse dealt with the Temple itself; this one with the courts and detached buildings.

_chambers_] compare ix. 26, note.

_the treasuries_] The same Hebrew word as in xxvi. 20; Nehemiah xiii. 12, 15. See note on verse 11.

_dedicated things_] xxvi. 26‒28; 2 Chronicles xv. 18.

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:

=13.= _also for the courses_] The verse is best taken in adjectival connection with the phrase _the chambers round about_ in the preceding verse: these were used _for the treasuries..._, and “_also for the courses_,” etc. It is possible, however, to take it in the sense “he gave the pattern also for the courses,” etc.; i.e. the scheme of rotation set forth in previous chapters.

_of the priests and the Levites_] Compare xxiv. 1‒31.

¹⁴of 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:
¹⁵by 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:

=14.= _of gold by weight_] _sc._ he gave the pattern or account _of gold_, etc.

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

=16.= _tables of shewbread_] Elsewhere, except 2 Chronicles iv. 19 (see note on 2 Chronicles iv. 8), only one table for the shewbread is mentioned; compare 2 Chronicles xxix. 18; Exodus xxxv. 13, xxxvii. 10, xl. 22.

_and silver_] Neither the silver tables of this verse, nor the silver candlesticks of verse 15 are mentioned elsewhere; perhaps they stood in some of the chambers (verse 12) of the Temple courts for the use of the Levites in their work.

¹⁷and the fleshhooks, and the basons, 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:

=17.= _fleshhooks_] Exodus xxvii. 3; 1 Samuel ii. 13.

_basons_] These were used for dashing the blood of a victim against the altar. Compare 2 Chronicles xxix. 22.

_the cups_] Probably the same as the _flagons_ (Revised Version) of Exodus xxv. 29 which were used for pouring out the drink offering.

¹⁸and 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 the
LORD.

=18.= _the altar of incense_] 2 Chronicles xxvi. 16; Exodus xxx. 1‒10.

_the chariot_, even _the cherubim_] Compare Ezekiel i. 5‒10, 15‒17. The Cherubim were poetically conceived as the chariot of Jehovah. The phrase has its origin in the language of Psalms xviii. 10.

¹⁹All this, _said David_, have I been made to understand in
writing¹ from the hand of the LORD, even all the works of this
pattern.

¹ Or, _the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon
me, even &c._

=19.= _All this_, said David, _have I been made to understand in writing from the hand of the LORD, even all the works of this pattern_] Compare verse 11, note. As in the case of Moses and the tabernacle (Exodus xxv. 9, 40), so David’s plans for the Temple are said to be of Divine origin.

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, is with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake
thee, until all the work for the service of the house of the
LORD be finished.

=20.= _Be strong_] God’s help in the planning is a pledge of God’s help in the accomplishment. Compare verse 10, which finds its continuation at this point. The work was great, and Solomon young; xxii. 5.

_be finished_] The LXX. shows that a passage which was present in the Hebrew text of the second century has been later accidentally omitted from the Hebrew at this point. Add therefore =Now behold the pattern of the porch= _of 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 house of the mercy-seat, even the pattern of the house of the Lord=. Torrey, _Ezra Studies_, pp. 73, 87.

²¹And, 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.

=21.= _every willing man that hath skill_] Compare Exodus xxxv. 5, 10 ff.