Chapter XXIX

=1‒5.=
DAVID’S CHALLENGE TO LIBERALITY.

¹And David the king said unto all the congregation, Solomon
my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and
the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the
LORD God.

=1.= _congregation_] or, _assembly_; the Hebrew word is cognate to the verb translated _assembled_ in xxviii. 1.

_whom alone God hath chosen_] Compare xxviii. 5.

_the palace_] Hebrew _bīrāh_, a late word in Hebrew, perhaps derived from Assyrian _bīrtu_. Ordinarily it denoted a palace or fortress (compare Nehemiah i. 1; Esther i. 2), and is applied to the Temple only here and verse 19. In Nehemiah ii. 8 (compare Ryle _in loco_) the building which afterwards became the Tower of Antonia (ἡ παρεμβολή, _the castle_, Acts xxi. 37, xxii. 24) which overlooked the Temple is called _the castle_ (bīrāh) _which appertaineth to the house_. In Nehemiah i. 1 Shushan is described as a _bīrāh_, probably as being a fortress as well as a royal city. See G. A. Smith, _Jerusalem_, II. 347.

The Temple is frequently called _hēykāl_ (_palace_, _great house_) in the Old Testament, but the normal appellation is simply _kabbayith_ (_the house_) or such a phrase as _the house of the Lord_, or again _qǒdshěkhā_ (_Thy sanctuary_).

²Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my
God the gold for the _things of_ gold, and the silver for the
_things of_ silver, and the brass for the _things of_ brass, the
iron for the _things of_ iron, and wood for the _things of_ wood;
onyx¹ stones, and _stones_ to be set, stones for inlaid work,
and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and
marble stones in abundance.

¹ Or, _beryl_.

=2.= _onyx_] or, as margin, _beryl_. Compare Genesis ii. 12 (margin _beryl_).

_stones for inlaid work_] Compare Isaiah liv. 11, _I will lay thy stones with fair colours_ (the same word is used in Hebrew).

³Moreover also, because I have set my affection to the house of
my God, seeing that I have a treasure of mine own of gold and
silver, I give it unto the house of my God, over and above all
that I have prepared for the holy house;

=3.= _I give it_] not all his private fortune, but the splendid offering announced in verses 4, 5. David then challenges the leaders to display a like generosity (verse 5).

_even three thousand talents of gold_, etc.] i.e. about £20,000,000 or £10,000,000 (light standard). The amount is impossibly vast, and may be compared with the exaggeration noted in xxii. 14.

⁴even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and
seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls
of the houses withal:

=4.= _gold of Ophir_] _Ophir_ is probably to be identified with some part of the south-east coast of Arabia; see note on 2 Chronicles viii. 18. The reference here is no doubt an anachronism, for it is clear that Israelite tradition regarded this trade with Ophir as an innovation of Solomon’s reign (see 2 Chronicles viii. 18, ix. 10 = 1 Kings ix. 28, x. 11).

_to overlay_] compare 2 Chronicles iii. 4‒8.

_the houses_] i.e. the porch, the greater house, and the most holy house; 2 Chronicles iii. 4, 5, 8.

⁵of gold for the _things of_ gold, and of silver for the _things
of_ silver, and for all manner of work _to be made_ by the
hands of artificers. Who then offereth willingly to consecrate
himself¹ this day unto the LORD?

¹ Hebrew _to fill his hand_.

=5.= _offereth willingly to consecrate himself_] The phrase _to consecrate himself_ (Hebrew, _to fill his hand_) means properly _to make himself a priest_, and is here used metaphorically. The sense is “Who will give these gifts for the sacred Temple in the same willing spirit which is required of a priest in his self-dedication to priestly service?”

=6‒9.=
THE OFFERINGS OF THE CHIEFS OF ISRAEL.

⁶Then the princes of the fathers’ _houses_, and the princes of
the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of
hundreds, with the rulers over the king’s work, offered
willingly;

=6.= _over the king’s work_] See xxvii. 25‒31.

⁷and they gave for the service of the house of God of gold five
thousand talents and ten thousand darics, and of silver ten
thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and of
iron a hundred thousand talents.

=7.= _five thousand talents_] i.e. of uncoined gold by weight, an immense sum, compare verse 3.

_ten thousand darics_] A _daric_ was a Persian gold coin worth about 22 shillings. Used thus in connection with the reign of David, the word is of course a curious anachronism. The translation of Authorized Version _drams_ (i.e. drachmæ) may possibly be right. The value of a gold drachma was about 9s. 5d.

⁸And they with whom _precious_ stones were found gave them to
the treasure of the house of the LORD, under the hand of Jehiel
the Gershonite.

=8.= _Jehiel the Gershonite_] Compare xxiii. 8, xxvi. 21, 22.

⁹Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly,
because with a perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD:
and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

=9.= _with a perfect heart_] i.e. with a single heart, ungrudgingly. Compare xxviii. 9, note.

=10‒19.=
THE BLESSING OF DAVID.

¹⁰Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation:
and David said, Blessed be thou, O LORD, the God of Israel our
father, for ever and ever. ¹¹Thine, O LORD, is the greatness,
and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty:
for all that is in the heaven and in the earth _is thine_; thine
is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
¹²Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou rulest over all;
and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to
make great, and to give strength unto all. ¹³Now therefore, our
God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

=11.= _thou art exalted as head above all_] Better =thine it is to be exalted as head over all=.

¹⁴But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able¹
to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of
thee, and of thine own² have we given thee.

¹ Hebrew _retain strength_.

² Hebrew _of thine hand_.

=14.= _be able_] Literally _retain strength_. David praises God for the great success of the efforts of so transitory a creature as man.

_of thine own_] Literally _out of thine hand_, compare margin.

¹⁵For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as all our
fathers were: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there
is no abiding¹. ¹⁶O LORD our God, all this store that we have
prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of
thine hand, and is all thine own. ¹⁷I know also, my God, that
thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for
me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered
all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which
are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.

¹ Hebrew _hope_.

=15.= _strangers before thee, and sojourners_] David describes himself and his people not as strangers _to_ God, but as strangers _dwelling before_ God. In ancient states foreigners were sometimes allowed to reside in the capital under the immediate protection of the king or of the heads of the state; compare 1 Samuel xxii. 3, 4, xxvii. 3; 2 Samuel xv. 19; compare also the position of the aliens at Athens. David appeals to God on the ground that Israel is immediately under God’s protection. Compare Psalms xxxix. 12.

_no abiding_] Or, as margin, _hope_; i.e. no continuance, no hopeful expectation, apart from the favour of Jehovah.

¹⁸O LORD, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, our
fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts
of the heart of thy people, and prepare¹ their heart unto thee:

¹ Or, _establish_.

=18.= _in the imagination_] Render, =as the imagination=. _Imagination_ here means not the faculty, but the result of the exercise of the faculty, a _mental image_ or _impression_.

_prepare_] Better, as margin, =establish=. David prays that the people may continue in their present mind.

¹⁹and give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy
commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all
these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made
provision.

=19.= _a perfect heart_] See xxviii. 9, note.

_the palace_] See verse 1, note.

=20‒22.=
THE GREAT REJOICING.

²⁰And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD
your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD, the God of
their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the
LORD, and the king.

=20.= _worshipped_] i.e. prostrated themselves.

²¹And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the LORD, and offered
burnt offerings unto the LORD, on the morrow after that day,
even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs,
with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all
Israel;

=21.= _And they sacrificed_] Compare xvi. 1‒3.

²²and did eat and drink before the LORD on that day with great
gladness. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second
time, and anointed him unto the LORD to be prince¹, and Zadok to
be priest.

¹ Or, _leader_.

=22.= _the second time_] Compare xxiii. 1. The first time which is described in 1 Kings i. 39 (Solomon hastily anointed in order to assert his claim to the throne against his brother Adonijah) is omitted in Chronicles, unless perhaps the vague phrase of xxiii. 1 “Now David ... made Solomon his son king over Israel” is intended to refer to it.

_Zadok_] One of Solomon’s earliest acts seems to have been to put an end to the double priesthood by deposing Abiathar; compare 1 Kings ii. 27, 35. The Chronicler appears to have this in mind, but he avoids narrating anything so derogatory to the high-priesthood.

=23‒25.=
THE BEGINNING OF SOLOMON’S REIGN.

²³Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of
David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.

=23.= _the throne of the LORD_] See xxviii. 5, note.

²⁴And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons
likewise of king David, submitted themselves¹ unto Solomon the
king.

¹ Hebrew _gave the hand under Solomon_.

=24.= _the mighty men_] Compare 1 Kings i. 10, 38, from which it is clear that the faithfulness of Benaiah and the Cherethites and Pelethites was the main factor in the elevation of Solomon to the throne.

_all the sons_] The Chronicler here glances at the submission of Adonijah (1 Kings i. 53).

²⁵And the LORD magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all
Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been
on any king before him in Israel.

=25.= _such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel_] Strictly speaking, the comparison is limited to Solomon on the one side, and his predecessors, David and Saul (Ishbosheth is ignored in Chronicles) on the other, but we may suppose that the Chronicler is writing somewhat loosely from his own standpoint, and really means to say that Solomon was surpassed in glory by no king of Israel. It is just possible (compare Job xxxiv. 19) to render the Hebrew =royal majesty which was not on any king more than on him in Israel=.

In Chronicles the character of Solomon is idealised somewhat in the same fashion as that of David. He is depicted as the monarch who attained the ideal of inspired wisdom and of royal splendour, and whose piety was supremely manifested in the privilege permitted him of building and dedicating the Temple. In this last fact the Chronicler doubtless felt that Solomon had a claim to the praises of posterity which completely outweighed any sinister traits of his character revealed in Kings. Elsewhere he refers to Solomon’s failings in order to point a moral; “Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin by these things?... Even him did strange women cause to sin” (Nehemiah xiii. 26). But here, where he relates his reign as a whole, the darker aspects――his many wives and his tolerance of their idolatrous worship――are passed over and only the king’s zeal for Jehovah and the glories of Israel in his day are allowed to appear.

=26‒30.=
A SUMMARY OF DAVID’S REIGN.

²⁶Now David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. ²⁷And
the time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; seven
years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three _years_ reigned
he in Jerusalem. ²⁸And he died in a good old age, full of days,
riches, and honour: and Solomon his son reigned in his stead.

=27.= _forty years_] Compare 2 Samuel v. 4, 5; 1 Kings ii. 11.

²⁹Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they
are written in the history¹ of Samuel the seer, and in the
history¹ of Nathan the prophet, and in the history¹ of Gad the
seer;

¹ Hebrew _words_.

=29.= On the “histories” cited in this verse, see the Introduction, § 5, pp. xxx‒xxxii. Compare 2 Chronicles ix. 29.

_in the history_] literally _words_. The Book of Chronicles itself is called in Hebrew, _The words_ (or _the acts_) _of the days_.

_Samuel the seer_] Compare 1 Samuel ix. 9, 19.

_Nathan the prophet_] See 2 Samuel vii. 2 (= 1 Chronicles xvii. 1); 2 Samuel xii. 1; 1 Kings i. 8‒39.

_Gad the seer_] See 2 Samuel xxiv. 11 (= 1 Chronicles xxi. 9), _Gad the prophet, David’s seer_.

In the Hebrew Samuel is called _rōeh_ (_seer_), Nathan, _nābī_ (_prophet_), and Gad, _ḥōzeh_ (_gazer_ or _seer of visions_).

³⁰with all his reign and his might, and the times that went over
him, and over Israel, and over all the kingdoms of the countries.

=30.= _the times_] i.e. the changes, vicissitudes. Compare xii. 32, note.

THE SECOND BOOK OF
THE CHRONICLES

CHAPTERS I.‒IX.
SOLOMON.