Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
David assembles the nation’s leaders and appoints his son Solomon to build the temple. He hands his son the building plans, and encourages him to proceed with diligence.
II. Photo
David gives Solomon the building plans for the Temple: “All this that the LORD made me understand by His hand on me, I give you in writing — the plan of all the works.” (v. 19)
III. Important Verses
vv. 2-3: King David rose to his feet and said, “Hear me, my brothers, my people! I wanted to build a resting-place for the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I laid aside material for building. But God said to me, ‘You will not build a house for My name, for you are a man of battles and have shed blood.’
vv. 6-7: [God] said to me, ‘It will be your son Solomon who will build My House and My courts, for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a father to him. I will establish his kingdom forever, if he keeps firmly to the observance of My commandments and rules as he does now.’
vv. 11-12: David gave his son Solomon the plan of the porch and its houses, its storerooms and its upper chambers and inner chambers; and of the place of the Ark-cover; and the plan of all that he had by the spirit: of the courts of the House of the LORD and all its surrounding chambers, and of the treasuries of the House of God and of the treasuries of the holy things.
v. 19: “All this that the LORD made me understand by His hand on me, I give you in writing — the plan of all the works.”
vv. 20-21: David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage and do it; do not be afraid or dismayed, for the LORD God my God is with you; He will not fail you or forsake you till all the work on the House of the LORD is done. Here are the divisions of the priests and Levites for all kinds of service of the House of God, and with you in all the work are willing men, skilled in all sorts of tasks; also the officers and all the people are at your command.”
IV. Outline
1. David Assembles the people
2-8. Solomon’s task
9-10. David’s charge to Solomon
11-19. David gives Solomon the plans for the temple
20-21. Encouragement
V. Comment
Chapter 28 contains David’s speech to the people and the investiture of his son Solomon. David’s major focus is the building of the temple, and he enthusiastically hands over the building’s plans to Solomon. He encourages his son to proceed with diligence, and guarantees that God will assist him.
An interesting theme that appears in this chapter is “rest.” David explains why he was unable to build the temple in vv. 2-3: “King David rose to his feet and said, “Hear me, my brothers, my people! I wanted to build a resting-place (beit menuchah) for the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I laid aside material for building. But God said to me, ‘You will not build a house for My name, for you are a man of battles and have shed blood.’” David refers to the house as a beit menuchah “resting place.” The state of “rest” seems to have been a prerequisite for the temple’s construction in v. 22:9: “But you will have a son who will be a man at rest (’ish menuchah), for I will give him rest (wehanichoti) from all his enemies on all sides; Solomon will be his name and I shall confer peace and quiet on Israel in his time.” Braun notes how the types of “rest” differ between chapters 22 and 28: “The description of the temple here as a ‘house of rest for the ark of the covenant of [the Lord] and for the footstool of our God’ (v 2) noticeably shifts the connotations of that ‘rest.’ While before it had been [the Lord] who had promised and given rest to his people, here it is the ark, and [the Lord] who may be assumed to be present with it in some sense, which finds its own resting place in the temple, and accordingly in the midst of Jerusalem and the people.” (270) For similar verses regarding the ark’s “rest,” see Ps 132:8, “Advance, O LORD, to Your resting-place (menuchatekha), You and Your mighty Ark!” and Ps 132:14 where God says, “This is my resting-place (menuchati) for all time; here I will dwell, for I desire it.” Also see 2 Chr 6:31: “Advance, O LORD God, to your resting-place (lenuchekha), You and Your mighty Ark. Your priests, O LORD God, are clothed in triumph; Your loyal ones will rejoice in [Your] goodness.”
VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Braun, Roddy. “1 Chronicles,” Word Biblical Commentary vol. 14 (Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1986).
De Vries, Simon J. “1 and 2 Chronicles,” The Forms of Old Testament Literature vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1989).
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