1 Chronicles 28:9-21

David’s Charge to Solomon

9 "And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and a willing mind, for Yahweh searches all hearts and understands every plan and [all] thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you abandon him, he will reject you forever.
10 Look now, for Yahweh has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it!"
11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule and of its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms, its inner chambers, and of the house of the lid of the ark,
12 and the plan of all {that he had in mind} for the courtyards of the house of Yahweh and for all the surrounding storage rooms, the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for sanctified objects,
13 and for the working groups of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of Yahweh, and for all the vessels for the service of the house of Yahweh,
14 [and] for the gold, according to the weight of the gold for all the vessels of the service, and the service of all the vessels of silver according to the weight of all the vessels {for every kind of service}.
15 And the weight of the golden lampstands and the golden lamps, {the weight of each lampstand and each lamp}, [and] the silver according to the weight of a lampstand and its lamp, according to the use of {each lampstand},
16 and the weight of gold for the tables of the arranged [bread], {each table}, and silver for the tables of silver,
17 and pure gold [for] the three-pronged meat forks, and the bowls and the pitchers, and for the golden bowls, by weight for {each bowl}, and for the silver bowls, by weight for {each bowl},
18 and for the altar of incense [made of] refined gold, by weight, and gold for the plan for the chariot--the cherubim with outspread and covering wings over the ark of the covenant of Yahweh.
19 "All this [I give you] in writing; from the hand of Yahweh he instructed me [about] all the workings of this plan."
20 Then David said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do [this]! Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for Yahweh God, my God, [is] with you. He will not fail you and will not forsake you until all the work of the service of the house of Yahweh is finished.
21 And behold, the working groups of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God; and with you in all the work for all [those] willing with the skill for every service, and the commanders and all the people for all your commands."

1 Chronicles 28:9-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 28

David, having convened the principal men of the nation, declared Solomon his successor, whom God had chosen both to be king, and to build the temple, 1Ch 28:1-7, and exhorted both them and him to serve the Lord, and build an house for him, 1Ch 28:8-10, then gave Solomon the pattern of it, and an account of the materials he had prepared for it, 1Ch 28:11-19, and encouraged him to go about the work with alacrity and intrepidity, 1Ch 28:20,21.

Footnotes 7

  • [a]. Literally "that was in the spirit with him"
  • [b]. Literally "service and service"
  • [c]. Literally "by weight of lampstand and lampstand, with its lamp and to the lamps"
  • [d]. Literally "lampstand and lampstand"
  • [e]. Literally "to table and table"
  • [f]. Literally "for bowl and bowl"
  • [g]. Literally "for bowl and bowl"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.