1 Chronicles 29:2

2 Soothly I in all my mights have made ready the costs of the house of my God; gold to golden vessels, silver to silveren vessels, brass to brazen vessels, iron to iron vessels, and tree to treen vessels, onyx stones, and stones as of the colour of women's ointment, and each precious stone of diverse colours, and marble of diverse colours, most plenteously. (And with all my power I have prepared the expenses and the materials for the House of my God; gold for the gold vessels, silver for the silver vessels, bronze for the bronze vessels, iron for the iron vessels, and wood for the wooden vessels, and onyx stones, and stones the colour of women's ointment, and each precious stone of diverse colour, and most plentiful marble of diverse colours.)

1 Chronicles 29:2 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 29:2

Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God,
&c.] According to the utmost of his ability for the building and decorating of it:

the gold
for the things to be made of gold; as the candlesticks, shewbread tables

and the silver for [things] of silver;
as for basins

and the brass for [things] of brass;
as the brasen altar, brasen laver,

and iron for [things] of iron;
for nails, hinges

and wood for [things] of wood;
for rafters, ceilings, floors

onyx stones;
the Targum, stones of beryl: and stones to be set; other precious stones to be set in gold and silver:

glistering stones;
the Targum, emeralds; the word is used for stibium, or black lead, with which women painted their eyes; and so may signify black stones, like black lead; as white marble is after mentioned, perhaps black is here meant, or such stones Solomon paved the ways with leading to Jerusalem ^F25: but as such stones are not very glistering, there seems to be no reason for such an epithet; unless the stone "phengites" should be meant, which was a clear bright stone, and served for looking glasses. Domitian the Roman emperor, when under suspicion of being murdered by persons he had offended, garnished the porticos of his palace with this stone, which was of such brightness, that by the images formed in it he could see what was behind him ^F26; and so Lucian speaks ^F1 of Astarte having a splendid stone about her, called (lucniv) , which in the night gave much light to the temple, but shone weakly in the day time, and looked like fire:

and of divers colours;
that is, stones of various colours, as jaspers, amethysts Kimchi interprets it of embroidered clothes, and garments of needlework, and in these precious stones were sometimes inserted:

and all manner of precious stones;
as pearls, diamonds it is hard to say what all these precious stones were for; Jarchi and Kimchi think they were to decorate the walls overlaid with gold, in which they were set; it is certain they were for garnishing and beautifying the house, see ( 2 Chronicles 3:6 )

and marble stones in abundance;
for pillars, tables, and pavement, as Jarchi; this was Parian marble, according to the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions; the whitest of marble ^F2, found the island of Paros, and which agrees with the word here used.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F25 Joseph. Antiqu. l. 8. c. 7. sect. 4.
F26 Sueton. Vit. Domitian. c. 14. Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 36. c. 22. Isidor. Origin. l. 16. c. 4.
F1 De Dea Syria.
F2 "----Pario marmore purius." Horat. Carmin. l. 1. ode 19.

1 Chronicles 29:2 In-Context

1 And king David spake to all the church, (and said,) God hath chosen Solomon, my son, yet a child and tender; forsooth the work is great, and a dwelling is not made ready to man, but to God. (And King David spoke to all the congregation, and said, God hath chosen my son Solomon, yet a tender young man; and the work is great, but this dwelling place is not made for man, but for God.)

2 Soothly I in all my mights have made ready the costs of the house of my God; gold to golden vessels, silver to silveren vessels, brass to brazen vessels, iron to iron vessels, and tree to treen vessels, onyx stones, and stones as of the colour of women's ointment, and each precious stone of diverse colours, and marble of diverse colours, most plenteously. (And with all my power I have prepared the expenses and the materials for the House of my God; gold for the gold vessels, silver for the silver vessels, bronze for the bronze vessels, iron for the iron vessels, and wood for the wooden vessels, and onyx stones, and stones the colour of women's ointment, and each precious stone of diverse colour, and most plentiful marble of diverse colours.)

3 And over these things, I give gold and silver into the temple of my God, which I have offered of my proper chattel into the house of my God, besides these things which I have made ready into the holy house, (And in addition to these things, I have given gold and silver for the Temple of my God, which I have offered out of my own substance, or possessions, for the House of my God, besides these things which I have prepared for the Holy House,)

4 (namely) three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand of talents of silver most proved (and seven thousand talents of most proved silver), to overgild the walls of the temple;

5 and (for the) works (which) be made by the hands of craftsmen, wherever gold is needful, of gold, and wherever silver is needful, of silver; and if any man offereth by his free will, [full-]fill he his hand today, and offer he that that he will to the Lord. (and for the works which be made by the hands of craftsmen, yea, the gold, wherever gold is needed, and the silver, wherever silver is needed; and if anyone else will offer by his free will, open he his hand today, and offer he what he will to the Lord.)