Acts 7:46

46 God approved of David, who asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.

Acts 7:46 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 7:46

Who found favour before God
That is, David, who had an interest in the free favour and love of God, was chosen of God, a man after his own heart, and raised up to do his will; and who had the grace of God implanted in him, and was acceptable, and well pleasing to God through Christ; the same is said of Noah, ( Genesis 6:8 )

and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob;
from whom the Israelites descended: David having a deep sense of the love of God to him, and the grace of God wrought in his heart, was exceeding desirous of finding a place for the building of an house, or fixed habitation for God; for there was a tabernacle already, which had been from the time of Moses, and which the children of Israel brought with them into Canaan, and was moved from place to place; sometimes it was at Gilgal, sometimes at Shiloh, and then it was at Nob, and Gibeah, and at length it was brought by David into his own city; but he wanted to build a settled and stable house for the Lord, of which there was a hint given that the Lord would choose a place to put his name in, ( Deuteronomy 16:2 ) but it seems, where that was to be was not known; and therefore David very anxiously sought after it; the reference is had to ( Psalms 132:3-5 ) where David determines not to go to his house, nor up to his bed, nor give sleep, to his eyes, nor slumber to his eyelids, till he had found out a place for the habitation of the God of Jacob.

Acts 7:46 In-Context

44 “The tent of testimony was with our ancestors in the wilderness. Moses built it just as he had been instructed by the one who spoke to him and according to the pattern he had seen.
45 In time, when they had received the tent, our ancestors carried it with them when, under Joshua's leadership, they took possession of the land from the nations whom God expelled. This tent remained in the land until the time of David.
46 God approved of David, who asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
47 But it was Solomon who actually built a house for God.
48 However, the Most High doesn't live in houses built by human hands. As the prophet says,

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Critical editions of the Gk New Testament read house of Jacob.
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