Acts 7:46

46 He won God's favor and asked God to allow him to provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 1

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 "Our ancestors had the Tent of God's presence with them in the desert. It had been made as God had told Moses to make it, according to the pattern that Moses had been shown.
45 Later on, our ancestors who received the tent from their fathers carried it with them when they went with Joshua and took over the land from the nations that God drove out as they advanced. And it stayed there until the time of David.
46 He won God's favor and asked God to allow him to provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
47 But it was Solomon who built him a house.
48 "But the Most High God does not live in houses built by human hands; as the prophet says,

Cross References 1

  • 1. 7.46 2 S 7.1-16;1 Chronicles 17.1-14.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. the God of Jacob; [some manuscripts have] the people of Israel.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.