Acts 7:46

46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a habitation 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 tabernacle of the testimony {belonged} to our fathers in the wilderness, just as the one who spoke to Moses directed [him] to make it according to the design that he had seen,
45 and which, [after] receiving [it] in turn, our fathers brought in with Joshua {when they dispossessed the} nations that God drove out from the presence of our fathers, until the days of David,
46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon built a house for him.
48 But the Most High does not live in [houses] made by human hands, just as the prophet says,

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Some manuscripts have "for the house of Jacob"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.