Acts 7:46

46 “David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple 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 “Our ancestors carried the Tabernacle with them through the wilderness. It was constructed according to the plan God had shown to Moses.
45 Years later, when Joshua led our ancestors in battle against the nations that God drove out of this land, the Tabernacle was taken with them into their new territory. And it stayed there until the time of King David.
46 “David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob.
47 But it was Solomon who actually built it.
48 However, the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says,

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Some manuscripts read the house of Jacob.
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