Divrey Hayamim Alef 29

1 9 Furthermore Dovid HaMelech said unto kol HaKahal, Sh’lomo beni (my son), the one Elohim hath chosen, is yet na’ar and tender, and the melachah (work, task) is gedolah; for the palace is not for adam, but for Hashem Elohim.

2 Now I have provided with all my ko’ach for the Bais Elohai the zahav for things to be made of zahav, and the kesef for things of kesef, and the nechoshet for things of nechoshet, the barzel (iron) for things of barzel (iron), and etzim for things of etzim; onyx stones to be set, turquoise, and stones of various colors, and all manner of precious stones, and marble, all in abundance.

3 Moreover, because I have set my affection on the Bais Elohai, I have of mine own segullah (treasure) zahav and kesef, which I have given to the Bais Elohai, over and above all that I have prepared for the Beis HaKodesh.

4 Even shloshet alafim talents of zahav, of the zahav of Ophir, and shivat alafim talents of refined kesef, to overlay the walls of the buildings;

5 The zahav for things of zahav, and the kesef for things of kesef, and for all manner of melachah (work) to be made by the hands of charashim (artisans). And who then is willing to consecrate his yad today unto Hashem?

6 Then the sarei ha’avot and the sarei shivtei Yisroel and the sarei ha’alafim and of me’ot, with the sarei melechet hamelech (officials over the work of the King), made freewill offerings.

7 And gave for the Avodas Beis HaElohim five thousand talents and ten thousand darkons of zahav, and ten thousand talents of kesef, and eighteen thousand talents of nechoshet, and one hundred thousand talents of barzel.

8 And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the Otzer Bais Hashem, by the yad of Yechiel the Gershoni.

9 Then the people rejoiced, for theirs were freewill offerings, because with lev shalem they offered willingly to Hashem; and Dovid HaMelech also rejoiced with simchah gedolah.

10 Wherefore Dovid blessed Hashem before the eyes of kol HaKahal; and Dovid said, Baruch atah Adonoi Elohei Yisroel Avinu meOlam v’ad olam.

11 Thine, Hashem is HaGedulah, and HaGevurah, and HaTiferet and HaNetzach and HaHod; for all that is in the Shomayim and in Ha’aretz is Thine; Thine is the Mamlachah, O Hashem, and Thou art exalted as Rosh above all.

12 Both osher and kavod come of Thee, and Thou art Moshel over all; and in Thine yad is ko’ach and gevurah; and in Thine yad it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.

13 Now therefore, Eloheinu, we thank Thee, and praise Thy Shem Tiferet.

14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should have ko’ach to make this freewill offering? For all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee.

15 For we are gerim before Thee, and toshavim (resident aliens), as were kol Avoteinu; our yamim on ha’aretz are as a tzel (shadow), and there is no mikveh (hope).

16 Hashem Eloheinu, all this great abundance that we have provided to build Thee a Bais for Shem Kadshecha cometh of Thine yad, and is all Thine own.

17 I know also, Elohai, that Thou doth test the levav, and hast pleasure in meisharim (integrities, uprightness, equity). As for me, in the yosher levavi I have made freewill offerings of all these things, and now have I seen with simchah Thy people, which are present here, willingly offer freewill offerings unto Thee.

18 Hashem Elohei Avraham, Yitzchak, and of Yisroel, Avoteinu, be shomer over this l’olam in the yetzer (inclination) of the machshevot (thoughts) of the levav of Thy people, and set their lev unto Thee.

19 And give unto Sh’lomo beni a levav shalem, to be shomer over Thy mitzvot, Thy edot, and Thy chukkot, and to do all these things, and to build the Bayit, for the which I have made provision.

20 And Dovid said to kol HaKahal, Barchu nah es Hashem Eloheichem. And kol HaKahal blessed Hashem Elohei Avoteihem, and bowed down, and fell prostrate before Hashem and before HaMelech.

21 And they sacrificed zevakhim unto Hashem, and offered olot unto Hashem, on the next day after that yom, even a thousand parim (bulls), a thousand eilim (rams), and a thousand kevasim, with their nesakim, and zevakhim in abundance for kol Yisroel;

22 And did eat and drink before Hashem on that day with simchah gedolah. And they crowned Sh’lomo Ben Dovid Melech the second time, and anointed him unto Hashem to be Nagid (ruler), and Tzadok to be Kohen.

23 Then Sh’lomo sat on the kisse Hashem as Melech instead of Dovid Aviv, and prospered, and kol Yisroel obeyed him.

24 And all the sarim, and the gibborim, and all the Bnei HaMelech Dovid submitted themselves unto Sh’lomo HaMelech.

25 And Hashem magnified Sh’lomo exceedingly in the eyes of all Yisroel, and bestowed upon him such hod malchut (royal majesty) as had not been on any melech before him in Yisroel.

26 Thus Dovid Ben Yishai reigned over kol Yisroel.

27 And the time that he reigned over Yisroel was arba’im shanah; sheva shanim reigned he in Chevron, and thirty and three reigned he in Yerushalayim.

28 And he died in a good old age, full of yamim, oisher, and kavod; and Sh’lomo bno reigned in his place.

29 Now the acts of Dovid HaMelech, first and last, behold, they are written in the Divrei Shmuel HaRo’eh, and in the Divrei Natan HaNavi, and in the Divrei Gad the chozeh (seer),

30 With all his malchut and his gevurah, and the times that passed around him, and around Yisroel, and over kol mamlechot ha’aratzot (kingdoms of the lands).

Divrey Hayamim Alef 29 Commentary

Chapter 29

David induces the princes and people to offer willingly. (1-9) His thanksgiving and prayer. (10-19) Solomon enthroned. (20-25) David's reign and death. (26-30)

Verses 1-9 What is done in works of piety and charity, should be done willingly, not by constraint; for God loves a cheerful giver. David set a good example. This David offered, not from constraint, or for show; but because he had set his affection to the house of God, and thought he could never do enough towards promoting that good work. Those who would draw others to good, must lead the way themselves.

Verses 10-19 We cannot form a right idea of the magnificence of the temple, and the buildings around it, about which such quantities of gold and silver were employed. But the unsearchable riches of Christ exceed the splendour of the temple, infinitely more than that surpassed the meanest cottage on earth. Instead of boasting of these large oblations, David gave solemn thanks to the Lord. All they gave for the Lord's temple was his own; if they attempted to keep it, death would soon have removed them from it. They only use they could make of it to their real advantage, was, to consecrate it to the service of Him who gave it.

Verses 20-25 This great assembly joined with David in adoring God. Whoever is the mouth of the congregation, those only have the benefit who join him, not by bowing down the head, so much as by lifting up the soul. Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord. Solomon's kingdom typified the kingdom of the Messiah, whose throne is the throne of the Lord.

Verses 26-30 When we read the second book of Samuel, we could scarcely have expected to behold David appear so illustrious in his closing scene. But his repentance had been as remarkable as his sin; and his conduct during his afflictions, and towards the end of his life, appears to have had a good effect on his subjects. Blessed be God, even the chief of sinners may hope for a glorious departure, when brought to repent and flee for refuge to the Saviour's atoning blood. Let us mark the difference between the spirit and character of the man after God's own heart, living and dying, and those of worthless professors, who resemble him in nothing but their sins, and who wickedly try to excuse their crimes by his sins. Let us watch and pray, lest we be overcome by temptation, and overtaken by sin, to the dishonour of God, and the wounding of our own consciences. When we feel that we have offended, let us follow David's example of repentance and patience, looking for a glorious resurrection, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 29

This chapter relates how largely and liberally David, besides what he had before done, and his princes, offered towards defraying the expenses of building the temple, 1Ch 29:1-8 and the joy and thankfulness that he and his people expressed on that account, attended with prayers for Solomon, and offering sacrifices unto the Lord, 1Ch 29:9-21 and the chapter is closed, and so the book, with an account of the second unction of Solomon, the placing him on the throne, and the submission of all ranks of men unto him, and of the death of David, 1Ch 29:22-30.