1 Chronicles 29:1

Furthermore David the king said unto all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the LORD God.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

XXIX.

CONTINUATION OF PROCEEDINGS IN THE ASSEMBLY.

(1) Furthermore.—And. David reviews his own preparations, and asks the offerings of the assembly, which are cheerfully accorded (1Chronicles 29:1-9).

Alone.—Of all his brothers.

Young and tender.—1Chronicles 22:5.

The palace (bîrāh).—A word peculiar to the Chronicles, Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel. It usually means the palace at Susa (comp. the Persian word bâru, “citadel”), and this is the only passage of Scripture in which it denotes the Temple. From its august associations, the word was well calculated to convey to the minds of the chronicler’s contemporaries some idea of the magnificence of the Temple of Solomon as he imagined it.

Benson Commentary

1 Chronicles 29:1. Furthermore, David said unto all the congregation, &c. — He excites them to assist his son by divers considerations, 1st, That he was a person chosen by God for this work. 2d, That nevertheless he much needed their help, because he was but a youth. 3d, That the work itself was to be very magnificent, suitable to the Divine Majesty, who was to dwell therein, or to be represented there, by a glorious light and splendour, the symbol of his presence. And the more that was contributed toward the fabric, the more magnificent it would be, and would better answer the end designed. And, 4th, That he had set them an example, and made great preparations for, and given great donations to, the work.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

29:1-9 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The palace - The original word here used is the Hebrew form of a Persian word, and generally designates the residence of the Persian monarch Esther 1:2, Esther 1:5; Esther 2:3, Esther 2:8; Nehemiah 1:1; Daniel 8:2. It is only here and in 1 Chronicles 29:19 that it is applied to the temple.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 29

1Ch 29:1-9. David Causes the Princes and People to Offer for the House of God.

1, 2. Solomon … is yet young and tender—Though Solomon was very young when he was raised to the sovereign power, his kingdom escaped the woe pronounced (Ec 10:16). Mere childhood in a prince is not always a misfortune to a nation, as there are instances of the government being wisely administered during a minority. Solomon himself is a most illustrious proof that a young prince may prove a great blessing; for when he was but a mere child, with respect to his age, no nation was happier. His father, however, made this address before Solomon was endowed with the divine gift of wisdom, and David's reference to his son's extreme youth, in connection with the great national undertaking he had been divinely appointed to execute, was to apologize to this assembly of the estates—or, rather, to assign the reason of his elaborate preparations for the work.David, by his example and entreaty, 1 Chronicles 29:1-5, causes the princes and people to offer willingly, 1 Chronicles 27:6-9. David’s thanksgiving and prayer, 1 Chronicles 29:10-19. The people having blessed God and sacrificed, make Solomon king, 1 Chronicles 29:20-25. David’s reign and death, 1 Chronicles 29:26-30.

Is yet young and tender, comparatively; for he was now married, as appears by comparing 2 Chronicles 9:30 12:13.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Furthermore, David the king said unto all the congregation,.... Having finished what he had to say to Solomon, he addressed the congregation again:

Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen; both to be king, and to build the temple

is yet young and tender; see 1 Chronicles 22:5.

and the work is great; both of governing so great a people, and of building so magnificent a temple, especially the latter is meant:

for the palace is not for man; for any mortal king, though ever so great:

but for the Lord God; the Targum is,"but for the Word of the Lord God,''who is the King of kings, and Lord of lords; and therefore is to be built as with the greatest exactness, according to the pattern he himself has given, so with the greatest splendour and magnificence.

Geneva Study Bible

Furthermore David the king said unto all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the {a} LORD God.

(a) Therefore it should be excellent in all points.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Ch. 1 Chronicles 29:1-5. David’s Challenge to Liberality

1. Furthermore David] R.V. And David.

congregation] or, assembly; the Hebrew word is cognate to the verb translated assembled in 1 Chronicles 28:1.

whom alone God hath chosen] Cp. 1 Chronicles 28:5.

the palace] Hebrew, bîrâh, a word applied to the Temple only here and 1 Chronicles 29:19. in Nehemiah 2:8 (cp. Ryle in loco) the building which afterwards became the Tower of Antonia (ἡ παρεμβολὴ, the castle, Acts 21:37; Acts 22:24) which overlooked the Temple is called the castle (bîrâh) which appertaineth to the house. In Nehemiah 1:1 Shushan is described as a bîrâh, probably as being a fortress as well as a royal city.

The Temple is frequently called hçykâl (palace, great house) in the Old Testament, but the most frequent appellation is simply bayith (house).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 1. - The anxiety which David felt on account of the youth of Solomon (repeated from 1 Chronicles 22:5) evidently pressed heavily on him. The additional expression here is to be noticed, whom alone God hath chosen. By this plea, full of truth as it was, we may suppose that David would shelter himself from any possible blame or reflection on the part of the people, from the charge of partiality on the part of his elder children, and any unjust slight to them, and also from any self-reproach, in that he was devolving such a responsible task on so young and tender a man. Palace. This word (הַבִּירָה), by which the temple is designated here and in ver. 19, seems to be very probably a word of Persian derivation. It is found in Nehemiah 1:1; in Daniel 8:2; but very frequently in Esther, where it is used not only of "Shushan the palace" (Esther 1:2; Esther 2:3; Esther 3:15), as the royal abode, but also of the special part of the city adjoining the palace proper (Esther 1:5; Esther 2:5; Esther 8:14; Esther 9:6). The word is found also in Nehemiah 2:8; but there it carries the signification of the fortress of the temple. There may be some special appropriateness in its use here, in consideration of the circumstance of the fortifications and wall, which flanked the temple. 1 Chronicles 29:1

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Contributions of the collected princes for the building of the temple. - David then turns to the assembled princes to press upon them the furthering of the building of the temple. After referring to the youth of his son, and to the greatness of the work to be accomplished (1 Chronicles 29:1), he mentions what materials he has prepared for the building of the temple (1 Chronicles 29:2); then further states what he has resolved to give in addition from his private resources (1 Chronicles 29:4); and finally, after this introduction, calls upon those present to make a voluntary collection for this great work (1 Chronicles 29:5). The words, "as only one hath God chosen him," form a parenthesis, which is to be translated as a relative sentence for "my son, whom alone God hath chosen." ורך נער as in 1 Chronicles 22:5. The work is great, because not for man the palace, scil. is intended, i.e., shall be built, but for Jahve God. הבּירה, the citadel, the palace; a later word, generally used of the residence of the Persian king (Esther 1:2, Esther 1:5; Esther 2:3; Nehemiah 1:1), only in Nehemiah 2:8 of the citadel by the temple; here transferred to the temple as the glorious palace of Jahve, the God-king of Israel. With 1 Chronicles 29:2, cf. 1 Chronicles 22:14. וגו לזּהב הזּהב, the gold for the golden, etc., i.e., for the vessels and ornaments of gold, cf. 1 Chronicles 28:14. וּמלּוּאים שׁהם אבני as in Exodus 25:7; Exodus 35:9, precious stones for the ephod and choshen. שׁהם, probably beryl. מּלּוּאים אבני, stones of filling, that is, precious stones which are put in settings. פּוּך אבני, stones of pigment, i.e., ornament, conjecturally precious stones which, from their black colour, were in appearance like פּוּך, stibium, a common eye pigment (see 2 Kings 9:30). רקמה אבני, stones of variegated colour, i.e., with veins of different colours. יקרה אבן, precious stones, according to 2 Chronicles 3:6, for ornamenting the walls. שׁישׁ אבני, white marble stones.