Chapters XXVIII, XXIX. — David’s Farewell Speech
Chapter XXVIII
1–8 (compare xxii. 17–19).
His charge to the chief men of Israel concerning the building of the Temple.
The glorious reign now reaches a fitting climax. David summons the assembly of all the princes and commanders of Israel, and, in the presence of the heir to the throne, addresses them in a final oration. He recounts his Divine election and rule over Israel and the promise that the same Divine Power will be with Solomon his son (xxviii. 1–10). Then, handing over to Solomon the inspired plans for the Temple (11–21), and briefly describing the treasures he has amassed for its enrichment (xxix. 1–5) he appeals to the liberality of the people and is met by a magnificent response (6–9). Finally, in a prayer of fine humility and faith (10–20), he commends his son and his people to the eternal and all-powerful God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. How immense the contrast between this and the pathetically real picture of the closing days of David portrayed in 1 Kings i., ii. 1–11! There the dying monarch is seen, exhausted in mind and body, surrounded by the intrigues of an Eastern palace. With a last flicker of his strength, he rouses himself to secure the succession of Solomon by firm but ruthless orders against the leaders of the opposing faction. Whilst the narrative in Kings is indispensable to us in preserving some record of the actual history of the last days of David, Chronicles is also of great value in its own way as a religious interpretation of history (Introduction pp. liii, lv). Rightly understood, this farewell speech is in many respects a noble and inspiring passage of Scripture: so ought a perfect reign to end. Here David dies, leaving his country peaceful, powerful, and contented. He dies believing that his people’s true prosperity is in its zeal for the worship of God; and for that end, with the popular approval, he has made marvellous preparation. And lastly he dies, in no vain-glorious spirit, but conscious of the littleness of man and the majesty of God, and in humble dependence on the continuance of Grace.
¹And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that served the king by course, and the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, and the rulers over all the substance and possessions¹ of the king and of his sons, with the officers², and the mighty men, even all the mighty men of valour, unto Jerusalem.
¹ Or, cattle.
² Or, eunuchs.
1. the princes of the tribes] Compare xxvii. 16–22.
the captains of the companies] See xxvii. 1–15.
the rulers] See xxvii. 25–31.
officers] margin eunuchs; the earlier authorities however for David’s reign (in the books of Samuel) do not mention such persons; and they were perhaps introduced into the Israelite court at a later time. Yet compare 1 Samuel viii. 15.
²Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: as for me, it was in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God; and I had made ready for the building.
2. stood up upon his feet] Kings sometimes made orations sitting; compare Acts xii. 21. Here the king stands to mark the greatness of the occasion.
my brethren] The king is the brother of his subjects; Deuteronomy xvii. 15, 20; compare Psalms xlv. 7.
it was in mine heart] See xvii. 1; 2 Samuel vii. 2.
an house of rest] Compare xvii. 5; 2 Samuel vii. 6.
the footstool] compare Isaiah lx. 13.
³But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou art a man of war, and hast shed blood.
3. thou art a man of war] See note on xxii. 8.
⁴Howbeit the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me out of all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be prince¹; and in the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel:
¹ Or, leader.
4. out of all the house] See 1 Samuel xvi. 1–13.
king... for ever] i.e. the kingdom is to abide with David and his descendants. That the promise, however, was not to be interpreted as independent of moral conditions, see below verse 9 ad fin.
⁵and of all my sons, (for the Lord hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.
5. many sons] compare iii. 1–9.
he hath chosen Solomon] The earlier histories (Samuel–Kings) do not thus speak of God choosing Solomon as David’s successor; but compare 2 Samuel xii. 24, 25; 1 Kings i. 11–14.
the throne of the kingdom of the Lord] Compare xxix. 23, the throne of the Lord. The Chronicler regards the king as the deputy of Jehovah.
⁶And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.
6. he shall build my house] Compare xxii. 10.
⁷And I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgements, as at this day.
7. And I will establish] Compare xvii. 11.
if he be constant] Literally if he be strong; compare verses 10, 20, be strong (same word in Hebrew). Compare 1 Kings ix. 4, 5.
⁸Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the congregation of the Lord, and in the audience of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God: that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you for ever.
8. and seek out] The same Hebrew word is used in xiii. 3, we sought not unto it (i.e. the Ark) in the days of Saul.
that ye may possess this good land] possess = inherit. The Hebrew word connotes three different ideas, which may all have been present to the mind of the speaker, viz. (1) continued holding of the land by passing it from father to son (compare Exodus xx. 12), (2) completion of the work of conquest left unfinished by Joshua (compare Genesis xxiv. 60), (3) enjoyment of the fruits of the land (compare Psalms xxv. 13).
9–21.
David’s Charge to Solomon.
⁹And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
9. know thou the God of thy father] For this use of know compare Exodus v. 2; Isaiah i. 3; Jeremiah xxxi. 34.
with a perfect heart] i.e. with a single, undivided heart; compare xii. 33 “they were not of double heart.” In 2 Chronicles xv. 17 the heart of king Asa is described as perfect, because he took no part in the idolatrous practices which prevailed in his day. Faithfulness to Jehovah, not moral perfection, is implied in phrases of this kind.
the Lord searcheth] Compare Ezekiel’s vision of the Lord’s detection of secret idolatry (Ezekiel viii.).
¹⁰Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.
10. hath chosen thee] See on verse 5.
¹¹Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch of the temple, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper rooms thereof, and of the inner chambers thereof, and of the place¹ of the mercy-seat:
¹ Hebrew house.
11. the pattern] Compare verse 12; Exodus xxv. 9. The Temple, like the tabernacle, was to be constructed according to a pattern or model communicated by inspiration (see verse 19). A verbal description rather than a drawing is meant.
the porch] compare 2 Chronicles iii. 4; 1 Kings vi. 3.
the houses thereof] Compare 2 Chronicles xxxiv. 11. “Thereof” of course refers to the Temple as a whole, and by “houses” we must understand the various portions of the building.
the treasuries] A different Hebrew word from that used in verse 12. The inner treasuries mentioned here were for treasure; the outer treasuries (verse 11) were perhaps rather store-chambers.
upper rooms] compare 2 Chronicles iii. 9; and 1 Kings vi. 6 (where however the Hebrew word is different).
the place of the mercy-seat] The Holy of Holies.
¹²and the pattern of all that he had by¹ the spirit, for the courts of the house of the Lord, and for all the chambers round about, for the treasuries of the house of God, and for the treasuries of the dedicated things:
¹ Or, in his spirit.
12. that he had by the spirit] i.e. that had come to him by revelation and rested with him waiting for realisation. Margin, that he had in his spirit (i.e. in his mind) is a less likely translation.
for the courts] The last verse dealt with the Temple itself; this one with the courts and detached buildings.
chambers] compare ix. 26, note.
the treasuries] The same Hebrew word as in xxvi. 20; Nehemiah xiii. 12, 15. See note on verse 11.
dedicated things] xxvi. 26–28; 2 Chronicles xv. 18.
¹³also for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and for all the vessels of service in the house of the Lord:
13. also for the courses] The verse is best taken in adjectival connection with the phrase the chambers round about in the preceding verse: these were used for the treasuries..., and “also for the courses,” etc. It is possible, however, to take it in the sense “he gave the pattern also for the courses,” etc.; i.e. the scheme of rotation set forth in previous chapters.
of the priests and the Levites] Compare xxiv. 1–31.
¹⁴of gold by weight for the vessels of gold, for all vessels of every kind of service; of silver for all the vessels of silver by weight, for all vessels of every kind of service: ¹⁵by weight also for the candlesticks of gold, and for the lamps thereof, of gold, by weight for every candlestick and for the lamps thereof: and for the candlesticks of silver, silver by weight for every candlestick and for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick:
14. of gold by weight] sc. he gave the pattern or account of gold, etc.
¹⁶and the gold by weight for the tables of shewbread, for every table; and silver for the tables of silver:
16. tables of shewbread] Elsewhere, except 2 Chronicles iv. 19 (see note on 2 Chronicles iv. 8), only one table for the shewbread is mentioned; compare 2 Chronicles xxix. 18; Exodus xxxv. 13, xxxvii. 10, xl. 22.
and silver] Neither the silver tables of this verse, nor the silver candlesticks of verse 15 are mentioned elsewhere; perhaps they stood in some of the chambers (verse 12) of the Temple courts for the use of the Levites in their work.
¹⁷and the fleshhooks, and the basons, and the cups, of pure gold: and for the golden bowls by weight for every bowl; and for the silver bowls by weight for every bowl:
17. fleshhooks] Exodus xxvii. 3; 1 Samuel ii. 13.
basons] These were used for dashing the blood of a victim against the altar. Compare 2 Chronicles xxix. 22.
the cups] Probably the same as the flagons (Revised Version) of Exodus xxv. 29 which were used for pouring out the drink offering.
¹⁸and for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot, even the cherubim, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
18. the altar of incense] 2 Chronicles xxvi. 16; Exodus xxx. 1–10.
the chariot, even the cherubim] Compare Ezekiel i. 5–10, 15–17. The Cherubim were poetically conceived as the chariot of Jehovah. The phrase has its origin in the language of Psalms xviii. 10.
¹⁹All this, said David, have I been made to understand in writing¹ from the hand of the Lord, even all the works of this pattern.
¹ Or, the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even &c.
19. All this, said David, have I been made to understand in writing from the hand of the Lord, even all the works of this pattern] Compare verse 11, note. As in the case of Moses and the tabernacle (Exodus xxv. 9, 40), so David’s plans for the Temple are said to be of Divine origin.
²⁰And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, is with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord be finished.
20. Be strong] God’s help in the planning is a pledge of God’s help in the accomplishment. Compare verse 10, which finds its continuation at this point. The work was great, and Solomon young; xxii. 5.
be finished] The LXX. shows that a passage which was present in the Hebrew text of the second century has been later accidentally omitted from the Hebrew at this point. Add therefore Now behold the pattern of the porch of the temple and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper rooms thereof, and of the inner chambers thereof, and of the house of the mercy-seat, even the pattern of the house of the Lord. Torrey, Ezra Studies, pp. 73, 87.
²¹And, behold, there are the courses of the priests and the Levites, for all the service of the house of God: and there shall be with thee in all manner of work every willing man that hath skill, for any manner of service: also the captains and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment.
21. every willing man that hath skill] Compare Exodus xxxv. 5, 10 ff.