1 Chronicles — Chapter 29
Loading ESV text...
1Furthermore 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.
2Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.
3Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house,
4Even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal:
5The gold for things of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the LORD?
6Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king’s work, offered willingly,
7And gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron.
8And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of the LORD, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite.
9Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.
10Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
11Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
12Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
13Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.
14But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
15For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.
16O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.
17I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.
18O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee:
19And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.
20And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king.
21And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings unto the LORD, on the morrow after that day, even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel:
22And did eat and drink before the LORD on that day with great gladness. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him unto the LORD to be the chief governor, and Zadok to be priest.
23Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.
24And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, submitted themselves unto Solomon the king.
25And the LORD magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.
26Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel.
27And the time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.
28And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour: and Solomon his son reigned in his stead.
29Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,
30With all his reign and his might, and the times that went over him, and over Israel, and over all the kingdoms of the countries.
1And David the king said unto all the assembly, 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 Jehovah God.
2Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for the [things of] gold, and the silver for the [things of] silver, and the brass for the [things of] brass, the iron for the [things of] iron, and wood for the [things of] wood; onyx stones, and [stones] to be set, stones for inlaid work, and of divers colors, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.
3Moreover also, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, seeing that I have a treasure of mine own of gold and silver, I give it unto the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house,
4even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, wherewith to overlay the walls of the houses;
5of gold for the [things of] gold, and of silver for the [things of] silver, and for all manner of work [to be made] by the hands of artificers. Who then offereth willingly to consecrate himself this day unto Jehovah?
6Then the princes of the fathers` [houses], and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers over the king`s work, offered willingly;
7and they gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand darics, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and of iron a hundred thousand talents.
8And they with whom [precious] stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of Jehovah, under the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite.
9Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with a perfect heart they offered willingly to Jehovah: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.
10Wherefore David blessed Jehovah before all the assembly; and David said, Blessed be thou, O Jehovah, the God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
11Thine, O Jehovah, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heavens and in the earth [is thine]; thine is the kingdom, O Jehovah, and thou art exalted as head above all.
12Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou rulest over all; and in thy hand is power and might; and in thy hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
13Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.
14But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
15For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as all our fathers were: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is no abiding.
16O Jehovah our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee a house for thy holy name cometh of thy hand, and is all thine own.
17I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, that are present here, offer willingly unto thee.
18O Jehovah, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee;
19and give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for which I have made provision.
20And David said to all the assembly, Now bless Jehovah your God. And all the assembly blessed Jehovah, the God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped Jehovah, and the king.
21And they sacrificed sacrifices unto Jehovah, and offered burnt-offerings unto Jehovah, on the morrow after that day, even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink-offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel,
22and did eat and drink before Jehovah on that day with great gladness. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him unto Jehovah to be prince, and Zadok to be priest.
23Then Solomon sat on the throne of Jehovah as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.
24And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, submitted themselves unto Solomon the king.
25And Jehovah magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.
26Now David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel.
27And the time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three [years] reigned he in Jerusalem.
28And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor: and Solomon his son reigned in his stead.
29Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the history of Samuel the seer, and in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the history of Gad the seer,
30with all his reign and his might, and the times that went over him, and over Israel, and over all the kingdoms of the countries.
1King David said to the entire assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is just an inexperienced young man, and the task is great, for this palace is not for man, but for the Lord God.
2So I have made every effort to provide what is needed for the temple of my God, including the gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, as well as a large amount of onyx, settings of antimony and other stones, all kinds of precious stones, and alabaster.
3Now, to show my commitment to the temple of my God, I donate my personal treasure of gold and silver to the temple of my God, in addition to all that I have already supplied for this holy temple.
4This includes 3,000 talents of gold from Ophir and 7,000 talents of refined silver for overlaying the walls of the buildings,
5for gold and silver items, and for all the work of the craftsmen. Who else wants to contribute to the Lord today?”
6The leaders of the families, the leaders of the Israelite tribes, the commanders of units of a thousand and a hundred, and the supervisors of the king’s work contributed willingly.
7They donated for the service of God’s temple 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze, and 100,000 talents of iron.
8All who possessed precious stones donated them to the treasury of the Lord’s temple, which was under the supervision of Jehiel the Gershonite.
9The people were delighted with their donations, for they contributed to the Lord with a willing attitude; King David was also very happy.
10David praised the Lord before the entire assembly: “O Lord God of our father Israel, you deserve praise forevermore!
11O Lord, you are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You, Lord, have dominion and exalt yourself as the ruler of all.
12You are the source of wealth and honor; you rule over all. You possess strength and might to magnify and give strength to all.
13Now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your majestic name!
14“But who am I and who are my people that we should be in a position to contribute this much? Indeed, everything comes from you, and we have simply given back to you what is yours.
15For we are resident foreigners and temporary settlers in your presence, as all our ancestors were; our days are like a shadow on the earth, without security.
16O Lord our God, all this wealth, which we have collected to build a temple for you to honor your holy name, comes from you; it all belongs to you.
17I know, my God, that you examine thoughts and are pleased with integrity. With pure motives I contribute all this; and now I look with joy as your people who have gathered here contribute to you.
18O Lord God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, always maintain these motives of your people and keep them devoted to you.
19Make my son Solomon willing to obey your commands, rules, and regulations, and to complete building the palace for which I have made preparations.”
20David told the entire assembly: “Praise the Lord your God!” So the entire assembly praised the Lord God of their ancestors; they bowed down and stretched out flat on the ground before the Lord and the king.
21The next day they made sacrifices and offered burnt sacrifices to the Lord (1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, 1,000 lambs), along with their accompanying drink offerings and many other sacrifices for all Israel.
22They held a feast before the Lord that day and celebrated. Then they designated Solomon, David’s son, as king a second time; before the Lord they anointed him as ruler and Zadok as priest.
23Solomon sat on the Lord’s throne as king in place of his father David; he was successful and all Israel was loyal to him.
24All the officers and warriors, as well as all of King David’s sons, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon.
25The Lord greatly magnified Solomon before all Israel and bestowed on him greater majesty than any king of Israel before him.
26David son of Jesse reigned over all Israel.
27He reigned over Israel forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years and in Jerusalem thirty-three years.
28He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth, and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him.
29King David’s accomplishments, from start to finish, are recorded in the Annals of Samuel the prophet, the Annals of Nathan the prophet, and the Annals of Gad the prophet.
30Recorded there are all the facts about his reign and accomplishments, and an account of the events that involved him, Israel, and all the neighboring kingdoms.
1David the king said to all the assembly, “Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great; for the palace is not for man, but for Yahweh God.
2Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, the brass for the things of brass, iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood; also onyx stones, stones to be set, stones for inlaid work, of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.
3In addition, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, since I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, I give it to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house,
4even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, with which to overlay the walls of the houses;
5of gold for the things of gold, and of silver for the things of silver, and for all kinds of work to be made by the hands of artisans. Who then offers willingly to consecrate himself today to Yahweh?”
6Then the princes of the fathers’ households, and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers over the king’s work, offered willingly;
7and they gave for the service of God’s house of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand darics, of silver ten thousand talents, of brass eighteen thousand talents, and of iron one hundred thousand talents.
8People with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of Yahweh’s house, under the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite.
9Then the people rejoiced, because they offered willingly, because with a perfect heart they offered willingly to Yahweh; and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.
10Therefore David blessed Yahweh before all the assembly; and David said, “You are blessed, Yahweh, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever.
11Yours, Yahweh, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty! For all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, Yahweh, and you are exalted as head above all.
12Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all! In your hand is power and might! It is in your hand to make great, and to give strength to all!
13Now therefore, our God, we thank you, and praise your glorious name.
14But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.
15For we are strangers before you, and foreigners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is no remaining.
16Yahweh our God, all this store that we have prepared to build you a house for your holy name comes from your hand, and is all your own.
17I know also, my God, that you try the heart, and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things. Now I have seen with joy your people, who are present here, offer willingly to you.
18Yahweh, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this desire forever in the thoughts of the heart of your people, and prepare their heart for you;
19and give to Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for which I have made provision.”
20Then David said to all the assembly, “Now bless Yahweh your God!” All the assembly blessed Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads and prostrated themselves before Yahweh and the king.
21They sacrificed sacrifices to Yahweh, and offered burnt offerings to Yahweh, on the next day after that day, even one thousand bulls, one thousand rams, and one thousand lambs, with their drink offerings and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel,
22and ate and drank before Yahweh on that day with great gladness. They made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him before Yahweh to be prince, and Zadok to be priest.
23Then Solomon sat on the throne of Yahweh as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.
24All the princes, the mighty men, and also all of the sons of king David submitted themselves to Solomon the king.
25Yahweh magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and gave to him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.
26Now David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel.
27The time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
28He died at a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor; and Solomon his son reigned in his place.
29Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the history of Samuel the seer, and in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the history of Gad the seer,
30with all his reign and his might, and the times that went over him, and over Israel, and over all the kingdoms of the countries.
Summary
David leads the assembly in generous giving for the Temple construction, offering his personal wealth and inspiring the leaders to give willingly. He closes with a magnificent prayer of praise, Solomon is anointed king a second time, and David dies after a forty-year reign.
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Largely parallels 1-2 Samuel geographically. Jerusalem (Zion/City of David) is the theological and political center.
- Key sites: Hebron (David's first capital, 7 years), the threshing floor of Ornan/Araunah (future Temple site, ch.21).
- Chapters 1-9 (genealogies) contain tribal allotments but minimal narrative geography.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik highlights that David's prayer in vv.10-19 is one of the greatest prayers in Scripture, combining praise, theological depth, humility, and intercession in a single address. He emphasizes that "of thine own have we given thee" (v.14) is the foundational principle of all Christian stewardship — we are never donors, only stewards returning what was entrusted. Guzik also notes the beauty of David's death: a man who finished well after a life of both great triumph and great failure.
- Charles Spurgeon: "'Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory.' Here is a man who possessed all three — greatness as Israel's champion, power as her king, glory as her conqueror — and he lays every crown at Jehovah's feet. David knew what many wealthy givers forget: we do not bestow upon God from our abundance; we merely unclasp our fingers from what was never ours. 'Of thine own have we given thee.' Every gold talent came from God's earth, refined by God-given skill, accumulated under God-given prosperity. The giver has nothing that the Giver did not first give. And mark this: David gave 'in the uprightness of his heart' and saw his people give 'willingly' — and his joy was complete. The leader who gives first and most opens a river of generosity in those who follow."
Reflection
- 1. Everything we have comes from God and belongs to God (v.14). "Of thine own have we given thee" — this single statement transforms the entire theology of giving. We are not generous benefactors bestowing our possessions on a needy God. We are stewards returning a portion of what was entrusted. Every dollar, every talent, every hour was God's before it was ours. True generosity begins with recognizing that ownership was always an illusion. Give freely, because you are merely releasing what never belonged to you.
- 2. We are strangers and sojourners — hold this world loosely (v.15). David, at the pinnacle of earthly success (forty-year reign, enormous wealth, national adoration), declares himself a temporary resident. If the greatest king of Israel recognized his transience, how much more should we? The brevity of life is not depressing but liberating — it frees us from accumulating what we cannot keep and redirects our investment toward what is eternal. What are you clinging to that you cannot take with you?
- 3. Willing, joyful giving marks a healthy heart (v.9). "The people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD." Joy accompanied their giving — it was not reluctant obligation but delighted worship. If giving feels like loss rather than worship, examine your heart. Generous giving from a willing spirit produces deep joy; reluctant giving from a grudging heart produces only resentment. Ask God to transform your heart until generosity becomes your greatest pleasure.
- 4. Leaders who give first inspire generosity in others (vv.1-9). David gave from his personal treasury before challenging the people. His example opened the floodgates — the leaders gave, then the people gave, and all rejoiced. Leadership in generosity is the most powerful form of leadership. Those who call others to give while withholding themselves are hypocrites; those who give first and most create a culture of generosity. Lead with your own offering before asking for anyone else's.
- 5. Pray that God would preserve the desire to serve Him (v.18). David's prayer reveals a profound awareness: human devotion is fragile. He asks God to "keep this for ever" in the people's hearts — to preserve the generous, willing spirit they currently feel. David knows that today's passion can become tomorrow's indifference without divine preservation. Pray this prayer for yourself and your community: "Lord, keep this devotion alive in our hearts. We cannot sustain our own zeal — preserve what You have stirred."