I. CHRONICLES, XXIX.

The Princes and People

I. CHRONICLES, XXIX.

the hands of artificers. And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the LORD?

(6) Then the chief of the fathers and

hand.

Offer Willingly.

treasure of the house of the LORD, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite. (9) Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with

princes of the tribes of Israel, and the Heb, to fill his perfect heart they offered willingly to captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work, offered willingly, and 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. (8) And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the

the LORD and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

(10) Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of a Matt. 6. 13: 1 Tim. Israel our father, for ever and ever. (11) Thine, O LORD, is the greatness,

1. 17; Rev. 5. 13.

the silver-Scil., "I give it " (verse 3)-and for every work by hand of craftsmen.

And who then is willing to consecrate his service?-Literally, And who volunteers (Judges v. 1) to fill his hand to-day for Jehovah? To fill his hand : that is, with a liberal offering (Exod. xxxii. 29).

(6) Then the chief of the fathers.-And the princes of the clans, &c., volunteered, showed themselves liberal (nādib: chap. xxviii. 21; comp. Prov. xix. 6).

Chief... princes. . . captains . . . rulers. -All these words represent a single Hebrew term (sārîm). Princes of the clans or houses heads of the houses elsewhere.

With the rulers of the king's work.-The stewards or bailiffs of the royal domains (chap. xxvii. 25-31). The construction here is like that in chap. xxviii. 21. The particle rendered "with" (le) appears to mean much the same as 'ad, "even unto," assigning an inclusive limit.

(7) And gave . . . of gold.-And they gave gold, five thousand talents; between thirty and forty millions sterling (!).

The

Ten thousand drams.-Rather, Darics. Daric (Greek, Aapeikòs) was a Persian gold coin, value about £1 2s., first struck by the great Darius, son of Hystaspes (B.C. 521-485). It remained current in Western Asia long after the fall of the Persian Empire. The Hebrew word ('ădarkonim) occurs again only once, viz., at Ezra viii. 27, where it clearly means Darics, and is so rendered by the Syriac (dăríkûnê). The darkon (or darbôn) is mentioned in the Talmud as a Persian coin. The chronicler, or his authority, has evidently substituted a familiar modern term for some ancient expression of value. No real coins are mentioned in Scripture before the age of the exile.

Silver ten thousand talents.-About £4,000,000 in modern value (see 1 Kings x. 21, 27); or, according to Schrader, who argues from Assyrian data, £3,750,000. The value of the bronze and the iron must have been much greater then than now. (See Note on chap. xxii. 14.)

(8) And they with whom precious stones were found gave them.-Literally, And with whom there was found stones, they gave unto the treasure. (Comp., for this use of the article as a relative, verse 17, chap. xxvi. 28; Ezra viii. 25.)

The treasure of the house of the Lord.Chap. xxvi. 22. (Comp. Exod. xxxv. 27 for a similar contribution of the princes.)

a

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;

By the hand of Jehiel.-Under the charge of Jehiel (al yad, chap. xxv. 2). Jehiel, or Jehieli, was the Gershonite clan in charge of the "treasures of the house of God" (chap. xxvi. 21, 22).

(9) Then (and) the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly. Comp. Judg. v. 1. With perfect heart.-Chap. xxviii. 9. (10) Wherefore.-And. David's Prayer (verses 10 -19). David thanks God because his people are at one with him on the subject nearest his heart. Touching this fine utterance of a true inspiration, which the chronicler-or rather, perhaps, his authority-puts into the mouth of the aged king, we may remark that the spirit which found expression in the stirring odes of psalmists and the trumpet-tones of prophets in olden times, in the latter days, when psalmody was weak and prophecy dead, flowed forth in the new outlet of impassioned prayer.

Before all. To the eyes of all (Gen. xxiii. 11), and frequently.

Lord God of Israel our father.-The connection is "Israel our father," not "Jehovah our father." (Comp. verses 18 and 20; Exod. iii. 6. Yet comp. also Isa. lxiii. 16, lxiv. 8; Deut. xxxii. 6; Mal. i. 6, ii. 10; Jer. xxxi. 9.) The fatherhood of God, though thus occasionally affirmed in prophetic writings, hardly became a ruling idea within the limits of Old Testament times. (Comp. Matt. xxiii. 9, vi. 9.)

For ever and ever. From eternity even unto eternity. (Comp. the doxologies of the first and third books of the Psalter-Pss. xli. 13, cvi. 48—and Ps. ciii. 17.)

(11) Thine, O Lord, is the greatness.-The point of verses 11, 12 seems to be that David arrogates nothing to himself; but, with the humility of genuine greatness, ascribes everything to God. As if he said, The greatness of my kingdom, the prowess of my warriors, the splendour and majesty of my throne, are thine, for thine are all things.'

Greatness.-Gědullah, a late word. (Comp. Pss. lxxi. 21, cxlv. 3.)

Power.Strictly, manly strength; then valour, prowess (Ps. xxi. 13). (Comp. Exod. xv. 3.)

The glory.-Ornament, beauty, splendour (Isa. iii. 18, xiii. 19, xlvi. 13; Ps. xcvi. 6).

Majesty. See Pss. xxi. 6, xcvi. 6.

Victory.-Glory, splendour (1 Sam. xv. 29). "Victory" is the meaning of the word in Syriac, and so the LXX. and Vulg. render here. But the Syriac version has " beauty," or "glory." With the whole ascription, comp. Rev. iv. 11, v. 12, vii. 12.

David's

I. CHRONICLES, XXIX.

obtain strength.

hand.

Heb. 11, 13; 1 Pet.

2. 11.

Thanksgiving.

of thine hand, and is all thine own. (17) I know also, my God, that thou

thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou 1 Heb, retain, or an house for thine holy name cometh art exalted as head above all. (12) Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine Heb., of thine triest the heart, and hast pleasure in hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. (13) Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. (14) But 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 2 of thine own have we given thee. (15) For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: a our days on the earth are as а shadow, and there is none 3 abiding. (16) O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee 5 or, stablish.

3 Heb., expecta
tion.

uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly a Ps. 39. 12 & 90, 9; offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are *present here, to offer willingly unto thee. (18) O 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: (19) and 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.

b 1 Sam. 16.7; ch.j
25.9.

4 Or, found.

All that is in the heavens is thine.The pronoun (lāk) seems to have fallen out before the following: "Thine (lēkā) is the kingdom." (Comp. for the idea Pss. lxxxix. 11, xxiv. 1.)

The kingdom.-The universal sovereignty (Pss. xcvi. 10, xcvii. 1, xxii. 28).

Thou art exalted as head above all.—Lit., And the self-exalted over all as head (art thou). (Comp. Numb. xvi. 3.) Here also the pronoun ('attāh) may have been lost at the end. Ewald, however, explains the apparent participle as an Aramaized infinitive: "And the being exalted over all as head is thine." (Comp. Isa. xxiv. 21 for the supremacy of God over all powers of heaven and earth.)

As head.-Comp. Deut. xxviii. 13; Ps. xviii. 43; Col. ii. 10.

(12) Both riches and honour come of thee. -Literally, And the riches and the honour are from before thee. (Comp. Prov. iii. 16; 1 Kings iii. 13.)

Power and might.-Power, rendered "might" in

verse 2.

Might.-Rendered "power" in verse 11. And in thine hand it is to make great (1 Sam. ii. 7, 8; Luke i. 52).

(13) Now therefore, our God, we thank thee. -And now, our God, we are thanking thee, and prais ing (participles in the Hebrew). Modim, "thanking, occurs nowhere else, though the verb is common in other forms.

Thy glorious name. -The name of thy glory: here only. (Comp. Isa. lxiii. 14, and Ps. Ixxii. 19.) (14) But who am I?-And, indeed, who am I? (answering to the Greek καὶ γάρ).

That we should be able.-That we should hold in i.e., keep strength (açar kōah), a phrase confined to six passages in the Chronicles and three in Daniel (chaps. xi. 6, x. 8, 16).

All things come of thee.-For from thee is the whole (scil.) of our wealth and power. (Comp. verse 16.)

And of thine own.-And out of thine own hand. (15) For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners.-Ps. xxxix. 12.

Our days on the earth are as a (the) shadow. -Job viii. 9; Ps. cxliv. 4.

And there is none abiding.-Rather, and there is no hope; no outlook, no assured future, no hope of permanence. What is the ground for this plaintive turn in the thought? Merely, it would seem, to emphasise what has just been said. We, as creatures of a day, can have no abiding and absolute possession. Our good things are lent to us for a season only. As our fathers passed away, so shall we.

(16) All this store.-Strictly, multitude; and, so multitude of goods, riches (Ps. xxxvii. 16).

Cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own. -From thine own hand it is, and thine is the whole. The whole verse is a clearer expression of the second half of verse 14. (Comp. Ps. civ. 28.)

(17) Thou triest the heart.-Pss. xi. 4, vii. 9, xxvi. 2.

Hast pleasure in.-Chap. xxviii. 4, verse 3. (Comp. also chap. xxviii. 9.)

Uprightness. Or, sincerity (mêshārîm, Cant. i. 4). In the uprightness (yōsher), integrity (Deut. ix. 5), a synonym of meshārim. Both literally mean straightness: e.g., of a road (Prov. ii. 13, xxiii. 31). The connexion of ideas is this: Thou that lookest upon the heart knowest that my offering has been made without grudging and without hypocrisy; my motive was not my own interest, but Thy glory. Hence my joyful thanksgiving, because of the free generosity of Thy people.

Which are present here.-Literally, Who have found themselves here (reflexive verb). (So 2 Chron. v. 11, and other places.)

(18) Israel.-Verse 10. (See Gen. xxxii. 28, and Exod. iii. 6.)

Solomon is

I. CHRONICLES, XXIX.

(20) And David said to all the congre- ja 1 Kings 1. 33. gation, 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. (21) And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the LORD, and Heb, gare the offered burnt offerings unto the LORD,

on the morrow after that day, even a thousand bullocks, and a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel: (22) and did eat and drink before the LORD on that day with great gladness. And they made Solomon the

hand under Solo-
mon

Kin. 3. 13; 2
Chr. 1.12; Eccles.

2. 9.

And to do all these things.—And to do the whole; (scil.) of thy commandments, testimonies, and statutes (comp. chaps. xxii. 13, xxviii. 7), or, to carry out all my designs.

For the which I have made provision.— Which I have prepared (scil.) to build (chap. xxviii. 2). (20-25) The sacrificial feast and anointing of Solomon. (20) Now bless.-Bless ye, I pray. The " now is not a note of time, but of entreaty.

Blessed the Lord God of their fathers.Probably using a liturgical formula, like the doxologies which close the books of the Psalter (Pss. xli. 13, lxxii. 18, 19, lxxxix. 52, &c.).

And bowed down their heads.-Or, and bowed. Vulg., inclinaverunt se; LXX. here, ÁμYAVTES τὰ γόνατα, bending the knees; but usually κύψαντες, stooping, bowing.

Worshipped. Prostrated themselves. LXX., роσEKÚνпσaν. The two expressions "bowed and worshipped" are always united, as here (save in 2 Chron. xx. 18. Comp. Gen. xxiv. 26; Exod. xii. 27). The Syriac renders, " fell down and worshipped."

And the king.-As God's earthly representative, David receives the same tokens of reverence and homage. (Comp. 1 Kings i. 31.)

(21) On the morrow after that day (lěmohorath hayyom hahu); here only. (Comp. Jonah iv. 7.) That is, on the day after the assembly.

A thousand bullocks .-Heb., Bullocks a thousand, rams a thousand, &c., according to the later mode of speech; and their libations (Ps. xvi. 4; Exod. xxix. 40; Lev. xxiii. 13).

And sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. -The word " sacrifices" (zěbāhîm) occurred in a general sense at the beginning of the verse. Here, in connexion with burnt-offerings, it has the special meaning of "thank-offerings" (shelamim; Authorised Version, 'peace-offerings," Deut. xii. 6). See for both kinds of sacrifice, Lev. i. 1 sqq.; Exod. xx. 24, xxiv. 5.

For all Israel. So that every one present might partake of the sacrificial meal. (Comp. Notes on chap. xvi. 2, 3; Deut. xii. 7; 1 Sam. i. 3-8, 13.)

(22) And did eat and drink.-And they ate and drank. (Comp. the account of the feasting at David's coronation, chap. xii. 39, 40.)

And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time.-The first time is briefly noticed in chap. xxiii. 1. (Comp. the full account, 1 Kings i. 32-40.)

a

made King.

son of David king the second time, and 'anointed him unto the LORD to be the chief governor, and Zadok to be priest. (23) Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him. (2) And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, 'submitted themselves unto Solomon the king. (25) And 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.

b

And anointed him unto the Lord to be the chief governor.-And anointed (him; perhaps the suffix has fallen out) for Jehovah as prince (nagid, chap. xxvii. 16; 1 Kings i. 35).

Anointed. Judg. ix. 15; 2 Sam. ii. 4. The expression "for Jehovah" seems to mean, according to His will. (Comp. chap. xxviii. 5.) Or perhaps we should render, anointed him as prince, and Zadok as priest, to Jehovah. The king was Jehovah's vicegerent, as Zadok was His priest. The theocratic nature of the Israelite monarchy is again insisted upon. (Comp. chaps. xvii. 14, xxviii. 5.)

And Zadok to be priest.-A remarkable notice, peculiar to the Chronicles. Among other things, it vividly illustrates the almost sovereign dignity of the high priest's office; it also explains the deposition of Abiathar (comp. 1 Kings i. 32, ii. 26) as having been already contemplated by David.

(23) Then.-And.

Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord.Comp. chap. xxviii. 5.

As king instead of David his father.-It is not meant that David abdicated. Verses 23-25 are anticipative of the history of Solomon's reign. At the same time, their introduction here is natural, not only as relating the immediate sequel of Solomon's coronation, but also as showing how David's last wishes in regard to his son were realised.

(24) And all the princes (sārîm).—The grandees of chaps. xxvii., xxviii. 1, xxix. 6; not members of the royal house, who are designated as "the king's

Submitted themselves. See marginal rendering. The Vulg. has the exegetical expansion, "dederunt manum et subjecti fuerunt Salomoni regi." The Hebrew phrase "put (nāthan) hand under . . ." is not met with elsewhere. (Comp. Gen. xxiv. 2, 9.) It appears to be different from "give hand to in token of good

faith or submission. (Comp. 2 Chron. xxx. 8; Lam. v. 6; Ezek. xvii. 18.) An ancient mode of doing homage may be intended. The whole sentence may contain an allusive reference to the attempt of Adonijah (1 Kings i. 5-53).

(25) And bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.-Literally, and put upon him a glory of kingship that had not become on any king over Israel before him. The phrase "put glory upon (nathan hôd 'al. . .) occurs in Ps. viii. 2. Only two or, counting Ish-bosheth, three kings had preceded

I. CHRONICLES, XXIX.

(26) Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. (27) And the time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; or, history. seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem. (28) And he died in a good old age, 2 Heb., words. full of days, riches, and honour and Solomon his son reigned in his stead.