✝
← Bible
ARCBLIVREKJVVBL

1 Chronicles 28

KJV · Chapter 28/29

1And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem.

2Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had 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 had made ready for the building:

3But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.

4Howbeit the Lord God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all Israel:

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.

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.

7Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day.

8Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the Lord, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord your God: that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you for ever.

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.

10Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.

11Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,

12And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the Lord, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things:

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.

14He gave of gold by weight for things of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service; silver also for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service:

15Even the weight for the candlesticks of gold, and for their lamps of gold, by weight for every candlestick, and for the lamps thereof: and for the candlesticks of silver by weight, both for the candlestick, and also for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick.

16And by weight he gave gold for the tables of shewbread, for every table; and likewise silver for the tables of silver:

17Also pure gold for the fleshhooks, and the bowls, and the cups: and for the golden basons he gave gold by weight for every bason; and likewise silver by weight for every bason of silver:

18And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

19All this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.

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, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.

21And, behold, the courses of the priests and the Levites, even they shall be with thee for all the service of the house of God: and there shall be with thee for all manner of workmanship every willing skilful man, for any manner of service: also the princes and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Now near the end of his life, David gathers all the leaders of Israel and publicly announces that Solomon will be his successor and will build the temple. He hands Solomon the detailed plans for the temple, which he received by divine inspiration, and encourages him to be courageous and faithful.

Explanation

This formal moment of transition of power is carefully made public, avoiding succession disputes like those that nearly occurred among David's sons in other biblical accounts. David explains that the detailed architectural plans of the temple — including the exact measurements of every chamber and utensil — came by divine revelation, 'in writing, from the hand of the LORD,' showing that the construction was not to follow merely human ideas, but a design specifically revealed by God. David's personal, intimate counsel to Solomon, asking him to serve God 'with a perfect heart and a willing mind,' is one of the most moving father-to-son speeches in the entire Bible, acknowledging that God truly knows the intentions of the heart.

Fun facts

  • The idea that David received the complete design of the temple 'in writing from the hand of the LORD' is interpreted by scholars as a detailed prophetic revelation, similar to how Moses received specific instructions for building the tabernacle in the wilderness.
  • David's words to Solomon, 'if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever,' reflect a spiritual principle repeated throughout the entire Bible about the relational, responsive nature of seeking God.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 1 Chronicles 28:1David calls an assembly even bigger than the one in chapter 23: tribal chiefs, captains, administrators of all the royal property, and even the mightiest warriors — everyone who matters, gathered in one place.
  2. 1 Chronicles 28:2Standing before everyone, David repeats in public what he had already told Solomon in private: his desire to build a house of rest for the ark, and how he had already prepared everything for it.
  3. 1 Chronicles 28:3In public too, David repeats the reason he could not be the builder: “thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood” — the same explanation given before, now in front of the whole nation.
  4. 1 Chronicles 28:4David tells his own story of divine choice: among all his father’s sons, he was the one whom God chose to reign — a way of setting up the explanation for why Solomon, among so many sons, was also chosen.
  5. 1 Chronicles 28:5David reveals he had many sons, but God specifically chose Solomon to sit on the throne — called here “the throne of the kingdom of the Lord,” making it clear that Israel’s monarchy belongs to God, not to David’s family by its own right.
  6. 1 Chronicles 28:6God promised David that Solomon would build the house and the courts of the temple, calling him His son — the same father-and-son covenant language already heard in chapter 17.
  7. 1 Chronicles 28:7This time the promise comes with an explicit condition: Solomon’s kingdom will stand firm forever if he keeps persevering in obeying God’s commandments — a detail that will weigh heavily on the story of the kings who come after.
  8. 1 Chronicles 28:8David addresses the whole assembly, not just Solomon: he asks all the people to keep the Lord’s commandments, so the land will remain an inheritance for their children forever.
  9. 1 Chronicles 28:9Turning to Solomon, David asks for a sincere and willing heart, reminding him that God sees every thought: seeking Him means being found by Him, but forsaking Him means being cast off forever — a serious warning, not just a blessing.
  10. 1 Chronicles 28:10David closes this part of his speech with a direct command: since God has chosen Solomon to build the sanctuary, it is time to be courageous and simply do the work.
  11. 1 Chronicles 28:11David hands Solomon the detailed plan of the temple: the design of the porch, its rooms, its treasuries, its upper and inner chambers, down to the exact place of the mercy seat over the ark.
  12. 1 Chronicles 28:12He also hands over the plan of everything he had in mind: the surrounding courts, the chambers for the treasures of the house of God and of the dedicated things — a complete plan, not just a general idea.
  13. 1 Chronicles 28:13The plan even includes the organization of the divisions of priests and Levites, and of all the articles used in the service of the house of the Lord — David leaves nothing for Solomon to decide on his own.
  14. 1 Chronicles 28:14David specifies the exact weight of gold and silver for each type of article for each function — a level of detail that shows how seriously this planning was taken.
  15. 1 Chronicles 28:15Even the weight of the gold and silver lampstands, with their respective lamps, is specified according to the use of each — nothing is left to chance or to the creativity of whoever will build them.
  16. 1 Chronicles 28:16The same care applies to the tables for the showbread, of gold and of silver, each one with its weight set before construction even begins.
  17. 1 Chronicles 28:17Forks, basins, bowls, and cups of pure gold, each piece with its exact weight — the temple plan already accounts for even the smallest everyday articles of worship.
  18. 1 Chronicles 28:18For the altar of incense, refined gold by weight; and for the design of the cherubim with wings spread out covering the ark, even more gold still — the most symbolic piece of the whole temple also comes with precise instructions.
  19. 1 Chronicles 28:19David says he received the whole temple plan “in writing,” by order of the Lord — not an ordinary architectural project but a plan carrying the weight of revelation. This gives Solomon a sacred basis for building it exactly that way, without improvising on his own.
  20. 1 Chronicles 28:20David repeats to Solomon the same formula of courage given to Joshua centuries before: be strong, take courage, do not be afraid, for the Lord will be with him until the whole work is finished.
  21. 1 Chronicles 28:21David closes by reminding Solomon that he will not work alone: the divisions of priests and Levites, the skilled craftsmen, the princes, and all the people are already ready to obey and help at every stage of the construction.

Chapters

1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829

Our apps

Our apps →

Bible in Stories

The Bible told as a story, with audio and videos.

📱 Get the app

World in Stories

True stories of humanity that sound made up.

App StoreGoogle Play

Feito! Pequenas Vitórias

A light daily routine for people who lose track of the day.

App StoreGoogle Play