---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  1 Chronicles 29"
description: "CHAPTER 29   :-. 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 yo"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/1-chronicles/29"
---

CHAPTER 29

. 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 (). 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.

**3, 4. Moreover . . . I have of mine
own proper good,** c.—In addition to the immense amount of gold
and silver treasure which David had already bequeathed for various
uses in the service of the temple, he now made an additional
contribution destined to a specific purpose—that of overlaying the
walls of the house. This voluntary gift was from the private fortune
of the royal donor, and had been selected with the greatest care. The
gold was "the gold of Ophir," then esteemed the purest and
finest in the world ([Job 22:24](../../../kjv/job/22/24)
[Job 28:16](../../../kjv/job/28/16); [Isaiah 13:12](../../../kjv/isaiah/13/12)).
The amount was three thousand talents of gold and seven thousand
talents of refined silver.

**5. who then is willing to consecrate
his service**—*Hebrew,* "fill his hand"; that is,
make an offering ([Exodus 32:29](../../../kjv/exodus/32/29);
[Leviticus 8:33](../../../kjv/leviticus/8/33); [1 Kings 13:33](../../../kjv/1-kings/13/33)).
The meaning is, that whoever would contribute voluntarily, as he had
done, would be offering a freewill offering to the Lord. It was a
sacrifice which every one of them could make, and in presenting which
the offerer himself would be the priest. David, in asking freewill
offerings for the temple, imitated the conduct of Moses in reference
to the tabernacle ([1 Kings 13:33](../../../kjv/1-kings/13/33)).

**6-8. Then the chief of the
fathers**—or heads of the fathers ([1 Chronicles 24:31](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/24/31);
[1 Chronicles 27:1](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/27/1)).
**princes of the tribes**—
([1 Chronicles 27:16-22](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/27/16-22)).
**rulers of the king's
work**—those who had charge of the royal demesnes and other
possessions ([1 Chronicles 27:16-13](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/27/16-13)).
**offered willingly**—Influenced
by the persuasive address and example of the king, they acted
according to their several abilities, and their united contributions
amounted to the gross sum—of gold 5,000 talents and 10,000 drams;
and of silver, 10,000 talents, besides brass and iron.

**7. drams**—rather, *darics,*
a Persian coin, with which the Jews from the time of the captivity
became familiar, and which was afterwards extensively circulated in
the countries of Western Asia. It is estimated as equal in value to
25*s.* of British currency.
**of brass eighteen thousand
talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron**—In Scripture,
iron is always referred to as an article of comparatively low value,
and of greater abundance and cheaper than bronze [NAPIER].

**8. and they with whom precious
stones were found**—rather, "whatever was found along with
it of precious stones they gave" [BERTHEAU].
These gifts were deposited in the hands of Jehiel, whose family was
charged with the treasures of the house of the Lord ().
. HIS
THANKSGIVING.

**10-19. Wherefore David blessed the
Lord**—This beautiful thanksgiving prayer was the effusion
overflowing with gratitude and delight at seeing the warm and
widespread interest that was now taken in forwarding the favorite
project of his life. Its piety is displayed in the fervor of
devotional feeling—in the ascription of all worldly wealth and
greatness to God as the giver, in tracing the general readiness in
contributing to the influence of His grace, in praying for the
continuance of this happy disposition among the people, and in
solemnly and earnestly commending the young king and his kingdom to
the care and blessing of God.

**16. all this store that we have
prepared**—It may be useful to exhibit a tabular view of the
treasure laid up and contributions stated by the historian as already
made towards the erection of the proposed temple. Omitting the brass
and iron, and precious stones, which, though specified partly (), are represented in other portions as "without weight"
([1 Chronicles 22:3](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/22/3); [1 Chronicles 22:14](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/22/14)),
we shall give in this table only the amount of gold and silver; and
taking the talent of gold as worth £5475 (the talent being 125
pounds in weight), the value of the gold will be about 73*s.*
per ounce. The talent of silver is given at £342 3*s.* 9*d.*,
or 4*s.* 4½*d.* per ounce. The total amount of the
contributions will be:
Sum accumulated, and in
public treasury ([1 Chronicles 22:14](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/22/14)):
Gold £547,500,000 Silver 342,187,500 Contributed
by David from his private resources [[1 Chronicles 22:14](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/22/14)]: Gold 16,425,000 Silver 2,395,312
Contributed by the assembled rulers [[1 Chronicles 22:14](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/22/14)]: Gold 28,000,000 Silver 3,421,875 A
grand total of approximately £939,929,687

Though it has been the common practice
of Eastern monarchs to hoard vast sums for the accomplishment of any
contemplated project, this amount so far exceeds not only every
Oriental collection on record, but even the bounds of probability,
that it is very generally allowed that either there is a corruption
of the text in [1 Chronicles 22:14](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/22/14), or
that the reckoning of the historian was by the Babylonian, which was
only a half, or the Syrian, which was only a fifth part, of the
Hebrew talent. This would bring the Scripture account more into
accordance with the statements of JOSEPHUS,
as well as within the range of credibility.

**10-19. Wherefore David blessed the
Lord**—This beautiful thanksgiving prayer was the effusion
overflowing with gratitude and delight at seeing the warm and
widespread interest that was now taken in forwarding the favorite
project of his life. Its piety is displayed in the fervor of
devotional feeling—in the ascription of all worldly wealth and
greatness to God as the giver, in tracing the general readiness in
contributing to the influence of His grace, in praying for the
continuance of this happy disposition among the people, and in
solemnly and earnestly commending the young king and his kingdom to
the care and blessing of God.

**20. all the congregation . . .
worshipped the Lord, and the king**—Though the external attitude
might be the same, the sentiments of which it was expressive were
very different in the two cases—of divine worship in the one, of
civil homage in the other.

**21, 22. they sacrificed . . . And
did eat and drink**—After the business of the assembly was over,
the people, under the exciting influence of the occasion, still
remained, and next day engaged in the performance of solemn rites,
and afterwards feasted on the remainder of the sacrifices.

**22. before the Lord**—either in
the immediate vicinity of the ark, or, perhaps, rather in a religious
and devout spirit, as partaking of a sacrificial meal.
**made Solomon . . . king the
second time**—in reference to the first time, which was done
precipitately on Adonijah's conspiracy ().
**they . . . anointed . . .
Zadok**—The statement implies that his appointment met the
popular approval. His elevation as sole high priest was on the
disgrace of Abiathar, one of Adonijah's accomplices.

**23. Solomon sat on the throne of the
Lord**—As king of Israel, he was the Lord's vicegerent.

**24. submitted themselves**—*Hebrew,*
"put their hands under Solomon," according to the custom
still practised in the East of putting a hand under the king's
extended hand and kissing the back of it ().
. HIS REIGN
AND DEATH.

**26. Thus David . . . reigned**—(See
[1 Kings 2:11](../../../kjv/1-kings/2/11)).

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