23 “And now, O LORD, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, let it be established forever, and do as You have said.
24 “So let it be established, that Your name may be magnified forever, saying, ‘The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God.’ And let the house of Your servant David be established before You.
25 “For You, O my God, 1have revealed to Your servant that You will build him a house. Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to *pray before You.
26 “And now, LORD, 1You are God, and have promised this goodness to Your servant.
27 “Now You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You have blessed it, O LORD, and it shall be blessed forever.”
David’s Further Conquests
1 After this ait came to pass that David 1attacked the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its towns from the hand of the Philistines.
2 Then he 1defeated aMoab, and the Moabites became David’s bservants, and brought tribute.
3 And aDavid 1defeated 2Hadadezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to establish his power by the River Euphrates.
4 David took from him one thousand chariots, 1seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. Also David 2hamstrung all the chariot horses, except that he spared enough of them for one hundred chariots.
5 When the aSyrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of the Syrians.
6 Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and brought tribute. So the LORD preserved David wherever he went.
7 And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.
8 Also from 1Tibhath and from 2Chun, cities of 3Hadadezer, David brought a large amount of abronze, with which bSolomon made the bronze 4Sea, the pillars, and the articles of bronze.
9 Now when 1Tou king of Hamath heard that David had 2defeated all the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah,
10 he sent 1Hadoram his son to King David, to greet him and bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and 2defeated him (for Hadadezer had been at war with Tou); and Hadoram brought with him all kinds of aarticles of gold, silver, and bronze.
11 King David also dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold that he had brought from all these nations—from Edom, from Moab, from the apeople of Ammon, from the bPhilistines, and from cAmalek.
12 Moreover aAbishai the son of Zeruiah killed beighteen thousand 1Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
13 aHe also put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the LORD preserved David wherever he went.
David’s Administration
14 So David reigned over all Israel, and administered judgment and justice to all his people.
15 Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;
16 Zadok the son of Ahitub and 1Abimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; 2Shavsha was the scribe;
17 aBenaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were 1chief ministers at the king’s side.
The Ammonites and Syrians Defeated
1 Ita happened after this that Nahash the king of the people of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.
2 Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came to Hanun in the land of the people of Ammon to comfort him.
3 And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun, 1“Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Did his servants not come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?”
4 Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments 1in the middle, at their abuttocks, and sent them away.
5 Then some went and told David about the men; and he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”
6 When the people of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, Hanun and the people of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from 1Mesopotamia, from Syrian Maacah, aand from 2Zobah.
7 So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, with the king of Maacah and his people, who came and encamped before Medeba. Also the people of Ammon gathered together from their cities, and came to battle.
8 Now when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men.
9 Then the people of Ammon came out and put themselves in battle array before the gate of the city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.
10 When Joab saw that the battle line was against him before and behind, he chose some of Israel’s best and put them in battle array against the Syrians.
11 And the rest of the people he put under the command of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in battle array against the people of Ammon.
12 Then he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you.
13 “Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the LORD do what is good in His sight.”
14 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near for the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.
15 When the people of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fleeing, they also fled before Abishai his brother, and entered the city. So Joab went to Jerusalem.
16 Now when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought the Syrians who were beyond 1the River, and 2Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army went before them.
17 When it was told David, he gathered all Israel, crossed over the Jordan and came upon them, and set up in battle array against them. So when David had set up in battle array against the Syrians, they fought with him.
18 Then the Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed 1seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand 2foot soldiers of the Syrians, and killed Shophach the commander of the army.
19 And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became his servants. So the Syrians were not willing to help the people of Ammon anymore.
Rabbah Is Conquered
1 Ita happened 1in the spring of the year, at the time kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the armed forces and ravaged the country of the people of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But bDavid stayed at Jerusalem. And cJoab defeated Rabbah and overthrew it.
2 Then David atook their king’s crown from his *head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it. And it was set on David’s head. Also he brought out the 1spoil of the city in great abundance.
3 And he brought out the people who were in it, and 1put them to work with saws, with iron picks, and with axes. So David did to all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
Philistine Giants Destroyed
4 Now it happened afterward athat war broke out at 1Gezer with the Philistines, at which time bSibbechai the Hushathite killed 2Sippai, who was one of the sons of 3the giant. And they were subdued.
5 Again there was war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of 1Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s abeam.
6 Yet again athere was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, with twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and six on each foot; and he also was born to 1the giant.
7 So when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of 1Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.
8 These were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
The Census of Israel and Judah
1 Now aSatan* stood up against Israel, and moved David to 1number Israel.
2 So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, “Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, aand bring the number of them to me that I may know it.”
3 And Joab answered, “May the LORD make His people a hundred times more than they are. But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?”
4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem.
5 Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David. All Israel had one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and Judah had four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword.
6 aBut he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s 1word was abominable to Joab.
7 And 1God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel.
8 So David said to God, a“I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; bbut now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”
9 Then the LORD spoke to Gad, David’s aseer, saying,
10 “Go and tell David, asaying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.” ’ ”
11 So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Choose for yourself,
12 a‘either 1three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of the LORD—the plague in the land, with the 2angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.”
13 And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His amercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”
14 So the LORD sent a aplague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.
15 And God sent 1an aangel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As 2he was destroying, the LORD looked and brelented of the disaster, and said to the angel who was destroying, “It is enough; now restrain 3your hand.” And the angel of the LORD stood by the cthreshing floor of 4Ornan the Jebusite.
16 Then David lifted his eyes and asaw the *angel of the LORD standing between earth and *heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.
17 And David said to God, “Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these asheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O LORD my God, be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”
18 Therefore, the aangel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David that David should go and erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 So David went up at the word of Gad, which he had spoken in the name of the LORD.
20 Now Ornan turned and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves, but Ornan continued threshing wheat.
21 So David came to Ornan, and Ornan looked and saw David. And he went out from the threshing floor, and bowed before David with his face to the ground.
22 Then David said to Ornan, 1“Grant me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar on it to the LORD. You shall grant it to me at the full price, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people.”
23 But Ornan said to David, “Take it to yourself, and let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes. Look, I also give you the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing implements for wood, and the wheat for the *grain offering; I give it all.”
24 Then King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing.”
25 So aDavid gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the place.
26 And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on the LORD; and aHe answered him from heaven by fire on the altar of burnt offering.
27 So the LORD commanded the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath.
28 At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there.
29 aFor the tabernacle of the LORD and the altar of the burnt offering, which Moses had made in the wilderness, were at that time at the high place in bGibeon.
30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
David Prepares to Build the Temple
1 Then David said, a“This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”
2 So David commanded to gather the aaliens who were in the land of Israel; and he appointed masons to bcut hewn stones to build the house of God.
3 And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails of the doors of the gates and for the joints, and bronze in abundance abeyond measure,
4 and cedar trees in abundance; for the aSidonians and those from Tyre brought much cedar wood to David.
5 Now David said, a“Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries. I will now make preparation for it.” So David made abundant preparations before his death.
6 Then he called for his son Solomon, and 1charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel.
7 And David said to Solomon: “My son, as for me, ait was in my mind to build a house bto the name of the LORD my God;
8 “but the word of the LORD came to me, saying, a‘You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight.
9 a‘Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him brest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be 1Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days.
10 a‘He shall build a house for My name, and bhe shall be My son, and I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’
11 “Now, my son, may athe LORD be with you; and may you prosper, and build the house of the LORD your God, as He has said to you.
12 “Only may the LORD agive you wisdom and understanding, and give you charge concerning Israel, that you may keep the law of the LORD your God.
13 a“Then you will prosper, if you take care to fulfill the *statutes and judgments with which the LORD 1charged Moses concerning Israel. bBe strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed.
14 “Indeed I have taken much trouble to prepare for the house of the LORD one hundred thousand talents of gold and one million talents of silver, and bronze and iron abeyond measure, for it is so abundant. I have prepared timber and stone also, and you may add to them.
15 “Moreover there are workmen with you in abundance: woodsmen and stonecutters, and all types of skillful men for every kind of work.
16 “Of gold and silver and bronze and iron there is no limit. Arise and begin working, and athe LORD be with you.”
17 David also commanded all the aleaders of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying,
18 “Is not the LORD your God with you? aAnd has He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the LORD and before His people.
19 “Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God. Therefore arise and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, to abring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the house that is to be built bfor the name of the LORD.”
The Divisions of the Levites
1 So when David was old and full of days, he made his son aSolomon king over Israel.
2 And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.
3 Now the Levites were numbered from the age of athirty years and above; and the number of individual *males was thirty-eight thousand.
4 Of these, twenty-four thousand were to alook after the work of the house of the LORD, six thousand were bofficers and judges,
5 four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand apraised the LORD with musical instruments, b“which I made,” said David, “for giving praise.”
6 Also aDavid separated them into 1divisions among the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
7 Of the aGershonites: 1Laadan and Shimei.
8 The sons of Laadan: the first Jehiel, then Zetham and Joel—three in all.
9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, Haziel, and Haran—three in all. These were the heads of the fathers’ houses of Laadan.
10 And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, 1Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These were the four sons of Shimei.
11 Jahath was the first and Zizah the second. But Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons; therefore they were assigned as one father’s house.
12 aThe sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four in all.
13 The sons of aAmram: Aaron and Moses; and bAaron was set apart, he and his sons forever, that he should 1sanctify the most holy things, cto burn incense before the LORD, dto minister to Him, and eto give the blessing in His name forever.
14 Now athe sons of Moses the man of God were reckoned to the tribe of Levi.
15 aThe sons of Moses were 1Gershon and Eliezer.
16 Of the sons of Gershon, aShebuel1 was the first.
17 Of the descendants of Eliezer, aRehabiah was the first. And Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
18 Of the sons of Izhar, aShelomith was the first.
19 aOf the sons of Hebron, Jeriah was the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
20 Of the sons of Uzziel, Michah was the first and Jesshiah the second.
21 aThe sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and bKish.
22 And Eleazar died, and ahad no sons, but only daughters; and their 1brethren, the sons of Kish, btook them as wives.
23 aThe sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth—three in all.
24 These were the sons of aLevi by their fathers’ houses—the heads of the fathers’ houses as they were counted individually by the number of their names, who did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of btwenty years and above.
25 For David said, “The LORD God of Israel ahas given rest to His people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem forever”;
26 and also to the Levites, “They shall no longer acarry the tabernacle, or any of the articles for its service.”
27 For by the alast words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above;
28 because their duty was to help the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts and in the chambers, in the purifying of all holy things and the work of the service of the house of God,
29 both with athe showbread and bthe fine flour for the grain offering, with cthe unleavened cakes and dwhat is baked in the pan, with what is mixed and with all kinds of emeasures and sizes;
30 to stand every morning to *thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at evening;
31 and at every presentation of a burnt offering to the LORD aon the Sabbaths and on the New Moons and on the bset1 feasts, by number according to the ordinance governing them, regularly before the LORD;
32 and that they should aattend to the bneeds of the tabernacle of meeting, the needs of the holy place, and the cneeds of the sons of Aaron their brethren in the work of the house of the LORD.
The Divisions of the Priests
1 Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. aThe sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
2 And aNadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children; therefore Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests.
3 Then David with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and aAhimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to the schedule of their service.
4 There were more leaders found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar, and thus they were divided. Among the sons of Eleazar were sixteen heads of their fathers’ houses, and eight heads of their fathers’ houses among the sons of Ithamar.
5 Thus they were divided by lot, one group as another, for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of the house of God, from the sons of Eleazar and from the sons of Ithamar.
6 And the scribe, Shemaiah the son of Nethanel, one of the Levites, wrote them down before the king, the leaders, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the priests and Levites, one father’s house taken for Eleazar and one for Ithamar.
7 Now the first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,
8 the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,
9 the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin,
10 the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to aAbijah,
11 the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,
12 the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,
13 the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,
14 the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,
15 the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to 1Happizzez,
16 the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to 1Jehezekel,
17 the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul,
18 the twenty-third to Delaiah, the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.
19 This was the schedule of their service afor coming into the house of the LORD according to their ordinance by the hand of Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.
Other Levites
20 And the rest of the sons of Levi: of the sons of Amram, 1Shubael; of the sons of Shubael, Jehdeiah.
21 Concerning aRehabiah, of the sons of Rehabiah, the first was Isshiah.
22 Of the Izharites, 1Shelomoth; of the sons of Shelomoth, Jahath.
23 Of the sons 1of aHebron, Jeriah 1was the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
24 Of the sons of Uzziel, Michah; of the sons of Michah, Shamir.
25 The brother of Michah, Isshiah; of the sons of Isshiah, Zechariah.
26 aThe sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi; the son of Jaaziah, Beno.
27 The sons of Merari by Jaaziah were Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.
28 Of Mahli: Eleazar, awho had no sons.
29 Of Kish: the son of Kish, Jerahmeel.
30 Also athe sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses.
31 These also cast lots just as their brothers the sons of Aaron did, in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the priests and Levites. The chief fathers did just as their younger brethren.
The Musicians
1 Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of aAsaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals. And the number of the skilled men performing their service was:
2 Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and 1Asharelah; the sons of Asaph were 2under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied according to the order of the king.
3 Of aJeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, 1Zeri, Jeshaiah, 2Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, 3six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp to give thanks and to praise the LORD.
4 Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, 1Uzziel, 2Shebuel, 3Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth.
5 All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer in the words of God, to 1exalt his ahorn. For God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.
6 All these were under the direction of their father for the music in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and aharps, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were bunder the authority of the king.
7 So the anumber of them, with their brethren who were instructed in the songs of the LORD, all who were skillful, was two hundred and eighty-eight.
8 And they cast lots for their duty, the small as well as the great, athe teacher with the student.
9 Now the first lot for Asaph came out for Joseph; the second for Gedaliah, him with his brethren and sons, twelve;
10 the third for Zaccur, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
11 the fourth for 1Jizri, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
12 the fifth for Nethaniah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
13 the sixth for Bukkiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
14 the seventh for 1Jesharelah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
15 the eighth for Jeshaiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
16 the ninth for Mattaniah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
17 the tenth for Shimei, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
18 the eleventh for 1Azarel, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
19 the twelfth for Hashabiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
20 the thirteenth for 1Shubael, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
21 the fourteenth for Mattithiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
22 the fifteenth for 1Jeremoth, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
23 the sixteenth for Hananiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
24 the seventeenth for Joshbekashah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
25 the eighteenth for Hanani, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
26 the nineteenth for Mallothi, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
27 the twentieth for Eliathah, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
28 the twenty-first for Hothir, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
29 the twenty-second for Giddalti, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
30 the twenty-third for Mahazioth, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
31 the twenty-fourth for Romamti-Ezer, his sons and his brethren, twelve.
The Gatekeepers
1 Concerning the divisions of the gatekeepers: of the Korahites, 1Meshelemiah the son of aKore, of the sons of 2Asaph.
2 And the sons of Meshelemiah were aZechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,
3 Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Eliehoenai the seventh.
4 Moreover the sons of aObed-Edom were Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth,
5 Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peulthai the eighth; for God blessed him.
6 Also to Shemaiah his son were sons born who governed their fathers’ houses, because they were men of great ability.
7 The sons of Shemaiah were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad, whose brothers Elihu and Semachiah were able men.
8 All these were of the sons of Obed-Edom, they and their sons and their brethren, aable men with strength for the work: sixty-two of Obed-Edom.
9 And Meshelemiah had sons and brethren, eighteen able men.
10 Also aHosah, of the children of Merari, had sons: Shimri the first (for though he was not the firstborn, his father made him the first),
11 Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth; all the sons and brethren of Hosah were thirteen.
12 Among these were the divisions of the gatekeepers, among the chief men, having duties just like their brethren, to serve in the house of the LORD.
13 And they acast lots for each gate, the small as well as the great, according to their father’s house.
14 The lot for the East Gate fell to 1Shelemiah. Then they cast lots for his son Zechariah, a wise counselor, and his lot came out for the North Gate;
15 to Obed-Edom the South Gate, and to his sons the 1storehouse.
16 To Shuppim and Hosah the lot came out for the West Gate, with the Shallecheth Gate on the aascending highway—watchman opposite watchman.
17 On the east were six Levites, on the north four each day, on the south four each day, and for the 1storehouse two by two.
18 As for the 1Parbar on the west, there were four on the highway and two at the Parbar.
19 These were the divisions of the gatekeepers among the sons of Korah and among the sons of Merari.
The Treasuries and Other Duties
20 Of the Levites, Ahijah was aover the treasuries of the house of God and over the treasuries of the bdedicated1 things.
21 The sons of 1Laadan, the descendants of the Gershonites of Laadan, heads of their fathers’ houses, of Laadan the Gershonite: 2Jehieli.
22 The sons of Jehieli, Zetham and Joel his brother, were over the treasuries of the house of the LORD.
23 Of the aAmramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites:
24 aShebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was overseer of the treasuries.
25 And his brethren by Eliezer were Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zichri his son, and aShelomith his son.
26 This Shelomith and his brethren were over all the treasuries of the dedicated things awhich King David and the heads of fathers’ houses, the captains over thousands and hundreds, and the captains of the army, had dedicated.
27 Some of the 1spoils won in battles they dedicated to maintain the house of the LORD.
28 And all that Samuel athe *seer, Saul the son of Kish, Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah had dedicated, every dedicated thing, was under the hand of Shelomith and his brethren.
29 Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons aperformed duties as bofficials and judges over Israel outside Jerusalem.
30 Of the Hebronites, aHashabiah and his brethren, one thousand seven hundred able men, had the oversight of Israel on the west side of the Jordan for all the business of the LORD, and in the service of the king.
31 Among the Hebronites, aJerijah was head of the Hebronites according to his genealogy of the fathers. In the fortieth year of the reign of David they were sought, and there were found among them capable men bat Jazer of Gilead.
32 And his brethren were two thousand seven hundred able men, heads of fathers’ houses, whom King David made officials over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, for every matter pertaining to God and the aaffairs of the king.
The Military Divisions
1 And the children of Israel, according to their number, the heads of fathers’ houses, the captains of thousands and hundreds and their officers, served the king in every matter of the military divisions. These divisions came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, each division having twenty-four thousand.
2 Over the first division for the first month was aJashobeam the son of Zabdiel, and in his division were twenty-four thousand;
3 he was of the children of Perez, and the chief of all the captains of the army for the first month.
4 Over the division of the second month was 1Dodai an Ahohite, and of his division Mikloth also was the leader; in his division were twenty-four thousand.
5 The third captain of the army for the third month was aBenaiah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, who was chief; in his division were twenty-four thousand.
6 This was the Benaiah who was amighty among the thirty, and was over the thirty; in his division was Ammizabad his son.
7 The fourth captain for the fourth month was aAsahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him; in his division were twenty-four thousand.
8 The fifth captain for the fifth month was 1Shamhuth the Izrahite; in his division were twenty-four thousand.
9 The sixth captain for the sixth month was aIra the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; in his division were twenty-four thousand.
10 The seventh captain for the seventh month was aHelez the Pelonite, of the children of Ephraim; in his division were twenty-four thousand.
11 The eighth captain for the eighth month was aSibbechai the Hushathite, of the Zarhites; in his division were twenty-four thousand.
12 The ninth captain for the ninth month was aAbiezer the Anathothite, of the Benjamites; in his division were twenty-four thousand.
13 The tenth captain for the tenth month was aMaharai the Netophathite, of the Zarhites; in his division were twenty-four thousand.
14 The eleventh captain for the eleventh month was aBenaiah the Pirathonite, of the children of Ephraim; in his division were twenty-four thousand.
15 The twelfth captain for the twelfth month was 1Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel; in his division were twenty-four thousand.
Leaders of Tribes
16 Furthermore, over the tribes of Israel: the officer over the Reubenites was Eliezer the son of Zichri; over the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maachah;
17 over the Levites, aHashabiah the son of Kemuel; over the Aaronites, Zadok;
18 over Judah, aElihu, one of David’s brothers; over Issachar, Omri the son of Michael;
19 over Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah; over Naphtali, Jerimoth the son of Azriel;
20 over the children of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Azaziah; over the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah;
21 over the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah; over Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner;
22 over Dan, Azarel the son of Jeroham. These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.
23 But David did not take the number of those twenty years old and under, because athe LORD had said He would multiply Israel like the bstars of the heavens.
24 Joab the son of Zeruiah began a census, but he did not finish, for awrath came upon Israel because of this census; nor was the number recorded in the account of the chronicles of King David.
Other State Officials
25 And Azmaveth the son of Adiel was over the king’s treasuries; and Jehonathan the son of Uzziah was over the storehouses in the field, in the cities, in the villages, and in the fortresses.
26 Ezri the son of Chelub was over those who did the work of the field for tilling the ground.
27 And Shimei the Ramathite was over the vineyards, and Zabdi the Shiphmite was over the produce of the vineyards for the supply of wine.
28 Baal-Hanan the Gederite was over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the lowlands, and Joash was over the store of oil.
29 And Shitrai the Sharonite was over the herds that fed in Sharon, and Shaphat the son of Adlai was over the herds that were in the valleys.
30 Obil the Ishmaelite was over the camels, Jehdeiah the Meronothite was over the donkeys,
31 and Jaziz the aHagrite was over the flocks. All these were the officials over King David’s property.
32 Also Jehonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, a wise man, and a 1scribe; and Jehiel the 2son of Hachmoni was with the king’s sons.
33 aAhithophel was the king’s counselor, and bHushai the Archite was the king’s companion.
34 After Ahithophel was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, then aAbiathar. And the general of the king’s army was bJoab.
Solomon Instructed to Build the Temple
1 Now David assembled at Jerusalem all athe leaders of Israel: the officers of the tribes and bthe captains of the divisions who served the king, the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, and cthe stewards over all the substance and 1possessions of the king and of his sons, with the officials, the valiant men, and all dthe mighty men of valor.
2 Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Hear me, my brethren and my people: aI had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for bthe footstool of our God, and had made preparations to build it.
3 “But God said to me, a‘You shall not build a house for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed bblood.’
4 “However the LORD God of Israel achose me above all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever, for He has chosen bJudah to be the ruler. And of the house of Judah, cthe house of my father, and damong the sons of my father, He was pleased with me to make me king over all Israel.
5 a“And of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons) bHe has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.
6 “Now He said to me, ‘It is ayour son Solomon who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father.
7 ‘Moreover I will establish his kingdom forever, aif he is steadfast to observe My commandments and My judgments, as it is this day.’
8 “Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, be careful to seek out all the commandments of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land, and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever.
9 “As for you, my son Solomon, aknow the God of your father, and serve Him bwith a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for cthe LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. dIf you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will ecast you off *forever.
10 “Consider now, afor the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.”
11 Then David gave his son Solomon athe plans for the vestibule, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the mercy seat;
12 and the aplans for all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, of all the chambers all around, bof the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries for the dedicated things;
13 also for the division of the priests and the aLevites, for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and for all the articles of service in the house of the LORD.
14 He gave gold by weight for things of gold, for all articles used in every kind of service; also silver for all articles of silver by weight, for all articles used in every kind of service;
15 the weight for the alampstands of gold, and their lamps of gold, by weight for each lampstand and its lamps; for the lampstands of silver by weight, for the lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand.
16 And by weight he gave gold for the tables of the showbread, for each atable, and silver for the tables of silver;
17 also pure gold for the forks, the basins, the pitchers of pure gold, and the golden bowls—he gave gold by weight for every bowl; and for the silver bowls, silver by weight for every bowl;
18 and refined gold by weight for the aaltar of incense, and for the construction of the chariot, that is, the gold bcherubim that spread their wings and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the LORD.
19 “All this,” said David, a“the LORD made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the 1works of these plans.”
20 And David said to his son Solomon, a“Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not *fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God—my God—will be with you. bHe will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.
21 “Here are athe divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God; and bevery willing craftsman will be with you for all manner of workmanship, for every kind of service; also the leaders and all the people will be completely at your command.”
Offerings for Building the Temple
1 Furthermore King David said to all the assembly: “My son Solomon, whom alone God has achosen, is byoung and inexperienced; and the work is great, because the 1temple is not for man but for the LORD God.
2 “Now for the house of my God I have prepared with all my might: gold for things to be made of gold, silver for things of silver, bronze for things of bronze, iron for things of iron, wood for things of wood, aonyx stones, stones to be set, glistening stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and marble slabs in abundance.
3 “Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, my own *special treasure of gold and silver:
4 “three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of aOphir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses;
5 “the gold for things of gold and the silver for things of silver, and for all kinds of work to be done by the hands of craftsmen. Who then is awilling to 1consecrate himself this day to the LORD?”
6 Then athe leaders of the fathers’ houses, leaders of the tribes of Israel, the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with bthe officers over the king’s work, coffered willingly.
7 They gave for the work of the house of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and one hundred thousand talents of iron.
8 And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD, into the hand of aJehiel1 the Gershonite.
9 Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had aoffered willingly to the LORD; and King David also rejoiced greatly.
David’s Praise to God
10 Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the assembly; and David said:
“Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
11 aYours, O LORD, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O LORD,
And You are exalted as head over all.
>12 aBoth riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name.
14 But who am I, and who are my people,
That we should be able to offer so willingly as this?
For all things come from You,
And 1of Your own we have given You.
15 For awe are 1aliens and 2pilgrims before You,
As were all our fathers;
bOur days on earth are as a shadow,
And without hope.
16 “O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a *house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own.
17 “I know also, my God, that You atest the heart and bhave pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer willingly to You.
18 “O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You.
19 “And agive my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the 1temple for which bI have made provision.”
20 Then David said to all the assembly, “Now bless the LORD your God.” So all the assembly blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the LORD and the king.
Solomon Anointed King
21 And they made sacrifices to the LORD and offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the next day: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and asacrifices in abundance for all Israel.
22 So they ate and drank before the LORD with great gladness on that day. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and aanointed him before the LORD to be the leader, 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.
24 All the leaders and the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David, asubmitted1 themselves to King Solomon.
25 So the LORD exalted Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and abestowed on him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.
The Close of David’s Reign
26 Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel.
27 aAnd the period that he reigned over Israel was forty years; bseven years he reigned in Hebron, and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem.
28 So he adied in a good old age, bfull of days and riches and honor; and Solomon his *son reigned in his place.
29 Now the acts of King David, first and last, indeed they are written in the 1book of Samuel the *seer, in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,
30 with all his reign and his might, aand the events that happened to him, to Israel, and to all the kingdoms of the lands.
1:1—9:44 The first nine chapters of 1 Chr. are an important foundation for the story of the Davidic dynasty of Judah, surveying the genealogy of David reaching back to Adam himself. The chronicler is sometimes selective, including and arranging only the lists and individuals that are relevant to his purpose. Thus he sets the stage for his discussion of the Davidic dynasty in five distinct sections. The first section (1:1—2:2) gives the genealogy from Adam to Jacob and his sons. The second section (2:3—3:24) singles out the tribe of Judah and records its genealogies because it is the line of David. In the third division (4:1—8:40), the genealogies of the remainder of the tribes are recorded, with special attention given to the Levites. The fourth section (9:1–34) outlines the genealogies of the remnant that returned to Jerusalem. The final section (9:35–44) traces the family of King Saul.
1:1–28 This section gives a general list of descendants from Adam to Abraham. For a closer inspection of these men and their lives, read the text and notes of Gen. 1—24.
1:29–33 Before continuing to record the descendants of Isaac (v. 34), 1 Chr. records other descendants of Abraham. For further information about some of these individuals and their times, read the text and notes of Gen. 21:1—25:11.
1:34–54 The significant offspring of Isaac was Israel. But before 1 Chr. records the list of Israel and his sons, it inserts the descendants of Ishmael and Esau into the account. To appreciate more fully these people and their world, read the text and notes of Gen. 25—36.
2:1, 2 These 2 verses list the 12 sons of Israel (that is, Jacob). These men and some of the events of their lives are recorded in Gen. 29—50.
2:3—3:24 In this section, the chronicler highlights the tribe of Judah, for this is the line of David. The life, times, and background of these people are more fully set forth in the first eight books of the OT.
2:3–55 This division outlines the descendants of Judah as ancestors of David. For further insights about these people, read the text and notes of Gen. 29—2 Sam. 3.
2:4 See notes on Gen. 38:1–30; Ruth 4:18–22.
2:12 See the text and notes on Ruth 4:13–17.
2:13–15 See note on 1 Sam. 16:1.
2:25 On Jerahmeel, see notes on 1 Sam. 27:10 and 30:26–31.
3:1–16 These verses give a general account of David’s dynasty up to the time of the Exile.
3:17–24 Here the chronicler records the royal line of David after the Exile. These verses show that the final compilation of 1 and 2 Chr. was after the Exile.
4:1—8:40 1 Chr. has recorded descendants from Adam to Jacob’s sons (1:1—2:2). The tribe of Judah is emphasized because they were the line of David (2:3—3:24). Now, in the third main section of the family trees in 1 Chr. 1—9, the chronicler records some of the ancestry of the other tribes of Israel. In keeping with its emphasis on the southern kingdom and David, 1 Chr. considers the tribe of Judah first (4:1–23), though Judah was the fourth son of Jacob. In its accounting of the ancestry of the tribes of Israel, Zebulun and Dan are not specifically mentioned. However, the genealogies of the two tribes arising through Joseph—Manasseh and Ephraim—are mentioned (5:23–26; 7:14–29). The tribe of Benjamin is mentioned twice (7:6–12; 8:1–40) to show its significance as the line of King Saul. But the tribe that is given special attention in this section is Levi. More space is given to discussing the Levites than to any other tribe (6:1–81) because 1 Chr. repeatedly accents the temple and worship. The life and times of all these people can be found in Gen. 29—2 Kin. 25, and the Levites are given special attention in the Book of Leviticus.
9:1–34 These verses are the climax to the genealogies, outlining the descendants of those who returned to Judah from the Exile. The roots of the remnant have been traced from Adam (1:1) all the way down to their present state in Jerusalem. This section affirms that 1 and 2 Chr. are postexilic works.
9:35–44 This section gives an account of the family of King Saul. It sets the stage for the discussion of the beginning of the kingdom under Saul in ch. 10.
10:1–14 The story of the rise and fall of King Saul is more explicitly treated in 1 Sam. 9—31. The emphasis of 1 Chr. is on King David, and so ch. 10 serves only as a general overview of Saul’s life. Vv. 13, 14 give a glaring indictment of his failure as king.
11:1–9 See the text and notes of 2 Sam. 5:1–7 for more information on David’s coronation and the capture of Jerusalem.
11:10–47 See the text and notes on 2 Sam. 23:8–39, where David’s special guard is also listed.
12:1–22 This chapter contains much that is not recorded in 1 and 2 Sam. It tells of David’s supporters from Ziklag, from the tribe of Gad, and how even some of Saul’s relatives went over to David’s side.
12:18 This is the first of several references in 1 Chr. to utterances inspired by the Spirit of God. See also 2 Chr. 15:1; 20:14; 24:20. The Spirit came upon literally says “the Spirit clothed Himself with” Amasai, which means “He took possession of” Amasai (see Judg. 6:34). The prophets understood that the source for prophetic inspiration was the Spirit of God (1 Sam. 10:6, 10; 19:20, 23). For more on the Holy Spirit in 1 Chr., see Introduction to 1 Chronicles: The Holy Spirit at Work.
12:23–40 Soldiers from most of the tribes came to David at Hebron to make him king over all the land of Israel.
12:32 See section 4 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Chr.
13:1–14 Read the text and notes of 2 Sam. 6:1–11. In keeping with the chronicler’s purpose to write a religious history of the nation, the order of events is sometimes rearranged to make a point. The first attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem actually occurred later, but 1 Chr. places the incident first in David’s reign. This highlights David’s desire to restore the worship of Yahweh.
13:1, 2 See section 4 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Chr.
13:7–10 See section 4 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Chr.
14:8–17 This account of the defeat of the Philistines when David heard the sound of marching in the mulberry trees is in 2 Sam. 5:17–25.
15:1–29 Read the text and notes of 2 Sam. 6:12–20. About three months after the events of ch. 13 David brought the ark up to Jerusalem.
15:1–28 See section 1 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Chr.
15:11–15 See section 4 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Chr.
16:1–6 See 2 Sam. 6 (especially v. 17). David placed the ark in the tent he had made, the tabernacle of David. Both the original tent, the tabernacle of Moses, and its altar remained in Gibeon. See 2 Chr. 1:3–6. Emphasizing the importance of the Levites, 1 Chr. details their role in the installation ceremony of the ark, whereas 2 Sam. does not.
16:7–23 This psalm is unique to 1 Chr. and was indicative of the worship, not only at the return of the ark, but also of the daily praise that continued before the Lord (v. 37).
16:8–35 See section 2 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Chr.
16:37–43 Again, it is apparent that there were two sanctuaries for worship, one at Jerusalem and the other at Gibeon. See note on vv. 1–6.
17:1–27 Read the text and notes of 2 Sam. 7.
17:1–15 The prophecy of Nathan includes a promise to David known as the Davidic covenant, pointing to the coming rule of Christ.
17:16–27 David’s response to the news that he was not to build the temple is an excellent illustration of how a believer should handle disappointment. Instead of being angry and upset at the Lord, David’s reaction was one of humility and thanksgiving. See also 1 Thess. 5:18.
18:1–17 For a comparative view of David’s conquests and the expansion of his kingdom, read the text and notes of 2 Sam. 8.
19:1–19 Read the text and notes of 2 Sam. 10 for another view of David’s victory over the Ammonites and Syrians.
20:1–3 Read the text and notes of 2 Sam. 12:26–31 for information on David’s capture of Rabbah.
20:1, 2 Between vv. 1 and 2, 2 Sam. inserts the episode in which David commits adultery with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:1—12:25).
20:4–8 For a further description of the Philistine giants, see 1 Sam. 17:1–6 and 2 Sam. 21:15–17. The Jonathan mentioned in v. 7 was not the son of Saul who was David’s friend, but David’s nephew, the son of Shimea (or Shammah). See 1 Sam. 16:9.
21:1–30 At this juncture, 1 Chr. passes over a number of events in the life of David and proceeds to the end of his life. The chronicler does not discuss the events of 2 Sam. 13:1—23:7, including David’s troubles with Amnon and Tamar, his son Absalom, Ziba, Shimei, and Sheba. Instead, the author moves directly to those incidents that set the stage for building the temple.
21:1 To number Israel: The census of David in this chapter is also recorded in 2 Sam. 24, but there it states that it was because God was angry with Israel (the reason for this is unclear) that He moved David to take the census. The account of the census has been problematic because God does not cause anyone to sin (James 1:13) and because it is not apparent why such a census was wrong (Num. 1:2, 3; 26:2–4). The first problem is clarified by comparing 2 Sam. 24:1 with 1 Chr. 21:1. God did not directly incite David to do something for which He would then turn around and judge him (v. 14); rather, He allowed Satan to influence David to do what David probably already had in his heart to do (James 1:14, 15).
This is similar to the times when the Lord allowed Satan to trouble Job (Job 1:12; 2:6) or when He permitted an evil spirit to torment Saul (1 Sam. 16:14). This is one of only three OT references where Satan (literally, “Adversary”) is mentioned by name (see also Job 1; 2; Zech. 3:1). The absence of the definite article (the) before “Satan” in v. 1 indicates that the title, which emphasized his role in inciting rebellion against God, had already become a proper name.
Although we are not told why the numbering was evil (v. 7), it was perhaps either an indication that David was trusting more in his military strength than in God’s power (see Ps. 20:7) or a violation of God’s instruction to Moses on how to conduct a census (see Ex. 30:11–16). The first would be a sin of motive and the second, a sin of method.
21:25 Six hundred shekels of gold: This is an apparent discrepancy with 2 Sam. 24:24 where the price is 50 shekels of silver. However, the 50 shekels of silver in 2 Sam. 24:24 only paid for the threshing floor (an area about 30 by 60 ft.) and oxen, while the “six hundred shekels of gold” here purchased the entire property.
22:1–19 This chapter has no counterpart in 1 and 2 Sam. It is likely that these events occurred during the brief period when David and Solomon reigned together. See 23:1 and 1 Kin. 1. Though David was not to build the temple, he still did all within his power to make preparation for its construction.
22:3, 14, 16 The statements beyond measure (vv. 3, 14) and there is no limit (v. 16) are helpful in understanding the large figures in 1 and 2 Chr. For example, one hundred thousand talents of gold (3,750 tons) and one million talents of silver (37,500 tons) would be a total of 41,250 tons of precious metal! To some these amounts appear to be exaggerations. However, the admissions “beyond measure” and “there is no limit” imply that David was probably giving a general estimation, not an exact calculation. Additionally, other factors such as the standard of measurement may have been different. At any rate, the point of the passage is that God had blessed David with abundant resources for building the temple. If Solomon would seek the Lord (vv. 13, 19), then God would prosper him (vv. 11, 13) and bless his efforts in building the temple.
When comparing the figures in 1 and 2 Chr. with those from parallel passages in 1 and 2 Sam. or 1 and 2 Kin., it is important to remember that the main point of the biblical record is to convey theological truth, not to dispense figures. In the duplicate historical accounts where there are a vast number of figures, the biblical record is almost always in agreement. When there are differences in figures, most can be resolved as copyists’ errors (see note on 1 Kin. 4:26), different perspectives of the author (see note on 1 Chr. 21:25), or as rounded estimations (v. 14).
22:12, 13 See section 1 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Chr.
22:19 See section 2 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Chr.
23:1—27:34 The next five chapters record how David organized the religious and civil leaders of his administration.
23:1–32 The Levites had cared for the tabernacle of Moses, and now they would maintain the temple. Therefore, among David’s administration, they are mentioned first.
23:3, 24, 27 The apparent discrepancy between age of thirty years and above (v. 3) and age of twenty years and above (vv. 24, 27) is easily resolved. “Thirty years and above” (v. 3) was the lower age limit designated for ministry by a Levite (Num. 4:3, 30). David reduced this limit to “age of twenty years and above” (vv. 24, 27). This was not unusual, for Moses himself had decreased the limit to age 25 in Num. 8:24. The age limit was probably lowered to meet with the increased demands of ecclesiastical burden.
24:1–31 Within the Levites there were divisions of priests. The sons of Aaron were divided into 24 groups of priests, each group responsible for the temple sacrifices for 2 weeks each year. Their selection and order for service were chosen by lot (v. 5). Next, all the rest of the Levites were divided in a similar manner to assist in the general temple responsibilities.
25:1–31 Musicians played an important role in David’s administration, since worship had a high priority for David, and he was himself a skilled musician (1 Sam. 16:14–23; 2 Sam. 22:1). The musicians who played and sang were more than just musicians; they were leaders who prophesied through song (v. 1).
26:1–19 The gatekeepers, the next division of David’s administration, were apparently third-class priests responsible for the care of the temple (“doorkeepers,” 2 Kin. 23:4). This included a variety of tasks, such as guarding the entrance to the temple (9:23–27; 2 Chr. 23:19), protecting the ark (15:23), and overseeing the collection and distribution of monetary offerings (2 Kin. 12:9; 22:14; 2 Chr. 31:14). The gatekeepers had to be Levites (9:26; 15:23; 23:5), and their office could be traced back to the time of Moses (9:26).
26:20–32 Ahijah (one of the Levites) and his descendants acted as overseers and clerks for the treasuries of the temple. The treasuries included gifts, taxes, and spoils of battle.
27:1–34 1 Chr. now records the military commanders (vv. 1–15), the tribal leaders (vv. 16–24), and the government officials (vv. 25–34) in David’s administration. Those mentioned in vv. 26–31 appear to be ones who oversaw the royal estates and were experts in agriculture.
28:1–21 The author of 1 Chr. moves directly to the transferring of the government to Solomon, without even mentioning the attempt of Adonijah to become king and the plea of Nathan and Bathsheba on behalf of Solomon. For a fuller account of these events, read the text and notes of 1 Kin. 1 and 2. For the chronicler, Solomon and the temple are significant points in Judah’s history. Therefore, 1 Chr. gives David’s instructions to Solomon in reference to the temple, while in 1 Kin. they are not included. But 1 Kin. records David’s instructions to Solomon concerning Joab and Shimei, whereas 1 Chr. does not. The inclusion or exclusion of such events fits within the author’s purpose to order his account of history to make a specific theological point.
28:9 See section 2 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Chr.
28:12 For more on the Spirit, see Introduction to 1 Chronicles: The Holy Spirit at Work.
29:1–9 This section, which is also absent from 1 Kin., provides an illuminating model for giving. First, David gives lavishly from his own resources (vv. 1–5). His example and request caused his leaders also to give (vv. 6–8) so that the people gave willingly and joyfully (v. 9).
29:7 A daric was a Persian coin whose value was measured by weight. Ten thousand darics weighed approximately 185 pounds. The offerings of talents mentioned here are also valued by weight. Their total value was over 5,000 tons.
29:10 In his characteristic fashion, David lifted a prayer of praise to God (vv. 10–19), which encouraged all of the people to bless the Lord (v. 20). This is one of the grandest prayers in the entire OT and demonstrates why David was described as “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22).
29:17 See section 3 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Chr.
29:18 See section 3 of Truth-In-Action at the end of 1 Chr.
29:21–30 1 Chr. ends on the optimistic notes of the grandeur of Solomon’s anointing as king (vv. 21–25) and the honor and dignity of David’s death (vv. 26–30).
CHAPTER 1
1 So with MT, Vg.; LXX adds the sons of Noah
1 Mash, Gen. 10:23
1 Lit. Division, Gen. 10:25
2 Or land
1 Obal, Gen. 10:28
1 Hadar, Gen. 25:15
b Gen. 25:9, 25, 26, 29; 32:28
1 Zepho, Gen. 36:11
1 Hemam or Heman, Gen. 36:22
1 Alvan, Gen. 36:23
2 Shepho, Gen. 36:23
1 Hemdan, Gen. 36:26
1 Akan, Gen. 36:27
1 Lit. struck
1 Hadar, Gen. 36:39
2 Pau, Gen. 36:39
1 Alvah, Gen. 36:40
CHAPTER 2
a Gen. 29:32–35; 35:23, 26; 46:8–27
1 Jacob, Gen. 32:28
a Gen. 38:3–5; 46:12; Num. 26:19
2 Darda, 1 Kin. 4:31
2 banned or devoted
1 Salmon, Ruth 4:21; Luke 3:32
1 Shammah, 1 Sam. 16:9
a 1 Sam. 16:10, 11; 17:12
1 Jithra the Israelite, 2 Sam. 17:25
1 Lit. took to himself
2 Or Ephrathah
a Num. 27:1; Judg. 5:14; 1 Chr. 7:14
1 Reckoned to Manasseh through the daughter of Machir, Num. 32:41; Deut. 3:14; 25:5, 6; 1 Kin. 4:13; 1 Chr. 7:14
a Num. 32:41; Deut. 3:14; Josh. 13:30
1 Or Achsa
1 Reaiah, 1 Chr. 4:2
2 Or Manuhothites, same as Manahethites, v. 54
1 Or Ataroth of the house of Joab
CHAPTER 3
1 Chileab, 2 Sam. 3:3
1 Shammua, 1 Chr. 14:4; 2 Sam. 5:14
2 Bathsheba, 2 Sam. 11:3
3 Eliam, 2 Sam. 11:3
1 Elishua, 1 Chr. 14:5; 2 Sam. 5:15
2 Elpelet, 1 Chr. 14:5
1 Beeliada, 1 Chr. 14:7
1 Abijam, 1 Kin. 15:1
1 Jehoram, 2 Kin. 1:17; 8:16
2 Or Azariah or Jehoahaz
3 Jehoash, 2 Kin. 12:1
1 Eliakim, 2 Kin. 23:34
2 Jehoahaz, 2 Kin. 23:31
1 Jehoiachin, 2 Kin. 24:8, or Coniah, Jer. 22:24
2 Mattaniah, 2 Kin. 24:17
1 Jehoiachin, 2 Kin. 24:8, or Coniah, Jer. 22:24
2 Or the captive were Shealtiel
CHAPTER 4
1 Chelubai, 1 Chr. 2:9 or Caleb, 1 Chr. 2:18
1 Haroeh, 1 Chr. 2:52
1 Lit. He Will Cause Pain
1 border
1 Lit. City of Nahash
1 LXX, Vg. add and Meonothai
1 Lit. Valley of Craftsmen
a Josh. 14:6, 14; 15:13, 17; 1 Chr. 6:56
1 Or Uknaz
1 Lit. she
1 Or His Judean wife
1 Lit. words
1 Lit. Plants
2 Lit. Hedges
1 Jemuel, Gen. 46:10; Ex. 6:15; Num. 26:12
2 Jachin, Gen. 46:10; Num. 26:12
3 Zohar, Gen. 46:10; Ex. 6:15
1 Balah, Josh. 19:3
2 Eltolad, Josh. 19:4
1 Hazar Susah, Josh. 19:5
1 Ether, Josh. 19:7
1 Baalath Beer, Josh. 19:8
1 Lit. struck
a Ex. 17:14; 1 Sam. 15:8; 30:17
1 Lit. struck
CHAPTER 5
a Gen. 49:8, 10; Ps. 60:7; 108:8
1 the right of the firstborn
a Gen. 46:9; Ex. 6:14; Num. 26:5
1 Heb. Tilgath-Pilneser
a Num. 32:34; Josh. 12:2; 13:15, 16
a Josh. 22:8, 9
1 beginning
2 increased