Bible Commentaries
1 Chronicles 29

Verses 1-30

David’s Offerings, Thanksgiving, and Death

1. The palace] The word in the original is more strictly applicable to the fortress which was attached to the Second Temple (Nehemiah 2:8) and afterwards called the tower of Antonia, but here and in 1 Chronicles 29:19 is employed of Solomon’s Temple.

3. Of mine own proper good] RV ’a treasure of mine own.’

4. Three thousand, etc.] The weights here named, as in many other places in Chronicles, are incredibly large, amounting in value to £21,320,000 of our money.

7. Drams] The dram (Gk. drachma) was ½ shekel; and the value (according to the early Hebrew weights) of all the gold mentioned in this v. would be about £30,760,000, and of the silver about £4,100,000.

10. And David said] David in his prayer recognised that it was not in his, or any man’s, power to add to God’s glory. The building of the Temple could only manifest his and his people’s devotion and gratitude for the goodness which had bestowed such wealth upon them.

15. None abiding] better, ’no hope of abiding.’

20. Worshipped the.. king] cp. Psalms 45:11. The same kind of prostrations were made both in divine worship and in paying respect to the sovereign.

22. The second time] The ’first time’ is only described at length in 1 Kings 1:39, though the writer of Chronicles alludes to it in 1 Chronicles 23:1.

Zadok. to be priest] This seems to anticipate the promotion which Zadok received when Solomon, after David’s death, deposed Abiathar: 1 Kings 2:27.

30. The times that went over him] i.e. the fortunes that befell him.