Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
1 Chronicles 28:21

Clarke's Commentary

Verse 1 Chronicles 28:21. Behold, the courses of the priests — The priests and the Levites, the cunning artificers, and the princes of the people, will be at thy command. Thus David, having assigned him his work, and described the manner in which it was to be done, shows him who were to be his assistants in it, and encourages him in the great undertaking.

Here we find piety, good sense, prudence, zeal for the public welfare and God's glory, the strongest attachments to the worship of Jehovah, and concern for the ordinances of religion, all united; and Solomon has his danger, his duty, and his interest placed before him in the truest and most impressive light by his pious and sensible father.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Solomon presented to the people (28:1-29:30)

David had been forced to appoint Solomon as king hastily when he learnt that another son, Adonijah, was plotting to seize the throne for himself (see notes on 1 Kings 1:5-53). That very unceremonious anointing of Solomon was followed soon after by a second anointing, this time with full religious and regal ceremony (see 29:22). This second occasion is the one that the Chronicler refers to here. David presented Solomon to the people as the one who, by God’s choice, would succeed him as king and build the temple (28:1-10). David gave Solomon the plans he had prepared for the temple and its service. He encouraged Solomon to persist in the work till the temple was finished and in use according to the plans he had set out (11-21).

In addition to the money and materials he had already given for the project (see 22:14), David gave a lavish offering from his own personal funds. His example prompted the people to make similarly generous offerings (29:1-9). The joyful response from the people brought from David an outburst of magnificent praise to God. He gladly acknowledged that everything that people possess comes from God; therefore, in making offerings to him, the Israelites had only given back what he had already given them. They had done this joyfully and willingly, and David prayed that they would maintain such devotion to God always (10-20).
Next day the people joined in a great festival and swore allegiance to Solomon as their new king (21-25). The writer will now continue with the story of Solomon, but before doing so he gives a brief summary of the reign of David (26-30).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

DAVID'S ADMONITION FOR SOLOMON

"And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed; for Jehovah God, even my God is with thee; he will not fail thee, or forsake thee, until all the work for the service of the house of Jehovah be finished. And, behold, there are the courses of the priests and the Levites, for all the service of the house of God: and there shall be with thee in all manner of work every willing man that hath skill for any manner of service: also the captains and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment."

The absolute sincerity and total devotion of king David in his love of God and his enthusiasm for building the temple shine in every word of these wonderful sentences. How tragic it is that his son Solomon failed so wretchedly to honor the admonition of this wonderful father.

SPECIAL NOTE ON 1 Chronicles 28:5

"He (God) hath chosen Solomon… to sit upon the throne of the KINGDOM OF JEHOVAH over Israel" There is not a more preposterous statement in all the Bible than this one. David truly believed, as did all Israel, that the earthly kingdom that God had given them was the kingdom of heaven.

In a certain sense, of course, the people of Israel were a type of that `kingdom of heaven' which is the Church; but in no sense whatever was the secular, political kingdom of David and Solomon the kingdom of God. The ancient inhabitants of Canaan were not driven out of Palestine, as God commanded; but they were enslaved by Israel. (See the opening chapters of my commentary on Judges.)

"2 Samuel 20:24 indicates that David used forced (slave) labor; that passage does not say who composed the labor gangs";Broadman Bible Commentary, Vol. 3, p. 346. and, although David might not have forced Israelites into his forced labor gangs, the enslaved Canaanites were certainly used; and Solomon quickly extended them to include Israelites also. There is no way that the evil, secular and political kingdom of Israel could have been the kingdom of heaven. Of course, the multitudes who were living off the sweat of other peoples' faces liked doing so; and no doubt many thought it was wonderful. (See further comment on this in our Introduction to 1 Kings 4.)

The political Jewish kingdom was never anything other than what the prophet of God called it - "THE SINFUL KINGDOM" (Amos 9:8).

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 27

And then the courses were established in chapter twenty-seven. There were twelve captains for, one for each month to oversee a particular month. And then the princes were established for the twelve tribes. And in verse twenty-three, chapter twenty-seven,

But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like the stars of heaven. Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he didn't finish the task, because of the plague that fell upon Israel; and neither was the number put into the account of the chronicles of king David ( 1 Chronicles 27:23-24 ).

And then David's own personal administration of his own personal wealth. It speaks of the man that he set over his own treasury, over the storehouses of the fields, the cities. The men that were in charge of the work in the field, the tilling of the ground and so forth. The man that was over his vineyards. And the man who was over the increase of the vineyards with the wine cellars. The one who was over the olive trees and the fig trees. And the one who was over the cellars of oil, and another one over the herds that fed in the plains of Sharon. Another one that was over the herds that fed in the valleys and over the camels. And so David had all of these vast things to take care of, and he was, no doubt, a super administrator also.

And Ahithophel was the king's counselor: with Hushai the Archite who was the king's companion: and after Ahithophel was Jehoiada and Joab, of course, was the general of the army ( 1 Chronicles 27:33-34 ). "

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And, behold, all the courses of the priests and the Levites,.... Which David had lately fixed to take their turns in the temple, when built: even they shall be with thee

for all the service of the house of God; to advise and assist him in everything relating to the service of the sanctuary, which they might be supposed best to understand:

and there shall be with thee, for all manner of workmanship, every willing skilful man for any manner of service; men that were not only well skilled in all manner of curious work that was necessary for the service of the house, but were willing to employ their skill to the uttermost for it, and such David had provided, 1 Chronicles 22:15,

also the princes and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment: to do whatever he should order, whether to overlook the workmen, or to contribute to the expenses of the work.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      11 Then 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,   12 And 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:   13 Also 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.   14 He 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:   15 Even 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.   16 And by weight he gave gold for the tables of showbread, for every table; and likewise silver for the tables of silver:   17 Also 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:   18 And 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.   19 All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.   20 And 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.   21 And, 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.

      As for the general charge that David gave his son to seek God and serve him, the book of the law was, in that, his only rule, and there needed no other; but, in building the temple, David was now to give him three things:-- 1. A model of the building, because it was to be such a building as neither he nor his architects ever saw. Moses had a pattern of the tabernacle shown him in the mount (Hebrews 8:5), so had David of the temple, by the immediate hand of God upon him, 1 Chronicles 28:19; 1 Chronicles 28:19. It was given him in writing, probably by the ministry of an angel, or as clearly and exactly represented to his mind as if it had been in writing. But it is said (1 Chronicles 28:12; 1 Chronicles 28:12), He had this pattern by the Spirit. The contrivance either of David's devotion or of Solomon's wisdom must not be trusted to in an affair of this nature. The temple must be a sacred thing and a type of Christ; there must be in it not only convenience and decency, but significancy: it was a kind of sacrament, and therefore it must not be left to man's art or invention to contrive it, but must be framed by divine institution. Christ the true temple, the church the gospel temple, and heaven the everlasting temple, are all framed according to the divine councils, and the plan laid in the divine wisdom, ordained before the world for God's glory and ours. This pattern David gave to Solomon, that he might know what to provide and might go by a certain rule. When Christ left with his disciples a charge to build his gospel church he gave them an exact model of it, ordering them to observe that, and that only, which he commanded. The particular models are here mentioned, of the porch, which was higher than the rest, like a steeple,--then the houses, both the holy place and the most holy, with the rooms adjoining, which were for treasuries, chambers, and parlours,--especially the place of the mercy-seat (1 Chronicles 28:11; 1 Chronicles 28:11),-- of the courts likewise, and the chambers about them, in which the dedicated things were laid up. Bishop Patrick supposes that, among other things, the tabernacle which Moses reared and all the utensils of it, which there was now no further occasion for, were laid up here, signifying that in the fulness of time all the Mosaic economy, all the rites and ceremonies of that dispensation, should be respectfully laid aside, and something better come in their room. He gave him a table of the courses of the priests, patterns of the vessels of service (1 Chronicles 28:13; 1 Chronicles 28:13), and a pattern of the chariot of the cherubim, 1 Chronicles 28:18; 1 Chronicles 28:18. Besides the two cherubim over the mercy-seat, there were two much larger, whose wings reached from wall to wall (1 Kings 6:23-28, c.), and of these David here gave Solomon the pattern, called a chariot for the angels are the chariots of God, Psalms 68:17. 2. Materials for the most costly of the utensils of the temple. That they might not be made any less than the patterns, he weighed out the exact quantity for each vessel both of gold and silver, 1 Chronicles 28:14; 1 Chronicles 28:14. In the tabernacle there was but one golden candlestick; in the temple there were ten (1 Kings 7:49), besides silver ones, which, it is supposed, were hand-candlesticks, 1 Chronicles 28:15; 1 Chronicles 28:15. In the tabernacle there was but one table; but in the temple, besides that on which the show-bread was set, there were ten others for other uses (2 Chronicles 4:8), besides silver tables; for, this house being much larger than that, it would look bare if it had not furniture proportionable. The gold for the altar of incense is particularly said to be refined gold (1 Chronicles 28:18; 1 Chronicles 28:18), purer than any of the rest; for that was typical of the intercession of Christ, than which nothing is more pure and perfect. 3. Directions which way to look for help in this great undertaking. "Fear not opposition; fear not the charge, care, and trouble; fear not miscarrying in it, as in the case of Uzza; fear not the reproach of the foolish builder, that began to build and was not able to finish. Be not dismayed. (1.) God will help thee, and thou must look up to him in the first place (1 Chronicles 28:20; 1 Chronicles 28:20): The Lord God, even my God, whom I have chosen and served, who has all along been present with me and prospered me, and to whom, from my own experience of his power and goodness, I recommend thee, he will be with thee, to direct, strengthen, and prosper thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee." Note, We may be sure that God, who owned our fathers and carried them through the services of their day, will, in like manner, if we be faithful to him, go along with us in our day, and will never leave us, while he has any work to do in us or by us. The same that was Joshua's encouragement (Joshua 1:5), and Solomon's, is given to all believers, Hebrews 13:5. He will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. God never leaves any unless they first leave him. (2.) "Good men will help thee, 1 Chronicles 28:21; 1 Chronicles 28:21. The priests and Levites will advise thee, and thou mayest consult them. Thou hast good workmen, who are both willing and skilful;" and these are two very good properties in a workman, especially in those that work at the temple. And, lastly, "The princes and the people will be so far from opposing or retarding the work that they will be wholly at thy command, every one in his place ready to further it." Then good work is likely to go on when all parties concerned are hearty in it, and none secretly clog it, but all drive on heartily in it.