Verse 1

And 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.

And David assembled, … — A great deal of business David had done in his day. And the nearer he comes to his end, the more busy he is, still endeavouring to do his work with all his might. He is now recovered from the weakness mentioned1Kings1:1. He therefore improves his recovery, as giving him an opportunity of doing God and his country a little more service.

Verse 2

Then 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:

Stood — Out of reverence to God and respect to this great and honourable assembly.

Brethren — So he calls the princes and chief rulers, both because they had a share with him, though under him in the government; and in compliance with the Divine command, that the king should not be lifted up above his brethren; Deuteronomy 17:20.

Of rest — A place where it might be fixed, and no more removed from place to place, as it had been.

Foot-stool — An house for the ark is here styled an house for the foot-stool of our God. Heaven is his throne: the earth and the most magnificent temples thereon are but his foot-stool. So much difference is there between the manifestations of his glory, in the upper and in the lower world!

Verse 6

And 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.

My house, … — So was he a figure of him that was to come, who is both the founder and the foundation of the gospel-temple.

Verse 7

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

At this day — As he hath begun. This promise is absolute with regard to the Messiah, but conditional, with regard to Solomon. If we are constant in our duty, then and not otherwise, we may expect the continuance of his favour.

Verse 8

Now 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.

Of our God — I exhort and charge you every one, calling God who is here present, and this congregation wherein all Israel are present by their representatives, or witness against you, if you do not follow my counsel.

Keep and seek — Keep those commands which you know, and seek for, or search into what you are yet ignorant of, that you may distinctly understand the whole will of God, and seriously give yourselves to the practice of it. God's commandments cannot be kept without great care.

Verse 9

And 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.

Know — So as to love and serve him. Words of knowledge in scripture-use commonly imply affection and practice. Or, acknowledge him, as thy God, by loving and obeying him.

Searcheth — If thou dost only put on a profession of religion to please me, or if thy obedience to God be unsincere, thou mayest indeed deceive me, but thou canst not deceive him, for he searcheth the motions of thy heart.

Cast thee off — Notwithstanding all his promises to me and to my seed, and that great honour and favour which he hath shewed thee.

Verse 10

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

The sanctuary — For the ark to dwell in.

Be strong — Take courage to break through all difficulties. Without this, we can do no work of God as we ought.

Verse 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,

The porch — Of the temple.

The houses — The houses of the temple, namely, the holy place, and the holy of holies.

Parlours — Those rooms which were made against the wall of the house round about, 1 Kings 6:5.

The place — In what particular part of the holy of holies it was to be placed.

Verse 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:

By the spirit — All the particulars of the tabernacle built by Moses were suggested to him by God's spirit, and it is not credible that God would use less care and exactness in the building of this far more glorious and durable work. All this, it seems, was given him in writing, probably by the ministry of an angel. The temple was to be a sacred thing, a type of Christ, of his church, and of heaven. Therefore it was not to be contrived by man's invention, but to be framed by divine institution. So Christ, the true temple, the church, the gospel-temple, and heaven, the everlasting temple, are all framed according to the divine counsels, and the plan laid before the world began. It is supposed, the tabernacle of Moses, with all its utensils, being wanted no more, was laid up here.

Verse 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.

According, … — Whether they were fixed in one place, whereof there were ten in the holy place, or to be carried from place to place.

Verse 16

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

The tables — There were divers tables to be used about the shew-bread; but one of them seems to have been of more eminency than the rest, and therefore it is commonly called the table of the shew-bread in the singular number.

Verse 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.

Refined gold — Purer than any of the rest. For that was typical of the intercession of Christ, than which nothing can be more pure and perfect.

The cherubim — Which Solomon was to make, (for those which were fastened to the mercy-seat were made by Moses long before) which he fitly compares to a chariot, because within them God is said to sit and to dwell. And because a chariot is made to carry a person from place to place, this expression may be used to intimate that God was not so fixed to them by the building of this temple, but that he would remove from them if they forsook him.

Covered — Not above it, for that was done by Moses's cherubim, but before it, to keep it from the eyes of the high-priest, when he entered into the most holy place.

Verse 19

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

In writing — God revealed this to some man of God, who put it into writing, and by him to David. Or, God did, as it were, by his own hand, (where-with he wrote the Ten Commandments) write these things upon the table of his mind.

Verse 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.

My God — Whom I have chosen and served, who has all along been with me and prospered me, I recommend thee to him; he will be with thee, to strengthen, direct and prosper thee. The God that owned our fathers, and carried them thro' the services of their day, will, in like manner, if we are faithful to him, go along with us in our day, and will never fail us. God never leaves any, unless they first leave him.