Study notes

1 Chronicles 29

Introducing 1 ChroniclesWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

23:1–29:30 Section

David very carefully prepared for Solomon to be king after him. The business matters of his kingdom were well ordered. They were overseen by many officials. The worship practices were also well ordered. They were overseen by the Levites.

For many years the Levites had served at the holy tent. Most of their work would take place at the temple once it was built. The Levites cast lots to decide what duties each group would be responsible for.

There were Levite officials, judges and guards of the temple gates. Some Levites were responsible for all the work inside temple. This included taking care of the rooms and all the objects. It also included the priests’ work of offering sacrifices and giving blessings to the people.

Some Levites were musicians. Their work was to prophecy and lead the people in worshipping God with songs and instruments. Some Levites were in charge of all the treasures gathered for the temple. These treasures had been set aside by Samuel, Saul, Joab, David and other leaders.

Some Levites took care of matters on the east side of the River Jordan. Others took care of matters on the west side. David’s plans for building the temple were well ordered. They included what the temple would look like and what it would have inside. They included what everything would be made from.

David provided many of the things needed. Other leaders in Israel gave gold, silver, bronze, iron and jewels. They gave freely and with joy. David recognised that they gave back to God what they had received from him. This is because everything belongs to God.

David prayed for God to help Solomon and the Israelites stay faithful to him. David wanted Solomon to serve God with all his heart.

28:1–29:25

The story of Solomon's coronation continues from 1 Chronicles 23:1–2. David, at the height of his power, transfers authority to Solomon (compare 1 Kings 1:1–2:9).

29:1–9

David convinced Israel's leaders (1 Chronicles 28:1) to give gifts to the Lord for the temple. David's generous gift set an example for the leaders. The Chronicler highlights that Solomon did not bear the heavy cost of building the temple alone. Solomon added to the contributions made by David and Israel's leaders (see 1 Chronicles 22:14).

29:6

Israel’s leaders gave willingly, just like they did with the tabernacle (Exodus 25:1–7).

29:7

10,000 darics of gold: Persian darics were first minted during the reign of King Darius I of Persia, who ruled from 522 to 486 BC. When describing the temple gifts during Solomon's time, the Chronicler updated the information to match his era, similar to how the New Living Translation converts Hebrew weights and measures to modern equivalents.

29:10–19

David’s prayer of praise ended his speeches at Solomon’s coronation. The prayer praises God’s power and the glory of his kingdom, and it dedicates the offerings for building the temple. The prayer has three parts:

The doxology (1 Chronicles 29:10b–13)
The presentation and dedication of the offerings (1 Chronicles 29:14–17)
The petition (1 Chronicles 29:18–19)

29:18–19

David did not ask God for power, victory, or riches, nor for Solomon's kingdom to be established. Instead, he asked God to help the people of Israel, especially Solomon, always want to obey the Lord. Having this kind of heart is a gift from the Lord; success and prosperity come second.

29:21–25

After the speeches and prayers at Solomon's coronation, sacrifices took place. Solomon and Zadok were anointed, and Solomon took the throne. Zadok was not starting his priestly role but was dedicated to serve in the temple itself. (The descendants of Zadok are mentioned in Ezekiel 40:46; 43:19; 44:15; 48:11.)

29:26–30

The Chronicler ends his account of David’s reign with a formal summary, similar to those for all the kings of Israel and Judah (for example, 1 Kings 22:41–50). Like Abraham (Genesis 25:8) and Isaac (Genesis 35:29), David died at an old age with wealth and honor.

29:29

The chronicles of David's reign use sources linked to three prophets:

The Chronicler also used other sources besides the books of Samuel and Kings (see study note on 1 Chronicles 9:1; see also 1 Kings 11:41–43; 14:19–20, 29–31).

29:30

The final verse praises David, highlighting him as the main figure of his era.

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources